Airlines Are Warming Up to Brand-Name Foods
Long the subject of bad jokes, airline food is undergoing a make-over as carriers have begun offering everything from McDonald’s cheeseburgers to Starbucks’ coffee.
Brand-name foods are becoming increasingly visible on U.S. flights. Delta Air Lines recently began serving submarine sandwiches made by Blimpie International on its lunch and snack flights in North America. Sandwiches from Subway Sandwiches & Salads are served on some Continental Airlines flights. United Airlines offers special meals by McDonald’s geared to children and serves individual Chicago-style stuffed pizzas made by Edwardo’s Natural Pizza Restaurants to its first-class passengers.
“Branded foods are perceived as having more value and being of better quality,” said Larry DeShon, director of catering for United. “It’s perceived as someone else’s product, not just as the airline’s version of it.”
Restaurant industry consultants said passengers can expect to see more brand-name foods on airlines. The proliferation of franchise foods on planes is an extension of a larger trend begun seven or eight years ago, said Dick Huiras, a restaurant consultant based in Houston.
Franchisers can now be seen hawking their fare in hospitals and schools, at kiosks and movable carts in malls and at the local gasoline station. Given the proven success of those ventures, the next logical step was to provide food for airlines.
“We look at (Blimpie’s agreement with Delta) as a great national ad campaign,” said Bruce Kolbinsky, vice president of operations for Blimpie, which serves about 125,000 sandwiches a week on Delta through a cross-marketing agreement.
Bruce Orlando, chief operating officer for Bravo Restaurants Inc., the parent company of Edwardo’s Natural Pizza, said he sees his company’s agreement with United as a chance to get national exposure for his Midwest chain. Orlando said he is so pleased with the results, he plans to find an airline on which to sell another Bravo pizza product made by its Original Gino’s East restaurants.
Huiras said, however, that the ultimate success and longevity of the trend of serving branded food on airlines lies with the airlines--whether they see a cost savings, and whether it increases passenger traffic.
“The jury’s still out,” he said.
Airlines said they sometimes save money by serving branded foods, depending on how the deal with the franchise is negotiated, but stressed that the main motivator is passenger satisfaction.
“People like to be served branded food,” said Todd Clay, a spokesman for Delta. “They are familiar with the taste. No matter where they go in the country, Blimpie (sandwiches) always taste the same.”
Consumer groups say familiar products make airline passengers feel more satisfied, but they won’t necessarily affect which carrier people choose to fly.
“Airline food has a reputation of not being that grand, but when you attach a logo--a brand name--people feel comfortable,” said David Stempler, executive director of the International Airline Passengers Assn.
