Long after the other airlines stopped serving food, Continental announced it was no longer the only holdout: Starting Oct. 12, it will start charging passengers for food on some flights, the airline announced.
“Continental was the only major airline to offer food and for nine years bucked the trend as other airlines cut meals from their flights and started offering food for purchase,” said the AP.
Most American airlines stopped serving free meals in economy class domestic flights after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Continental was the last major US carrier to serve food.
The airline will continue to offer free meals on its international flights and on a handful of domestic flights that exceed six-and-a-half hours. Drinks and meals also will continue to be complimentary for business and first class passengers.
Economy-class passengers, however, will only be offered a choice of non-alcoholic beverages, since complimentary snacks will no longer be provided on most routes.
Continental unveiled a for purchase menu of hot and cold dishes with prices ranging from $1.50 for a can of Pringles to $8.25 for a chicken salad.
The carrier says its new menu will feature dishes similar to those served in a casual-dining restaurants.
The new menu is a result of customer feedback that requested that the airline offer more food choices on flights. Continental said it spent years researching restaurant trends in order to create a menu that would appeal to its customers.
By David Wilkening
