GEORGE BANKS

Inflight service consultant

Increasingly I see F&B delivered straight to a bare tray table inflight. Food is bulk loaded, served direct from the trolley by hand and any illusion of service style, elegance or professional interaction is gone.

I understand why. Galley space is being used to add more seats and a tray service takes up more space and weight, but is this change really the answer.

For low cost and short haul carriers, a bulk sandwich or pizza in a box makes sense, but when international scheduled carriers offer each course individually, the visual impact and appeal of the service is completely lost, it takes much longer to serve and, while it may bring more choice, is clumbersome to deliver.

In the past airlines used tiffin trays, half trays, two thirds trays, and large trays but now, if used at all, trays are designed to maximise stowage, with four trays to one runner or double stacking. With individual items each runner in the meal cart can hold 12, 18 or 24 items delivered from a plastic drawer with plastic cutlery and a often a paper cup.

This may be a practical option for mid-flight snacks or a second meal and of course service styles need to cut waste and weight, and be more sustainable, but must this really mean an end to the airline tray that has given good service inflight since the 1950s?