USA TODAY International Edition
Yay, free snacks! Airlines bring back perks for fliers
United, American announce changes as profitability returns
With U. S. airlines on sounder footing in a new era of profitability, they’ve started to restore some previously lost amenities as well as adding new ones that will make them more competitive with global rivals.
The latest changes came Wednesday from American and United, with each detailing moves likely to resonate with frequent travelers.
United will bring back a perk that’s faded away at airlines during the past decade: free snacks for economy fliers. The offerings are modest: a breakfast waffle for breakfast or savory snacks like pretzel sticks or soy nuts at other times of the day. But they signal a change from the seemingly endless rounds of cuts fliers have gotten used to in previous years.
“We’re refocusing on the big and little things that we know matter to our customers and shape how they feel about their travel experience,” Jimmy Samartzis, United’s vice president of food services and United Clubs, says in a statement.
Meanwhile, American Airlines is upping the ante among U. S. carriers by adding a new class of service that promises to make it more competitive with the world’s top carriers.
Starting next year, the world’s biggest airline will start flying with an entirely new “premium economy” cabin on its long- haul aircraft. In a first among the big U. S. airlines, American’s new seats will represent a distinctly separate class of service — one that’s positioned between business and economy class.
The cabin will come with more than just extra legroom. Seats will be similar to those now found in the domestic first- class cabin of U. S. airlines.
Service in the cabin will be closer to business class, with improved meals, amenity kits and priority boarding.
A growing number of international carriers have already rolled out enhanced premium economy cabins, but American’s move will make it the first among the big U. S. airlines.
American will add the new Premium Economy cabin to most of its long- haul, widebody aircraft that fly overseas routes.