Yes, you read that right. British Airways as part of its catering strategy is to offer Fish and Chips in the air according to Business Traveller.
British Airways Short Haul A320 at Barcelona El Prat – Image GhettoIFE.
From this week, the airline is offering fish and chips on short-haul routes (what is sometimes known as Band 4 catering), in Eurotraveller from London to the following destinations:
- Athens
- Larnaca
- Istanbul
- Kiev
- Sofia
- St Petersburg
According to a FlyerTalk thread, the Fish and Chips have already made it aboard planes and are flying on outbound segments from Heathrow.
Oooohkay. I’m going to interject here. I feel sorry for anyone these flights. Allow me to explain. Good fish and chips when added with the usual condiments (namely vinegar, tartar sauce and tomato ketchup) add a certain smell to the air.
Unless you’re odd and like mayonnaise on your chips.
Or lets put it another way. If someone else has fish and chips in the office where I work, I can smell it from the other side of the office – and its not exactly a small floor (although it is open plan which doesn’t help make natural barriers to the smells).
Now, if we imagine the smell of fish and chips of a full shorthaul 767 on a Band Four flight to St Petersburg. If the majority add vinegar with very few barriers and recycled air…
… that flight is going to be quite smelly.
How British Airways will maintain a crispy product is another question – as steam ovens tend to soften chips rather than harden them.
For those on a diet, welcome to hell. The smell and the calories… lets face it – you’re on a looser here.
Still, it’s an interesting choice. Now if other carriers followed their lead (for example, Lufthansa/Germanwings/Air Berlin could offer CurryWurst on their flights), we could have some different regional flavours.
But if you are going to have fish and chips 1) have it on the ground and 2) find a real fish and chip shop. Have a look at http://www.fishandchipawards.com/ (with a good starter for 60 here) for some good starting points….
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Apparently I’m odd for liking mayonaise with my chips (and vinegar on chips to me is absolute horror because I absolutely loathe soggy chips). Then again, maybe the fact that I’m Belgian has something to do with it as well.
On that note, perhaps SN could run a “frituur” or Liège waffle stand on their planes…