KEY POINTS:
The national airline may yet crumble in the face of the biscuit backlash.
Air New Zealand plans to banish the freebie on its Boeing 737 main-trunk flights after tomorrow, but spokeswoman Pam Wong said a concerted customer rebellion could prompt a rethink.
"Everything we have heard back has been positive," she said. "But if some time in the future there is a change in what customers want, then once again we will look at providing something that suits them. It really comes down to what they want."
Ms Wong said trials since the middle of last year showed strong demand for the price-tagged sandwiches, salads, slices and extra drinks to be introduced on Monday.
She appeared surprised to hear that All Black players had joined the "save-the-biscuit" brigade against the airline, which is their team's official carrier and a leading sponsor.
"I'll have to talk to them to find out about it," she said, joking that they might not find themselves "sitting in the front" on future flights.
Herald readers reacted angrily yesterday, sending a deluge of emails to the newspaper's website decrying the biscuits' loss and the prospect of paying $6 for a "gourmet sandwich".
"Miserly cheapskates" and "third-rate decision from a third-rate airline" were among the criticisms levelled at Air NZ, which gained little support for the fact that it will still offer free tea, coffee and water on the 737s.
The biscuit will remain on other domestic aircraft, but readers said its demise on the 737 routes between Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin put Air NZ well behind its competition in terms of service.
"I fly Qantas and get a cheese snack or small, delicious meat pie," said Daniel Ford.
"Why do people continue to fly Air New Zealand, which is considered by many frequent flyers to be the world's worst Western airline?"
Qantas said it would continue to offer free meals on domestic flights. Its meals include scrambled eggs or blueberry pancakes for breakfast, ham or chicken focaccia sandwiches for lunch and chicken or pies for dinner.
Biscuits or a muffin are offered as snacks at certain times of the day, and and tea, coffee, juice and soft drinks are complimentary.
Air New Zealand plans to charge for juice, soft drinks, beer and wine on 737s, which fly between 50 and 60 per cent of its domestic routes.
One passenger said the pay service was already proving fraught with difficulties. "The problem here was apparent on my flight back from Wellington last week," Andy Woodhouse wrote.
"It takes so long to work the paid drinks trolley, which goes first down the aircraft, that the last six rows either didn't get their free tea/coffee or did not get time to drink it."
- additional reporting Mathew Dearnaley
