Farewell to the in-flight snack

By SCOTT MacLEOD

The last "free" snack on an Air New Zealand domestic flight was a plain bap with ham and - perhaps appropriately - an Anzac cookie.

On the main trunk route between Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, it was to be served for the last time about 9 o'clock last night.

From today, the airline's new Express service will lower fares by scrapping business-class seats on domestic flights and dropping those free snacks and meals.

The feeling among travellers stepping off Air New Zealand flights at Auckland Airport yesterday was that they were happy to give up meals for cheaper fares.

But some people with wider travelling experience - and fatter wallets - were unhappy at the loss of big seats and mid-flight snacks.

Kate Leebody, aged 57, said the filled roll and biscuit she was served flying from Christchurch were quite tasty, but the flight lasted only an hour and she could do without them.

Allan Reynolds, 26, from Westport, said he would rather pay less for a fare and do without a meal. He did not like the ham roll anyway.

More concerning were the views of foreign tourists, who seemed to prefer more service.

Briton Sally Sharp, 37, is spending a week in New Zealand to decide whether to immigrate. She thought it was "nice" of the Air New Zealand folk to give her a ham roll and a Tim Tam biscuit.

American JoAnn Fischer, 70, said no-frills airlines in her own country were "like cattle cars".

Meals meant a lot to tourists such as her who spent a lot of time on buses and trains.

"I would pay more for a snack because it breaks up the flight," she said.

"I'm sad to hear it's going. It's like inviting someone to your home and not offering coffee and cookies."

Retailer Anna Hunt, 46, arriving from Wellington, said the business-class seats had already been stripped from her plane, and she felt cramped.

Next time, she would consider flying an airline with business class.

Tim Lyons, 43, of Hokitika, had an answer to these problems. Why not have two fare structures, he said, so passengers could make their own choices?

In other words, Air New Zealand could offer business and economy classes.

Now there's something for the airline to think about.