No discount for opting out of the regular meal, though.
On any trip to an international airport, you’ll hear people around you chattering in any number of different languages, and even if you can’t understand them all, you can probably bet that none of them are saying “You know what? I just can’t wait to board and eat some delicious airplane food!”
In-flight meals are, to many travelers, sort of a necessary evil, as often the best you can hope for is that the food doesn’t taste awful. With many airports expanding their restaurant selections, and many airlines offering genuinely tasty meals in their pre-departure lounges, a lot of experienced travelers make a point of never getting on a plane already feeling hungry, and if filling up sufficiently beforehand is your strategy, Japanese airline ANA is now offering you the choice of opting out of your in-flight meal entirely prior to boarding.
As of March 31, travelers can select the No Thank You Option meal plan via the ANA website up to 24 hours prior to their flight’s departure time. The No Thank You Option is offered for passengers with all classes of tickets on all of ANA’s international routes.
In addition, those flying business and first class on international ANA routes in Europe and North America (excluding flights to/from Honolulu), as well as flights to/from Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and India, have the option of switching their regular multi-course meal to a Quick and Light Meal, consisting of a sandwich, salad, and dessert.
▼ It is, honestly, a really nice-looking sandwich.
One might expect that saving ANA the trouble of preparing a regular meal for you would also save you a few bucks on your airfare, but unfortunately this does not appear to be the case. Instead, the No Thank You and Quick and Light Meal options are part of the airline’s efforts to reduce food waste and improve ANA’s overall eco-friendliness. ANA does claim, though, that the decision to offer the altered meal plans is also a way to accommodate customers who want to rest, relax, or otherwise avoid being disturbed during their flight, in order to let you “spend your time onboard in a free and relaxing way.”
▼ ANA’s announcement includes this photo of a man “spending time freely onboard,” which we’re going to assume means he’s reading SoraNews24 on his laptop.
And if you’re of the understandable mindset of having no desire whatsoever to eat airline food but wondering what to eat before getting on the plane, don’t forget about this hidden cafe at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.
Source: ANA via Merkmal via Yahoo! Japan News via Jin
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: ANA
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