A growing pre-order trend In recent years, more airlines have adopted the option for passengers to pre-order their inflight meals, extending this service beyond long-haul or premium flights to include short-haul and economy class travelers. This trend offers mutual advantages for airlines and passengers, helping reduce waste, improve customer satisfaction, and streamline operations. Pre-ordered meals are now available on various flights, ranging from major international carriers like Virgin Atlantic and SWISS to smaller airlines like Icelandair .
The advantages are becoming more obvious as more travelers get used to this service. Food tastes different at 36,000 feet. Minimize food waste One of the biggest benefits for airlines is the capacity to estimate how many meals to make more accurately.
Pre-ordering provides precise data on how many meals are needed for a specific flight, which helps minimize food waste. This has been a growing concern for airlines looking to adopt more sustainable practices. Airlines have long struggled with balancing meal variety and minimizing food waste.
By offering pre-ordering, airlines know how many passengers will want each type of meal ahead of time. This system reduces the need to over-cater, often resulting in many uneaten meals being discarded at the end of flights. Icelandair, for example, has emphasized the importance of pre-ordering to reduce food waste and streamline onboard catering.
The airline notes that knowing how many meals are re.
