American Airlines plans to stop on-board announcements of connecting gate information as flights prepare to land. The change, effective May 17, is a concession that technology has rendered the announcements moot, as passengers now travel equipped with an array of Internet-connected gadgets. American also displays gate information via the seat-back screens on its newer aircraft. “There’s a lot of ways to get that information, and it wasn’t necessarily helpful to provide that on the airplane,” a spokesman said. The announcements also irritated some passengers, he acknowledged, especially for anyone potentially engrossed in a movie. Delta and United Continental said they ended these announcements several years ago. <br/>
oneworld
British Airways is considering ditching free food in economy class on short-haul flights in response to changing consumer habits – and even the free long-haul meal could be up for review. Passengers would instead have the option of paying for a better quality meal, the new BA CE, Alex Cruz, is considering. Charging for meals would remove one of the last on-board differences between BA and its budget rivals, but help the carrier compete on fares. BA has already added charges for checking in bags, brought in under the guise of discounts for hand-luggage-only fares. The other airlines owned by IAG – Vueling, Iberia and Aer Lingus – already charge for food, and passengers on budget carriers have become accustomed to buying food from shops in airport departure lounges prior to boarding. <br/>