Brits stick together as British Airways says it will start selling Marks and Spencer food on board
There was good news and bad news for British Airways (BA) passengers today after the airline announced that it will serving up Marks and Spencer food on its short-haul flights from next year, but customers are going to have to pay for it.
Following the lead of low-cost airlines, complimentary snacks will be a thing of the past, meaning those tiny bags of pretzels won't be handed out to passengers as they enjoy their gin and tonic.
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Both companies hailed the partnership's quintessential British-ness.
"Like British Airways, Marks & Spencer is a well-known, premium British brand that is respected and trusted, so it’s an ideal partnership, providing our customers with a choice of products they recognise and value," said chairman Alex Cruz.
Andy Adcock, director of food at Marks & Spencer, said: “We’re proud to be supplying a great British brand with a reputation for quality and customer service that mirrors our own.
"We’ll supply British Airways with customer favourites and healthy choices made with outstanding ingredients, all with the provenance you’d expect from M&S,” he added.
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BA said it was the "first airline to offer leading brand sandwiches" and added that all the products "are fortified with added fibre and vitamin D".
The airline said the food would not be priced at mile-high levels and claimed it would undercut rivals. It said its cheese ploughman's sandwich would cost £3 compared with the £4.50 price of a sandwich on Easyjet and its crisps would be less than half the price of Ryanair's.