United, American Airlines to Once Again Offer Free Snacks to Coach Travelers It turns out, a little bit of salt and sugar matters to customers.

By Nina Zipkin

Unsplash.com

Air travel, with its serious lack of legroom, inevitable lines and unexpected delays, can be a less than desirable way to get from point A to point B -- and that's before you factor in high fees and potentially lost luggage.

But American and United Airlines are hoping that the reinstatement of free snacks in the coach section will make the trip more palatable for customers.

Back in December, United announced that it would again start offering free snacks -- a selection that includes early morning stroopwafels, rice crackers and wasabi peas and mini pretzel sticks -- in the economy section of planes, starting this month.

Related: The 10 Best Airlines in the World

In a release announcing the move, Jimmy Samartzis, United's vice president of food services and United Clubs, explained, "We're refocusing on the big and little things that we know matter to our customers and shape how they feel about their travel experience."

American followed suit this week, with the rollout of complimentary snacks in the main cabin on flights between JFK and LAX, JFK and SFO and Miami International and LAX. By April, all domestic flights will have the free snacks on offer, followed by the inclusion of complimentary meals if you happen to be heading to Hawaii from Dallas/Fort Worth and vice versa.

Related: U.S. Airlines Are Exploring a Seating Option Called 'Last Class' That's Below Coach

Part of American's push to be more traveler-centric includes more in-flight entertainment and amenity kits. "We want customers to choose American every time they fly," Fernand Fernandez, American's vice president of global marketing, said in a release.

Delta Airlines continued to offer complimentary snacks to coach, but the airlines could be forgiven over the last several years for wanting to cut down on any seemingly extraneous costs. Especially since the road from 10 airlines to the current "big four" in the United States -- American, Delta, United and Southwest -- was paved with sizable mergers and bankruptcies.

Related: The 6 Best Airlines for Business Travelers

Wavy Line
Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Editor's Pick

'Catastrophic': Here's What You Should Know About the Debt Ceiling Crisis — And How a Default Could Impact Your Business
Lock
I Helped Grow 4 Unicorns Over 10 Years That Generated $18 Billion in Online Revenues. Here's What I've Learned.
Lock
Want to Break Bad Habits and Supercharge Your Business? Use This Technique.
Lock
Don't Have Any Clients But Need Customer Testimonials? Follow These 3 Tricks To Boost Your Rep.
Why Are Some Wines More Expensive Than Others? A Top Winemaker Gives a Full-Bodied Explanation.

Related Topics

Business News

'All Hell Is Going to Break Loose': Barbara Corcoran Issues Warning About Real Estate Market, Interest Rates

The "Shark Tank" star appeared on FOX Business' "The Clayman Countdown" this week.

Money & Finance

3 Ways to Create Multiple (Big) Streams of Income

Here are three ways to create multiple streams of income. These strategies require effort and resources but offer significant financial potential.

Leadership

The Real Reason Why The Return to Office Movement is Failing is Revealed in New Study

There is a vivid sign of the disconnect between employees and their workplace, a glaring indication that companies need to revise their scripts to improve their hybrid and remote work policies.

Business Solutions

Enjoy All the Adobe Creative Cloud Apps for Just $29.99 for Three Months

Master Photoshop and all of Adobe's other Creative Cloud apps for a record low price.

Management

Stop Lying to Your Team — And Yourself. Try Radical Honesty Instead.

We often lie to ourselves and others thinking we're doing everyone a favor or that it doesn't really matter. That couldn't be further from the truth.

Science & Technology

How to Make a QR Code in 5 Simple Steps

Need to know how to make a QR code for your business but not sure where to start? Check out this step-by-step breakdown for more info.