Air New Zealand settles on new in-flight snacks: Corn chips face uncertain future, while tea and coffee to be axed from some flights – Stuff.co.nz

Air New Zealands cookie-and-chip combo is an institution, but itll be no sure thing on future flights and neither will the tea and coffee service.

After tests involving more than 7000 passengers across 100 flights, the airline has settled on a new range of in-flight snacks. Well be offered popcorn, crisps, muesli bars and chocolate in addition to the traditional cookie.

ALAN GRANVILLE/Stuff

Corn chips face an uncertain future on Air New Zealand flights.

Not all at once though. The new, New Zealand-made snacks will be rotated on a monthly basis, which general manager customer Leeanne Langridge reckons should satisfy customers craving for variety.

One of the things we got out of the trials was that customers want choice and change. So not just the corn chips or the cookie actually give us choice and we want to see more change. So dont wait five years to change your product.

READ MORE:* Air New Zealand unveils new inflight snacks* Air New Zealand is changing up its inflight snacks: Here's our wishlist* Air New Zealand to trial Eat My Lunch snacks on domestic flights; hints at signature chocolates

If youre a fan of the corn chips, the other half of the cookie-and-chips combo traditionally offered on domestic flights, there could be cause for concern. While the airline said the cookie and lollies would remain fixtures on domestic flights, it made no such promises as far as the corn chips were concerned.

Ryan Anderson/Stuff

Air New Zealand has trialled apple crumble-flavoured ice cream, popcorn, paprika-flavoured Proper Crisps, and mandarins on recent domestic flights.

If youre disappointed the ice cream and mandarins trialled didnt make the cut or that popular passenger suggestions such as wine and cheese, and croissants werent taken up dont despair. The airline will offer surprise snacks about two or three times a month.

Langridge said surprise and delight options could include champagne, ice cream, danishes, bliss balls, seasonal fruit, or snacks from social enterprises such as Eat My Lunch. Cookie Times Lolly Cake cookie is expected to make an appearance on board shortly.

Surprise snacks went down a treat on the few occasions they had been offered in the past, she said particularly the pain au chocolate offered one Mothers Day.

The airline will offer at least one gluten-free snack on every domestic flight, she said.

If you like a cup of coffee or tea in the early evening, prepare to be disappointed though. They will be removed from Koru Hour flights under 50 minutes following feedback that the food and beverage service felt rushed. Passengers will still be offered wine, beer, cider, L&P and Coca-Cola No Sugar along with cheese and crackers or a savoury snack.

The airline plans to offer different kinds of popcorn, crisps, muesli bars and chocolate, with a focus on New Zealand products.

Matty McLean/Twitter

Cookies will continue to be offered on domestic flights.

At the moment we have [Nelson made] Proper Crisps, which are amazing and Serious Popcorn personally I love the sweet-and-salty flavour. But we're going to see change there as well because we heard that was really important to people. Were not wedded to any one product or company.

Langridge acknowledged a Stuff poll that found a high percentage of people wanted Whittakers chocolate on flights. The airline has worked with the Kiwi chocolate company in the past and recently had a helpful conversation with Matt Whittaker, she said.

I cant say it'll all be Whittakers, but certainly they've been great to work with and were excited about opportunities in the future.

The airline would like to talk to any food company keen to showcase its products on board, she said.

It announced in June that it would introduce alternative snacks on domestic flights as part of a broader shake-up of its food and beverage service.

On a trial flight on June 10, the alternative snack choice apple crumble-flavoured Kapiti ice cream got mixed reactions.

Passenger Tony Zhang said he was pleased the airline was trialling ice cream on the new menu, although he thought spicy apple crumble-flavour was an odd choice.

Jeremy Tasker, by contrast, found the spicy apple crumble ice cream refreshing. Asked for his thoughts on the airline shaking up the snacks menu, he said: I think its about time. Getting sick of the old cookies and crisps, and the ice cream just adds a little bit of spice. It came as a surprise.

Ryan Anderson/Stuff

The ice cream trialled didnt make the cut, but Air NZs Leeanne Langride said surprises would pop up from time to time.

An Air New Zealand Facebook post asking people what snacks theyd like to see on board generated more than 1400 responses. Wine and cheese was a popular choice, while many said theyd like the airline to better cater for those with food allergies and intolerances. Others had quite specific requests.

Kumara wedges with sour cream drizzled with sweet chilli sauce, and dont forget the melted cheese, one person said.

Mini cheese board with nuts, crackers and maybe some dried fruits and grapes, another wrote.

A warm scone with butter to go with the cuppa. Or something like a hot mini savoury pie or mini sausage roll, a third suggested.

Should be getting Bluff oysters and caviar with champagne given the monopolistic pricing of some of the fares, another said.

Whittakers chocolate, Kpiti dark chocolate and berry sorbet, gluten-free potato chips, kmara chips, chips and dips, pineapple lumps, lamingtons, muffins and mini sliders filled with the likes of locally sourced lamb and smoked salmon were among the many other suggestions.

However, some said they didnt think snacks should be served at all on domestic flights, particularly while passengers are required to wear face masks.

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Air New Zealand settles on new in-flight snacks: Corn chips face uncertain future, while tea and coffee to be axed from some flights - Stuff.co.nz