I flew on 2 long-haul flights, one in business and another in economy. The meal service couldn't have been more different — take a look. | Canada News Media
I was traveling with Air New Zealand from Los Angeles, California, to Auckland, New Zealand, and a long-haul flight meant airplane meals — something I was eager to experience in business class. From tender seafood to a chocolate tart served with real cutlery, the meal met my wildest dreams.
Six months later, I took a long-haul economy flight from Denver, Colorado, to Tokyo, Japan, on United, where I ate food like a veggie stir fry and a Milk Bar cookie from a tray.
While I was traveling on a different airline, the experience showed me how dining can vary between economy and business class while flying. And if I’d been sitting in business class on United heading to Tokyo, I would’ve had many of the same perks I did on Air New Zealand.
Read on to see how the food on each flight compared.
Before I was even considering food, the meal service in both Air New Zealand’s business cabin and United’s economy cabin kicked off with a drink.
A glass of sparkling wine at the author’s business-class seat on an Air New Zealand flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
In business class, traveling with Air New Zealand, I had what felt like unlimited choices. Options included wine, beer, Champagne, soda, and an array of liquors.
An Air New Zealand flight attendant pushes a beverage cart in business class.Monica Humphries/Insider
Traveling with United in economy, there was complimentary wine and beer as well as soda, but a gin and tonic or any other alcoholic beverage came at a cost.
The author’s red wine in a plastic cup on a United economy flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
In business class, I spent a solid 10 minutes eyeing a lengthy menu.
A menu was waiting for me at my business-class seat on an Air New Zealand flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
It outlined a choice between two appetizers, three main courses, and two desserts.
The menu on the author’s Air New Zealand business-class flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
In economy, flight attendants shared the main course offerings as they arrived with the meal cart at my seat.
The author’s economy-class seat on a United flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
Options on my Air New Zealand flight were descriptive. I could pick between “slow-cooked beef with polenta, orange, and lemon gremolata” or “Alaskan cod with saffron sauce.”
The menu on the author’s Air New Zealand business-class flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
In economy, there were two options: “chicken” or “veggie stir fry.” I wondered what vegetables. What type of chicken? What else would be served on my plate?
A galley on a United flight from Denver, Colorado, to Tokyo.Monica Humphries/Insider
But there wasn’t time to ask questions. Instead, I blindly picked the veggie stir fry and was handed a tray of food.
A veggie stir fry meal on a United economy flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
Meanwhile, in business class, the meal was an experience. Before delivering my first course, a flight attendant laid down a cloth napkin, a ceramic tray with salt and pepper, silverware, and an individual-sized olive oil on my tray table.
Bread, salt, pepper, butter, and olive oil were served to the author on her business-class Air New Zealand flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
Each course in business class was served separately.
The author’s first course in business class on an Air New Zealand flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
Unlike in economy, where a tray with all my food was delivered at once.
The uncovered veggie meal on a United economy flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
The first thing I ate in business class was bread. A flight attendant came around offering three types: sourdough, garlic, and olive. Naturally, I tried one of each.
A plate of bread in business class on an Air New Zealand flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
I also had bread on my economy tray. While the bread wasn’t nearly as fresh as the sourdough in business class, there was luckily a pat of butter that added flavor.
The author’s red wine in a plastic cup in economy class on a United flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
My first course in business class was a salad with stuffed grape leaves, quinoa, tomatoes, olives, and lettuce.
The author’s first course on an Air New Zealand flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
And in economy, I had a salad with grains, raisins, and lettuce.
My salad in economy on a United flight.Monica Humphries/Insideer
For my main course in business, I opted for the Alaskan cod. It was buttery, flaky, and shockingly delicious for airplane food.
The author’s main course in business class on an Air New Zealand flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
As for my main course in economy, a label outlined that the stir fry had seven types of vegetables. And while it wasn’t nearly as good as the cod, I easily devoured the entire tray of noodles.
The vegetable stir fry served in economy on a United flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
Arguably the best part of both meals was the dessert. In business, I dined on a rich chocolate tart served with a strawberry garnish.
The chocolate tart served in business class on an Air New Zealand flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
And for dessert in economy, I had a cookie filled with icing from the famous New York City bakery Milk. It was one of my favorite bakeries when I lived in the city, so I was thrilled to see a Milk cookie on my plate.
Dessert in economy class on a United flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
Beyond the food, other details set the meal service apart by cabin class. In business, the cutlery was metal, the napkins were cloth, and the plates were ceramic. I felt like I was at a fine-dining restaurant.
The author’s breakfast in business class on an Air New Zealand flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
In economy, as I’ve found in the same class on many other airlines, my food came out on a plastic tray and everything was wrapped in plastic.
The author’s breakfast on a United economy flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
Another big difference was availability. On my two business-class flights, I could order anything on the menu in business class and there was always availability.
The author’s menu in business class on an Air New Zealand flight.Monica Humphries/Insider
When I was sitting in economy, the flight attendants told me the pasta option had run out by the time they reached my seat (which was in the back of the plane). Later, there was no Coke available either.
Since the author sat in the back of the plane while flying with United, some options had run out by the time flight attendants reached her seat.Monica Humphries/Insider
Of course, if I’d been sitting in business class on United heading to Tokyo, I would’ve had many of the same perks I did on Air New Zealand.
Almost seven years since news broke of an alleged conspiracy to fix the price of packaged bread across Canada, the saga isn’t over: the Competition Bureau continues to investigate the companies that may have been involved, and two class-action lawsuits continue to work their way through the courts.
Here’s a timeline of key events in the bread price-fixing case.
Oct. 31, 2017: The Competition Bureau says it’s investigating allegations of bread price-fixing and that it was granted search warrants in the case. Several grocers confirm they are co-operating in the probe.
Dec. 19, 2017: Loblaw and George Weston say they participated in an “industry-wide price-fixing arrangement” to raise the price of packaged bread. The companies say they have been co-operating in the Competition Bureau’s investigation since March 2015, when they self-reported to the bureau upon discovering anti-competitive behaviour, and are receiving immunity from prosecution. They announce they are offering $25 gift cards to customers amid the ongoing investigation into alleged bread price-fixing.
Jan. 31, 2018: In court documents, the Competition Bureau says at least $1.50 was added to the price of a loaf of bread between about 2001 and 2016.
Dec. 20, 2019: A class-action lawsuit in a Quebec court against multiple grocers and food companies is certified against a number of companies allegedly involved in bread price-fixing, including Loblaw, George Weston, Metro, Sobeys, Walmart Canada, Canada Bread and Giant Tiger (which have all denied involvement, except for Loblaw and George Weston, which later settled with the plaintiffs).
Dec. 31, 2021: A class-action lawsuit in an Ontario court covering all Canadian residents except those in Quebec who bought packaged bread from a company named in the suit is certified against roughly the same group of companies.
June 21, 2023: Bakery giant Canada Bread Co. is fined $50 million after pleading guilty to four counts of price-fixing under the Competition Act as part of the Competition Bureau’s ongoing investigation.
Oct. 25 2023: Canada Bread files a statement of defence in the Ontario class action denying participating in the alleged conspiracy and saying any anti-competitive behaviour it participated in was at the direction and to the benefit of its then-majority owner Maple Leaf Foods, which is not a defendant in the case (neither is its current owner Grupo Bimbo). Maple Leaf calls Canada Bread’s accusations “baseless.”
Dec. 20, 2023: Metro files new documents in the Ontario class action accusing Loblaw and its parent company George Weston of conspiring to implicate it in the alleged scheme, denying involvement. Sobeys has made a similar claim. The two companies deny the allegations.
July 25, 2024: Loblaw and George Weston say they agreed to pay a combined $500 million to settle both the Ontario and Quebec class-action lawsuits. Loblaw’s share of the settlement includes a $96-million credit for the gift cards it gave out years earlier.
Sept. 12, 2024: Canada Bread files new documents in Ontario court as part of the class action, claiming Maple Leaf used it as a “shield” to avoid liability in the alleged scheme. Maple Leaf was a majority shareholder of Canada Bread until 2014, and the company claims it’s liable for any price-fixing activity. Maple Leaf refutes the claims.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:L, TSX:MFI, TSX:MRU, TSX:EMP.A, TSX:WN)
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 250 points in late-morning trading, led by strength in the base metal and technology sectors, while U.S. stock markets also charged higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 254.62 points at 23,847.22.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 432.77 points at 41,935.87. The S&P 500 index was up 96.38 points at 5,714.64, while the Nasdaq composite was up 486.12 points at 18,059.42.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.68 cents US compared with 73.58 cents US on Thursday.
The November crude oil contract was up 89 cents at US$70.77 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was down a penny at US2.27 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$9.40 at US$2,608.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents at US$4.33 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Supervised injection sites are saving the lives of drug users everyday, but the same support is not being offered to people who inhale illicit drugs, the head of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS says.
Dr. Julio Montaner said the construction of Vancouver’s first indoor supervised site for people who inhale drugs comes as the percentage of people who die from smoking drugs continues to climb.
The location in the Downtown Eastside at the Hope to Health Research and Innovation Centre was unveiled Wednesday after construction was complete, and Montaner said people could start using the specialized rooms in a matter of weeks after final approvals from the city and federal government.
“If we don’t create mechanisms for these individuals to be able to use safely and engage with the medical system, and generate points of entry into the medical system, we will never be able to solve the problem,” he said.
“Now, I’m not here to tell you that we will fix it tomorrow, but denying it or ignoring it, or throw it under the bus, or under the carpet is no way to fix it, so we need to take proactive action.”
Nearly two-thirds of overdose deaths in British Columbia in 2023 came after smoking illicit drugs, yet only 40 per cent of supervised consumption sites in the province offer a safe place to smoke, often outdoors, in a tent.
The centre has been running a supervised injection site for years which sees more than a thousand people monthly and last month resuscitated five people who were overdosing.
The new facilities offer indoor, individual, negative-pressure rooms that allow fresh air to circulate and can clear out smoke in 30 to 60 seconds while users are monitored by trained nurses.
Advocates calling for more supervised inhalation sites have previously said the rules for setting up sites are overly complicated at a time when the province is facing an overdose crisis.
More than 15,000 people have died of overdoses since the public health emergency was declared in B.C. in April 2016.
Kate Salters, a senior researcher at the centre, said they worked with mechanical and chemical engineers to make sure the site is up to code and abidies by the highest standard of occupational health and safety.
“This is just another tool in our tool box to make sure that we’re offering life-saving services to those who are using drugs,” she said.
Montaner acknowledged the process to get the site up and running took “an inordinate amount of time,” but said the centre worked hard to follow all regulations.
“We feel that doing this right, with appropriate scientific background, in a medically supervised environment, etc, etc, allows us to derive the data that ultimately will be sufficiently convincing for not just our leaders, but also the leaders across the country and across the world, to embrace the strategies that we are trying to develop.” he said.
Montaner said building the facility was possible thanks to a single $4-million donation from a longtime supporter.
Construction finished with less than a week before the launch of the next provincial election campaign and within a year of the next federal election.
Montaner said he is concerned about “some of the things that have been said publicly by some of the political leaders in the province and in the country.”
“We want to bring awareness to the people that this is a serious undertaking. This is a very massive investment, and we need to protect it for the benefit of people who are unfortunately drug dependent.” he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.
