Is Belavia fed on board? What Belarusians are fed during flights by different airlines
The airline Belavia, through its official representatives, has repeatedly admitted that it has problems with meals on board. By the way, it is not provided on all flights, but only on the longest ones, for example, to Kazakhstan, France, Great Britain - on short ones, everything costs water and icicles. Last week, I was returning from a business trip to Scotland and got on a Belavia flight, where lunch was served. Of course, I could not miss such an opportunity and not remove it for you. So, to your attention: what feeds the only Belarusian airline.
It should be noted that Belavia has not provided hot meals for a long time. In any case, I have not seen them for a long time, although I fly a lot, including on my own. long flight airlines in Almaty. Therefore, now passengers receive only dry rations, formed into a convenient folding box. She looks quite nice and friendly:
When it is opened, the passenger is presented with the following picture:
Behind the main course is a waffle from the Vitebsk waffle factory:
Let's decompose the box completely into its components: ketchup, waffles, a wet napkin, a bun, a main dish, a set of cutlery and a dry napkin with them:
Here they are up close:
A piece of butter is not put on the bun, although it directly suggests itself here. The bun itself is stale, has already made more than one flight or was waiting for its fate in the catering warehouse. I have no idea where to put the ketchup, since there is nothing suitable for adding it in the set. Let's open the main dish:
We see here a pickled cucumber, a few olives and pitted olives, a piece of plain cheese and a few slices of jerky.
There are no complaints about the marinades, the cheese could have been better. The meat is tough, you can’t cut it with a plastic knife from the set, you have to use your teeth. Well, it's just as delicious as beef jerky can be. Chewing hard.
Actually, this is the whole lunch. Of course, feeding on board is already an atavism to some extent, especially on a flight lasting less than three hours, but if it is still present, then our business is to complain about it. Belavia feeds badly, its representatives say everything is correct.
On this, the heavenly issue of “Public Catering” came to an end :) Leave your comments!
Belavia offers the "Advance Seat Selection" service on all scheduled flights of the airline, except for flights to/from Beirut, Amsterdam, Karaganda, Manchester and Palanga.
General provisions for the provision of services
Business class passengers will be able to use the service of pre-selection of a seat in the aircraft cabin at no additional charge.
The service can be purchased on the website in the “Booking Status” section if you have a ticket with a confirmed booking for BELAVIA’s own scheduled flight.
As part of the provision of the service, the passenger is given the opportunity to pre-select a seat in one of the following categories:
* Category 1 seats are offered if the flight is operated by an aircraft with a structurally dedicated business class cabin. The purchase of a category 1 seat does not entail the provision of any additional services(business class meals, private reception, etc.)
The service can be issued no later than:
24 hours prior to flight departure for category 5 seats;
3 hours before departure for seats of categories 1,2,3,4.
24 hours before departure, category 5 seats become available for online check-in free of charge.
Attention! Purchasing the service does not mean that you have checked in for a flight. The passenger must check in for the flight in a convenient way for him - online, at a self-service check-in kiosk (if available) or at the check-in counter at the airport in the order of the general queue.
You can familiarize yourself with the conditions for the provision of the “Preliminary Seat Selection” service for members of Belavia Leader of elite levels.
Registration, payment and procedure for the provision of services
BELAVIA reserves the right to limit the provision of services for various types of aircraft and on various routes in accordance with flight safety requirements and technical capabilities, as well as depending on the passenger category.
The service is provided on BELAVIA own regular flights. The service fee is charged per flight segment.
When changing the schedule, changing the aircraft, changing the layout of the cabin in order to save the ordered service for the passenger, BELAVIA changes the booked seat within the selected category in automatic mode, but does not guarantee that the number of the assigned seat will be saved. BELAVIA will take all possible measures to preserve the joint accommodation of passengers who booked the service in one booking. By ordering the service, the passenger agrees to change the seat within the paid category in the above cases.
The service is considered to be rendered upon the fact of transportation of the passenger at the place of the booked category, subject to payment for the service and issuance of an air ticket.
In case of technical impossibility to provide a seat of the paid category, BELAVIA will reimburse the full cost of the service.
BELAVIA is not obliged to notify passengers about changes in the service related to the replacement of the type and/or configuration of the aircraft without changing the aircraft schedule. The passenger can find out about the presence of changes in the service when viewing detailed information in the "Booking status" section on the BELAVIA website or during self-registration online.
draw your attention to that the sale of the service may be limited to certain categories of passengers. For example, a passenger choosing a seat in the row opposite emergency exit must be at least 18 years of age, in good physical condition, traveling without an infant, and understanding English language to assist the crew in case of an emergency evacuation.
If during the process of purchasing the service a seat of a category is selected for which passengers have special requirements, the passenger will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the requirements of the airline before the stage of paying for the service. The purchase of such a seat means confirmation of the passenger's compliance with the requirements and agreement with them.
The crew of the aircraft, despite the purchase of an exit row seat, has the right to demand that you vacate an exit row seat if it is deemed necessary in the interests of safety or if you do not meet any other requirements.
In this case, the cost of the service is not refundable!
Service change, return
The refund of funds paid for the service is made at the place of purchase of the service when the passenger applies 3 hours before the scheduled departure of the flight.
The passenger does not change the selected seat after paying for the service. To change the place, a refund is made and a new service is issued.
The method of receiving a refund of the cost of the service is determined in accordance with the method of payment for the service upon purchase.
From May 1, Belavia does not provide meals in the form of sandwiches and hot drinks on short-haul flights. Only lollipops before takeoff and soft drinks during the flight (juices, fruit drinks, water), writes vandrouki.by. In general, there are many interesting references in the text, leading to the traditional conclusion in the spirit of “we will fly from Vilnius anyway”. Together with everything high prices to popular summer destinations. The article is hotly discussed in social networks. We turned to Belavia for a comment.
- The change in the diet affected only five flights: Warsaw, Vilnius, Palanga, Zhukovsky airport and Riga,- told the airline. - The changes were due to the fact that meals on these flights were in demand among a small number of passengers and a significant part of the sandwiches remained untouched. Instead, from 1 May on these flights, passengers are offered an expanded range of drinks (water and juices).
Also, vandrouki are reporting a price increase: “According to our analytics system, in one day the prices for most summer destinations rose by 22-47%. It was probably someone else's decision. 400 euros for direct flights to Barcelona for the summer - what is it all about? 400 euros from an airline that is not part of alliances, is not famous for SkyTrax stars, does not offer any special service.”
Belavia's comment:
- For several years, Belavia has been systematically reducing tariffs on regular routes. So, for example, in some directions, the reduction of tariffs amounted to more than 20%. For example, one-way fares Minsk - Moscow (Domodedovo) are reduced by 45% (in 2014 - 100 euros, in 2017 - 55 euros), and air tickets to Zhukovsky airport are sold at fares from 35.00 euros one way; Minsk - Tbilisi - by 50% (in 2014 - 179 euros, in 2017 - 89 euros), Minsk - London - by 42% (in 2014 - 189 euros, in 2017 - 110 euros).
We come to the topic of tough conditions for other carriers that could create a cheaper offer in our market.
“Turkish Airlines agreed to play by the rules of the Belarusian national carrier because large quantity flights to Minsk were not approved by Belavia (we know this for sure), writes vandrouki.by. - Turks - the transportation of passengers on long-haul flights, in return - no sales and the minimum price. Two simple examples to prove it: Austrian Airlines and AirBaltic. At the first Minsk in sales - this is the most expensive destination Europe. It gets to the point that flying from Minsk to New York via Vienna is cheaper than direct flights from Minsk to Vienna (during the sale!)
We are broadcasting the question to Belavia. The answer is:
- The flight to Vienna is operated by the Austrian airline, we are only a marketing partner within the code-share, the Austrian carrier independently sets the tariffs for this direction without the participation of Belavia. For our part, we do not have an agreement with AirBaltic to set a price cap.
The company recently announced the expansion of the fleet. In April, a new Embraer-175 arrived. As part of this delivery, two Embraer-195s will also arrive in Minsk in May-June. The above-mentioned aircrafts were purchased at the expense of the Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus and the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES). Loans must be paid. Many believe this affects the pricing policy of the company.
- Ticket prices have not changed,- say in "Belavia". - There is a systematic renewal of the fleet. Moreover, the aircraft of the E1 family fully meet the airline's goals for further development route network and reduce the cost of transportation. This type of aircraft has high fuel efficiency. Belavia expects that an increase in the number of aircraft of this type will allow continuing the implementation of the company's strategy of systematically reducing air transportation prices. We have already noted this at the presentation of the new Embraer-175, which arrived from Brazil.
In general, talk about the prices of the Belarusian carrier has recently reached the new level. Recall that in his April message to the people and parliament, the president said: “Our geographic resource is not fully utilized. This is unforgivable waste. Why is it more profitable for our citizens to fly from Vilnius, Kyiv, Warsaw, but not from Minsk? When will Belarus become a truly attractive hub? The government should put a document on my table this year that will make the world see Belarus from this position as well.”
Since today 85% of passengers prefer low-cost flights, people who are interested in whether they feed economy class on planes. After all, this issue is of particular relevance for routes that are delayed for 5-9 hours. In addition, travelers are concerned about the quality and range of dishes on offer. Let's deal with these nuances in more detail.
Airlines are in a state of constant competition. For this reason, carriers are constantly improving the quality of service, which includes the provision of food to passengers. True, when traveling by low-cost airlines, customers are suddenly faced with the requirement to pay extra for such a service. Although even in such situations, airlines offer travelers free snacks and drinks.
The first condition for the probability of supplying power to customers is . Business class passengers choose a menu and receive dishes prepared at the restaurant cuisine level. For people who prefer an economical flight, the airline offers a standard range of meals. But charter flights or travel with low-cost airlines suggest the absence of such an opportunity.
A separate nuance is the choice of food by a passenger based on religious beliefs or a decision dictated by the need to adhere to a certain diet. Here it is advisable for the client to apply in advance for the possibility of obtaining an individual menu. True, such meals on an economy class plane sometimes turn out to be paid.
Another condition for the provision of food is the duration of the flight. Beginners often ask if they feed if they fly for 2 hours. Here, the rules of the world's airlines are the same: hot food is served only in situations where the journey lasts at least 3 hours. So, in this case, customers are limited to cold snacks. Specific options for such a menu will be discussed below.
Eating on an economy class plane for flights between 3 and 6 hours requires a mandatory hot lunch or dinner. For trips that last more than 6 hours, airlines offer customers two meals a day. In addition, there is also a snack of yogurt or sandwiches in between the main courses.
Features of the kitchen on the plane
Food gets on board the liner under contracts with special services that are engaged in the preparation of semi-finished products to order from the airline. Caterers cut, prepare, pack and pack food in disposable packaging, which is subsequently heated by kitchen workers. Hot food processing takes place on the ground, and in the air, flight attendants only bring food to a warm state.
After the aircraft has climbed, the on-board kitchen workers warm up the travelers' rations - after all, all the food is frozen. After heating the food, it offers each passenger an individual sealed launch box. Here, each dish is hermetically packed in a separate dish. The tourist independently unpacks the products and proceeds to the meal.
Competing for a client major airlines Russia Aeroflot and UTair compete in the quality of the service provided on board. These airlines independently develop menus and offer tourists food prepared at the expense of their own reserve.
Note that here travelers are given dishes that can compete with restaurant delights. Twice a year, the chefs of these airlines update and approve the range of food on board. Moreover, tourists who used such services assure that the quality of food here is at its best, and the portions are sufficient for saturation. To deal with the issue thoroughly, we will find out when and what they feed on an economy class plane.
Airline flight offers
Let's start studying the specific menu of airlines. Let's start with short flights, when the journey does not take more than three hours. In this situation, the carrier offers passengers a bite to eat sandwiches, dairy products, pastries or sweets. Keep in mind that low-cost airlines here are limited to fruits, yogurts or cereal.
It is appropriate to clarify the issue with a specific food offer even at the stage. True, it is advisable to take into account an important point here. On board charters and low-cost airlines, only drinks and small portions of pastries are served free of charge. Although for regular flights passengers who have chosen economy seats, airlines offer a standard set of meals for this flight class.
When traveling, when you have to fly up to 6 hours, the air carrier provides for the supply of hot food. Here, a choice of meat and fish dishes, several types of side dishes and salads or vegetables becomes an obligatory set. Sometimes the airline offers customers to taste seafood, and the meal ends with sweets - cakes, pastries, sweets.
Again, low-cost carriers neglect the obligation to feed passengers here. People who have flown low-cost airlines say that most of these airlines prefer to charge customers in this case as well. Find out nutrition issues in advance - after all, in situations where you have to spend 3-6 hours in the air, it is appropriate to stock up on food from home, and not overpay for airline services.
Long flights from six hours include a standard hot lunch and dinner, consisting of a main course, salad and dessert. Moreover, in cases where you have to fly in the afternoon, the airlines do not exclude for customers and food on board the aircraft at night. In addition, here the air carrier offers passengers a bite to eat sandwiches, muesli, yogurt or pastries. Budget airlines remain adamant here too - at best, customers receive modest portions for free. And here the delivery of food will take place once.
About drinks
Of course, on the flight, customers also count on drinks. The company offers people water, tea, coffee, lemonade and juices. In some cases, it is possible to serve beer, a glass of wine or champagne. Note that, according to travelers, coffee on board the aircraft will not impress gourmets. Moreover, the quality of this drink does not depend on the fare of the flight and the class of the seat occupied.
Regardless of the budget of the flight, airline customers can count on serving drinks on the way.
Airlines that fly regular flights always include the price of drinks for passengers in the ticket price. Therefore, it is not advisable to worry that during a budget flight the client will not be offered water. As for alcohol, there is a bar on board where the traveler has the right to order his favorite cocktail. Of course, you will have to pay separately for such a service.
Special offers
Now let's briefly discuss how things are with special nutrition. If we consider the offers of Russian air carriers, here the airlines compete in the range and variety of products. Aviation market leader Aeroflot» will surprise passengers with 16 options for a special menu. Here, customers will find Muslim and Hindu food, kosher products and dietary dishes of various directions, food for children under 12 years old, vegetarian or low-calorie food.
Advance order of the children's menu is included in the airfare
Travelers will find variations of baby food on all airlines. And here the serving of dishes with hot spices is excluded. Children are offered meat products from poultry or beef, dairy products, vegetable and fruit purees, and bakery products. Note that the distribution of food on board begins with baby food.
As for payment, different types of rations involve free distribution of special meals or additional payment by the passenger. As a rule, food for babies is included in the ticket fare, but an application for the issuance of kosher food on S7 aircraft becomes a paid service.
Remember, it is appropriate to notify the air carrier of personal taste preferences at least 36 hours before the departure of the board. Airlines prefer to receive such notifications by telephone. Here the passenger calls the flight number, ticket number and orders additional service. In addition, it is appropriate at the same time to clarify the need and method of payment for the service.
Nuances
Finally, we will define certain points that regulate the procedure and rules for issuing food on airplanes. The standard menu does not include the preparation of dishes from minced meat, mushrooms, serving desserts with cream or medicinal mineral water. Moreover, the calorie content of food is determined by the season of the year. In winter, carriers feed customers mainly with meat delicacies, and in the warm season, the diet is based on light plant foods and seafood.
The range of products on the plane depends on the time of year and the season
Passengers have the right to order special meals only in situations where the flight dates require a hot lunch. If a passenger, for health reasons or for other reasons, needs to eat directly at the moment of being in the air, it is advisable to discuss this issue with the carrier in advance. In the case where such an outcome is not possible, .
It is inappropriate to worry that a special diet does not meet the established rules. Airlines entrust the production of this kind of dishes to restaurants that specialize in a particular type of cuisine. In addition, such a menu is checked for compliance with all the canons by experts in the field of food technology.
So that the flight does not bring inconvenience and leaves only pleasant memories, take care of personal comfort in advance. Check with the representative of the air carrier for an approximate set of dishes and find out if such a service will require an additional payment. We hope that your first trip by airliner will bring you only positive emotions.
Competing with each other, major air carriers are improving the service on board the liner, offering customers a healthy and satisfying menu. 
Unfortunately, low-cost flights by low-cost airlines or charter airliners usually do not provide free food distribution. 
Cooking and processing of food takes place on the ground, flight attendants only warm up frozen semi-finished products 
Some major airlines indulge customers with in-flight baked goods. 
When the route involves a flight of up to 3 hours, passengers are offered only sandwiches and pastries 
Standard hot lunch on board scheduled flights
The Belavia airline entered the top 5 CIS carriers with the most delicious food on board. 22,000 passengers who made flights in the first half of the year expressed their opinion.
Potato baked with mushrooms and cheese is rightfully considered a favorite dish of passengers.
OLEG PRASOLOV
The experts of the travel service tutu.ru, who made the rating of the “flight” food service, came to the conclusion that it is important for passengers what they will be treated to during the flight.
In this regard, Belavia has something to brag about. The menu is updated twice a year: during the spring-summer and autumn-winter navigation periods. And every time when compiling a new diet, the reviews and wishes of passengers are carefully studied, questionnaires and surveys are conducted. In addition, on many destinations, along with a ticket, you can also order vegan, vegetarian or baby food instead of the usual one. And the carrier plans to introduce kosher cuisine. By the way, in the near future, travelers will also be able to enjoy dishes of national cuisine.
In-flight food service is fully handled by the Catering Service of the Minsk National Airport. It is they who are responsible for feeding passengers: both those who are still at the airport and those who are already on board the aircraft.
The same service is also engaged in the purchase of products (most of which, by the way, are of Belarusian production), their preparation, and packaging of ready-made complexes.
Both economy and business class passengers can count on a delicious lunch or a small snack. And a big plus, which was noted by travelers, leaving their reviews when compiling the rating, is the availability of food even on short flights. In business class, depending on the duration of the flight, you will be offered either a sweet dessert with fruit slices, or cold snacks (for flights up to 1.5 hours), or full hot meals for long flights. In economy class, as a small snack on short flights, they offer either a sandwich, or a cold appetizer or a hot lunch for long flights of more than an hour and a half. By the way, potatoes baked with mushrooms and cheese are considered to be the favorite dish of passengers. They also praise crumbly buckwheat, which is served with meat and vegetables. Alcohol is also provided in the business class, but in the economy class it is prohibited to provide alcohol at the legislative level. 
Pavel Chuiko
In the future, Belavia does not rule out the possibility of involving chefs in compiling the "flight" menu and is already working on this issue. The carrier takes the topic of food quite seriously, because this part of the service greatly affects general impression about the airline...
As Valery Andreev, the foreman of flight attendants of one of the Moscow airlines, told SOYUZ, air carriers themselves do not prepare food for passengers, but order it from specialized catering companies. Aeroflot, for example, uses the services of the Aeromar company, where the real Italian Thierry Mona, a well-known person in professional circles, works as a chef. Moreover, Aeroflot requires the Italian to completely update the menu every quarter. How to calculate these best dishes? This is a whole science!
To find out preferences, Aeroflot took a simple path: opened a special website, on the pages of which the company's fans rated the best of the proposed dishes in seven categories on a ten-point scale: salads, fish dishes, meat dishes, etc. The epigraph of the site included the phrase of the famous ancient Greek comedian Aristophanes: “Do not feed with words instead of bread.”
15 well-known chefs, including French ones, took part in the preparation of the competitive in-flight catering. And the highest rating of passengers - almost nine points - was scored by the dish "meat platter in Italian".
As catering specialists explained to us, the choice of a menu for a flight largely depends on the chosen class, direction and duration of the flight. The farther you fly and the higher the class, the, let's say, the tastier and more plentiful food on board. But, they add, at an altitude of nine thousand meters, any dish can seem insipid. The fact is that salt between heaven and earth is perceived by our taste buds by thirty percent weaker, like sugar, and dry wine may seem too sour.