335 Pages
    by Routledge

    336 Pages
    by Routledge

    The airline industry is a vast international business that is central to world economies. In today's environment, it faces many challenges and a tight operational strategy is vital to survive.

    In-flight catering is a central part of these strategies at all levels: be they customer satisfaction, marketing, operations or logistics. Fully endorsed by the International Flight Catering Association, Flight Catering is an authoritative guide to this specialised and vital area on the catering industry. With an international team of contributions from both academia and industry it provides a user friendly guide, taking the reader through every aspect from marketing and on board service, to cost control and logistics.

    Introduction to flight catering: introduction; pioneer years of in-flight foodservice; intercontinental travel; mass passenger travel; deregulation & consolidation; the flight catering system; international operations; case study 1.1: developing flight catering in Kenya; current Issues and future developments; conclusion; The flight catering industry: introduction; four stakeholders of flight services; passengers; role of caterers; role of airlines; role of suppliers; airline - caterer contracts; pricing of flight meals; north American vs. European and Asian school of thought; alliances and partnerships; airline alliances; future developments; conclusion; The air travel market- place and customer: introduction; the global market of air travel; current airline market; market segmentation, business travel, leisure travel, special reason travel, executive jets and special flights; customer expectations; the customer service encounter; service priorities for travellers; frequent flier programmes; case study 3.1: Singapore Airlines; case study 3.2: South West Airlines; current issues and future developments; conclusion; Passenger appetite and behaviour: introduction; food acceptance - understanding the sensory model; appetite; effects of specific foods on mood and behaviour; alcohol, caffeine; the cabin environment effect on taste and smell; effects of altitude; dehydration; case study 4.1: SATS Simulated Cabin Environment; current issues and future developments; conclusion; Menu planning and food product strategies: introduction; the menu planning process; special meals; crew meals; menu cycles; service and product specifications, product (or purchasing specifications),standard recipes; meal specifications; service specifications; packaging and labelling; food and beverage strategies; case study 5.1: British Airways; case study 5.2: Emirates
    Current Issues and Future Developments; conclusion; Flight catering supply chain and inventory management: introduction; role of food and drink manufacturers; adapting existing or developing new products; supplier responsibilities and provision; purchasing of flight consumables and non-consumables; supplier relationships; purchasing specifications; inventory management; just-in-time procurement; receipt of goods inwards; storage areas; safe and secure storage; outsourcing; case study: Abela flight kitchen, London Heathrow; current issues and future developments; conclusion; Flight production facilities and systems planning: introduction; principles of flight production unit design; batch production; continuous (flow) production; cell production; scale and scope of production facilities; process flow; production kitchens; holding systems and facilities; cook-chill; cook-freeze; sous-vide; tray assembly; conveyor belt; work stations; trolley and container loading; final assembly of flight requirements; case study 7.1: ALPHA flight kitchen - Airport Gate London Heathrow; case study 7.2: Airline Services Limited - Nigeria; current issues and future developments; conclusion; Flight catering operations and organisation: introduction; organisation of production unit; production planning and scheduling; meal production and packing; cold kitchen, hot kitchen, bakery, special meals, crew meals; dish packing; tray and trolley assembly; flight assembly; staffing; case study 8.1 Air Fayre, London Heathrow; case study 8.2 LSG Skychef, Stockholm; current issues and future developments; conclusion; Food hygiene and quality management: introduction; nature of hazards; the nature of micro-organisms and their control; key pathogens; food safety and handling practices in flight catering; measures to control or remove micro-organisms; potential causes of food poisoning; training; microbiological testing of foods; hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP; audits; case study 9.1: Medina International
    Current issues and future developments; conclusion; Transportation and loading:introduction; types of uplift; long haul; short haul; transportation vehicles and staffing; transportation control and staffing; loading and unloading of vehicles; correct location of load; operational issues; delays; case study 10.1: Abela, London Heathrow; case study 10.2: Air Fayre, London Heathrow; current trends and future developments; conclusion; International logistics: introduction; logistics issues in flight catering; a network of providers; key logistics decisions; the return catering decision; airport capabilities; international and local supply; logistics activities; warehousing; transportation; inventory Management; information systems; case study 11.1 Delta, e-gatematrix and Kuhne & Nagel; current trends and future developments; conclusion; Information Technologies: introduction; information systems; information flows and requirements; operational systems; implications of integrated systems; case study 12.1: Continental Airlines catering equipment control system; current trends and future developments; conclusion; On-board stowage and regeneration: introduction; service level and galley provision; aircraft configuration; service trolleys or carts; aircraft configuration; galley location and design; galley equipment; operational procedures; future trends in galley design; conclusion; On-board services: introduction; cabin design and services; staffing levels and training; flight service policy; flight service procedures; first class meal service; business class meal service; economy class meal service; flight service customer feedback; information flow from the flying passenger; case study 14.1: Virgin first class; current trends and future developments; conclusion; Off-loading and recycling: introduction, unloading procedures; washing ware and equipment; refurbishment; sources of waste; the quantity of flight waste; waste handling systems; waste Disposal; recycling waste; case study 15.1 UK and flight catering waste; case study 15.2 SAS; case study 15.3 :Oberoi flight kitchen, New Delhi; key issues in waste and environmental management; conclusion; Innovation in flight catering: introduction; the nature of innovation; definition; characteristics; innovation in manufacturing and service firms; innovation in flight catering; trends in the innovation process; case study 16.1: Mercury awards 2003; current issues and future developments; conclusion; Index

    Biography

    Peter Jones

    "Peter Jones' book is essential reading for students, instructors, researchers and industry practitioners wishing to better understand the complex challenges facing flight catering."

    Professor Larry Dwyer, Qantas Professor of Travel and Tourism Economics, University of New South Wales, Australia.

    "Flight catering reaches the heights of Peter Jones' other informative and well-written books and should be essential reading for students, educators, practitioners and others interested in airline foodservice operations."

    Stephen Ball, Reader in Hospitality Management, Sheffield Hallam University, UK.

    "Flight Catering is an invaluable resource for managers and students of airline catering operations. It is a must reading for those in the
    catering business who want to achieve successful customer service while attaining high profitability."

    Abraham Pizam, Professor and Dean, Rosen School of Hospitality Management, University of Central Florida.