Why Airlines Rarely Know Exactly How Much Food and Drink They Need for Each Flight

Airlines have been flying for a century, yet no one has solved what should be a simple problem: how many drinks and fresh food items to board on each flight. It's for good reason. Each flight has different demand, depending on aircraft type, time of day, day of week, and origin and destination. On flights to Atlanta, world headquarters of Coca-Cola, more customers may prefer Coke and a burger. To Los Angeles, customers might want water and a kale salad. Most carriers have a rudimentary idea of what customers want, because they go by historical patterns. And with non-perishable items, they may over-cater, so they won't run out of customers' first choice. But when an item is perishable, like a sandwich or salad, they may board fewer, hoping they can sell each one. Most airlines toss unsold fresh food after every segment for safety reasons. But what if there was a better way? This is something I explored earlier this week. I learned EasyJet's CEO, Johan Lundgren, seeks to redu