British Airways is set to abandon its policy of giving away complimentary meals to all of its short-haul passengers, in a bid to compete with budget airlines.
Alex Cruz, who became chairman and chief executive of BA in April, believes the carrier should begin charging short-haul customers for upmarket meals and snacks.
BA is believed to be considering bringing in Waitrose to provide a premium range of products, although the firm dismissed this saying it is just speculation.
Charging for meals would remove one of the last onboard differences between BA and its budget rivals, but help the national carrier compete on fares. BA has already added charges for checking in bags, brought in under the guise of discounts for hand-luggage-only fares.