easyJet, the UK-based European low-fares airline, has published the food, drink and boutique preferences of British travellers onboard its flights.
According to the airline, the sale of paprika flavoured Pringles has increased by 30 per cent this July, as compared with July 2015, after a video of a key public figure devouring the snack went ‘viral’.
Charlotte Bunney, easyJet’s Head of Inflight Retail, said: ‘After hitting the headlines and having its five minutes of fame last summer, sales of paprika Pringles onboard our flights have gone through the sky. Our passengers seem to have jumped on the trend and want to tuck into a tube whilst flying to their destination.’
The airline also revealed the on board trends, following a thorough analysis of all sales onboard its flights from its Bistro and Boutique menu between October 2015 and June 2016.
As opposed to popular belief that bacon remains an Englishman’s favourite, passengers on flights out of the UK were more likely to eat easyJet’s cheese and ham croque monsieur than the classic bacon roll, it said.
As per the findings, Twinings English Breakfast tea is more popular in the UK than anywhere else in Europe, and more popular with passengers in the North of the UK than the South, with sales around nine per cent higher. Earl Grey recorded second place, closely followed by fruit, herbal and green teas, including peppermint tea, green tea and Lemon and Ginger tea. Last month the airline also introduced three new Twinings teas to its menu, viz. Redbush Caramel Velvet infusion, Citrus Ginger Twist infusion and Thoroughly Minted infusion.
The analysis also found a clear increase in sales of fruit, herbal and green teas following the rise of the healthy eating trend prevailing across the UK recently. Sales have increased year on year, with 14 percent more sales in July 2016 alone, compared to July 2015. Sales of illy coffee – a new brand on easyJet’s menu since 2015-end – were also highest amongst Brits than any other country, the airline said.
As for sweet treats, the Brits prefer the biscuit, with 11 percent more sales of confectionary in the UK than the rest of Europe. Snacks on offer include muffins, House of Edinburgh shortbread, KitKat, Twix, Maltesers and M&M’s.
For passengers looking for more continental stuff, easyJet offers its newly added Mediterranean mezze snack box, consisting of rosemary crackers, hummus, roasted red pepper and feta cheese dip, green olives and a piece of sticky baklava. A hot focaccia caprese, chicken with tomato sandwich and cheese salad roll are also available, easyJet said.
On the boutique brands, sales of perfume and eau de toilette were highest for passengers departing Manchester airport, closely followed by Southend, Newcastle and then Liverpool. Customers can buy brand fragrances, including Marc Jacobs, YSL, Hugo Boss, Giorgio Armani and Paco Rabanne.
Ms. Bunney added: ‘We’re proud to be serving some of the best food, drink and boutique brands onboard our flights and, whilst we were surprised by some of the trends we found, we weren’t surprised by how popular our products are proving to be.
‘We listen closely to what our passengers tell us they want, which is why we’ve introduced a number of great new additions to our menu. With a range of award-winning artisan food products, high-quality drinks and world-class shopping brands, there really is something for everyone.’
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