No more free snacks on short United flights

Josh Roberts believes the best trips involve long hikes and muddy boots. His life goals haven't changed much since he was a kid: He still wants to be Indiana Jones when he grows up.

Follow him on Twitter (@joshwhowrites) and Instagram (@joshwhowrites), and visit his website (joshrobertsbooks.com) or Goodreads page to learn more about his forthcoming novel.

Josh joined SmarterTravel in 2001, and is an active member in both the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

In addition to SmarterTravel, he has written for USA Today, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Travel, The Huffington Post, Airfarewatchdog, TripAdvisor, Jetsetter, ABC News, Oyster, and Business Insider. His travel photography can be seen in Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places, published by Penguin UK.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A lacrosse ball. It's small, lightweight, and works wonders on loosening up tight muscles."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Being the first to discover an ancient lost city. Failing that, visiting as many of the already-discovered ancient ruins as possible."

Travel Motto: "Not all those who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle."

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Just when you think the major U.S. airlines have run out of bad ideas, news like this comes along. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that United has stopped serving snacks for economy class flyers on all flights less than two hours long. The change took effect last week.

In all, the move will save United a whopping (and I do mean that ironically) $650,000 a year. What’s next, coin-op bathrooms? Funny how the only airlines that seem to “get it” these days are the low-cost carriers like JetBlue, which offer a better product for less money.

Will a free snack make a difference in my purchasing behavior? Probably not. And this is hardly as bad as these same major airlines devaluing frequent flyer miles or charging extra for exit row seats. But this latest move is indicative of the current trend of major carriers cutting back on services that used to be an industry standard.

File this one under “the pretzel that broke the camel’s back.”

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