By Wendy Anders

Delta Air Lines announced they are testing free meals on coach flights on a few selected routes, reported InvestorPlace earlier this month.

If you’re old enough to have flown before all the economizing started in the 1990s, you’ll probably recall that flying coach was almost like flying first class today, although certainly the meals needed improvement.

Delta is leading the charge to bring back meals in coach by testing out various options to see which work best, both from a customer point of view and a culinary perspective.

The airline will be testing free meals on some cross country flights around the country, said InvestorPlace. The flights that will offer meals include trips to and from New York that are leaving to or arriving at Los Angeles or San Francisco, California.

The move could become a permanent fixture if the meals score well with travelers. “Serving food on a plane is risky because there are a number of meats and fish dishes that either go dry or get mushy once you make them microwave-ready and heat them up,” said InvestorPlace.

Some cooked vegetables and sides like rice also don’t hold up well during transport. Delta said they are also considering the suitability of certain foods and dishes for people flying, as the stress of travel and other factors can affect one’s digestion, and foods would need to be readily digestible, said Delta.

“Testing meals on Transcon flights is part of our commitment to be thoughtful about our offerings and make decisions based on customers’ needs,” Allison Ausband, Delta’s SVP for In-Flight Service said to InvestorPlace.

She added that the company is constantly seeking new ways to make flying more enjoyable for passengers.

“If successful, the move could help to set a trend for all airlines when it comes to coach class services,” concluded InvestorPlace.