Goodbye, free meals to Europe. Hello, Internet

Neither of these has to do with US Airways -- yet -- but they're quite notable in this era of evolving in-flight services.

First, United Airlines became the latest carrier to break a barrier by eliminating free meals on some flights to Europe. Yep ... you want to eat something of substance on that six- or seven-hour flight? Better have some cash handy -- United will now charge for snacks, sandwiches or salads -- or buy food before boarding.

(My biggest problem with this story? Not the news on the food, but the lack of info on booze. C'mon ... do we still get free drinks on flights to Europe or what? Nothing like landing in a place where you don't speak the language and dealing with jetlag while nursing a hangover.)

Meanwhile, another carrier has launched in-flight broadband service for passengers -- for a fee, of course. American Airlines is charging $12.95 for Internet access on 15 Boeing 767s used mostly for transcontinental routes.

Forget the fee in this case. This is a big, big deal. As a former business traveler, I hated waiting to get off a flight and get to my hotel, only to find a million e-mails waiting for me. Now, for not much money, you can stay connected, shutting down only during takeoff and landing.

This may not be good for everyone; more than one executive or regular working stiff has told me it's good to be disconnected for a few hours in this 24/7 information age. Still, in-flight Internet access is in high demand, and I agree with the guy who says this is a game-changer. Any airline that wants to keep business travelers but can't keep up with competitors who keep those passengers connected is going to lose business.