Travellers on trips with the UK's biggest holiday company will have to pay for all airline meals from next summer, it was announced today.

Thomson Holidays is scrapping free food on its packages and passengers wanting a hot meal on both the outward and homeward flights will have to pay a total of £10.

Children's meals will be available for £5 and those not wanting meals will have to pay if they want snacks.

Thomson today denied that they were following the lead set by low-cost carriers, which charge for food on board.

A Thomson spokesman said: "We are offering more choice with this new food regime. We have done a lot of research into this and found that many people do not regard the meal as a big part of their journey."

Thomson also pointed out that a number of charter carriers have scrapped hot meals on flights altogether, but said that these were being retained at Thomson - albeit at a price.

The company says that paid-for meals are part of a "personalised" holiday approach being introduced by Thomson for next summer. Passengers will be able to pay for extra legroom, pre-booked seats, extra baggage, luxury coach and taxi transfers to hotels and late hotel check-out.

Thomson Holidays' managing director, Chris Mottershead, said the 2003 summer package prices would be lower than if the meals and the special airport transfers had remained part of the basic price.

Holidays in the company's summer 2003 brochures go on sale from this Thursday.