My opinion only, our CBA lacks the maturity of the legacy carriers. During recessions and downturns and even during periods when they’ve been forced to negotiate concessionary contracts, that’s when the legacies have added ancillaries to their CBA. (Though I have to admit, I still have a copy of our contract from USAir circa 1999 and I can’t find anything in there about parking, even though it was obviously provided to employees in their domiciles). When times were lousy they used their “squozen balloon” (inside joke) to extract ancillaries when pay increases weren’t a possibility.

Some airlines had always provided crew meals as a carry over from the glory days of Pan Am and TWA. For the rest Crew meals were added after the Alaska Airlines accident in Ketchikan in 1978 which was attributed in part to the Captain having low blood sugar. from having not eaten all day. Airlines are 24 hour operations and to keep the machine running, sometimes you have to feed the plumbers.

Pilots have traditionally been able to payroll deduct their first uniform purchase, but a stipend for uniform maintenance and any new uniform pieces required by the company are provided at other airlines.

Removing components from airplanes to save money is extra contractual but I think it should be addressed at some point. Removing installed retractible window shades, printers, fuel totalizers, windshield wiper switches all save money no doubt, but at what expense?