NEW YORK (Bloomberg) — JetBlue Airways Corp. is testing sales of sandwiches, salads and snacks on some of its longer flights and may decide as soon as May whether to make the service permanent.

Adopting food sales would expand JetBlue's retail offerings beyond movies and pillow-and-blanket sets, and make it the first low-cost US carrier to offer light meals for a fee. JetBlue is among airlines charging for more goods and services to boost revenue from sources other than tickets.

"Response has been phenomenal," spokeswoman Jenny Dervin said of the test, which began on January 28 and ends March 31. She confirmed that New York-based JetBlue was conducting the test, which hadn't been publicly announced.

Items being sold include a turkey-and-Gouda sandwich, a roasted-vegetable wrap or a chicken Caesar salad, each for $8. A bag of beef jerky or fruit-and-nut snacks is $5, and a half-pound (227-gramme) assortment of chocolates is $11.

"Customers say that, 'Hey listen, on the longer haul, we'd like to purchase something more than just the free snacks that are provided and beverage'," chief executive officer Dave Barger said at a March 10 airline conference. "We think that those type of ideas make a great deal of sense."

The food-sale trial is on flights between New York and Los Angeles; Los Angeles and Chicago; New York and Orlando and West Palm Beach, Florida; and New York and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

JetBlue now offers free chips, cookies and cashews. It never has served meals onboard.

Southwest Airlines Co., the largest discount carrier, is considering whether to start selling food to help boost revenue, spokeswoman Beth Harbin said yesterday.