Airplane Food

Is airplane food really that bad?
What should I do if I have special meal requirements?
Should I bring my own food?

Is airplane food really that bad?

The airlines have been working hard to make the food they serve in flight better tasting, healthier and of higher quality. Consider the wide varieties of tastes as well as the fact that food tastes different in the airplane than on the ground. It is amazing, in fact, that they do so well.

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks the airlines have been forced to cut costs in many areas, and domestic flight meal service is one major change. Where you used to get a meal, you get a snack. Where you used to get a snack, you get a bag of pretzels. International flights usually still have meal service. 

What should I do if I have special meal requirements?

The airlines have a wide variety of special meals available on request. In general, you have to request the special meal 48 hours before the flight. If you have special meal requirements, you should check out the meal selections before making your airline reservations and note particularly their requirements for advance notice. Confirm your special meal request 48 hours before the flight, then re-confirm when you check in and when you are at the departure gate.

The special meal selection on United Airlines is typical:

• Medical: Diabetic, Low-Purine, Low-Fat/Low Cholesterol, Low Calorie, High Fiber, Low-Protein, Low Sodium
• Religious: Jewish Kosher (including kosher for Passover), Muslim Halal, Hindu restrictions
• Vegetarian: Lacto-ovo, Vegan, Asian Vegetarian
• Babies and children: Soft, easy to chew finger food and strained baby food
• Fruit plates and Japanese Obento meals (appropriate markets)

Should I bring my own food?

Maybe.

You should bring your own emergency rations if you have any kind of special meal requirements, especially for a long international flight. Diabetics are especially urged to have their own food available in a bag stowed under the seat, which can be reached at all times. Your flight could be delayed due to weather, mechanical problems, crew schedules, air traffic control or a host of other reasons. You could miss your fight, or be bumped due to an overbooking situation. You could find the special meal did not get loaded on the plane or, even if loaded, is still not acceptable, such as a fruit plate with allergy-provoking strawberries or a kosher meal served with the seal broken.

If you do not have special dietary requirements, you are still well advised to pack something like granola bars or trail mix in your carry on bag. Short flights can easily turn into long marathon flights for unanticipated reasons. Ask any frequent flyer!

Consider the situation we recently heard about concerning an observant Jewish family returning to New York from Amsterdam. They were traveling with their five small children, including a baby. They missed their flight, but could not be accomodated on a later flight because there would not be kosher meals on the later flight the same day. They had no food with them, as they expected to just get on the plane and find their kosher meals. They ended up flying out of Amsterdam three days later after having incurred additional costs and trouble.

Don't let this happen to you. The family would have been in trouble, equally, had they boarded their plane then found out that the kosher meals were not there, or if there was some kind of flight delay. With five hungry children, this could have been a nightmare.

Our suggestion is to pack appropriate food in a travel cooler, such as those available from Travelers Club. They make portable food coolers in all sizes from the small lunch size to a zippered canvas rolling cooler with a telescoping handle.

Many frequent flyers routinely pack their own food for flight, simply because they want the foods they like and don't want to take chances with the airline food. In most airports, there are airport concessions that will make you a sandwich "to go" and that might be just the right thing for your flight.

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Updated 05/15/07