This article discusses types of food service available on U.S. airlines.
Airline food is a lot like Mark Twain's comment about the weather: "Everybody talks about it, but no one does anything about it." Everywhere, people talk about airline food. Usually, the talk is less than complimentary. What's the truth about airline food, what's available and how much does it cost?
The first thing to remember about airline food is that it really isn't all that bad. It's not fancy (except in first class), it's kind of generic and there usually isn't a lot of it, but mostly, it's like eating a better frozen dinner that's been cooked in the oven instead of the microwave. When food is available on a flight, there are usually a couple of choices: pasta or chicken, hamburger or chicken--that kind of thing. We aren't talking Commander's Palace, but neither is it school lunchroom.
I admit, it is a bit galling these days, when one shells out $300 for an economy-class ticket, to be thrown a small bag of pretzels and half a can of soda. Sheesh! What a rip! They could at least give me a bag of chips and a cookie! Sometimes, they do. It all depends on the flight, time of day, the duration and the airline. Some airlines are more frills-friendly than others. Some pride themselves on being "no frills" and say their ticket prices are lower because they don't offer "fancy vittles" on board. Some airlines go the pretzels route and still have high ticket prices. Go figure.
The lack of food on flights is a fairly recent development so airlines can cut corners. As late as 1998, on a morning flight from Nashville to Miami, we were served half a banana, yogurt and a muffin for breakfast. The flight from Miami to Aruba featured a pasta dish (tortellini, I think), a salad and cookies. How things change! On a 2004 flight from Birmingham, AL to Reno, Nevada (about six hours total), we got a sort of snack mix assortment in a bag on both legs of the flight.
Nowadays, most flight itineraries will mention if a snack is served, or the delightfully thievish invention called "meals for purchase." For the paltry sum of $9, a passenger can receive a half-chicken salad sandwich, chips and a cookie. Yes, it's all too generous on the part of SafeCrash Airlines to provide such a feast for that small fee. Most airlines will provide a complimentary "snack service" on flights longer than four hours. That's for the coach class rabble. The first class flyers get a snack after only 150 minutes in the air. Some airlines offer a cheaper "snack box" option, which probably does have more things in it. One laughable example touts the inclusion of a single "Starlight Mint" as a feature of the snack box. It is reasonably priced at $3, but they throw little striped mints in a Sonic bag by the handful. What's up with one mint--and make a big deal out of it? Of course, a traveler might consider it a bargain, considering what they charge for food in airports. At least, they do allow travelers to bring their own food on the plane, and this is probably a good idea.
Airlines do still offer special meals for those who have dietary restrictions, beliefs or other issues. The passenger may have to pay for it, but kosher, low-carb, low-fat, vegan, gluten-free, diabetic and other special-needs meals are available from most airlines. A passenger simply needs to call the customer service number to ask for one.
The best way to find out exactly what an airline offers in the way of meal service is probably to visit its Web site. Most airlines have one, and may even have sample menus and prices available. They will also have what complimentary food is served on flights of certain duration. Most international flights do serve a complimentary meal.
While airline food doesn't deserve its lousy reputation, it also isn't as easy to come by as it used to be. A traveler needs to consider expenses and dietary needs when thinking about eating on the plane.
