What do you think of airline food now?

Airline food was the butt of jokes for years back when the food was included in the fare. Now that an airline meal will cost you about $10 out of pocket, do you buy one? What do you think of the quality?

I have not noticed any change, since we are being charged for food on the airlines.W.Rex in E. San Diego

I must be taking short flights. I haven't seen a meal offered on a flight in years.

I enjoyed my pretzels and water on the flight to Chicago today. I guess the good news is that there was no temptation aboard the plane to put any kind of dent in my appetite, and so arrived very hungry -- a good way to be in Chicago! In answer to the question, though, even the few times I'm managed to wangle my way into 1st class over the last few years, the food there seemed to have slipped dramatically. Definitely not worth the extra few $1000 you pay for 1st class. I've yet had the opportunity to buy an official airline meal.

Airline food??? Airline food?
I know I don't travel as frequently as I once did with all the cutbacks by companies, but I almost forgot the last time I was served what I call food (compared to a snack) on an airline. There was once a time when you got a full meal on any flight lasting more than 3-4 hours, and a small snack package on flights closer to 2-3 hours. Now, the long flights have gone to a snack pack or nothing, and they give you the opportunity to purchase a small meal if you want. I have seen them and they are nothing to brag about, usually just a sandwich with some snacks, or a small chicken breast in gravy.

I have gotten in the habit of bringing my meal on board, something I don't have to heat up unless the flight is leaving close to lunch or dinner, and I can eat a hot meal before it gets cold. Otherwise, a nice big smelly assorted Italian submarine sandwich, with lots of onions. When they serve the drinks, out comes my meal. The entire coach cabin knows someone is eating real food.

Drinks??? Drinks? Oh yeah, some airlines have cut back and no longer offer beverage service on the shorter 1 hour hops llike Rochester to Philly or Pittsburgh. They come around and pass out bottled water. Little 6 oz. bottles. "Pretzels?, no we don't have any on the plane."

The prime benefit of first class upgrades is no longer the food, although you can have any drink you want for free, but a nice comfortable wide leather seat, with elbow and leg room.

I flew Peoples Airlines back in it's heyday. $49 flights from Newark to LA. Stewardess offered everyone on the plane a PBJ sandwich and a few other goodies in a brown paper bag, with an announcement that "anyone who didn't like it was welcome to get off." Those were the days.

Have bought a couple meals on American, Barely edible. ALaska and Horizon offer good coffee and Oregon-Washington wine. Lunch meals are now cold sandwiches. I try very hard not to count on airline meals when I fly

In my day job, I am a travel agent. Most of our customers vacation just once a year, and most remember when airline food was "free". When they see "food available for purchase" printed on travel documents, they usually question, "how much?" and "is it worth it?". In my own experience the food is ok but overpriced. My suggestion is usually to pack a lunch, or buy something at the airport. Some hotels now offer to pack a lunch for you (at a cost), but I have never bought that service. In my own opinion, the airlines would do better to try to copy the food cart on a train than to try to sell the stuff that they are serving as "gourmet". Over the next few months the airlines are going to start taking credit cards for on board meals and drinks. It will, I think speed up service, but I doubt that it will help them to sell more food.

Meal service on domestic coach flights is now all but non-existent. First class meal service is significantly weaker than anyone would have ever expected, on all but the most competetive of business travel routes (NYC-LAX, NYC-SFO, etc.). International travel is significantly better - coach passengers usually get a meal, and first-class service is just that.

Keep in mind that passengers who remember the "old days" of flying when the meal service was "free", should also remember that a round-trip domestic airline ticket averaged two to three times as much as you pay today (inflation adjusted). If you pay $600-$800 for a coach ticket from MDW-PHX, then you should expect to get fed, but nowadays that same ticket can be found for $99 each way, if you buy when Southwest has it on sale. Airlines are bleeding money, and can only compete with one another on cost. One casualty of this competition has been the airline meal. But, as was originally stated, most people complained about the quality anyway.

I don't know that the meals available for purchase are any better than what the airlines served as coach meals years ago, but they are likely no worse. On the other hand, now that airlines have all but stopped serving food on domestic flights, there are many more good options in airports that you can have packed for eating on the plane. There is a 3+ page thread on airport roadfood elsewhere on this site.

Check out: www.airlinemeals.net

Steve

The last few first class flights from Chicago to Steamboat Springs the food and service has actually been great. A very nice chicken wrap with side salad and hot cookies, not to mention a constant stream of liquor and red wine. They even give you a hot towel. I’ve been alone in first class a few time, boy your treated like a king then. I’m out of AA points so I’ll be using NWA out of Minneapolis this year, well see how they stack up.

quote:

Originally posted by Theedge

The last few first class flights from Chicago to Steamboat Springs the food and service has actually been great. A very nice chicken wrap with side salad and hot cookies, not to mention a constant stream of liquor and red wine. They even give you a hot towel. I’ve been alone in first class a few time, boy your treated like a king then. I’m out of AA points so I’ll be using NWA out of Minneapolis this year, well see how they stack up.

Easily the biggest thing you will notice "up front" has nothing to do with the food. From what I understand, NW offers an excellent menu to their first class passengers, especially on longer domestic or international routes.

But, for any domestic flights, you will not have any in-flight entertainment, so make sure that you bring a portable DVD, iPod (walkman, for us older folk!), or laptop to keep you entertained. The upside -- no more "Everybody Hates Raymond" episodes and Stupid Pet Trick segments!

Steve

airline food?? hahaha i can remember when you would actually GET food..the last several flights i've been on have been drink and small bag of pretzels or peanuts.. maybe if you were lucky you got a cookie too.. of course these are all short flights (indiana to jersey BUT) they used to serve meals on them too!
gone are the fun days of flying for the food...... hahaha:)

At my in-flight catering business I serve king crab, lobster tails, shrimp, scallops, smoked salmon, filet mignon, rack of lamb.......sheesh, you guys are travelling ALL WRONG!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by lleechef

At my in-flight catering business I serve king crab, lobster tails, shrimp, scallops, smoked salmon, filet mignon, rack of lamb.......sheesh, you guys are travelling ALL WRONG!!!!

Gosh, Lisa. I wish I had my own plane so I could have your cuisine on board!

Frank

I haven't flown in several years, but whenever I have, school cafeteria food was top shelf compared to whatever the airline offered. But..back a long time ago..in the early 70's..I went to college in Montana, and my family lived in Upstate NY. To get home from school, I flew Northwest into Chicago, and then the old Mohawk airlines from Chicago to Binghamton, NY. Mohawk was later swallowed up by the now nearly-dead US Air..but back then after we left Chicago the stewardess would come along with a wicker basket of sandwiches and you could pick a couple..yes, ladies & gentleman...
more than one! They were great sanwiches..ham, turkey, roast beef or tuna on nice hard rolls. They were great, and I always looked forward to that flight from Chicago when I went home. How simple things used to be!

The only time I've ever flown was on the honeymoon to England in 1994. British Airways served very nice food, hot cups of tea (natch), and drinks. All included. The entire crew, including both pilots, signed a nice congratulatory card for us, and we got a sweet little gift bag with a tiny bottle of Reisling and candies. I did wonder, though, who was flying the plane while they signed it. . . .

One common thread to all of the posts here -- there is a definite line of Sept. 11, 2001. Anyone that flew prior to that date had a very different experience than anyone who had never set foot on a plane until post-9/11. Many of the cuts in service were evident prior to 9/11, but thay situation hurried a lot along.

Steve

Airline food just plain stinks! always has--always will--pack a lunch!!! let every one droll as the aroma of your cheesesteak/pizza/roast pork sandwhich fills the cabin!!! and make sure those folks up in first class get a whiff as there eating that quasi haute lean-cuisine that comes free with that $700 seat!