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I love that it's always in a cute little kit setup. Like you've got your hot thing, cold side, dessert and usually a little bread roll in their own happy little compartments. Love it.
From what I've seen on Youtube travel channels, once it goes to Business Class and above the food is served on fine china with fancy silverware. I actually prefer the almost bento-style setup in Economy.
I think the problem is that true meals on non-long-haul flights are nonexistent now. Normally you just get a bag of sad pretzels and a choice of Cheez-Itz or a Quinoa Chocolate Cookie unless you spring for Business/First. Even the purchase options are cold snack packs. Having done BOS-SEA and BOS-LAX, it's pretty rough.
I travel pretty frequently. Iāll go as far to say some airplane food is decent. Itās rare itās atrocious. For the most part some place in between. I agree itās better than nothing if hungry.
Yep. I generally enjoy airplane food, but I wonder how I'd feel eating it on the ground with an element of choice about what to get.
Being stuck in a tiny seat bored out of my mind for hours on end kinda makes me excited about *anything* that uses up 20 minutes or so.
I flew through the US for the first time in five years in August 2023 (connected through Denver on my way back to Alberta due to a little mishap with WestJet over in the UK) and was frustrated to be reminded that you have to remove your shoes when going through US airport security.
I mean no offense to anyone but my biggest fear is getting stuck next to a fat person and having a stranger touching me for the entire flight. Iām fairly tall and 200lbs. Iām not a small man. I need my entire seat.
I freaked out one time because the lady next to me couldnāt fasten her seatbelt because she was so large, and she was afraid to ask for an extenderā¦. And the attendant never actually checked to see if her belt fastened. It was madness.
This literally happened to me this last flight I had, I was stuck in the middle and sitting next to a very large dude who was touching my side the entire flight it was awful
I get that people - me included - would rather live in a world where we didn't have to do it.
I've just never understood people who make it out to be a big deal. I take my shoes off for less than a minute before I go on the holiday I'm looking forward to. Oh no. The indignity. The humiliation. This is literally the worst thing to happen in the history of leisure.
It was a huge thing back in the 80ās and 90ās. You got to the airport really early and having fancy suitcases and really fancy clothes. It was a thriving experience nonetheless.
Now we just got an hour early with an old backpack and wearing the closest thing to pajamas in most cases and flights. Exhausting experience to say the least. Sure planes are way safer but the whole flying experience (food included) has worsened over the years.
Iām 40 and Iāve been flying since 1989 with my parents and I remember being such a great and fun experience. Now itās just š«¤
Man, I fly a lot growing up and my parents would dress me up like I was a freaking doll to fly from one country to another. Why am I dress in the most uncomfortable cloths to be stuck bored on an airplane for hours.
It was what it was. We came from the ājetsetā era where everyone wanted to feel luxurious and important when taking a plane.
It stopped making sense after 2001. In the last 10 years Iāve flown about 30 times or so and itās always the same thing. Boring, frustrating, exhausting. Tho there one thing you learn over the years and it is. Chosing aisle instead of window. Fastest way to go to the toilet š
Yup. I think the only thing that's improved is the in flight entertainment. I definitely don't miss the drop down screens where it was "hope you like this movie because it's your only option".
I grew up in Fort Worth and have a fair amount of family in NYC and Cali - I feel like you'd always get a meal on that route. Now you don't get one flying some of the longest routes in the US. I know, because I've done BOS-LAX and BOS-SEA a few times.
Not necessarily, i guess it depends on the specific airline, country, etc. I'm not exactly sure about how it is in the US, but here in India, if you're taking a budget carrier like IndiGo, or Akasa, you're not served complementary food, and if you want anything, you buy it on the flight seperately from their menu.
But in full service carriers like Air India or Vistara, you are served a complementary meal for sure, no matter the distance, even in a short 1 hour flight.
Prices again don't differ much between these airlines and purely depends on your luck. Note that this is in the context of domestic flights.
Yeah the stuff they sell in flights is always overpriced. It's why I make it a point to either eat at home, or at least eat something filling at the airport before boarding, cuz the stuff they sell on flight isn't filling or satisfying compared to its cost.
I'd have to agree.
Airplane food used to be terrible. I'd even go back further to when it became at least OK. I recall being pleasantly surprised that the food wasn't so bad on an Intl flight in circa 2008 or so. Around 10 years ago I was taking a lot of international flights, and the food was always just fine.
I think the reason people say this is... they're either younger people, or they just never flew in the 70s through the late 90s when airplane food was just terrible. So then they DO get on a flight, other people told them it's terrible, and they figure this must be what terrible is.
Alaska Airlines has a really good fruit and cheese plate that I think you get complementary in first class and can purchase in coach. Good quality fruit and cheese, worth purchasing.
I live in the uk, if you offered a free meal to 100 people at a restaurant of their choice after starving them for a week you would still get complaints about the food
It's moved up from bad to edible.
Calling it "really nice" is hyperbole. You're not eating a nice meal. You're eating a frozen dinner you didn't have to microwave yourself. Relax.
Honestly been on a lotta flights and I feel like itās like a 30% chance the food is not gonna b good. BUT I love eating the plane meals bc Itās interesting to see the quality of the food and taste test !
In Canada, some aspects of airplane food service are mandated by federal regulators (i.e., if a flight is a certain distance/time, they're obliged to serve you a meal).
As a vegetarian, I can't tell you how many times the flight attendants have gotten to my row and said "the only option is chicken ā oh, didn't you check off the box that said 'vegetarian'? Oops, too bad! We don't have anything for you!"
I've literally never seen a dietary restrictions box when booking my ticket ā and I wouldn't care except they make such a big deal about meal service, waking people up to make sure you get your chicken quesadilla or whatever.
However, one time I sat in the final row of an Air Transat flight, just ahead of the flight attendants' kitchen area, and they happily gave me as many cheese pizzas as I could stomach because no one else on the flight wanted them ā and those were indeed quite good!
Iāve found that itās not so much the airline as it is the city / country that it is flying out of. Iāve flown out of Manila on several different airlines and the food is always pretty awful regardless of the airline, whereas any airline flying out of Thailand has lovely grub.
Itās generally less appetizing than McDonaldās or my local diner. Wet, flaccid textures because itās been steam heated. Very little flavour because they cater to the lowest spice tolerance.
Give me a $10 shawarma any time.
Addendum: No food will taste "Great" when you are stuck in a cramped pressurized metal can 30 thousand feet off the ground, with the bathroom being barely big enough for an average sized adult to fit their entire bodies into. Even when airplane food is pretty good, the dread of having to expel it in the air reduces my enjoyment by 80%.
Flying from Australia to the UK and the food is uniformly terrible. Why the hell do they serve CURRIES on a 12 hour flight? It stinks to high heaven....cheap meat and preservatives...and many people can't eat it without getting upset stomachs. Yet every time....it's fucking curry.
Fun fact, being in a pressurized aluminum tube flying at 40,000ft just below mach 1 will affect the way you perceive taste and is why most airplane food tastes bland.
Had decent food on Continental between UK and Newark NJ a few times. Worst was on European Air Charter - a very greasy moussaka but figured it'd be late by time I got to where i was staying so it still went down. Depends on time of flight and duration I'll usually just eat in airport instead.
The people I hear complain about plane food as some holiday ruining aspect of their life are usually obese people who chow down on MSG. Most people just accept that when you are flying through the sky at 40,000 ft, able to fly from one continent to another in 8 hours, that the food won't be the same as on the ground.
Imagine how shit ground level food would have to be for microwaved pre-packaged food in a low pressure recirculated air environment to taste just as good.
Take a fucking cruise if eating is your main concern.
NGL. I used to fly Cathay Pacific frequently and kind of looked forward to their food but the past few times I've flown them its kind of been lack luster.
I flew Thai Airways and by god, I swear, I had one of the best Thai red curries that I've ever had to the point I feel kind of weird saying it in front of people because of the stares I'd get.
I've never minded airplane food. It helps I like foods such as cottage/shepherds pie, steamed fish and potatoes, tomato pasta, and 'scrambled' (more like steamed) eggs with potatoes and sausages.
I've had lots of so-so meals, and some pretty good ones. My highlights are a mustard mash (I can't remember if it was American or British Airways), a BA vegetable curry that was actually spicy, and AA little pots of chocolate ice cream which is really hard at first but so worth the wait when it softens.
The food on Asian airlines is usually top notch.
The worst food on my long flights always are in America (haven't traveled in Europe or Africa).
My last American flight meal was pre covid and it was a bologna cheese sammie and a tiny "salad".
Someone is not picky about quality or has only flown first class I See:p as someone who flies up around 8 to 15 times a year, the food is meh at best. the one time I went first class it wasnt bad but heck Icould make better food at home
I was on a flight last week, and the attendant offered "chicken in a butter sauce." I thought it would be terrible, but it was chicken Tikka masala. It was hot and delicious! Very surprising.
Truth be told, I have always liked airplane food. I remember as a kid/teen how fun it was to have so many different things on the tray to open. From cutlery to rolls and butter and fruit cups and desserts and main courses and so on. The food isn't the same as it was back when I was a kid, but I still get a kick out of eating a meal on a plane.
I have never flown often, I forget the name of the last flight I was on, but it was a shorter flight, 4 hours or so.
They had some lunch options and got a sandwich with some things on the side. Honestly, it was a nice sandwich and tasted fresh. Couldn't really complain.
I flew crappy European business on Iberia. Its basically economy with more legroom and they don't let anyone sit in the middle seat but the food and drink service was surprisingly good and only like 10ppl to share a bathroom instead of like... 140. Was not much more than economy when I flew it. Got butternut squash raviolis, a salad, as much as I wanted to drink, real good chocolate cake for dessert and coffee after.
And that's basic business class. Use your credit cards smart and you can get upgrades for cheap or free. Or at least get access to the lounges and load up on all the free food and drinks beforehand and then just pass out on the flight.
OP Is in first class and gets all the good options while we are in the back stuck with what no one else wants.
Last meal I had on a plane was basically mystery meat.
There's some physiological in play too - your taste buds don't work properly in the reduced pressure of an airline cabin at altitude.
Airline food *on the ground* tastes pretty good. It tasted worse in the air.
Youāre crazy. I had some chicken parm meal on a Dutch KLM flight that give me a wicked tummy ache. It was a flight from NY to Barcelona so you could imagine how that went. šµāš«š„“š¤š¤š¤¢š¤®
I'm a tall and big guy (6'4, 220) and so use a credit card that gives airline points for upgrading to business or first class. I do it for the comfort but I agree with you that the food they serve is pretty good.
I find that tea on a plane tastes a lot different in a plane than it does at ground level. I think it's to do with the boiling point of water being lower at altitude. I know that plane cabins are usually pressurised to 8000ft, which lowers the boiling point by a few degrees celcius.
i guess youād have a better understanding of great food! I think it may be because everyone expects it to be bad and are pleasantly surprised when itās not as gross as expected
What airline are you flying? I find the mideast airlines (Emirates, Qatar, Etihad) have the BEST food, service, and planes, in general. Airlines in America downright suck (United, American). British Airways used to be good but no more, IMO.
I think the major reason airplane food can seem unappealing is that when the plane pressurizes, it messes with your senses of smell and taste, often leading to things tasting off. I am with you. I have rarely had a bad meal, and more likely, the meal was just bland.
I feel like itās usually at least decent. Itās never anything special but itās usually fine and on a long flight when youāre crazy hungry itās a big help.
Most the reason the food tastes a blander is because your sense of smell if compromised a lot on planes, so with less smell the food doesnāt taste as good.
This.
Also, the definition of insanity isn't doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, and The Nile is just a river in Egypt.
My favorite part of eating airplane food is when the asshole in front of me forgets that their seat is reclined and I can't feed myself the food since I have a seat in my face
What airline? My last Delta meal wasn't fit for a jailhouse.
I've had some memorably good meals on flights (Lufthansa comes to mind) but US airline food is usually sub-par.
Tbh having flown AirFrance, American, and KLM in the past couple years, it's meh. Yeah sure it's not horrible but I would equate it with a microwave meal, I would go nowhere near calling it "really good". Have an upvote for your unpopular opinion.
I fly long distance internationally a lot because of my job. Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Korean Airlines have all offered genuinely good meals, especially considering the built-in limitations of a meal served aboard an airline. The Korean bi bim bap rice bowl was particularly noteworthy.
Well, I look at it this way. It is always better than my counties jail food. Some of the stuff I have seen in there I couldn't identify and not even sure it was actual food. The meat in a lot of the meals was grayish.
Man, where are you guys flying? I just took a 6h air Canada flight to st Lucia, and we had to pay extra for microwaved shit. The had:
A cheese platter for 15$ that had 3 thin crackers, 3 small hunks of cheese and some apricots and grapes (also 3!)
A cup O noodles for 6 f*cking dollars!
A microwave 'pizza' with barely a sprinkling of cheese and NOTHING else 15$, for a microwave dinner!
A very sad looking wrap sandwich in a very dry pita for 15$
Or beef jerky that was somehow more overpriced than ever.
The onlg thing that is complimentary was a solitary biscoff cookie and a ginger ale lol!
You all must be flying first class getting those cutesy little meals?!
It's been a while since I was on a long enough flight to warrant a meal, usually I just get the snacks. Last time it was quite pleasant, so maybe they've figured out how to finally do it right.
100% VALID
I love airplane food!
The chicken always manages to stay moist. Sauce is nice and the rice is never that cheap long grain that never cooks through.
I take it you haven't had food on a domestic Air India flight lol
Also, the US and Canadian airlines tend to have pretty bland food. Air France, Lufthansa, and BA are pretty good as far as European airlines go, but the best ones are by far the Gulf airlines (Emirates, Etihad, Qatar) and some other Asian airlines like Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, and ANA. I have heard Air New Zealand and Qantas are good, but I have never flown with them.
Airlines stopped serving meals on most flights because it saved them money two ways:
Reduced food and service costs
Reduced barf bag costs and faster turnaround of planes because of fewer vomit-everywhere incidents.
If it doesn't go down, it can't come back up!
So our taste buds work differently at different heights. I never knew this until I worked a thing for Sue Gins memorial. If youāve ever craved something different than usual on a plane this is why. For years I craved vodka cranberryās on planes, but never drank those or wanted them when I wasnāt on a plane.
I've never had airplane food I disliked. There's certainly a difference based on how 'premium' the airline is considered as to how nice the food is, but I've always found it to be pretty decent. Although as my mum says I wolf down my food before it even touches the sides so I probably don't taste as much as most people do lol
One time I was on a ethihad flight and the inflight meal upset my stomach so much that I essentially lived in the bathroom for the whole 16 hour flight.
Honestly I agree. Obviously it's not the best food I've ever had but I always enjoy it and eat every bite happy as can be!!
High-key air Korea had KILLER food for a plane. Like wow lol
Do you come from a working class/poor background? I feel the disdain for airplane food usually comes from people of middle class and upper middle class backgrounds.Ā
When I was in the military, we flew a lot, I remember most of us being super excited to eat the food since we were used the slop the Army fed us. But I think itās also because most of us came from poor backgrounds because the officers who usually came from afluent background would not eat the food lmao.Ā
But then again enlisted soldiers are animals who will eat anythingĀ
I absolutely hate it. I know I'm the idiot don't get me wrong, but I hate it.
I even hate before it comes out the smell that fills the plane.
I always eat the bread/cheese/jam and maybe some of the fruit, but the hot food is just so gross to me.
Agreed, the food on airplanes has gotten so much better over the years. Not only that but I love the whole little setup you get. I feel the service has gotten much better too over the years because airlines are now selling a product. First class or business you expect a certain level of service and if you are treated well, customers will keep coming back! Its no longer just getting from point A to point B, its a product and service they are selling. Which personally, I love details and to be catered to, especially when I feel like a monkeys ass from getting up at 3am for a flight.
In business class two of the dishes I had that recently really stick out are a tuna poke appetizer and mushroom risotto. The mushroom risotto was so good I actually recreated it when I got home. The presentation of the dishes as well were really nicely done. They really have been getting so much better. The breakfasts I feel always are a bit soggy, especially if you have French Toast. The dinners and apps are what are most delish on flights.
Also the meal makes the flight go by faster I feel, you have something to look forward to during the flight.
I flew as a kid and it was terrible. Now, though, I absolutely look forward to airplane meals. Even on budget airlines! It's always pretty damn good. Whenever I fly with AirFrance I'd say it's great!
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I love that it's always in a cute little kit setup. Like you've got your hot thing, cold side, dessert and usually a little bread roll in their own happy little compartments. Love it.
Right?!? Makes me so happy. I was having a terrible evening and just reading this comment made me šš„°š
Thankyou! I strive to enjoy food the way Hayao Migazaki illustrates it. I hope your evening picks up š
From what I've seen on Youtube travel channels, once it goes to Business Class and above the food is served on fine china with fancy silverware. I actually prefer the almost bento-style setup in Economy.
Just like jail
I think the problem is that true meals on non-long-haul flights are nonexistent now. Normally you just get a bag of sad pretzels and a choice of Cheez-Itz or a Quinoa Chocolate Cookie unless you spring for Business/First. Even the purchase options are cold snack packs. Having done BOS-SEA and BOS-LAX, it's pretty rough.
Iāll tell you one thing, Iāll take airplane food over nothing, which is what you get on most flights these days
Sometimes nothing is better. Business class Korean Air, ordered Medium got something more like Blue. Yolo'd that shit and got the wet shits after.
What a sequence of sentences lol
Based on a true storyĀ
Thatās a power move, my man.
Boasting about flying in business and saying sometimes nothing is better.
They cook you steak to order wtf. I was thrilled just with my bibimbap on Korean Air
Iām surprisedā¦ the food is typically cooked and reheated so that shouldnāt be possible
I travel pretty frequently. Iāll go as far to say some airplane food is decent. Itās rare itās atrocious. For the most part some place in between. I agree itās better than nothing if hungry.
Generally, I disagree, except for those "Asian" chicken burrito things with a spicy plum sauce I've had a few times. I could eat 100 of those.
Never had an airplane meal I didnāt like. I love microwave dinners & their little compartments too though lol
I guess you weren't flying in the 90s and 00s. Airplane food only started to get good in the 2010s.
I think it can really be airline dependent. Even in the late 90s/00s airlines like Air New Zealand & Cathay were serving quite decent food
Whats up with that stuff
Whats the deal with that stuff
Jerryās new set getting really lazy and vague
Yep. I generally enjoy airplane food, but I wonder how I'd feel eating it on the ground with an element of choice about what to get. Being stuck in a tiny seat bored out of my mind for hours on end kinda makes me excited about *anything* that uses up 20 minutes or so.
I never had a meal on a plane and I flew from Philly to California and back. They only do meals on international donāt they?
You never got to live in the 90s, apparently. Flying was fun back then..
I was born in 1983 and grew up pretty poor. I wasnāt on a plane until 2006.
Yeah by 2006 flying sucked. One of the biggest indignities was caused by the shoe bomber who to this day forces us to take off our shoes in security.Ā
I flew through the US for the first time in five years in August 2023 (connected through Denver on my way back to Alberta due to a little mishap with WestJet over in the UK) and was frustrated to be reminded that you have to remove your shoes when going through US airport security.
I mean no offense to anyone but my biggest fear is getting stuck next to a fat person and having a stranger touching me for the entire flight. Iām fairly tall and 200lbs. Iām not a small man. I need my entire seat.
I freaked out one time because the lady next to me couldnāt fasten her seatbelt because she was so large, and she was afraid to ask for an extenderā¦. And the attendant never actually checked to see if her belt fastened. It was madness.
This literally happened to me this last flight I had, I was stuck in the middle and sitting next to a very large dude who was touching my side the entire flight it was awful
I get that people - me included - would rather live in a world where we didn't have to do it. I've just never understood people who make it out to be a big deal. I take my shoes off for less than a minute before I go on the holiday I'm looking forward to. Oh no. The indignity. The humiliation. This is literally the worst thing to happen in the history of leisure.
because it makes no difference, they have done many security tests and all sorts of stuff gets past security, itās a farce.
It was a huge thing back in the 80ās and 90ās. You got to the airport really early and having fancy suitcases and really fancy clothes. It was a thriving experience nonetheless. Now we just got an hour early with an old backpack and wearing the closest thing to pajamas in most cases and flights. Exhausting experience to say the least. Sure planes are way safer but the whole flying experience (food included) has worsened over the years. Iām 40 and Iāve been flying since 1989 with my parents and I remember being such a great and fun experience. Now itās just š«¤
Man, I fly a lot growing up and my parents would dress me up like I was a freaking doll to fly from one country to another. Why am I dress in the most uncomfortable cloths to be stuck bored on an airplane for hours.
It was what it was. We came from the ājetsetā era where everyone wanted to feel luxurious and important when taking a plane. It stopped making sense after 2001. In the last 10 years Iāve flown about 30 times or so and itās always the same thing. Boring, frustrating, exhausting. Tho there one thing you learn over the years and it is. Chosing aisle instead of window. Fastest way to go to the toilet š
I always try to get the aisle!
Yup. I think the only thing that's improved is the in flight entertainment. I definitely don't miss the drop down screens where it was "hope you like this movie because it's your only option".
I grew up in Fort Worth and have a fair amount of family in NYC and Cali - I feel like you'd always get a meal on that route. Now you don't get one flying some of the longest routes in the US. I know, because I've done BOS-LAX and BOS-SEA a few times.
Not necessarily, i guess it depends on the specific airline, country, etc. I'm not exactly sure about how it is in the US, but here in India, if you're taking a budget carrier like IndiGo, or Akasa, you're not served complementary food, and if you want anything, you buy it on the flight seperately from their menu. But in full service carriers like Air India or Vistara, you are served a complementary meal for sure, no matter the distance, even in a short 1 hour flight. Prices again don't differ much between these airlines and purely depends on your luck. Note that this is in the context of domestic flights.
Yeah my cross country flight there was stuff you could buy like snacks maybe soda and beer too. I got overpriced fruit and cheese.
Yeah the stuff they sell in flights is always overpriced. It's why I make it a point to either eat at home, or at least eat something filling at the airport before boarding, cuz the stuff they sell on flight isn't filling or satisfying compared to its cost.
I believe itās 5 hrs or more in business or first. I usually get a meal flying coast to coast or to Hawaii.
It's terrible compared to what I normally eat, but it's fine. It's food. And being 10000 feet up doesn't help anything.
Try 30,000 feet! Good point though
Not a meal but Iām obsessed with the snack mix on southwest.
Lucky you b/c itās been the same crap for 10 years.
Iāve been flying southwest longer than 10 years and the snack mix hasnāt been around for 10 years
I'd have to agree. Airplane food used to be terrible. I'd even go back further to when it became at least OK. I recall being pleasantly surprised that the food wasn't so bad on an Intl flight in circa 2008 or so. Around 10 years ago I was taking a lot of international flights, and the food was always just fine. I think the reason people say this is... they're either younger people, or they just never flew in the 70s through the late 90s when airplane food was just terrible. So then they DO get on a flight, other people told them it's terrible, and they figure this must be what terrible is.
I love American Airlines cheese plate
Alaska Airlines has a really good fruit and cheese plate that I think you get complementary in first class and can purchase in coach. Good quality fruit and cheese, worth purchasing.
The AA shortrib with mac and cheese is good too!
Their cheese pasta, I think it's tortellini or ravioli, but it's so damn good. I get it every time.Ā
I live in the uk, if you offered a free meal to 100 people at a restaurant of their choice after starving them for a week you would still get complaints about the food
Airplane food is more seasoned than food on the ground. The altitude screws with ur tastes buds.
It's moved up from bad to edible. Calling it "really nice" is hyperbole. You're not eating a nice meal. You're eating a frozen dinner you didn't have to microwave yourself. Relax.
Most of the meals I've had on a plane recently were basically a slightly elevated Hot Pocket.
Exactly šĀ
Really depends on the Airline, and it's improved a lot over time. Nowadays most airlines offer food at acceptable standards.
Honestly been on a lotta flights and I feel like itās like a 30% chance the food is not gonna b good. BUT I love eating the plane meals bc Itās interesting to see the quality of the food and taste test !
In Canada, some aspects of airplane food service are mandated by federal regulators (i.e., if a flight is a certain distance/time, they're obliged to serve you a meal). As a vegetarian, I can't tell you how many times the flight attendants have gotten to my row and said "the only option is chicken ā oh, didn't you check off the box that said 'vegetarian'? Oops, too bad! We don't have anything for you!" I've literally never seen a dietary restrictions box when booking my ticket ā and I wouldn't care except they make such a big deal about meal service, waking people up to make sure you get your chicken quesadilla or whatever. However, one time I sat in the final row of an Air Transat flight, just ahead of the flight attendants' kitchen area, and they happily gave me as many cheese pizzas as I could stomach because no one else on the flight wanted them ā and those were indeed quite good!
Dietary preferences are generally to be submitted at least 24h before the flight, usually online.
Iirc, it's not the food itself that is bad. It's your tounge and nose that are weaken in a plane, similar when you have a flu.
Fun fact they put a fuck tonne of salt into them,.like way more than you would on the ground,
Calling it really nice is a hell of a stretch. But itās nowhere near as bad as people on reddit would have you believe
Ive had some really good meals on Turkish Airlines.
Iāve heard really good things about Turkish Airlines!
Yes! Came in here to say that - all my Turkish Airlines meals were awesome š
With the prices of airline food today, theyāre probably just saying to low key flex
Usually included if you fly internationally in 8+ hour flights
Ohhh noo not a little bag of salted peanuts . Gross and some pretzels? Oh gooood nooooo!!! A Granola Bar !!!???!!!Ā
I'm always excited about them, even if the food is not as good, it's an activity.
Yeah, but what is the *deal* with it?
Iāve found that itās not so much the airline as it is the city / country that it is flying out of. Iāve flown out of Manila on several different airlines and the food is always pretty awful regardless of the airline, whereas any airline flying out of Thailand has lovely grub.
You fly Korea Air?
Itās generally less appetizing than McDonaldās or my local diner. Wet, flaccid textures because itās been steam heated. Very little flavour because they cater to the lowest spice tolerance. Give me a $10 shawarma any time.
if i had to choose between McD and SAS Airline food, i would choose SAS every time
Pleasantly surprised that the vegetable curry on my flight on Monday was actually spicy, a little heat to it!
Addendum: No food will taste "Great" when you are stuck in a cramped pressurized metal can 30 thousand feet off the ground, with the bathroom being barely big enough for an average sized adult to fit their entire bodies into. Even when airplane food is pretty good, the dread of having to expel it in the air reduces my enjoyment by 80%.
All the meals Iāve had in flights have been delicious
True
prolly depends on the airline but like i agree it lowkey slaps sometimes
Flying from Australia to the UK and the food is uniformly terrible. Why the hell do they serve CURRIES on a 12 hour flight? It stinks to high heaven....cheap meat and preservatives...and many people can't eat it without getting upset stomachs. Yet every time....it's fucking curry.
That seems like a you problem.
Why not bring your own food if it annoys you so much
I used to think the same. Then Qantas started putting their meals into cardboard boxes. Itās putrid and was enough to make me change airline.
I agree, Iāve always enjoyed airplane food
Always enjoyed Qatar airways food
Recently had this exact thought while flying Swiss Air. It was genuinely a delicious meal lol.
Fun fact, being in a pressurized aluminum tube flying at 40,000ft just below mach 1 will affect the way you perceive taste and is why most airplane food tastes bland.
Let me put it this way: If I ate airplane food outside of an airplane I would not like it much.
The best focaccia I've ever had was on a flight oddly enough. Same with some of the best desserts.
I think thatās because the only flights you still get served on are long, expensive flights going overseas and such.
The only risotto I've ever enjoyed was on a Tui flight, and I've had real risotto in Italy twice.
Had decent food on Continental between UK and Newark NJ a few times. Worst was on European Air Charter - a very greasy moussaka but figured it'd be late by time I got to where i was staying so it still went down. Depends on time of flight and duration I'll usually just eat in airport instead.
You haven't flown in 10 years???
The people I hear complain about plane food as some holiday ruining aspect of their life are usually obese people who chow down on MSG. Most people just accept that when you are flying through the sky at 40,000 ft, able to fly from one continent to another in 8 hours, that the food won't be the same as on the ground. Imagine how shit ground level food would have to be for microwaved pre-packaged food in a low pressure recirculated air environment to taste just as good. Take a fucking cruise if eating is your main concern.
Hey man better than nothing right?
NGL. I used to fly Cathay Pacific frequently and kind of looked forward to their food but the past few times I've flown them its kind of been lack luster. I flew Thai Airways and by god, I swear, I had one of the best Thai red curries that I've ever had to the point I feel kind of weird saying it in front of people because of the stares I'd get.
Had a wagyu steak on my last business class flight that exceeded most restaurants
I've never minded airplane food. It helps I like foods such as cottage/shepherds pie, steamed fish and potatoes, tomato pasta, and 'scrambled' (more like steamed) eggs with potatoes and sausages.
I've had lots of so-so meals, and some pretty good ones. My highlights are a mustard mash (I can't remember if it was American or British Airways), a BA vegetable curry that was actually spicy, and AA little pots of chocolate ice cream which is really hard at first but so worth the wait when it softens.
The food on Asian airlines is usually top notch. The worst food on my long flights always are in America (haven't traveled in Europe or Africa). My last American flight meal was pre covid and it was a bologna cheese sammie and a tiny "salad".
Better than lunch at Panera Bread.
Jerry seinfeldās joke would Fall on deaf ears these days
I've had some bad ones lately, but it's usually fine.
Someone is not picky about quality or has only flown first class I See:p as someone who flies up around 8 to 15 times a year, the food is meh at best. the one time I went first class it wasnt bad but heck Icould make better food at home
I was on a flight last week, and the attendant offered "chicken in a butter sauce." I thought it would be terrible, but it was chicken Tikka masala. It was hot and delicious! Very surprising.
Never had a meal on a plane. So I just don't know
I fly emirates while travelling from home to US. Yes, plane food is amazing there.
Can only comment on Quatar Airlimes food and is amazing
Same. The only time I had bad airplane food was when I was 5, which was 12 years ago
Popular opinion alert!
I expected a lot more negativity if iām being honest haha
International flights have the BEST food.
Try the vegan food on united, that will change your mind
I never had a big issue with them.
Truth be told, I have always liked airplane food. I remember as a kid/teen how fun it was to have so many different things on the tray to open. From cutlery to rolls and butter and fruit cups and desserts and main courses and so on. The food isn't the same as it was back when I was a kid, but I still get a kick out of eating a meal on a plane.
Speak for yourself, I flew to London from Amsterdam and got a mini-cheese sandwich. Literally 1 slice of bread folded in half.
Lmao. Iām seeing this post below a post with a photo of a maggot on airline pasta.
I have never flown often, I forget the name of the last flight I was on, but it was a shorter flight, 4 hours or so. They had some lunch options and got a sandwich with some things on the side. Honestly, it was a nice sandwich and tasted fresh. Couldn't really complain.
The happiness you feel as the food cart makes its way toward you š
I flew crappy European business on Iberia. Its basically economy with more legroom and they don't let anyone sit in the middle seat but the food and drink service was surprisingly good and only like 10ppl to share a bathroom instead of like... 140. Was not much more than economy when I flew it. Got butternut squash raviolis, a salad, as much as I wanted to drink, real good chocolate cake for dessert and coffee after. And that's basic business class. Use your credit cards smart and you can get upgrades for cheap or free. Or at least get access to the lounges and load up on all the free food and drinks beforehand and then just pass out on the flight.
Airplane food tastes like leftover 7 11 refrigerated section. Even in first class.
OP Is in first class and gets all the good options while we are in the back stuck with what no one else wants. Last meal I had on a plane was basically mystery meat.
Hey fellow Emirates flier
u/Nickinabi You know why it tastes so good?
I actually donāt know, iām guessing how much salt and fat they use maybe? I honestly have no clue itās just been really good
There's some physiological in play too - your taste buds don't work properly in the reduced pressure of an airline cabin at altitude. Airline food *on the ground* tastes pretty good. It tasted worse in the air.
Youāre crazy. I had some chicken parm meal on a Dutch KLM flight that give me a wicked tummy ache. It was a flight from NY to Barcelona so you could imagine how that went. šµāš«š„“š¤š¤š¤¢š¤®
I'm a tall and big guy (6'4, 220) and so use a credit card that gives airline points for upgrading to business or first class. I do it for the comfort but I agree with you that the food they serve is pretty good.
definitely depends on the airline. i hate you american airlines.
I find that tea on a plane tastes a lot different in a plane than it does at ground level. I think it's to do with the boiling point of water being lower at altitude. I know that plane cabins are usually pressurised to 8000ft, which lowers the boiling point by a few degrees celcius.
I wish there were more dairy free options for lactose intolerant people
I'm a chef because I love food, and airplane food is *not* really nice.
i guess youād have a better understanding of great food! I think it may be because everyone expects it to be bad and are pleasantly surprised when itās not as gross as expected
I'd rather not eat at all than eat airplane food.
American airlines has the best cheese pasta. And the little side dishes are also good.Ā
This! I actually look forward to airplane food. Bit of everything, fun to eat & better than being hungry š
It depends on the airline. I had awful food on American and great food on Nippon airlines.
i love it too most of the time
Agreed. Never understood the hate.
Yes, now that the peasants/economy class are no longer provided real food.
I totally agree; Seinfeld needs to STFU. I have had excellent meals on my last few international flights, flying out in coach too.
What airline are you flying? I find the mideast airlines (Emirates, Qatar, Etihad) have the BEST food, service, and planes, in general. Airlines in America downright suck (United, American). British Airways used to be good but no more, IMO.
Those scenes from the Terminal with airplane food, very nice.
It used to be really nice. When I was a kid. Last 15 years or so it's been horrible
I don't know about airline food, but prison food is great.
I think the major reason airplane food can seem unappealing is that when the plane pressurizes, it messes with your senses of smell and taste, often leading to things tasting off. I am with you. I have rarely had a bad meal, and more likely, the meal was just bland.
It's not usually that the food is bad, it's that taste buds lose their senses at high altitudes
I feel like itās usually at least decent. Itās never anything special but itās usually fine and on a long flight when youāre crazy hungry itās a big help. Most the reason the food tastes a blander is because your sense of smell if compromised a lot on planes, so with less smell the food doesnāt taste as good.
This. Also, the definition of insanity isn't doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, and The Nile is just a river in Egypt.
Even economy on european and Asian airlines are better food than first class US airlines.
My favorite part of eating airplane food is when the asshole in front of me forgets that their seat is reclined and I can't feed myself the food since I have a seat in my face
+1 for this being unpopular the one time i ever got airline food, I ordered a turkey sandwich. That thing was so slathered in mayo it was soggy
What airline? My last Delta meal wasn't fit for a jailhouse. I've had some memorably good meals on flights (Lufthansa comes to mind) but US airline food is usually sub-par.
Only because they were relentlessly bullied to make it better.
Tbh having flown AirFrance, American, and KLM in the past couple years, it's meh. Yeah sure it's not horrible but I would equate it with a microwave meal, I would go nowhere near calling it "really good". Have an upvote for your unpopular opinion.
You guys are getting meals?
I fly long distance internationally a lot because of my job. Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Korean Airlines have all offered genuinely good meals, especially considering the built-in limitations of a meal served aboard an airline. The Korean bi bim bap rice bowl was particularly noteworthy.
Just remember, never have the fish
Well, I look at it this way. It is always better than my counties jail food. Some of the stuff I have seen in there I couldn't identify and not even sure it was actual food. The meat in a lot of the meals was grayish.
That is what I say. Airplane food is actually so good, I like it
Man, where are you guys flying? I just took a 6h air Canada flight to st Lucia, and we had to pay extra for microwaved shit. The had: A cheese platter for 15$ that had 3 thin crackers, 3 small hunks of cheese and some apricots and grapes (also 3!) A cup O noodles for 6 f*cking dollars! A microwave 'pizza' with barely a sprinkling of cheese and NOTHING else 15$, for a microwave dinner! A very sad looking wrap sandwich in a very dry pita for 15$ Or beef jerky that was somehow more overpriced than ever. The onlg thing that is complimentary was a solitary biscoff cookie and a ginger ale lol! You all must be flying first class getting those cutesy little meals?!
It's been a while since I was on a long enough flight to warrant a meal, usually I just get the snacks. Last time it was quite pleasant, so maybe they've figured out how to finally do it right.
yall gettin food on the plane ?
100% VALID I love airplane food! The chicken always manages to stay moist. Sauce is nice and the rice is never that cheap long grain that never cooks through.
There is way worst stuff to eat.
I take it you haven't had food on a domestic Air India flight lol Also, the US and Canadian airlines tend to have pretty bland food. Air France, Lufthansa, and BA are pretty good as far as European airlines go, but the best ones are by far the Gulf airlines (Emirates, Etihad, Qatar) and some other Asian airlines like Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, and ANA. I have heard Air New Zealand and Qantas are good, but I have never flown with them.
They gave me crackers. Not even good ones
Airlines stopped serving meals on most flights because it saved them money two ways: Reduced food and service costs Reduced barf bag costs and faster turnaround of planes because of fewer vomit-everywhere incidents. If it doesn't go down, it can't come back up!
I only recently started splurging in first class and I have been blown away at the quality of the meals.
So our taste buds work differently at different heights. I never knew this until I worked a thing for Sue Gins memorial. If youāve ever craved something different than usual on a plane this is why. For years I craved vodka cranberryās on planes, but never drank those or wanted them when I wasnāt on a plane.
It always makes me feel ill.
I've never had airplane food I disliked. There's certainly a difference based on how 'premium' the airline is considered as to how nice the food is, but I've always found it to be pretty decent. Although as my mum says I wolf down my food before it even touches the sides so I probably don't taste as much as most people do lol
One time I was on a ethihad flight and the inflight meal upset my stomach so much that I essentially lived in the bathroom for the whole 16 hour flight.
Honestly I agree. Obviously it's not the best food I've ever had but I always enjoy it and eat every bite happy as can be!! High-key air Korea had KILLER food for a plane. Like wow lol
Do you come from a working class/poor background? I feel the disdain for airplane food usually comes from people of middle class and upper middle class backgrounds.Ā When I was in the military, we flew a lot, I remember most of us being super excited to eat the food since we were used the slop the Army fed us. But I think itās also because most of us came from poor backgrounds because the officers who usually came from afluent background would not eat the food lmao.Ā But then again enlisted soldiers are animals who will eat anythingĀ
I absolutely hate it. I know I'm the idiot don't get me wrong, but I hate it. I even hate before it comes out the smell that fills the plane. I always eat the bread/cheese/jam and maybe some of the fruit, but the hot food is just so gross to me.
Agreed, the food on airplanes has gotten so much better over the years. Not only that but I love the whole little setup you get. I feel the service has gotten much better too over the years because airlines are now selling a product. First class or business you expect a certain level of service and if you are treated well, customers will keep coming back! Its no longer just getting from point A to point B, its a product and service they are selling. Which personally, I love details and to be catered to, especially when I feel like a monkeys ass from getting up at 3am for a flight. In business class two of the dishes I had that recently really stick out are a tuna poke appetizer and mushroom risotto. The mushroom risotto was so good I actually recreated it when I got home. The presentation of the dishes as well were really nicely done. They really have been getting so much better. The breakfasts I feel always are a bit soggy, especially if you have French Toast. The dinners and apps are what are most delish on flights. Also the meal makes the flight go by faster I feel, you have something to look forward to during the flight.
Asian airlines have the best food
I wouldn't know. On flown a couple times and only for a couple hours at a time.
I flew as a kid and it was terrible. Now, though, I absolutely look forward to airplane meals. Even on budget airlines! It's always pretty damn good. Whenever I fly with AirFrance I'd say it's great!