Airline grub

[steveB]

I thought it a good idea to get some spring warmth and have a week away, after booking a package to Cyprus with Thomas Cook the flight info arrived, I had forgotten to book two of the disgusting plastic meals for the four and a half hour flight.  I was surprised the meals weren't included in the price.

I know these meals are no more than a sort of in-flight one armed bandit, something to do whilst waiting.  But I asked to book two anyway.

How much? 

£13 each <gulp!>, bloody hell!

I was far happier booking hols when the whole lot was all under one bill and I wasn't aware of the cost breakdown, ignorance being bliss and all that. 

[bikenerd]

You can sometimes save as much as £20 each way by not booking the grub.  As long as it's a short haul flight, I'd rather eat in the airport than try to digest the crap they pass off as food on aeroplanes.

[Mr Larrington]

When I was a small Mr Larrington flying long-haul in the early seventies, the consensus was that airline food was used by particularly nasty secret police forces to extract confessions when electric shocks, fingernail removal and a good kicking had all failed.

It has improved since then, but not by much.

[Polar Bear]

Interesting.  Not being an air traveller I was surprised when friends started griping about the loss of the in flight meal, and even being asked to pay for a cup of tea on Ryanair a few years back.   I asked them if they travelled first class to which they heartily laughed and boasted about the £10 ticket to umbley gumbley or wherever it was.   I likened this to my travel by train.  I don't travel first class on the train and if I want to eat I either take it myself or buy from the buffet car / trolley.   "Yeah, but that's the stinky old train full of peasants" they replied.      

Take your own butties.  At least you know what you're eating 

 

[nuttycyclist]

I've always been given the meal on flights, I didn't realise it was optional.




But should I admit to liking the food?    I usually wolf down mine plus Mrs Nutty's...

[clarion]

A vegetarian?  Flying?  What?  We've never heard of such a thing before!*


* Is the reason why I haven't suffered much airline food.

[rower40]

It has also been suggested that the taste buds are less sensitive at higher altitudes, making everything taste bland.

So no-one likes airline food.

[Thread Hijack - shameless plug]
Go by train instead.  I had a splendid fry-up breakfast (*) on the Midland Express (0746 Derby to London) last month, with extremely entertaining service from the stewards, who realised we (me and 6 other of the Usual Suspects) were on a day out.

(*)
Orange Juice
Coffee
Cornflakes
Sausage
Bacon
Fried egg
Fried bread
Black Pudding
Tomato
Potatoes
Mushroom
Toast
More Toast
More Coffee

I can't see that being served on a plane.
[/Shameless Plug]

[simonali]

Wifey's in the trade, so we usually fly first or business class. You get a menu to choose from and a wine list!

[border-rider]

A vegetarian?  Flying?  What?  We've never heard of such a thing before!*


* Is the reason why I haven't suffered much airline food.

I don't have a problem these days.  15 years ago, yes, but it seems OK now. 

[orienteer]

About 25 years ago we used to fly regularly to Mrs O's home country, Japan, on Aeroflopt, the only way we could afford with two kids. The food was always served on real plates and drinks in glasses, with metal cutlery. The starter was usually caviar (or something similar).

Once, on return from Tokyo, the staff must have overslept, as they served the meal late and still had the trolleys in the aisles when we landed for the refuelling stop in Moscow!

My son's book of aeroplanes revealed that the maximum range of the aircraft used was exactly the distance between Moscow and Tokyo.

We use Lufthansa or KLM these days, not as exciting but safer I'm sure.

[mike]

Jet Airways food on the flight to Delhi & back is lovely [veggie curry] and I got upgraded into business on Lufthansa once and it was very good. 

BA is absolutely horrid in every class, although a mate works for a big food co. and apparently BA are about to switch suppliers, so it might change in the next six months although I doubt if that will be enough to tempt me to fly BA.

[Valiant]

Singapore Airlines do loverly food too!

[Adam]

I'll be honest, I've always quite enjoyed long haul airline food.  You have to realise the conditions that food has to endure at 35,000 feet, such as the fact that textures and tastes will be different at altitude and it's not possible to get things really hot.

Mind you, BA have always managed to muck up the children's meals.  At the time of booking the flights I specify we want children's meals.  I ring up about a week before to confirm the flight and double check they've got the children's meals.  At the check-in, I triple check they've got the children's meals showing up.  All say yes.

We get aboard, take off and then find  "Oh sorry, we've got no trace of any children's meals for your seats".  3 trips over 5 years that's happened.

Last time we went Virgin.  No problem, and the food was just that little bit better quality (so well done TimC). 

[spesh]

I've been pleasantly surprised by airline food, but having only flown twice - with Monarch (Gatwick-Almeria) and Virgin (H'row-Boston) - the sample has been statistically too small to experience the full distribution curve of food quality.

[border-rider]

It's almost infinitely variable in my experience - from divine in Malaysian Airways business class, to inedible on <insert airline of choice>

I went BA business class to Japan last year and the food was pretty good - but then I always specify Asian Vegetarian which I think often gets you a better type of food for flying. Less fatty, more tasty.

[Thor]

Thomas Cook are getting as bad as Ryanair.  Last time we travelled on a holiday with them, they wanted to charge us £12 each for pre-check-in on the return journey.  A sort of guarantee that you'd get to sit together.  Mrs Thor told the rep she'd pay £12 to sit next to Mr Thor, but that Mr Thor didn't care where he sat.  The rep didn't find that amusing.

We didn't pay any extra and we still got to sit together 

[Frenchie]

Iberia now makes one pay for drinks and food on Europen flights! A disgrace. Combined with some of the smallest available leg room, this implies that they are a company best avoided. I am only 1.78 tall and could barely fit yesterday... The back of the Recaro seat was made of hard plastic to add to discomfort!

Some of the best food on board, IME, are from smaller companies. I really enjoy the food pon board Varig or TAM when I fly to Latin America.

[border-rider]

Iberia now makes one pay for drinks and food on Europen flights! A disgrace. Combined with some of the smallest available leg room, this implies that they are a company best avoided. I am only 1.78 tall and could barely fit yesterday... The back of the Recaro seat was made of hard plastic to add to discomfort!

Indeed

I booked with BA to Madrid, flew last week and it turned out to be an Iberia code-share.  As you say, pay for the food and drinks even though the price was the same as a BA flight. 

I couldn't work out why the legroom was so poor until I turned on the overhead light and found that the lights don't co-incide with the seats, so I lit the head of the bloke in front, not my book.  It seems that they've scrunched all the seats up from their original spacing.  I'd avoid them in the future also.

The only benefit was that it went from T2 not T5

[Frenchie]

Iberia now makes one pay for drinks and food on Europen flights! A disgrace. Combined with some of the smallest available leg room, this implies that they are a company best avoided. I am only 1.78 tall and could barely fit yesterday... The back of the Recaro seat was made of hard plastic to add to discomfort!

Indeed

[...]

The only benefit was that it went from T2 not T5

Yes! I was glad about that too but after 11-hr from Argentina, I felt very hard done and was a bit grumpy. The BA passengers were quite vocal as the tickets are not cheap.

[border-rider]

I turned up at the airport in Madrid about 1 1/2 hours before departure, couldn't use the self-checkin so went to the desk (I only had hand baggage).  The man there told me I'd just got the last seat on the plane. The implication being that if I'd been a few minutes later they'd have (tried to) turn me away from a flight I had a valid ticket for 

[Frenchie]

I turned up at the airport in Madrid about 1 1/2 hours before departure, couldn't use the self-checkin so went to the desk (I only had hand baggage).  The man there told me I'd just got the last seat on the plane. The implication being that if I'd been a few minutes later they'd have (tried to) turn me away from a flight I had a valid ticket for 

Just checked the website (we also had an incident with a drunken passenger on board which was poorly attended) and there is no obvious customer post-sale to send feed back...

After a further 2-hr drive up North I was rather peckish!

[Hot Flatus]

I try to avoid alcohol on flights and am very choosy about which bits of food I eat, I avoid cakes and muffins like the plague and like Malvolio always specify asian veg. My biggest concern is staying hydrated.  It is becoming increasingly difficult with the regulations on carrying liquids.

[Rollo]

You can take as much water on board as you like if you buy it airside (I think).

[Hot Flatus]

Yeah... seen the price of it? 

I think the liquid-bomb plotters were hired by Baa

[nicknack]

"Yeah, but that's the stinky old plane full of peasants" they replied.      

That's why I don't fly any more, but take the train.