4sharie

We have a direct, 5 hour flight from Cincinnati to San Francisco in May. I'm trying to figure out if we can bring our own sandwiches.

We're flying Delta. Their website says we can bring food for immediate consumption onboard in addition to our carry-on, plus 1 purse type bag, but all the TSA type stuff I'm reading says you can only bring on food that was purchased once you are past security. Which is it?

And is it up to Delta, or the people who screen us through security?

I know we can't bring drinks (liquids!), but we really want to have our food ahead of time.

Thanks!

Anonymous

According to this page on the TSA web site, you can bring food through security as long as you're sensible about wrapping it up; sandwiches in baggies or tupperware should be OK.

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...rial_1667.shtm

And from their page about transporting food as gifts: "Here's a list of liquid, aerosol and gel items that you should put in your checked bag, ship ahead, or leave at home."

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/holiday_311.shtm

DebitNM

You can bring food through security with no problem. Just select things that will be easy to eat with little effort.

I would stay away from salty things which would make you thirsty, drinka lot and then need to get up alot to use restroom. Also, salty stuff can increase swelling of limbs [which tends to happen on a 5 hour flight anyway].

Snack things like dried fruit, cookies, crackers, cheese, fresh fruit,nuts [not peanuts], power bars, granola all work well.

Bread, cheese, olives, cherry tomatoes, celery, carrots etc are good too.

Don't bring things that are highly odorific [onions, garlic, sharp cheese] that would bother those around you on a 5 hour flight.

Sandwiches work ok, you can put mustard on without anyone being concerned. Think about spoilage factor. The time from when you leave your house, and finally eat them make make certain items less than safe.

You can make your sandwiches ahead of time and freeze them. [Not all fillings will freeze and defrost well - skip lettuce for example]. By the time you eat them, they will have defrosted and have stayed cool. Roast beef, grilled chicken etc.

We have done this several times without any issues from TSA, flight staff etc.

Deb

Gekko

Please, if you choose to carry on your own food, be sensitive to your fellow passengers and do not bring anything with a strong odor.

Nothing is worse than sitting near some inconsiderate person with a stinky tuna sandwich, or a box of lo mein.

Once, on a cross-country flight, a family brought a disgusting, malodorous curry dish into the cabin. Flight attendants took it away and disposed of it.

longhorn55

We take our own food on the plane everytime we travel and I have never had any problems. I just pack myself and each of the kids a sack lunch just as if I were packing their school lunch--sandwich, chips, a piece of fruit and something sweet for dessert.
You will probably get some envious looks from those around you who did not think to bring their own food for the 5 hour flight.

4sharie

Thanks for all the great help! What a relief! Not sure where I read you can't bring food from home, but I've been obsessively worrying about it!

And thanks for the reminder about the smells! The kids and I will be okay with our sandwiches, but dh loves garlic and onions and he's the one who will be sitting with other people in his row!

gail

It's not just his row - the way air is in the closed environment of a plane, smells travel. He will not be popular.

L84SKY

We bring leftover quiche with fruit in a padded lunch bag. It's easy to eat on the plane, plus the bag has come in handy.

LoveItaly

Please 4sharie, NO onions or garlic on a plane! I had a fellow across the aisle from me who ate two big deli sandwiches filled with onions and although I love onions I have to tell you the smell was terrible. Not just for me but for everyone around him. It was a Delta fight btw. But on any plane, please choose food that will not be offensive to your fellow passengers. Anyone can forego onions and garlic for five hours.

Gekko

For the love of all things holy, don't be one of those rude people who brings stink on the plane.

And onions & garlic are definitely stink.

Ackislander

Interesting. Reactions to smell is very personal.

Whether or not garlic and onions stink is often culturally determined. Someone I know once flew from New Orleans with a muffaleta from Central Grocery. Everyone around him was drooling, but I bet they would not have been drooling if they had come from Minneapolis!

I love my morning coffee, but I personally get nauseous from the second-hand smell of coffee if the service cart is parked next to me in the aisle. The smell of bananas makes me nauseous as well. Tuna fish, no problem!

We bring snack mix, crackers, roast beef sandwiches, cream cheese in small tubs, apples, water.

gail

Any strong smelling item I consider rude - personal preferences aside. My guess is that for every person drooling over the New Orleans sandwich, there was someone gagging.

dfr4848

Another option is to go to CVG's website and see what food options there are after security. Many airports now have some decent places inside security (like Subway) to get sandwiches if you don't want to hassle with it at home beforehand.

Agree with the comments re smelly stuff. But might suggest one thing - we always take clementines or oranges on long trips. Besides the fact we like them, peeling them emits a very pleasant odor and my wife has used that trick several times to cover bad odors around us.

4sharie

dfr4848, that was exactly our back up plan, getting sandwiches in the terminal at Subway. We're just hoping to cut out any extra time needed for our early morning flight. Making 4 sandwiches might hold us up, and I don't think Subway is near our gate.