Bring picnic on flight
 

We are leaving for Italy in 2 weeks. I usually like to pack a gourmet picnic to eat on the flight or in the airport of our connecting flight.

With the new security rules, do you think it will be a problem bringing a fancy pasta salad through TSA?

Also, it is possible to buy wine in a duty-free shop in Atlanta, right?

Thanks.

"...fancy pasta salad through TSA?..." I much doubt it.

"...buy wine in a duty-free shop in Atlanta, " What for? Can't open and drink it on the plane (only alcohol dispensed by cabin crew), and you are going to Italy of all places, this would be like carrying coal to Newcastle.

Doubt that you'd get it on the plane in carry-on anyway.

This is a joke right?
The only people I know that cart along their own food are very strict muslims who cannot touch food that is not Hallal.
With all due respect mcquire, surely you can survive airline food for just one little ol' flight?

I don't know that it has as much to do with "surviving airline food" as it does with just wanting to do it.

We used to bring a lot of our own food on flights, everything from fois gras to shrimp coctail..often just to celebrate the departure so I can appreciate your question.

What we always tried NOt to do was bring on anything that was so "aromatic" that it would disturb others nearby so we would avoid garlic-laden dishes, for example.

Yes, Dukey, you are right. Actually, with all the hassle with flying these days with security and TSA and unhappy flight personnel, etc., we like to carve out "fun" wherever we can. No, we don't bring aromatic food on the flight. Sometimes we eat on the plane or if we have several hours in the airport of our connecting flight, we will find an empty gate in which to enjoy our feast. We're rather picky about wine and used to bring our own. now, of course, with the TSA restriction, I'm thinking that we will try to buy a bottle of good wine in one of the duty free shops in Atlanta and enjoy it, discreetly of course, with our beef tenderloin sandwich at an empty gate....

Truthfully, though, I have gotten sick from airline food in the past. It's full of preservatives, you konw.

CDG security was searching my bag and let me through with my sandwich (prosciutto and brie) and a fruit tart. I was actually surprised about the tart since the wetness was beginning to soak through the packaging and it was definitely "gel-like" in texture. I thought he was going to toss it, but he withdrew his hand quickly from the sticky-ish moisture and said it was O.K. (And it was totally delicious so props to that guy...)

I've heard that TSA is letting through hard cheeses, sandwiches, etc. but cream cheese, yogurt -- anything with a similar consistency -- are being tossed at the first security check-point. So pack your lunch accordingly I guess ... not sure about the pasta salad -- probably depends on which TSA agent you run into that day.

I'm not sure where wally and tod are coming from. I always bring food on board with me, especially when coming from home. Many people buy McD's in the airport and carryon since on-board food service is limited or non-existent on many flights these days.

You cannot drink your own alcohol on an airplane - only that served by FA, so nix the wine idea.

Now concerning pasta salad. If the pasta is overcooked it may be confused with a gel like substance, and would therefore have to fit in the 3-1-1 bag per TSA guidelines. If you cook it al dente it would pass a solid with no limit.

I think food is OK but would pick something with better staying power than a pasta salad (just my opinion). You aren't supposed to be opening your own wine and drinking it either on a plane or at the gates of connecting airports (whether you can get away with it or not is another matter).

I don't think wine is sold in duty free in Atlanta--I can't recall seeing any. There is a decent selection of liquor however, and we bought gin before we flew to London in October after the strict regulations were in effect.

I think if the pasta approaches a gel-like consistency, it would be worse than airline food -- yech. I don't see why not if it's not liquid, and I've seen a few folks do this, also, but usually on flights were they don't serve meals or there isn't much chance to. For example, recently some folks did this who sat right next to me when I was returning from Mexico, I guess, and there were no meals served on either connection. I really wish people would be more considerate about the aromatic food thing as a lot of this food people bring on board (invariably absolute junk food, not gourmet anything) really stinks a lot.

I think those folks were eating some really pungent Chinese food and it nearly made me sick sitting next to them. I've had another woman popping those horrible pungent mints (Altoids) for several hours which you can actually smell a long ways away and I was getting almost nauseous from the smell, so finally asked her to please stop. She was like chain-eating them.

anyway, pasta salad sounds okay to me, but I'm just surprised people spend so much time and effort on a little food on a flight. I just don't care that much, so if the food isn't that great, I just don't eat much for a few hours.

I don't get the wine thing, either. Atlanta certainly is not wine country, and why would you make an effort to carry wine to Italy. Airlines won't allow you to bring on your own bottles to drink onboard, as I recall (at least many won't).

I love the idea of a picnic, and have done it myself. You're going on vacation, why not celebrate? I usually make sure every container is disposable so I don't have to fuss with it later. I have brought gourmet sandwiches, salads, and special snacks on board. I think as long as it's a solid, the TSA won't have any problems. As for the wine, I'd forget that, and just bring a couple of fives for the screwtop stuff. I've seen flight attendants get really bent out of shape when they find passengers drinking out of their own bottles. For them it's a safety issue. Who's drinking what and how much etc. Don't forget a really great dessert too! By the way, I have seen that most flight crew bring their own food, and that speaks volumes to me! Enjoy your trip!

As if Europe has the monopoly on really good wine...

If it's a morning flight back home I bring croissant and a fruit.
Evening, a pate, sandwich and non-smelly cheese.

If it IS possible to bring your own wine, and sit drinking it at an airport gate... I'd really like to know about that! Anyone?
:-)

Cream cheese for a bagel made it on a recent flight to Puerto Rico just fine. It was one of the small little cafe type containers and it was in the clear zip lock bag with other small liquids and no one said a thing. Bailys in the "airplane" size bottles also were placed in the same bag and no one complained...and the little gins made it too. Did not try to hide anything it was all in the zip lock and it was cleared. I am not above pouring the Baileys in my coffee on the plane (discretely of course).

>The only people I know that cart along their own food are very strict muslims who cannot touch food that is not Hallal.<

Well there are also very observant Jews, as well.

Although I am "none of the above", I prefer bringing my own sandwiches to the stuff that they now serve.

If college dining hall food has gotten so much better over the years, why has airline food declined?

((I))

>>>I am not above pouring the Baileys in my coffee on the plane (discretely of course).<<<<

Ditto. I always do this on international flights.

ONE AIRLINER, that has improved lately is Lan. Their food is much better than many.

We used to bring our own sandwiches to give ourselves more control over timing and sleep on a long flight. When we first started coming to France from Toronto, it was difficult to get a non-stop flight, and we often had to stop at Montreal.

By the time we took off, landed, got more passengers on board, took off again, and gave them a drink, we were always ready to get some sleep, not to start dinner at 10.30. So a gourmet sandwich, earplugs and sleep masks made all the difference in getting a head start on sleeping.

Haven't done it recently, but it's a serious consideration for our upcoming Cape Town flight.

Oh, I'm so glad I read this. I will pack something for our 8:40pm flight from PHL to CDG. I do not want to wait for awful airplane food to be served; I want to take a sleeping pill, pop on my mask and put in ear plugs and pray for sleep.

We seldom take food going to Europe, other than some choice snacks, but we always bring food on our way home. Even took on a pizza once on the way home from Rome. Candy, pastry, sandwiches all accompany us on the plane home; it makes the vacation last just a little longer.