I always take water--the attendants are very stingy with it! And I usually take a sandwich--just in case. It often proves useful. Case in point: flight due to leave to Paris at 8pm, incrementally put off until all airport shops closed at 11, and we sat around with no food or water until the plane left after 2. Boarded the plane in Paris at 2:00, and it sat on the runway for an hour (I however was eating my sandwich and drinking my water, to the envy of the others). I think I do this because my flights from LV are long and arduous. Perhaps if I left directly from a hub I would only bring water.

Take your own food. Airline food is disgusting. You could take something like cup of noodles(ask them for the hot water),cheese and crackers, a nice salad from Wendy's ,a nice sub from subway etc. I know the next time I fly that's what I'm going to do.

My husband always takes a bottle of water on board, as he drinks constantly, but he has to carry it, so I don't care.<BR><BR>I noticed the same thing as the above poster, BA comes around frequently with water (very much appreciated just before morning, as the flight is nearing an end,especially). However, I also noticed the last two flights that they no longer bring orange juice before take-off.<BR><BR>I'm kind of in Elvira's court, too. Only food we take are a couple of cheese/peanut butter cracker packs because my husband is diabetic and might need a boost, but we've never had to open them.

I'm also with Elvira - the less, the better, in all respects with regard to packing, including food. I don't expect great food on airlines and I can live for a day without good food. In fact, the food most airlines serve (I generally fly United or Air France) is way MORE than I want to eat during the period of the flight, which is, after all, during the middle of my night when I wouldn't normally be eating anyway. If I eat all of it, I arrive in Europe feeling bloated and gross. I usually just pick at the appetizer and the salad and call it a night and go to sleep, in so far as I can sleep on planes, which isn't far. I do sometimes bring water, because I like to hydrate a lot on the way over and I'm often traveling alone and don't want to disturb my seatmate by either crawling over him/her to get more from the back of the plane or calling the steward/ess to ask for more. By the end of the flight, my large bottle of Evian is done, and I leave it on the plane.<BR><BR>If this is your first time on a transatlantic flight, I would certainly not complicate things by thinking you needed to bring food on the plane. The notion of bringing my own food never occurred to me until I had taken maybe my 25th flight to Europe - and it was when I was traveling for the first time with a baby. I've never been on a carrier that didn't offer you a snack and a drink pretty soon after takeoff, a full dinner with drinks about 3-4 hours into the flight, and a "breakfast" about an hour and a half before landing. Whether or not you can stomach the food is one issue, but there's no shortage of food offered to you and no need to bring extras unless you feel you can't eat what the airlines have to offer.

Whether you can stomach the food can be an issue. We do not add salt to food at home and as such much of the 'fare' offered by airlines has about as much appeal as 'pickled rat on a stick'.<BR>Last September's flight from YVR to CDG was delayed soo long that they stopped in Calgary to find food. At 5:00 am they served 'beef something with red or white wine'. When it was offered, I replied 'of course, we always have wine with breakfast'. At noon they offered day old buns with processed cheese food product in a cellophane package. I give the airline credit for finding food to offer, but yikes. Thankfully my home packaged supply of 'nuts and berries' and bananas was enough to see us through.<BR>As for water, I will not go into a one hour meeting without a water supply in case I have to talk too long. I cannot imagine a 12 hour flight without water.<BR>We are a diverse group of posters. Elvira bicycles in Arizona and so is probably more used to dealing with dehydration than I am. In Victoria, generally if you are thirsty when bicycling, you stick out your tongue to catch the rain.

I can see you with parched mouths pursed in a tiny circle for 12 hours on a plane. Just because someone else (Elvira) doesn't take or need extra water, maybe you will. And then leave what you dont drink on the plane, I dont leave any more of my well being that I have to at the hands of the over worked and over wrought stewardi.

I am completely in the taking-your-own-water camp. I've been on too many flights where no drinks were served. If they do serve water it is a small 4-ounce glass - and then 2 attendants have to serve 200 other people before they can give you another 4 ounces.<BR><BR>And I've sat on a runway for 2+ hours multiple times when no beverages were served - pure misery.<BR><BR>On the reverse, I've never, ever regretted TAKING water onto the plane

I'm in the taking water and snacks camp, not only during the flight but once you arrive. Sometimes after an overnight flight, customs, getting your luggage, shuttle/taxi to an unknown hotel, etc., I don't have enough time to pick up a snack or stop to get water. It is convenient to have water and anything left over, I can drink at the hotel during my stay since I usually only drink bottled water at home or abroad. Ditto on the snacks.

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There is an article in todays NY Times about this.Seems that flight attendants do not get meals,they usually bring their own food.No crackers,crumbly foods,no spicey too salty foods.Nothing that can get bad without refrigeration.<BR>So,peanut butter is a big favorite and apples.Nothing that smells, so I think tuna is out!<BR>I pack a sandwich usually of turkey slices on rye bread and take an apple already sliced.<BR>A bottle of water.Maybe some chocolate chip cookies.<BR>I can usually go without food for the length of a flight,but in case you need it that is what I take.