Ordering special in-flight meals
 

I've been reading here that if you want to eat an edible meal during your flight, you should order a special meal. In general, what types of meals are these? <BR>We'll be flying on Lufthansa and the comments regarding their food has been terrible. Therefore, if we can order something ahead of time just so that we can get something edible, then we'll do so.

The vegetarian menus are usually better than the dry chicken breasts one often gets with the regular meal.<BR><BR>I don't think LH is that bad when it comes to their food. <BR>I had far worse meals, like on China Air.

Belinda, what were you served on Lufthansa? Many posts about their food were vague as to what was served, just that it was terrible.

If you want something special , why not buy it and bring it along. People tend to forget that airlines are not in the food industry. Additionally, any custom or "special" meal just increases the ticket prices for the rest of us who aren't as picky or who bring our own food.

I ordered vegetarian once. My husband didn't and was served a sandwich with bread, meat, mustard and mayo. I got a similar sandwich with bread, mustard and mayo--they just left out the meat and called it vegetarian. I was quite insulted. Be careful!

I would consider a special meal on the way to Europe, but wouldn't order it on the way back. We made this mistake....ONCE. We had an OK vegetarian meal going to Paris (still wasn't much better than regular), but coming back was awful. Given that the Europeans don't tend to embrace the healthy eating as much as the American trend, our vegetarian meal was a salad appetizer that looked like cole slaw and an entree which was more of the same salad LOL. <BR><BR>We laughed about it at first until we were six hours into our eight hour flight and were ready to eat the arm rests off our seats. Face it, plane food isn't good, I would opt for the regular meal (it never fails, if you order the special meal, the regular choices will look better) and bring some snacks of your own.

On my Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Newark, we were sitting in the back of the bus. By the time we got served, the only meal left was the vegetarian meal. It was totally disgusting. I've taken Lufthansa several times, and each time, the food has been horrible, and I'm not a picky eater. Order a special meal or take your own. The beer was wonderful, though, on the flight back from Frankfurt.

I think we'll go for the regular meal choices and bring along extra food. We've got a very arduous flight from San Francisco to Frankfurt and the last thing we want is to get a craving for our armrests!

We always order the lowfat meals...just call the airline 1 or 2 weeks before the flight. A relative is a flight attendant and she said the average airline meal is 1200 calories! Thats almost an entire days worth. I don't remember the fat content, but it was horrible. If I continue to eat healthy on the plane then I am more apt to feel better upon arrival.

I've had good luck with ordering fruit plates or seafood plates. Lufthansa serves airline food with a German flair. Need I say more....<BR><BR>Sorting through old cooking magazines, I found an interesting piece on what chefs bring on board to eat when they fly: my favorite was pate de foie gras. Buy a tin of it at CDG, along with crackers, cornichons, whatever, and eat it on board. Whenever I think of bringing food on board, I'm thinking tupperware and sandwiches and stuff I have to make, or a Subway sandwich or other pre-made fast food. I'm revising my thought process now: why not a tin of pate, Carr's crackers, lovely cherry tomatoes?

A vegetarian friend of mine advised Hindu meals and I have always found them quite tasty (if you like Indian spices)--usually beans, a grain of some kind, sauce and vegetables. No milk products, though (butter, cheese) and dessert is usually fruit. As xxx noted, coming back is a different matter; don't think the French comprehended the concept. Breakfast once on American was a huge plate of strawberries, a cup of walnut pieces and a bagel. People were definitely jealous, but that's never happened again! I also usually carry a sandwich of some kind, even pb&j, for those times when a plane change means no meal on the plane (but a meal in your time zone).

I often order special meals for ywo reasons - they are generally fresher AND you get served first before the meal trolleys fill the aisles. This is especially important if you are sitting in the back half of the plane.<BR><BR>The type of meal doesn't make that much difference really - just what you want -- Vegetarian, vegan, Kosher, seafood, non-fat, Hindu, low sodium, gluten free - whatever.

If you want to special order, spend the money for first class. I get sick of those of you who want special care in cattle class. I like to travel and I like cheap prices. I'll deal with the limited meal offerings. However, if each of you demand your own special meal (Hindu, low-fat, vegan, carnivore, high-fat, low cholesteral, low salt, low sugar, high fiber, sushi, low calorie, low glucose) someone pays for that variety and the extra preparation costs. In short, those of us who accept the meals, or bring our own, subsidize your highly specialized diet. <BR><BR> each of us asked for a different meal, the costs From a review of this thread Stop increasing the cost

Geeze, louise -- chill! at most 2% of air travelers pre-order food and you are not impacted. Why should 1st class travelers be the only ones to get edible food? Coach meals are skimpy no matter if one pre-orders or not but at least they can be fresh. The airlines would not continue to offer the service if it was too expensive.

don't know about the rest of you but I would much rather have a nice sandwich plate that's tasty than a hot meal on my flights. I often fly Westjet here in Canada which is a no frills airline that serves no meals. I pack fresh veggies, some fruit, cheese,crackers and even a can of tuna (pull-off lid). That is more palatable to me than many of the airline meals.

I've never had a real problem with Lufthansa food. I'm usually glad its not something i ordered out and paid for, but it does the job. <BR><BR>By all means, bring your own meal or snacks, but please, please - don't bring Mcdonald's on the plane. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of the golden arches, but it stinks on a plane... kind of like when someone else is eating popcorn or peanut butter and you're not!

Can anyone comment on the special meals on Alitalia? Ive selected vegetarian for my upcoming flight, but Im open to suggestions. Thanks

canuck - <BR><BR>Do you have any idea how thoughtless and selfish it is to bring tuna onto a plane?? The odor could be very "unpalatble" to those around you.

We are leaving for Europe in two weeks. We are flying Air Canada(have never used them before) We ordered a lo-fat for me and a Diabetic for my husband. I hope to find it less greasy. I figure with about two months over there I will eat enough no no's.

I bring my own...great way to make neighboring friends when I haul out my brie, pate, fresh breads, jellies, fruits, nuts. A colleague gave me this little portable lunch box for adults that has all the necessities...its like a picnic in the sky...with wine from the tray cart I'm in heaven.

Miss Manners...not mannerly to call people names! Would rather have tuna opened next to me than sitting next to people with b.o.! What about the fish they serve on flights?

Thanks Manners for bringing that to my attention albeit not very kindly! I will stick to my cheese (not lindbergh, I promise!)and veggies and bring p&j instead of tuna. Good point.

What a riot. Canuck - glad you have a sense of humor and didn't take comment personally! I loathe canned tuna and about jumped out of my seat when I read your post. May want to keep a can handy if you want to get rid of an obnoxious seatmate though LOL.

I have flown twice with Lufthansa and found their meals no worse than other carriers. Delightful coffee though!<BR><BR>The best food is of course in First Class but most of us can't afford an extra grand for the ticket.<BR><BR>Air France has the best food and the worst service.<BR><BR>I ordered vegetarian on several domestic flights a few years ago because I had a broken arm and could not cut up meat. They were no better than the regular meals.

xxx: I'm not sure where you are getting your statistics, but the indication from the posters here is that quite a few people are requesting special (and diverse) meals. It isn't so much the number of people requesting the meals, as it is the disproportionate cost and effort that goes into them. Too many people are so self absorbed that they do not see how their actions, demands, or special attention requirements, negatively affect or deprive others. You and canuck are examples: I'm glad Canuck saw the light (about tuna), but someone had to point out the obvious to Canuck.

Geez....some of us HAVE to order special meals from necessity, not from choice...I have to have Gluten-free meals otherwise I would become very ill, and incidentally they don't always turn up when ordered in advance.

Last year when flying Delta to Shannon, my friend ordered the vegetarian meal. It was beans & rice, and not espeically better than my meal. The next morning while I argued with the car rental people, she was being sick in the loo. She's not prone to airsicknes, and figured it was food poisoning from her 'special' meal....

I bring pop top cans of tuna on the plane almost every trip. Why should<BR>I worry about the smell, when people<BR>are passing gas, sweating, and doing all kinds of rude things with their bodies. If you put lemon on the tuna right after you open it, and open it only during the meal service you will be fine, Canuck. Don't back down so easily, you have to eat.

Dear Geez Louise, I don't take any of the free alcoholic beverages that are offered on flights to Europe. I don't even drink the soft drinks. I bring my own bottle of water. I also bring on my own inflatable pillow and don't use their blanket, either. I never watch the inflight movies and wouldn't care at all if they didn't show them. I never ask the flight attendant for help stowing my carry-on. Now have I earned the right to ask for a special meal?

Someone is very ignorant if he/she thinks that ordering a special meal will make the costs of flights rise. Look at the bigger picture, and order your special meals.

My husband must order gluten-free meals as well, but they rarely materialize on flights. We have come to the same conclusion as many of the other posters on this board - pack something portable and delicious for yourself and eat it when you're darn well ready to. Gluten-free crackers for hubby (some fresh bread for me), some mild cheese, chocolates, etc. There was a very inspiring article about "bringing your own" in the food and wine section of the New York Times recently, and it has definitely inspired me to put together my own indulgent foods for future flights.

Geez louise's theory seems sound: the cost of special meals drives up ticket prices. To test it, we should compare the airfares on short U.S. domestic flights before ALL meals were eliminated, and then after. In theory, the airfares should be drastically lower.

Geez may be taking this to the extreme, but I am concerned about the price of tickets, too. Granted, special meals are available, so you can take them if you wish. However, I know I want cheap tickets, yet I find myself expecting unlimited wine, great food, and a personal assistant/waiter on my flights, and I complain that I don't have 100 square feet of space between myself and the next passenger. I think we all need to be a bit more realistic about what can or should be provided at the prices we are paying. I'm sure the airlines want to be all things to all people, but the competition won't allow that. We now have another airline in bankruptcy, limiting our options. I guess I'm suggesting that, although it may be easy to blame the airlines for mismanagement and too-low prices, it wouldn't hurt those of us who like to travel to exercise some restraint in what we demand (myself included).

I don't think I'm being too extreme. Look at how many people on this post have indicated they order special meals. And look at the immature attitude expressed by "Nan" who suggests that just because other people are inconsiderate she can be inconsiderate. Can you be more self-centered or childish? Special meals will add cost to a flight, as would sucking down a ton of "free" booze. Perhaps the idea of tailoring meals for everyone's special needs is just indicative of the attitude exhibited by Nan, or the idea that my problems (dietary or health) should be everyone else's problems. I just don't agree with that. We each have our own set of issues, but I don't think public carriers (especially those giving us bargain tickets) should have to accomodate every unique issue. I think that is selfish for us to expect that, though I think the carriers will try to help (even if it hurts their already pathetic bottom line). Ultimately, what will happen (maybe not directly from special meals, but as a combined effect of high costs and lower travel numbers) is that we will have fewer carriers (already kind of happening), less competition, and higher ticket prices. But, hey, as long as you get your special meal....

What problems you all have. Lighten up and forget such a ridiculous topic. <BR><BR>Louise - face it, you can't control everyone as much as you would like and if you can't afford the extra $1 these luxuries MIGHT cost you, then maybe you need to rethink whether you should be taking a vacation at all.

I usually order kosher meals. The chicken tastes much better than normal airline food and you often get served first. On a recent trip back from England, we were served at least 1/4 lb. of lox (smoked salmon) along with our main entree. It doesn't matter if you keep kosher or not (we don't). The meal are always more appealing.

Since when should the airline's financial health be our overriding concern? Were they thinking of ours during their boom years? When they cut back on meal service entirely post 9/11 did they give us a rebate on our tickets?<BR><BR>Anyway, it does seem like some airlines have cut back on their selection of special meals, but as long as they still offer them it won't kill them if you take advantage of it.

Hiya,<BR><BR>United used to have a wonderful 'seafood' option on their international flights (but not since last Sept.) - in the meantime their standard international nosh is pretty tasty, no need to order special.<BR><BR>If you're flying outta SFO don't miss the Tomokazu sushi restaurant that's airside in the Int'l Terminal. Top to-go nigiri to have with your bubbles in-flight ;)<BR><BR>And for today's LOL moment check out<BR><BR>http://www.airlinemeals.net<BR><BR>*loooove* their what you see vs what you get (& don't miss Concorde's entries)! Obsessive and fun site!!<BR>HTH<BR>=)

The easiest, most fool-proof & stress-free solution is to bring your own (non-stinky) food. Then eat (or don't) what is served by the airline. Viola! Problem solved.<BR><BR>

We just travelled round trip on Lufthansa to and from Russia via Frankfurt. I ordered "seafood" meals and they were outstanding....broilled salmon one way and a very nice white-fleshed fish on the return trip. The surprise was the breakfast they served: scrambled eggs with baby shrimp. And Lufthansa does serve great coffee!