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.