Own Food
 

There has been lost of discussion about food on planes on this site. <BR> <BR>So I throw these questions out for discussion: <BR>1. What is the best meal you have ever carried on to a plane? (ie. Made your seat mates green with envy.) <BR> <BR>2. When did bringing on your own food REALLY save you?

2. Are you charged extra for a meal on a plane? Thought it was part of the ticket price. What would it save you????

Duh, it would save you from going hungry because you couldn't possibly stomach the inedible dreck that passes for airplane food.

1. The CRUELEST meal we ever carried onto a plane: a fresh-made Muffeletta from Central Grocer in New Orleans. When we unwrapped that baby, all smellin' of herbs and olives and dripping with juicy goodness, there was very nearly a mutiny on that plane. Yes, sir, the peanuts were flyin'! everywhere...teeeheee... <BR> <BR>2. See 1. above <BR>

I've flown alot on business and pleasure this year, on eight different airlines. All of them have lousy food. I suggest bringing your own. Salads, sandwiches, cheese cubes, fresh fruit, and snacks are all great carry-ons. I'm on the Atkins diet, and most of the airlines provide high-carbohydrate items that I'm trying to avoid. The worst example of airline food? Soft breadsticks served with cold marinara dipping sauce! The flight attendents handed them out like they were serving filet mignon! Airline food is there for one reason -- to keep you occupied and distracted. If you want fine cuisine, stay home or bring your own.

We were going on a business junket with my husbands company flying out of JFK. One of the guys in his office shows up with 2 grocery bags from his cousins Italian Deli in on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. While everyone else was unwrapping there cubes from the Airline, they were looking longingly at those delicious sandwiches we were all enjoying! Proscuitto with fresh mozzarella and roasted peppers on Focaccia bread, ummm, they were wonderful!

I like to bring just about anything ... shrimp cocktail, sushi rolls, nice sandwiches, etc. But the fun part is that I carry it in one of those Delta "Sky Deli" bags. When everybody else opens theirs to the usual dry turkey hidden somewhere within a stale roll, mine always evokes an envious question or two. "Why? What did *you* get??" <BR> <BR>

Not a meal, but when my 21-year old daughter and her girlfriend were going to England, I sent them off at the airport with a bag of "doughnut holes" and two bottles of lemonade. It was a night flight and they were anticipating a dinner. Well, they boarded the plane around 9 p.m. (starving) and the plane was delayed there at the gate for three more hours and the meal wasn't served until about 1 a.m. So they really appreciated those doughnut holes and that lemonade!

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. YUM!!! I made it ALL!!! Whole wheat bread, jelly (strawberry, in the same bread machine, although I used frozen strawberries) and even peanut butter (paid $10 for that nut grinder, and it's easily the best investment I ever made except my slow cooker). <BR> <BR>Of course, no one was jealous until I passed a couple out, but I loved them. <BR> <BR>The meal that got the biggest response was a Pizzeria Uno pizza (the original Chicago Style), which I had to bust up so it would fit in my carry on, which was a small sacrifice, and eat half of before the trip, but that was NO sacrifice.

It was actually on a traion rather than a plane. Left Chicasgo at about 6 PM bound of rNYC and bought dinner to go at a nice little Thai place near the station - heads turned when I opened the container - everyone on my car could smell it and most within earshiot leaned out to ask "Where did you get that?!"

Homemade brownies wrapped in foil!! This is a wonderful comfort food which can be enjoyed at the airport, on the plane, in the hotel.

When we fly Southwest home from Las Vegas, its usually a 6:30pm flight that doesn't get in till midnight. I know it sounds strange but we always get corned beef sandwiches with pickles from the Stage Deli at the Forum shops. You can smell that garlic from the overhead compartment and I always feel a little guilty, but not enough to not eat it and really enjoy it. Even if Southwest served meals I doubt anything could compare with those!

Joan, you are so right about the Muffeletta! Our uncle was flying back from New Orleans through Hartsfield and we made the trek to spend two hours with him at the airport just to get a jar of the Muffeletta he brought for us! He also brought a sandwich on the plane and he said the stewardess offered him (in jest I think) free drinks if she could have half of the sandwich! Everyone visiting New Orleans should bring one home with them!

I always travel with my own food because I never know how long I will be on the plane. I can't tell you how many times I get on a flight and just sit on the runway without drink or food. Now, I always pack something, even if it is just a power bar or large bag of mixed nuts. <BR>My best meal, the one that drew the most attention, was a pesto and goat cheese pizza I picked up at Spago's in Chicago's OHare Airport. The pizza was hot and the smell wafted through the cabin attracting all sorts of attention. Garlic seems to get the taste buds going.

Can you believe this? A few years ago we were taking a trip to Mexico using a charter service (Apple or Fun Trips, don't remember). Well we were starving so we bought some French fries at a fast food joint in the airport before boarding. As we were boarding a flight attendant took our fries and said we couldn't have them because they were going to serve us a meal later. But she was kind enough to keep our fries in a safe place and returned them to us upon our arrival to our destination! Yum! <BR>

So the flight attendant stole your real food and replaced it with airline food? This is what causes air rage! I've had flight attendants practically insist I eat their food and they appear shocked when I repeatedly refuse to allow them to put any of it on my tray table. Are they kidding?

My mom and I have flown Sun Country airlines a few times to Orlando for our Disney World visits. Sun Country is super cheap and it really shows in the food they serve. (Can you really call it food???) Anyway, the other passengers were very envious of the fresh, chocolate chip cookies that were practically the size of a human head! We bought them at Dixie Landings, our hotel at Disney, and I swear everyone's mouths were watering around us!! Hee-Hee! It really saved us. We didn't have to suffer throught the nuked pepperoni on a roll. Ewwww. What were they thinking serving something like that? I will always fly with cookies!

I always bring my own food on flights - a salad or a sandwich, something that's easy to pack and not too messy to eat. However, when I choose food for a flight I always try to be conscientious of the people around me - I think it's incredibly rude to bring something like a garlic pizza on a plane. It's an enclosed space! I can pretty much guarantee you that the people sitting near you don't particularly want to smell whatever it is you've brought to munch on. That's disgusting. I find that just as offensive as someone sitting next to me wearing really strong perfume, or kicking the back of my seat.

I always have a few granola bars on hand. One trip I peeled an orange before I left home and put it in a Ziploc bag. When I sectioned and ate it, the orange gave off a great scent. I don't think other passengers were jealous -- I think they just liked having a burst of pleasant fragrance. <BR>

Annie - you are so right! All these "scent" infiltrating the space of many, many people. I agree, it is inconsiderate to subject others to food odors, some of which may cause sensitive people problems. Bring your own food, but at least be thoughtful about it.

I just laugh at all this blurb with people complaining about airline food. Granted it's not Michelin 2* food. I have logged 200,000 miles in the past year flying (no I don't fly 1st class) <BR>and every single time I laugh @ the observance of passengers when that cart comes doen the aisle, people have their tray down 45 minutes before the cart arrives. Unbelievable. They sit there with their hands folded like it's their last meal with their eyes never leaving the cart.

Frequent traveller: LOL!!! You are so right! All we do is complain about airline food, but 99% of us have those tray tables locked in the down position when we see that cart a-comin! (I guess it's the old "entitlement" thing -- I paid for it, I'm gonna get it!) <BR> <BR>I've always wondered: WHY do they even serve food on a plane trip shorter than say, 5 hours? And why is it free? Shouldn't they sell it instead? You never get free food on the bus or the train. There's no peanuts in the glove compartment of the rental car...

up please. <BR>s!

Under the heading "There is no such thing as a free lunch": Airline food is not free. Once, I was on a plane that ran out of food, and I was given a voucher, which I cashed at the airline counter. I thin the amount was about $15. I once got bumped from a meal flight to a non-meal flight. When I pointed out the to grond attendant that my first ticket included the price of a meal, she gave me a voucher to eat at any restaurant in the airport. I think the amount was $15-$20. <BR> <BR>

Interesting subject, and lots of good comment. However, shouldn't this be listed under ''Airlines'' rather than ''Hawaii''?

You know, you can call the airline ahead and order ANYTHING you want to be served to you on your flight(e.g. lobster, filet mignon. . .). <BR> <BR>One airline you don't need to bring your own food: Air Tahiti Nui. They have great food and not one complaint from the diners!

up please.

When your flight originates from a place where you can buy food to take aboart that is great, but when you are transferring from plane to plane you can get hungry. Then you are stuck with their food. I try to order kosher even though I am not, but I think at least it must be fresh! I have tried vegetarian so I wouldnt have rubber chicken, but I received only a plate of rice on one trip!

I've had good and not so good food on various flights....but probably the worst experience was on a full 757 that had very poor cabin circulation....the food odors and the perfume, etc odors were bad enough, but what got me was someone (or more) apparently had intestinal problems and the odor hung over and around our heads indefinitely. Baaaad!

I always try to eat a substantial...hopefully excellent meal before I get to the airport.. fills me up and makes me kinda sleepy too. <BR>Then I pick out, "that which can be consumed" when it comes on the tray, sometimes it's just a pack of crackers and an ice cold, rock-roll with frozen butter... sometimes it's just the dessert. For a precaution, I pack a protein bar and some fruit.. tons of water, since they never give you enough.

I never...ever take the box lunch. I actually usually never take any of the food. I always regret it when I do. Thos box lunches are just lame. Youi would think a sandwich would be easy to do right. I do crack up when people eat that stuff like there isn't food in the city where they are headed. <BR> <BR>I like to carry on a giant cinnamon roll on morning flights. Yummy. Not too messy if you use a knife and fork. Sure beats those ice cold muffins the like to hand out.

One of our last stops before we went to the airport in Tokyo for our trip home was to a department store basement, where they have the most amazing smorgasboard of food - international treats of all kinds: appetizers, main courses, desserts, breads, you name it. And you can sample most of these things as you shop around. In anticipation of our long flight home, we purchased an array of items to enjoy. When we opened our yakitori, shrimp dumplings, norimaki and strawberry shortcake (!), we felt a little guilty but we enjoyed every morsel.

I always take a big ole big mac. It is yummy and the fries to go with it! Yum yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

There is a Corky's barbeque restaurant near the NW gates in Memphis. They have a take-out window and usually there are at least 6 to 10 people who stop there before boarding. It's really good barbeque.

I read somewhere later that this is illegal, but I once brought on my own mini bottles of liquor. Instead of paying $8 for a drink (my drink of choice at the time was a Black Russian - vodka and Kaluha - so it would've cost me twice as much), I ordered a water with ice, drank the water, then enjoyed my drink. My seat mate was quite impressed, and I happened to have a mini Barcardi as well (in case I changed my mind for which drink to have), which I graciously offered her. She was very appreciative! <BR> <BR>As I said, I read earlier that FAA regs prohibit this for some reason (maybe they get a cut of the $4 or $5 for the mini bottle), so if you attempt it, you probably shouldn't advertise the fact to the flight attendents. Maybe you could just order your mixer (coke, OJ, tonic water, etc), then add your own flavoring after the drink cart has passed.

I usually buy something at the airport to bring on the flight in case I don't like the food selection or there isn't much. Pizza is my favorite but I always get uncomfortable eating it til everyone gets their meal. I didn't realize they could take our food or ask us not to eat. I've sat down and eaten while on the run way and never had a problem. The air space is a problem. Not for food but because flying would be a great time for women to do our nails. I assume passengers wouldn't appreciate the smell.

The worst food issue I ever had was on a cross country flight where they made freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. They smelled delicious, but they never came! Turns out they were just for 1st class. So rude! The little kids near me were crying until I got up and requested that they at least offer the fresh cookies to the children. Hopefully, they have since stopped this practice of baking on board. I always carry PB & J. No crumbs, utensils or refrigeration required. And a banana, travel paks of cookies and pretzels, & a bag of baby carrots. I always bring enough for the person who ends up next to me. If they don't want it, I leave the left overs with the stewardesses. They especially love the baby carrots.

Lena- <BR> I agree with you. So much wasted time when before you leave you rush around getting manicures and pedicures. I got my nails done in Logan Airport the last time we went to France. A great use of dead time at the airport.

The cruelest meal I ever brought aboard a plane was some freshly cooked bar-b-que from a local grill in Oakland, CA. While everyone was unwrapping the cling wrap from their airline supplied dinner, I pulled out my very aromatic que. I had more than one person offer to buy it off of me. But if I had done that then I would have been stuck eating the processed/pressed food they had. No luck for them, and it was finger licking good, too!

Do you all realize how nauseating it is to smell your Big Macs and barbeque in a confined space? I really think carry outs should be banned on airplanes. Please don't comment on perfume until you give up the garlic. Yuck.