The quality and availability of onboard food varies widely from airline to airline. As a rule, always check with the airline in advance of your flight to see what is available and if you must have special food, consider carrying it onboard yourself.
Check the airline and flight
Some domestic airlines provide no food service (neither snacks nor a meal) on some or all of their flights, while others offer limited and no-frills options. Low-fare airlines often charge for anything to eat or drink, even pretzels and bottled water. Prices can be sky high in these cases, so try to bring food onboard with you.
Conversely, on many large carriers with longer flight durations, the standard of food is far better than it used to be. Many national airlines will offer complimentary food and drinks (though sometimes alcohol costs extra) and menus are constantly being improved. Many airlines work with famous chefs to create their menus.
Before you fly, check Cheapflights’ airline guides which contain information about the meals offered by more than 50 airlines. Or for passenger reviews – including photographs – check out the excellent www.airlinemeals.net where you can actually see what your meal might look like and hear what others had to say about it.
Ordering special meals
If you have certain dietary requirements, you can request a special meal for select flights when you book. For example, passengers who need vegetarian, low-fat or kosher meals should request them. However, airlines do not always guarantee availability and you often need to request special meals a day or more in advance of a flight. If you have made a special meals request, it should be indicated on your boarding pass. To play it safe, call the airlines 24 to 48 hours in advance of your flight to reconfirm your request and ask the agent to double-check the computer when you check in.
Brown bag it
Maybe you have little kids who are picky eaters. Or you must take medication on a full stomach. Or maybe you just want to know what you'll be eating. If you need to ensure a good meal on the plane, or don't like the sound of what you'll get, pack your own. Given the food options at many airports, you can easily pick up something before boarding if you don't have time to bring something from home. Remember, however, that if you're flying internationally, there may be limitations on what food you can bring into a new country. In some cases, you may not be allowed to take certain foods on board. Pack what you know you'll finish on the plane.
© Cheapflights Ltd
Updated March 2009
