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Airline Food
Monday July 23, 2001
Remember the good old days of airline
travel? The champagne, caviar and those friendly
stewardesses who served first rate feasts no matter
where you sat. Now it's rare to get more than
a snack.
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Consumer
reports travel letter editor, William McGee, studied the
largest U.S. carriers offering full economy meals.
McGee says, "In terms of fine dining, clearly you
are not going to get it in the air these days."
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Tips
to avoid a bad in-flight meal
• Pack your own food. Some in-flight crews
don't like it when you do this so be very discreet
when pulling it out.
• Ask for a special meal, and do it at least
24 hours in advance. They're usually tastier and
healthier. Some choices are vegetarian, kids meals,
and Kosher meals. Call your airline for the details.
• Too late to order a special meal? Try waiting
for the meal service to end then kindly ask the
flight attendant if there are any special meals
left.
• Sit at the front of the plane. First class
gets the best food. If you can't afford the price,
the front of coach still gives you the most choices.
• Some people who are on a diet prefer to
skip the meal and just go for tomato juice and
celery. This trick probably won't help you on
a long flight but may keep your stomach happy
enough until you get to your short destination.
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So how much do airlines dish out for food?
McGee says, “Midwest express airlines based in Milwaukee
spends the most per passenger."
The following list shows how much each airline spends
on food per passenger.
U.S. Air spends $3.04
TWA spends $3.41.
Delta spends $4.10
Continental and Northwest spend just over $4.80
United spends $7.53.
American spends $8.00.
And the big spender, Midwest Express drops $10.05 per
passenger!!
Don't passengers deserve more each time we fly the friendly
skies?
McGee responds, "The airlines clearly could do more,
it's a question of whether they want to."
Southwest Airlines prides itself on spending just $.26
per passenger on snacks and beverages. They say fliers
care more about low fares and being on-time than the food.
With the cost to cater, plus the challenge of serving
a tasty meal at 30 thousand feet, almost all airlines
are trimming the fat. Instead of complaining, we should
be thankful to get anything at all. When was the last
time they fed you on the bus, or on the train? If you
need more than a pack of peanuts, then stock up before
you get on board. Remember it's an airplane, not a restaurant."
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