At least once in our lives, each of us flew an airplane, and most people do this to one degree or another regularly. Some have the opportunity to relax in foreign resorts several times a year, while others often spend time on airliners due to constant business trips. If your flight does not take more than three hours, then nutrition is unlikely to seriously worry you. But if you fly somewhere with your child or you have to spend about five to seven hours on board, then food on the plane becomes a very serious and important issue. In some situations, it is worth considering and negotiating with the airline a few days before the flight. Therefore, we think that our article will be useful to anyone who wants to know all the secrets of the on-board kitchen.
A few facts about food on board an airliner
It seems to us that food in an airplane is an indispensable condition for air travel. Indeed, since Soviet times, we have become accustomed to the fact that after take-off, friendly stewardesses offer passengers a variety of soft drinks and simple but satisfying dishes.
However, few people know that food on board is far from free on all flights. And on some, it is not provided for by the rules for transporting passengers at all. What does it depend on? And how not to stay hungry on board?
Keep in mind that each carrier independently chooses how to organize meals on board the aircraft. To reduce the cost of the ticket, some European and American companies include in its price only a light snack in the form of crackers or chips and one soft drink. Low-cost airlines also operate, providing passengers with the cheapest flights to various destinations.
Experts say that during the crisis, many air carriers try to reduce their costs as much as possible, and this primarily affects the variety and quality of food on the plane. For example, at the beginning of the 2000s, many Russian companies removed desserts and pastries from the menu, and on short flights they completely limited themselves to a number of snacks.
However, at the moment, this trend has long been replaced by the struggle for the passenger, and the food on board plays an important role in it. Air carriers are trying to attract attention with a monthly update of the menu, a variety of dishes and even the inclusion of unusual recipes taken from national cuisines of the world in the diet.
Sometimes it seems that airlines are trying to outdo each other in the art of feeding passengers. However, be careful when buying a ticket for a flight, be sure to check whether meals are included in its price and how many times you will be fed during the flight.
Factors Affecting Nutrition
If you often fly by air, then you are well aware how much food can vary on different flights. Several factors influence this:
- airline status;
- ticket class
- flight duration;
- flight direction.
Each company has its own ideas about food on the plane. Aeroflot, for example, owns its own workshops, where all the food that gets on board the airliner is prepared. In addition, this company monthly adds new dishes to the menu and sensitively listens to the wishes of passengers left on the official website. According to recent reports, it is Aeroflot that tops the list of air carriers that very tasty feed their passengers.
For those who fly in business class, a very varied and even exquisite meal on the plane is provided, the housekeeper cannot boast of the same choice of dishes. Indeed, in business, passengers have the opportunity to choose from several changes of dishes, each of which provides a list of twenty-five items. Quite often, for such a category of travelers, food is prepared in separate workshops by famous chefs or directly on board the aircraft. It is served on beautiful porcelain dishes from famous designers with real cutlery.
Keep in mind that a flight of up to three hours is considered to be short-lived, during this period you can count on soft drinks and snacks. But on long-haul routes, meals on the plane are complete - soft drinks, hot and cold snacks, lunch consisting of meat or fish and a side dish, dessert, as well as tea and coffee. That is, you can be absolutely sure that during a long and difficult flight you will not remain hungry and you can always choose something delicious for yourself.
Not the least role is played by the direction of the airliner route. After all, before departure, the plane is loaded with boxes of food prepared exactly at the airport of the departure city. Therefore, for example, chicken on the route Bangkok - Moscow will differ significantly in taste from what you will be served on a flight from Moscow to Bangkok. Of course, chefs try to cook the most neutral food to taste, but still they can’t do without national color.
Types of nutrition
Few passengers know that there are many types of meals on board an airliner and can be ordered individually. For example, the usual classic menu is divided into several subspecies, implying a separate pre-order:
- low-calorie foods;
- diabetic
- salt-free;
- diet and the like.
A special menu exists for vegetarians, which, in turn, is divided into several categories:
- only plant products;
- menu with eggs and dairy products;
- Asian vegetarian food and the like.
The airlines did not pass over the religious beliefs of their passengers, so the food was thought out for them:
- Hindu
- lean;
- kosher;
- Muslim and so on.
Parental excitement usually causes baby food on the plane. After all, babies of several months of age and peanuts of two to three years also become passengers. A menu has been developed for them taking into account age: up to two years old - mashed potatoes in jars, from two to twelve years old - special nutrition with lean dishes.
Special Catering Order
If you plan to make a special order of food, then you must take care of this in advance. Some companies take this fact into account at the stage of booking tickets, you will need to check the special box. However, usually in the rules of the air carrier it is indicated that a special order is made at most thirty-six and at least twenty-four hours before departure.
Do not forget that each special menu has its own alphanumeric encoding. For example, for babies under two years old, baby food on the plane will be designated as BBML.
Please note that if the carrier changes the departure time, your order will need to be confirmed again. Otherwise, it will be canceled.
Where are meals prepared on board?
The food intended for passengers of airliners is prepared in special workshops. There, on the conveyor, the very chicken and fish that are most often fed to travelers on airplanes undergo heat treatment. Here, all dishes are packed in special airtight containers, sent to the chamber for cooling.
Chefs who develop menus for airlines always take into account the fact that the dish must be quickly cooled to the right temperature and at the same time not change its taste after ten to fifteen hours of storage in the warehouse and heating on board in the microwave.
It is precisely because of such manipulations that many passengers think chicken meat is a little rubbery, and fish is watery. However, scientists argue that often in flight food seems to us tasteless for completely different reasons.
The effect of flight on human taste buds
There is a category of passengers who are confident that any food on the plane is extremely tasteless. But others with pleasure gobble up everything that the stewardess brings to them. Recently, scientists have found that this does not depend on the vagaries of travelers, their mood, and not even on taste preferences. The fact is that at an altitude of several thousand meters, the receptors in the human mouth begin to behave in a completely special way.
The sense of smell and taste are aggravated, the receptors responsible for the perception of acidic and salty are especially active. Therefore, during the flight, tomato juice and tea with lemon become so in demand. Sugar, on the contrary, seems less sweet, but coffee - softer.
Thanks to all these whims of our body, many passengers enjoy eating previously unloved food, while others do not experience the slightest satisfaction from eating.
Myths about the dangers of food in flight
Some passengers claim that eating during a flight is not only harmful, but also dangerous for digestion. Indeed, in their opinion, the food products on the plane at high altitude and under high pressure simply will not be digested. This, in turn, will significantly harm the body.
Modern doctors completely refute this version. They proved that human digestion is in no way interconnected with pressure and height. In addition, they argue that refusing food on long flights is very dangerous for health. Therefore, you need to eat every three to four hours. And to avoid dehydration, you need to follow a drinking regimen - do not hesitate to ask the stewardess for another glass of water or tea.
In addition, eating a meal distracts many passengers from the common fear of flying. During the meal, the nervous system calms down, and the body begins to actively release hormones of joy.
Food rules on the plane: a ban on certain types of products
If you are afraid of food poisoning on the plane, then we hasten to reassure you - the dishes are necessarily checked for the presence of microorganisms. Desserts based on butter and custard are especially tested.
International rules prohibit the preparation of dishes from certain types of products. These include, for example, mollusks and crustaceans. Jellies made using gelatin and raw coconut flakes are also prohibited. In general, this list includes more than a hundred different products.
Can I carry food in hand luggage on the plane?
We have already found out that the price of some tickets does not include meals. But what if you cannot do without food? Pay extra or stay hungry? Not at all. The flight rules do not prohibit the transport of food on board an aircraft. You can place them in your hand luggage. However, do not forget that there are some restrictions that must be considered if you want to enjoy your own cooking during an air trip.
Rules for carrying products on board an airliner
Naturally, first of all, passengers take with them food that can be bought in duty-free. In this case, there are no restrictions on the quantity and type of transported food.
However, you can put other food in your hand luggage, which will make a tasty snack during the flight. Often passengers take chips, crackers, chocolate and nuts with them. Quite common and homemade products, packed in small containers. Keep in mind that during check-in, you will need to show them to airline staff.
Do not forget that the volume of any liquid carried on board should not exceed one hundred milliliters. Moreover, it should be packed in tightly closed containers with a volume of not more than one liter. If you take home-made salad in a container with you on a flight, make sure that it is placed in an airtight plastic bag. Moreover, one passenger has the right to place only one such bag in hand luggage.
Therefore, mothers, worried about whether it is possible to take baby food on the plane from home, can be absolutely calm. No one will forbid you to bring on board an airliner several hermetically sealed jars of mashed potatoes for a small passenger on a flight.
Gathering a light snack: tips from experienced travelers
If you have never taken food from home with you on a plane, we can help you avoid the most common mistakes. Listen to our tips, and then your flight will definitely be pleasant:
- during air travel, the body desperately needs protein food, so bring along boiled chicken or beef and cheese;
- food should not have sharp smells (in flight, the person’s sense of smell is aggravated);
- products taken with you should not cause inconvenience to you or other passengers (crumble and quickly deteriorate);
- great for a snack dark chocolate, nut mix or dried fruits;
- ordinary sandwiches well satisfy hunger;
- for those who can’t do in flight without proper nutrition, we recommend preparing a light salad (without legumes and an abundance of mayonnaise);
- fruits during a flight perfectly quench thirst and hunger, but they should not be too watery.
We hope that after reading our article you did not have any questions about food on board. And now even a long flight will not turn into a difficult test for you.