Airplane food...
Author
Discussion

Roboticarm

Original Poster:

1,659 posts

88 months

After a very disappointing experience on British Airways this week I thought I'd see what others had experienced, I consider myself a foodie but more on the find the best BBQ place, or fresh kebab end of the scale rather than fine dining, but in what will probably be the only time only with BA I was looking forward to the food, Heathrow to Hyderabad so 9 hours with 2 meals in each direction... I was looking forward to it:
On the way out I had a meal so medicore that just a week later I can't remember what it was, I then missed the second meal as I was asleep
On the way back I saw full English breakfast on the menu, and thought, this will be good.... Oh how wrong I was; a cheese omelette, a chicken hotdog, mushrooms and a hash brown the size of a 10p which managed to get both burnt and under coked at the same time. Now, I realise there's some debate about what should be on a full English, but I'm pretty sure it's never a cheese omelette and a chicken hotdog
For the second meal I ordered the chicken kebab starter and the lamb main, the chicken arrived; hot food served on an ice cold plate and there was 2 pieces of chicken the size of KFC Popcorn chicken... Disappointing. The main appeared to be wafer thin supermarket lamb cooked to the point of becoming jerky

Is this now standard for airline food ?

Wish I'd taken photos but the idea for the thread only came into my head afterwards

What's everyone else's experience been ?

normalbloke

8,709 posts

246 months

Ah, airline food. I thought we were going to have a convo about jetA1 or avgas…

thebraketester

15,666 posts

165 months

Aeroplane.

Ritchie335is

2,076 posts

229 months

I fly on various airlines every month, yes, they are all crap.
In my opinion BA is basically a budget airline now, last year I asked for a sandwich on a BA flight, and I was asked if I pre-ordered it!

Pablo Escobar

102 posts

62 months

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Because they should carry a selection of breads and fillings to make you a sandwich of your choice, righto.

Sway

34,629 posts

221 months

Pablo Escobar said:
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Because they should carry a selection of breads and fillings to make you a sandwich of your choice, righto.
No, they should carry a selection of pre-prepared sandwiches, snacks, etc.

Even easyJet manage that.

Ritchie335is

2,076 posts

229 months

Pablo Escobar said:
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Because they should carry a selection of breads and fillings to make you a sandwich of your choice, righto.
It was chosen from the in flight menu, is there a need really??

Countdown

48,681 posts

223 months

Ritchie335is said:
Pablo Escobar said:
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Because they should carry a selection of breads and fillings to make you a sandwich of your choice, righto.
It was chosen from the in flight menu, is there a need really??
That's odd. Why would you need to pre-order it if it was on the in-flight menu? confused

Countdown

48,681 posts

223 months

Regarding the wider thread I'm in a very small minority when I say that I usually enjoy airplane food. I think it's mainly the novelty biggrin

Ritchie335is

2,076 posts

229 months

Countdown said:
Ritchie335is said:
Pablo Escobar said:
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Because they should carry a selection of breads and fillings to make you a sandwich of your choice, righto.
It was chosen from the in flight menu, is there a need really??
That's odd. Why would you need to pre-order it if it was on the in-flight menu? confused
Exactly! I was confused too, (and hungry).

Doesitdrive

1,455 posts

8 months

They have to cater for everyone, so Halal is the go to.

BA are a glorified budget airline these days really.most flights are basic plus baggage etc, but they throw a small pack of snacks and a bottle

I used them to Cairo recently, after vowing to not use pegasus again, after flying them on a package holiday.

I looked at their own website and got a great deal for extra leg room seats and a total of 41kg over 3 bags, each.
One thing about them over 4 flights with very short Istanbul transfers, like 85 minutes, they were very efficient.

Countdown

48,681 posts

223 months

Doesitdrive said:
They have to cater for everyone, so Halal is the go to.
I've been on a couple of airlines where if you ask for Halal you basically get the vegetarian option.

Glassman

24,826 posts

242 months

The trick is to not expect too much from the experience. Even the grub BA serve on the ground is what you'd get at the school fete. Snack on it or load up on lobster, oysters and champagne in the departure lounge, or a greasy 'spoons breakfast washed down with a couple of pints.

997.1

247 posts

16 months

Best food I had on an aeroplane was on private jets! Unsurprising!

Second best was easily Turkish airlines. Food was genuinely good

John D.

20,742 posts

236 months

Countdown said:
Regarding the wider thread I'm in a very small minority when I say that I usually enjoy airplane food. I think it's mainly the novelty biggrin
This and my expectations are suitably low!

21TonyK

13,190 posts

236 months

Ritchie335is said:
Countdown said:
Ritchie335is said:
Pablo Escobar said:
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Because they should carry a selection of breads and fillings to make you a sandwich of your choice, righto.
It was chosen from the in flight menu, is there a need really??
That's odd. Why would you need to pre-order it if it was on the in-flight menu? confused
Exactly! I was confused too, (and hungry).
People with allergies or specific dietary needs will pre-order so crew will double check if you have preordered to make sure that both they give the right food to the right person and to make sure they dont give away (sell) anything they shouldn't.

TwigtheWonderkid

48,643 posts

177 months

I fly a lot, nearly always economy, and I think the food is fine. I'm not expecting decent restaurant standard, given that is has to be preprepared and the limitations they have to work with re storing and serving it, but it's always perfectly acceptable.

Occasionally it's better than that. I had a mushroom risotto not long ago that was genuinely superb. Can't recall which airline or route, but it would have been to the USA, Canada or South America as those are the main long hauls I've done this year. Plus one trip to South Africa.

Long haul economy these days, nearly every airline has a snack station where you can help yourself to drinks , crisps, fruit and the like. If not, a wander up to the back and a request and staff have always been only to happy to provide something.

I have absolutely no complaints re in flight meals.

marrow

110 posts

223 months

Around 2yrs ago I flew Virgin 'premium' to Miami and was very impressed with the food.

bloomen

9,762 posts

186 months

I hardly ever fly on airlines that serve anything. In recent times the only ones that have were Emirates in business and Qantas in scum.

Qantas served something that was sludgy, hot and brown. The plane was so loud I couldn't hear what it was. Overall I would've preferred to remain hungry. I don't recall having anything as miserable as that before.

Emirates business was interesting. I suppose I was expecting miracles, and didn't get them. There's still a lot of people to serve in not much time and space.

It's very definitely still identifiably airline food, just better. None of it was memorable and once I'd experienced it once I wouldn't be getting on the plane looking forward to pigging out. It got the job done in a decent enough manner and that was pretty much it.

I was offered a cheapo first class upgrade but didn't take it. It would've been interesting to see how much better it was.

Puzzles

3,456 posts

138 months

I prefer to load up with food in the departure lounge.