Hacking meals at 30,000 feet
I'm not the first to say that airplane food, especially for coach passengers, is dreadful. Although the meat tastes like cardboard and the mashed potatoes have the consistency of glue, you have to admit that you get a little excited when the meal carts come along. (The meal carts are here! Hey, why are those people being served first?!) Still, despite the excitement of hungry passengers the truth remains the same: the food sucks.
In the spirit of vagabonding, we have to look at airline meals in a more adventurous way. I've been known to mix some butter, salt, and pepper into the bland rice or potatoes, and, when I became more savvy to the possibilities of airline meals, I'd throw in a pinch of the small packet of basil and oregano that I brought along. Also, depending on what vegetables are available, I sometimes ask for a lemon to give the salad a bit of zing.
This brings us to another, more overlooked, truth: we can add our own flavors into these standardized meals. They give us the basics - a simple meal, seasoning, and fruits - it's just up to us to put our individuality into the food.
Epicurean connoisseurs can snub airline food all they like - but the adventurous, innovative traveler knows better. It's about maximizing what's in front of you and making it better yourself, rather than grunting and complaining that others didn't make it better for you.
2008-08-14 15:16
Celine, before you completely write-off airline fare, it REALLY depends on which airlines you are flying.
I used to fly frequently to East Asia, and the food one Japan Airlines and Singapore Air was fantastic.
Also, a great way to get better quality airline food is often to request a special meal, especially for international travel. As always, your mileage will vary, especially depending on the airline, but airlines accustomed to respecting and accommodating different religious diet restrictions can come through with some truly spectacular meals, including kosher, halal, and different types of vegetarian meals.
Usually your meal is fresher, lighter, contains more vegetables, and more roughage. Airline special meals can go a long way towards making jet lag better--instead of worse!
Any time you make an unusual request, it pays to double check, so if you want to make sure that you really do get the meal you requested, check a week before your flight, the day before, and confirm when you check in for your flight as well.
2011-10-30 18:21
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