At least once in a lifetime, each of us has flown on an airplane, and most people do it more or less 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 you are unlikely to seriously worry about food. But if you are flying 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 discussing with the airline a few days before the flight. Therefore, we think our article will be useful to anyone who wants to know all the secrets of the onboard kitchen.
A few facts about food on board an airliner
It seems to us that food on the plane is an indispensable condition for air travel. Indeed, since Soviet times, we have become accustomed to the fact that after takeoff, friendly stewardesses offer passengersa variety of soft drinks and simple but satisfying meals.
However, few people know that food on board is not 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 air carrier chooses how to organize meals on board the aircraft. To reduce the cost of air tickets, some European and American companies include in its cost 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 air tickets to various destinations.
Specialists say that during the crisis, many air carriers are trying to cut 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However, at the moment, this trend has long been replaced by the struggle for the passenger, and food on board plays an important role in it. Air carriers are trying to attract attention with monthly menu updates, a variety of dishes, and even the inclusion of unusual recipes taken from the 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 checkis food included in its price and how many times will you be fed during the flight.
Factors affecting nutrition
If you're a frequent flyer, you're well aware of how different food can be 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 comes on board an airliner is prepared. In addition, this company monthly adds new dishes to the menu and listens sensitively to the wishes of passengers left on the official website. According to the latest data, it is Aeroflot that tops the list of air carriers that feed their passengers very tasty.
For those who fly in business class, a very varied and even delicious meal is provided on the plane, the economy cannot boast the same choice of dishes. Indeed, in business, passengers have the opportunity to choose from several courses of dishes, each of which provides a list of twenty-five items. Quite often, for this category of travelers, food is prepared in separate workshops by famous chefs or right on board the aircraft. It is served on beautiful chinaware from famous designers with real cutlery.
Keep in mind that shorta flight of up to three hours is considered, during this period you can count on soft drinks and snacks. But on long routes, food on the plane is complete - soft drinks, hot and cold snacks, a 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 air flight you will not remain hungry and you can always choose something tasty for yourself.
The direction of the airliner's route also plays an important role. After all, before departure, the plane is loaded with boxes of food prepared at the airport of the city of departure. Therefore, for example, chicken on the Bangkok - Moscow route will differ significantly in taste from what you will be served on a flight from Moscow to Bangkok. Of course, chefs try to prepare food that is as neutral in taste as possible, but still they cannot do without national color.
Meals
Few passengers know that there are many types of food 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 food;
- diabetic;
- s alt-free;
- diet and the like.
There is also a special menu for vegetarians, which, in turn, is divided into several categories:
- only herbal products;
- menu with eggs and dairy products;
- Asian vegetarian food and moresimilar.
The airlines did not bypass the religious beliefs of their passengers, so food was thought out for them too:
- Hindu;
- lean;
- kosher;
- Muslim and so on.
Particular excitement of parents usually causes baby food on the plane. After all, babies of a few months old and toddlers of two or three years become passengers. For them, a menu has been developed taking into account age: up to two years old - mashed potatoes in jars, from two to twelve years old - special meals with lenten dishes.
Special Meal Order
If you plan to make a special order for food, you should take care of it in advance. Some companies take this fact into account even at the stage of booking tickets, you will have to check a special box. However, it is usually stated in the airline's rules that a special order is made a maximum of thirty-six and a minimum of twenty-four hours before departure.
Don't forget that each special menu has its own letter encoding. For example, for babies under two years of age, baby food on the plane would be labeled as BBML.
Please note that if an air carrier changes the departure time, your order will need to be confirmed again. Otherwise, it will be cancelled.
Where are meals prepared for meals on board?
Food for airline passengers is prepared in special workshops. There, on the conveyor, the same chicken and fish that are most often fed are thermally processed.travelers on planes. Here, all dishes are packed in special sealed containers, sent to the cooling chamber.
Chefs designing 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 find chicken meat a little rubbery and fish watery. However, scientists say that often food in flight seems tasteless to us for completely different reasons.
The effect of flying on human taste buds
There is a category of passengers who are sure that any food on the plane is extremely tasteless. But others are happy to gobble up everything that the stewardess brings them. Recently, scientists have found that it does not depend on the whims 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 an absolutely special way.
Smell and taste sensations are aggravated, receptors responsible for the perception of sour and s alty are especially active. Therefore, during the flight, tomato juice and tea with lemon become so popular. Sugar, on the other hand, seems less sweet, but coffee is softer.
Thanks to all these vagaries of our body, many passengers are happy to eat previously unloved food, while others do notexperience the slightest satisfaction from eating.
Myths about the dangers of food in flight
Some passengers claim that eating during an air flight is not only harmful, but also dangerous for digestion. After all, in their opinion, food on the plane at high altitude and under conditions of 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 has nothing to do with pressure and altitude. In addition, they argue that refusing food on long flights is very dangerous for he alth. Therefore, it is necessary to eat every three to four hours. And to avoid dehydration, you need to observe the drinking regime - do not hesitate to ask the flight attendant for another glass of water or tea.
In addition, for many passengers, food distracts them from their common fear of flying. While eating, the nervous system calms down, and the body begins to actively release hormones of joy.
Airplane Diet Rules: Some Food Bans
If you are afraid of food poisoning on the plane, then we hasten to reassure you - the dishes must be checked for the presence of microorganisms. Desserts based on butter and custard are especially scrutinized.
International rules prohibit the preparation of dishes from certain types of products. These include, for example, mollusks and crustaceans. Aspics prepared withusing gelatin, and raw coconut flakes. In total, this list includes more than a hundred different products.
Can I take food in hand luggage on a plane?
We have already found out that some tickets do not include meals. But what if you can't do without food? Pay extra or stay hungry? Not at all. The rules of the flight do not prohibit the carrying of food on board the aircraft. You can place them in your hand luggage. However, keep in mind that there are some restrictions that you need to consider if you want to enjoy homemade food during your air travel.
Rules for bringing groceries on board the airliner
Naturally, first of all, passengers take food with them, which can be bought in duty free. In this case, there are no restrictions on the amount and type of food brought in.
However, you can put other food in your hand luggage, which will make a delicious snack during the flight. Often passengers take chips, crackers, chocolate and nuts with them. Quite common are homemade preparations packed in small containers. Please note that you will need to show them to the airline staff during check-in.
Do not forget that the volume of any liquid carried on board must not exceed one hundred milliliters. Moreover, it must be packed in a tightly closed container with a volume of not more than one liter. If you are taking a homemade salad in a container with you on a flight, then make sure that it is placedin a sealed plastic bag. Moreover, one passenger has the right to place only one such package in hand luggage.
Therefore, mothers who are worried about whether it is possible to take baby food on a plane from home can be absolutely calm. No one will forbid you to carry several hermetically sealed jars of mashed potatoes on board an airliner for a small flight passenger.
Picking up a light snack: tips from seasoned travelers
If you've never taken food from home on a plane before, we can help you avoid the most common mistakes. Listen to our advice, and then your flight will definitely be pleasant:
- during air travel, the body is desperate for protein food, so bring boiled chicken or beef and cheese;
- food should not have strong odors (in flight, a person's sense of smell is aggravated);
- food taken with you should not cause inconvenience to you and other passengers (crumble and spoil quickly);
- great for snacking dark chocolate, nut mix or dried fruit;
- regular sandwiches satisfy hunger well;
- For those who cannot do without a good meal on a flight, we advise you to prepare a light salad (without legumes and an abundance of mayonnaise);
- Fruit on a flight is great for quenching thirst and hunger, but it shouldn't be too watery.
We hope that after reading our article you have no questions left about food onboard. And now even a long flight will not turn into a difficult test for you.
