Airline Food - The Highlights And Lowlights

Whether you love it or loathe it, airline food is something that you are bound to have an opinion on. As an integral part of the experience of flying, airline food has had something of a rocky reputation.

Airline food has a history dating back to the 1940s, when United Airlines started offering customers meals in an attempt to replicate the service standards seen on the luxury liners that had been the customary way to travel.

In the early years of flight, airlines brought food in from restaurants and hotels and sought to keep it warm until it was served. Fresh dishes such as roast beef, potatoes and vegetables were common and were served on china plates, with proper cutlery.

The advent of mass flying, however, meant that it was increasingly difficult to deal with the volume of meals required and the logistics of accessing reliable fresh ingredients. As a result, the frozen tray dinner was developed, whereby frozen meals were bought en masse and then reheated on board.

Airline food has seen something of a resurgence in recent years, particularly for those travelling in business and first class. Celebrity chefs such as Aldo Zilli and Heston Blumenthal have been associated with Thomsonfly and British Airways, respectively.

Today, most budget airlines do not include any food or beverages in the cost of their tickets, although there are options to purchase snacks on board the flight. For those that do provide food on short haul flights, this is generally limited to snacks such as pretzels or biscuits or, if flying over a meal time, possibly a sandwich.

Meals are standard on long haul flights, with either a meal or snack being provided every three hours. A typical meal usually consists of a meat or fish dish, salad or vegetables, a bread roll and a desert.

Airlines spend significantly more on the food for those travelling in business or first class. Whilst in economy you will be given a set meal, unless you have pre-ordered a meal tailored to specific dietary requirements, in business and first class, you will be presented with a choice of multi-course gourmet meals.

When comparing ticket prices, it is worth taking into account whether food is included in the price and what kind of meals you can expect. Whilst this may not be of concern on a short domestic flight, if you are travelling long haul, you will want to make sure that you will have sufficient food.

First and business class food is usually of a consistently higher quality. In many cases it is of similar standard to that found in first class restaurants, with dishes such as grilled salmon with fresh vegetables or Arabic spice-infused lamb on the menu. Airlines such as Qatar Airways, Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines are particularly well known for the standard of their food.

If you can't afford to travel business class, it is always worth considering trying to get upgraded. There are a number of different ways in which you can increase your chances of being upgraded.

For many airlines, the decision to upgrade passengers is made by backroom staff in advance of the flight. Upgrades are more common for those who have paid full fare or are frequent flyers with the airline.

In many instances it is possible to purchase an upgrade yourself at the time of booking or prior to travel. If you volunteer to give up your seat if the plane is over booked, you may be offered an upgrade on a later flight.

Whilst it is rare to be offered an upgrade at check in or on board, it does happen. You can maximise your chances of being selected by dressing smartly, being polite and treating staff with respect.

If you’re not a fan of the heated up meals on planes, you can knock them off your flight and reduce the price of your holidays by about £10 or £20, but then you end up paying over the odds for snacks on the plane anyway.