On our recent trip to Canada to visit elfbabe and home again, we hopped and skipped from airport to airport, with each individual flight never lasting even 2 hours. As a result, we never got served whatever it is that passes for a meal on our flights, but were repeatedly offered snacky things.
On the way there, our carrier (NWA) skipped any offer of solid sustenance, but on both our flights via them we got offered water, coffee, juice, or soda. I, being the knowledgeable traveler that I am, asked for Snap-E Tom, spicy tomato juice. Thus getting valuable fiber and a capsaicin kick, on both trips.
On the way back, via Delta, a greater array was offered. The above beverage choices were available on both flights homeward, but we also got to choose from: Cheesy crackers (rather good, really), a granola bar, or a sack of peanuts.
What are you dopers getting offered in way of sustenance on your flights these days?
I just flew to Minneapolis and back last week.
I had an Afternoon flight with a mini Ham Sub. The Roll was 3"x1.5", snack pack of carrots and a small package of M&Ms.
The Flight back was a 9am flight, so snack only. Snack was a package of Mini Muffins and a Package of Bagel Chips.
Heh. Heh heh. On my flights last month, they would, if asked, sell you a little bag of trail mix for $1. They didn’t offer it. But some people knew to ask.
Just theae last 3 days: SJU-PHL-SJU, on USAirways – 3h30min flights – both ways, a snack packet consisting of 2 toasted bread stix w. a cheese dip, and 2 dunk-in-coffee cookies, plus a mint. Your choice of non-alc. beverage, whole can.
Holidays: SJU-Ft. Lauderdale-SJU on Spirit Airlines. Spirit is a low-frills discount line all the way. No nuthin’ in terms of goodies or luxuries, snax available for purchase.
Earlier December: SJU-PHL on USelessAir, then PHL-MIA-SJU on American. (*) Same deal for USAir; pretzels & soft drink on AA flights; could buy “bistro” bag at the terminal for the MIA-SJU flight.
Last October, SJU-Halifax-SJU, connecting at JFK via American, Am. Eagle, and Song. American SJU-JFK: choice of a “breakfast sandwich” type thing, or cereal. Eagle (JFK-Halifax & back): just a soft drink and bag o’pretzels. Song JFK-SJU: Bloody nothing but a soft drink. Menu of snacks for purchase. (Song has now been reabsorbed into Delta)
I hear that Samuel Jackson demands a croissant with smoked salmon in flight, has it in his contract, but will settle for peanuts if the boarding pass has a certain allure; say…SNX to LAX.
They still serve hot meals on QANTAS domestic as long as the flight is during a meal time. Otherwise it’s a roll or other snack food. I recently went on a QANTAS flight with some rebel flight attendants who were dishing out free alcohol.
I frequently travel throughout the extreme north in Canada.
Canadian North Airlines and First Air provide service to the (relatively) major communities numerous times per week.
Both airlines provide exceptional in-flight service and really really good meals.
They come around with trays of hot towels prior to the meals. Very classy.
There is usually a choice between 2 gourmet quality meals. Arctic Char or Chicken Cordon Bleu was the most recent set of choices. Wine is offered. Real utensils. Breakfast and lunch are similarly enjoyable.
This is what travel was like prior to the introduction of discount airlines. It is a treat.
My last trip on Southwest (BWI to Oakland, with a quick stop in Kansas City), we got a snack box. It had a packet of Ritz-type crackers with nuclear-looking cheese spread on them, a fig newton bar, and something else that i can’t remember.
A few weeks later, i flew United (BWI to Austin via O’Hare) and we just got soft drnks and pretzels.
But i always take food with me nowdays when i fly, usually some vegetarian sushi or an Asian noodle salad of some sort, or perhaps a Middle Eastern plate (pita, falafel, hommous, tabouli, etc.) from Tader Joe’s.
The short east-coast hops I’ve taken on airtran didn’t serve no steenkin’ snacks! We didn’t NEED NO STEENKIN’ SNACKS!
Both trips to London and back on BA were much better. Plenty to drink including OJ, soda, water and tea in a plastic teacup with saucer. I can’t really remember the snacks themselves so, gee, they must have been really good.
I flew to England and returned last Sunday on British Airways. On the way there I had spicy tomato breadsticks and a bottle of cabernet sauvignon as a snack, then I had another bottle of wine and some spinach lasagna for dinner. Dessert was a piece of cake. Washed it down with a cuppa tea. Breakfast was a muffin, OJ, yogurt, and a chocolate bar.
The flight back was pretty much a rehash, except dinner was something else from the veggie entree selection (portabello mushrooms?), and there was no breakfast since I flew later in the day.
I always special request a meal beforehand, because that way I get fed before the rest of the passengers! (And I don’t eat chicken or beef, so I actually have cause to make a special request.)
I could have saved $30 and flown American Airlines. No thanks!
Igh, did you have to remind me I’m flying Air Madrid next week!
San José - Panama City - Madrid. One greasy meal. Dirty plane. Last time they were over 8 hours late: still one greasy meal although the flight went through dinnertime, breakfast time and lunchtime. It was served at what would have been breakfast, by which time people had been in the plane for over 9 hours and were getting ready to murder the crew. The earphone connections don’t work, in the way from Madrid to San José we got 4 movies but had to lip-read them.
On the other hand, Iberia’s “German Flight” (Frankfurt-Zaragoza) is a joy. Flies ZGZ-FRA every morning, comes back in the afternoon. That plane is the Extremadura; they are sponsored by the Extremeño government and the food they give is from Extremadura. Anybody who’s ever tried that jamón cannot become a muslim, I get hungry just to think of it. And the little canapés, yummy!