Myths about airline food

Is there any aspect of aviation that’s more ridiculed than airline food?

In-flight meals are the subject of cheap jokes even when celebrity chefs are hired to rethink menus and bring culinary glamour back to the skies. But is airline fare really that bad? Here are five myths that we lay to rest.

1. All airplane meals are frozen and reheated hours later.

Many airline meals are, in fact, frozen and later resuscitated on board. But “not everything is frozen,” says Heather Poole, a flight attendant and author of Cruising Attitude, who points out “that we do serve salads and sandwiches on some flights.”

Nor does the terms “frozen meals” properly describe the entire process. Karen May of United Airlines says that “In cases where we have to cook and chill meals, we often prepare them using the sous vide method,” which means that the food is sealed in airtight plastic bags and cooked slowly.

Each ingredient is treated differently as well. Nikos Loukas is a veteran airline consultant who writes In Flight Feed, which covers dining in the sky. He notes that “chicken is cooked to a strict procedure that involves getting the meat to the right temperature and then quickly blast chilling it to try and keep the moisture levels in the meat.”

But he admits that other factors contribute to the in-flight taste of that chicken, from the “reheating process in the air, oven settings on various aircraft, or the meal staying just a little bit too long in the oven.”

2. There might be good food in the skies, but they give it to business- and first-class passengers, not to fliers in coach or economy.  

This is indeed a longstanding belief, and not without merit.

“Well, passengers do pay an awful lot to sit in first class, don't you think?” Poole asks. “I mean they should get something for spending all that money.“

The irony, of course, is that while someone may be flying up front, they may crave what’s being served in the back of the aircraft.

“I can't tell you how many first-class passengers will ask us if they can have a snack from coach,” says Poole.

But Nikos Loukos, who samples airline fare constantly, has a broader take on the best food in the skies. He recalls the “Lobster Thermidor option on Singapore Airlines which I’ve been fortunate enough to sample in first class, and yes it was memorable.  However there are a number of airlines who do go above and beyond to provide a quality meal in economy class.”

He cites regional fare on Turkish Airlines, the Bibimbap dish on Korean Air, traditional Greek-inspired dishes on Aegean Airlines and Swiss International Airlines’ Taste of Switzerland program.

“If there is a curry on offer in the economy-class cabin definitely chooses it,” he says. “Studies have shown that curry dishes perform very well in-flight, and are full of great-tasting flavor.”

But if you’re convinced that the economy meals will be inferior on your flight, Loukos says that there is an alternative to bringing your own food on board.

“You can always pay to upgrade your standard economy-class meal tray to something a little more decadent,” he points out, a tactic that few American fliers are familiar with. “Airlines such as Air France, KLM, Austrian Airlines, Aer Lingus and British Airways offer this service, where you will be served a business-class style of meal in economy class for a fee. Most of these meals start at about $15 and some are prepared fresh literally just before your flight departs.”

But Loukos adds that “even those who travel beyond the curtain in premium cabins may also be served a reheated frozen meal. I have experienced lukewarm meals in business class, so it’s not always perfect in the front either.”

3. Some foods should never go in the air, yet the airlines still serve them. 

“This reminds me of the marinated vegetables we served in business class one month,” Poole says. “I walked on board and I almost died.  The smell was awful.  But they tasted good.  Even so, that smell wasn't worth it.”

Over at United, Karen May says that catering tries to be proactive and that “our chefs minimize the use of ingredients with strong odors and avoid things like butter sauces and fried foods, which don’t do well at 30,000 feet.”

As for Nikos Loukos, he admits that “While I’ve had some lovely seafood meals in-flight, the majority of the time I haven’t enjoyed them. I don’t think that all types of fish are suitable to use in in-flight meals. Fish can dry out easily in-flight. Most reputable airline caterers these days will know what works in-flight and what doesn’t."

4. You’d be better off eating fast food than eating what the airlines serve.  

That all depends upon whom you ask. May of United Airlines says that the food that her airline serves is of a much higher quality than one might believe, even in economy.

“On flights that offer our Choice Menu to United Economy customers, passengers can choose from a variety of premium snacks and, in many cases, fresh-food options, including organic steel-cut oatmeal and a harvest-ham baguette with maple spread for breakfast, and a rustic Italiansandwich and French country-style bowl for lunch and dinner.”

A more scientific way to approach an in-flight meal is becoming the norm in Europe, where new legislation requires that airline catering companies provide passengers with nutritional information on each meal served. This allows passengers to make an informed decision.

Heather Poole takes a more pragmatic approach, saying that this “depends on a lot different things like the airline, how the long the flight is, the time of day, the route, and whether your seat is in coach or first class. Long flights always have better food than short flights, and anything under three hours is considered a short flight.  International flights will always have better food than domestic flights, even if the flying time is about the same.”

But what do flight attendants do? Poole admits that “Unless I'm running late, I try not to depend on the airline for food when I'm traveling, even when I'm the one working the flight. There are so many great places to eat (at airports) now, places like Tortas Frontera in Chicago and La Carreta in Miami.”

5. Airline food is designed to make you relax and even fall asleep.

While this has been suggested by some observers for years and regarded as nearly an airline conspiracy, Loukos contends that “I think this is an old myth that has been doing the rounds.”

Flight attendant Heather Poole, a veteran of more than two decades in the skies, is somewhat blunter when confronted with this theory.

“What is this, a flight attendant fantasy?” she asks. “I think airlines are more concerned with saving a buck than they are about making passengers fall asleep.”