Food for flying: You need a meal plan
— -- Anyone who flies coach knows that U.S. airlines have been steadily cutting back on their catering budgets. Some airlines are shrinking or even jettisoning their galleys. So what's a hungry traveler to do? You definitely need a meal plan.
A few domestic airlines haven't given up entirely. Midwest Airlines, for example, offers complimentary chocolate-chip cookie service. And each month a different selection of Northwest wines and microbrews are available on Horizon Air at no extra charge. (Horizon Air also provides complimentary morning coffee in the gate areas in Seattle, Portland, Spokane and Boise.) And while some airlines dole out a complimentary doll-house-sized nibble with the beverage service, JetBlue's complimentary snacks include a seven-item menu with cashews, Lorna Doones, chocolate chunk cookies and other treats. Hungry travelers can try them all: according to an airline spokesman "There's no wrist slapping if you want to grab another bag of cookies or blue chips."
The folks at super-no-frills Columbus, Ohio based Skybus Airlines take an entirely different, and somewhat bizarre, approach. Like other airlines, Skybus sells beverages and snacks onboard ($2 for M&M's; $10 for a meat loaf plate with mashed potatoes, glazed carrots and a roll) but it strongly discourages customers from bringing their own food on board. A note on the airline's website says: "Oh, and don't sneak food onboard unless you brought enough for the whole plane." That conjures up images of flight attendants passing through the cabin making folks spit out their gum and passengers hiding in the bathroom to gobble down take-out sandwiches. At least the airline makes exceptions for "passengers who will need food that we're unable to provide, for example baby formula or baby food, special food for those with a medical condition such as diabetes or severe food allergies, or those with dietary restrictions (Kosher, Halal, etc)."
So what's a hungry traveler to do? You definitely need a meal plan. Consider these options:
Eat at the airport:The sit-down dining choices at airports are steadily expanding, with places such as Gallagher's Steak House at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport, Legal Sea Foods Restaurant at Boston's Logan International Airport and Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., and Anthony's at Seattle's Sea-Tac International Airport.
And, USATODAY.com reader Scott Taillie, the director of National Accounts for a medical diagnostic device manufacturer in Louisville, says don't forget that many airports now offer a chance to taste local favorites, such as Philly cheese steak at the Philadelphia International Airport and barbecue at the Memphis International Airport.
In-airport dining only works if you arrive early, avoid getting stuck in a long line at the security checkpoint, have a carry-on bag that fits neatly by your table and can then score an empty seat and a clean table.
Get take-out: Plenty of airport food vendors have pre-packaged grab-n-go items or a counter where you can order a meal to-go. But "to-go" doesn't necessarily ensure that your take-out meal will be easy to take or eat on-board or, for you Skybus passengers, easy to hide from the flight attendants.
Buy on board:Plenty of passengers are happy with, or at least make-do with, the buy-on-board options that have become standard fare on U.S. airlines. But even if you don't mind paying $5 or more for a boxed sandwich or snack assortment, the laws of air travel have it rigged so that whenever you are truly hungry, no boxes will be offered. And rarely will your first or second choice be available by the time the cart gets to your row anyway.
Bring your own:In the modern world of travel, this is your best option. Given the excessive flight delays we've been hearing about this summer, having your own food on hand is also increasingly essential.
So what should you bring? Eileen Ogintz, a syndicated columnist who provides content to the Homewood Suites by Hilton website, says it's always a good idea to have a bottle of water, energy bars, fruit, a healthy sandwich, and nutritious snacks "like dried fruit and nuts; something that can really stave off hunger pangs." John Campo, owner of a truck parts distribution business in South Florida, chooses fruit, "those little tuna snack things" and hard-boiled eggs still in the shell. "I put them in Ziploc bags and peel them right in the bag." USATODAY.com readers who responded to a shout-out for ideas on bring-your-own airline snacks suggest peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on whole wheat bread, dried fruit, trail mix, candy bars, cheese cubes, baby carrots, fresh fruit and sandwiches brought from home or cobbled together from the hotel breakfast bar.
But John Barth, managing director of an audio web distribution service based in Boston, urges folks to perform a "sniff test" before bringing food on-board. "I beg people who bring food, whether packed at home or mortgaged at the airport, to please take something on board that does not reek. In a closed cabin with every seat taken there are few things worse, as the air conditioning struggles to work, than encountering the smells of Egg McMuffins, spicy potato chips, odorous cheese sandwiches, burgers, or spicy anything."
Don't tell that to Jane and Michael Stern. These noted foodies, who write books and maintain a website, roadfood.com, about great meals they encounter on the road say that when they fly they "pack some of whatever the local specialty is, assuming it travels well: whole-hog barbecue sandwiches in North Carolina, spicy fried chicken in Nashville, a bucket of wings in Buffalo, maybe just a bag of delicious farm-stand cherries in Michigan." Michael Stern admits, though, that there may be some problems with this approach. "[T]he appetizing aroma is going to drive other passengers crazy with envy. Also, beware if you are packing slab of ribs in your carry-on bag. The security screeners once looked at the X-ray and thought we were carrying some sort of torso on board."
Whatever you do:Try to keep some food in reserve for after your flight touches down. It may take hours to get off the airplane, to and through customs and/or baggage claim and on the shuttle to your hotel. And by then the restaurant and room service staff may have gone home for the night.
That's exactly what happened to me one night at a hotel near the Brussels airport. Having eaten all my "real" food hours before, I found myself washing down the dry contents of a very old cinnamon-flavored instant-oatmeal packet with the pricey duty-free ouzo I'd planned on bringing home as a gift.
What do you do for a good meal on a flying day? Are there foods you think are inappropriate to bring on board? Sound off below.
Harriet Baskas writes about travel etiquette for MSNBC.com and is the author of Stuck at the Airport.