Airplane food =]

[ChestNut]

MAS used to be good, not anymore.. (but their business class food is very good)

Singapore airlines food is not bad at all - I actually enjoy having them ^^..

[Sparky]

Now you guys are making me curious about Singapore Airlines food since you all say it's good...hmm perhaps I will visit Singapore sometime. I can go help Fearless and Dragonite hook up

You know what's worse than airline food, though? TRAIN food. That stuff is positively unpalatable.

Which trains are you talking about? OMG I went to those trains in China and their food is absolutely disgusting. I ordered one of those he fan things for 15 RMB and the beef was too salty, the tofu had absolutely no flavour, the rice made me want to drink 300 gallons of water...the only thing that tasted decent were the bean sprouts. (Their toilets are really gross too and kind of make me wish I was a guy...yay for trannies ) But they sell Ramen for 5 RMB, so I can survive. Even though Ramen is soooo bad for you.

Oh and Sparky, if its too little, just ask for more. I do that a lot of times. They might not have the full tray for you but most times, they have the spare main course.

Really? Thanks, I never knew that! Although with how much flight attendants usually like me, they'd probably say no (plus Net told me that if the airlines cater to my appetite, then they'll go bankrupt). Plus the airline food doesn't get you, um, craving for more. Do you know if they give extra snacks? Those are usually decent.

Ooh you've had military food? Did you have the kind in a bag where steam comes out? Back during musical season, the directors were having it for dinner. They borrowed my water bottle and then *steam* just came out. Kind of crazy/cool.

[Ken Cheng]

Which trains are you talking about?

The only thing palatable on a midnight Paris to Rome train I took years ago were the cubes of cheese that were included. I've blocked out the memory of whatever else had been in it.

Amtrak trains these days tend to serve food that's too dry (it's all crunchy stuff). Maybe that's just for short-range journeys (i.e. L.A. to San Diego on the Pacific Surfliner). I can't imagine trying to survive on that stuff for a long, cross-country ride.

[lilviet_grl8o8]

wow i haven't be online in ages, and i found a perfect topic to join.

i hate airplane food. but i remember when i was three (i know, i remember) i flew to vietnam and my mom had to feed me, and i cried because the food was gross. lol. i was a horrible kid. i haven't been on a long flight, but in hawaii they have really good snacks.(when u fly inter-island). they have arare (; lol

[moonlight-sonata]

i hate aeroplane food... it always makes me want to throw up. Even singapore airlines and japanese airlines - but there was this one time when they served restaurant food on singapore airlines (it was a special day or something) and it was great... mmm... but usually, the food is gross for me. Maybe because I just get sick really easy on the plane.

[Ken Cheng]

I find that on airline flights, the worst thing about the food isn't the taste, it's keeping the food still on the folding table if the plane happens to hit some turbulence during mealtime. I've had some real fun trying to cut into a piece of meat while the plane was getting shaken around by turbulent wind currents, especially since I had to keep an eye on my cup of soda falling off the edge of the table at the same time.

[KeongJai]

aeroplane food is just like those "lean cuisine" microwave dinners. it's a $5 dinner. that's it. You can't expect it to be any good for what it's worth.

[annaaa]

1) For those who have eaten airplane meals, what is your general opinion on them? Do you think it varies much from airline to airline or is your opinion about airplane food universal?
i think its OK. i mean as long as its not frozen or anything.
2) Can you name any airlines with exceptionally good food (I heard that Qantas is decent)?
a china airline. i forgot the name.
3) Which airlines have food that you should avoid at all costs (in case I happen to book a flight with any of these, I might want to bring my own)?
DELTA!
4) Do you think airplane food deserves its bad reputation, or do you think other factors, such as the high altitude, influence the taste of it?
er.. delta?
5) If anyone has ever flown first class as well as economy, how does the food differ between the two (not that I will be flying first class anytime soon)?
oh i have. and usually in the States, they dont serve food to economy. first class food isnt much different but they offer you alcoholic beverages right when you get on.

[dgfds01]

1) For those who have eaten airplane meals, what is your general opinion on them?
Alright I suppose. It's not something I'll choose to eat but it's bearable. Gotta be thankful to those that are still serving food.

2) Can you name any airlines with exceptionally good food (I heard that Qantas is decent)?
Not really. Quite a few people have mentioned SIA but I haven't flown with them in years. Don't have any memories that stick out. The best (economy) plane meal I ever had was on British Airways. Then again, BA also gave me my worst ever meal.

4) Do you think airplane food deserves its bad reputation, or do you think other factors, such as the high altitude, influence the taste of it?
I never have much appetite on the plane anyway so I guess that affects it.

5) If anyone has ever flown first class as well as economy, how does the food differ between the two (not that I will be flying first class anytime soon)?
First and business class is way better. Food comes close enough to gourmet and you get real cutlery. Decent to good wines as well. The satay on MAS is the best in the world IMO.

[pemberly]

in business school, they told us that airplane meals cost well into the double digits per passenger. that's one of the easiest ways for low cost airlines to save money. you have to add in the cost of the meal, cost of the equipment to heat up and prepare the meals on the flight, the costs of transporting the meals from wherever they're made to the airports and then the planes, the extra $ you have to pay the stewardesses to prepare and serve the meals, as well as insurance for the extra liabilities associated with "cooking" during the flight.

so that crap meal actually costs about as much as a nice dinner out.

[KeongJai]

they should just give the passengers like 20 packets of those complementary nuts instead of aeroplane food then.

[ChestNut]

they should just give the passengers like 20 packets of those complementary nuts instead of aeroplane food then.

lol that's my favourite food on board.. LOLLLLL (after ice cream - but MAS took them out recently T-T)

[I_luv_HZL]

I dislike airplane so much so that whenever I fly out of SF to Taiwan We usually stop at this sandwich store on the way there. If anyone ever flys out of SFO you should try this sandwich store its called Darby Dan's. And when I'm flying back we just buy those meat buns and eat them before we get into SF. Otherwise I just sleep through dinner. ugh just thinking about airplane food makes me gag.

Onto the best food I ever had it was with JAL I think, they served us cold soba noodles which to this day I havent found better airplane food.

[Ken Cheng]

The most compact meal I've ever been served on an aircraft was a wrap I had on Air Canada a few years ago. Very efficient and clean. It was the first time I had eaten a wrap.

[JamesG]

I find it kind of funny that 'airplane food' is as commonly used as 'airline food' used to be. Catering companies supply the food for most airlines and I'm sure they are told what the maximum cost of a meal can be. The catering firms usually have to competitive bid for airline contracts and the low bidder wins.
There's no incentive to provide 'good food', just cheap food.

[girllikeme]

Aeroplane food, in my experience is usually disgusting, but one time (I think it was southern Airlines) but the food was so yum, I decided to get a 2nd serve since they had a lot. The cake was always nice, and the fruit... occasionally nice.

[Ken Cheng]

My most recent experience with "airplane food" was several bags of potato chips that I had bought at the airport prior to boarding.

[girllikeme]

My most recent experience with "airplane food" was several bags of potato chips that I had bought at the airport prior to boarding.

Oh yeah! I remember one time, my family friend and I had coincidently booked the same flight, and we made a deal to bring lollies and everything... and wow; about 10 packets of lollies and loads of chocolate. Great flight (Y)

[HuangYushi]

1) For those who have eaten airplane meals, what is your general opinion on them? Do you think it varies much from airline to airline or is your opinion about airplane food universal?

I think airplane meals fulfill what they set out to do, i.e. to feed passengers. I eat them if I have to, and I don't if I don't want to.

On longer flights where meals could be served, I have found the food on Thai Airways (TG) quite decent in most of the flights that I'd taken with them. South African Airways is OK too (but opinions differ), and if you fly Turkish Airlines, watch out for their cherry juice. It's good.

Now for the bombs that I've encountered:

China Southern -- probably because they chose to serve fried noodles that smelt as if they were cooked in used (old) oil as a midnight snack immediately after boarding. The smell of the noodles filled the entire cabin, and I couldn't get the attendant and the noodles away from me fast enough!

And China North-Western -- The ordinary bread-and-butter sandwiches that I make taste better than the cold "bun with unidentified filling" that they served during a two-hour flight between Beijing and Lanzhou in the middle of winter.

[girllikeme]

China Southern -- probably because they chose to serve fried noodles that smelt as if they were cooked in used (old) oil as a midnight snack immediately after boarding. The smell of the noodles filled the entire cabin, and I couldn't get the attendant and the noodles away from me fast enough!.

Really? I quite liked their noodles. My friend's daughter never eats fast, and she never eats a lot. When she met the noodles on the plane, she ate it faster than me, and I'm a fast eater.

I'm not a fan of Qanta's foods.