Airline Food; Do We Need A Fresh Approach?

It can’t be easy, but somehow they manage it. How do airlines make their food taste of nothing, every single time?

I travel a lot in the region. Flight times ranging from 2 to 4 hours. I’ve been doing it for more than 15 years, so airplane food is something I know a bit about. I travel in the back of the bus, so I’m always sampling the delights of economy class food.

I’m something of an expert as regards the little containers for each course. A starter, mains and dessert, accompanied with small lump of rock (something called a ‘bread roll’, apparently). I can also enjoy a thimble of wine and/or coffee. It arrives with impeccable service which is most times genuine – and appreciated.
 

But the food just tastes of nothing every time. No doubt it is because it has to be cooked goodness knows how many hours previously, packaged and then delivered. The whole delivery process seems to the untrained eye as time-consuming and expensive.

I think the budget airlines are right to give you the option to buy inflight meals, or not.

But what about the premium carriers? Don’t we fly with them because we expect to be fed and watered as part of the price? I must assume they have done their research, and have discovered that we all want tasteless food in little plastic containers!
 

Is There Another Way?

I wonder whether it is not cheaper and more appetising to have fresh food delivered by local delivery companies working at the airports. Fruit, fresh sandwiches, fresh noodle dishes, for example. I think most customers would welcome simple, fresh food rather than complicated multi-course meals which ultimately taste of nothing. No doubt the airline would welcome this as well, as it surely must be a cheaper and simpler solution.

I would love to know whether the present food quality and delivery process is what the customer in general wants or is just what has always happened – and is too much trouble, or costs too much to change. In my experience, the latter is usually the case in big established companies.
 

What Do You Think of Airline Food?

What’s your opinion of the food served by airlines? Who serves the best airline food, and the worst airline food? Do you find it bland and unappetising? What can we do to change this? Perhaps until we start ‘voting with our feet’, and choosing airlines that serve tastier food, the situation will remain unchanged?

As always, feel free to tell us your thoughts below.