Would you consider taking your own meal onboard?

[Foreigner]

A home-cooked meal, perhaps.

Could be idea for entrepreneurial / start up, to tailor meals for passengers opting to forgo airline catering?

 

[blackcat20]

A home-cooked meal, perhaps.

Could be idea for entrepreneurial / start up, to tailor meals for passengers opting to forgo airline catering?

Vue Cafe at Melbourne Airport sells meal boxes to take on board...

 

[TomVexille]

Done it plenty of times. Including once where the guy in front of me tried to buy my pizza off me

 

[seanpodge]

I haven't brought a full meal, but I did bring a pack of biscuits for a couple of long haul flights (one was MEL-SYD-LAX). I could see it being reasonably popular on LCC flights. If you have to pay for a meal, it may as well be something you want to eat.

 

[DavBlayn]

If you're going internationally, would Customs or Security have a problem with you bringing your own food on-board?

 

[Chimpy]

My brother tried "Plane Food" and said it was very good.

 

[Himeno]

If you're going internationally, would Customs or Security have a problem with you bringing your own food on-board?

On? no. Off? Possibly.

 

[Hvr]

I wonder if the airlines would have issues with rubbish etc? E.g. you bring a pizza on board, the box is probably too big for the regular rubbish receptacle so needs to be folded or ripped up. Can't see the passengers doing that.


Can virtually guarantee there will be complaints about odours. Where would the food be placed until consumption? Would it be counted as a personal item? So less carry on luggage with more arguments?

Naturally the airline won't heat or cool food so is there a potential increase in food poisoning issues which may affect flights, especially on longer flights?

There may be other issues I haven't yet thought of but I reckon it would be an idea that whilst initially looking good, may present problems that adversely affect the efficacy of the flight crew.

 

[anat0l]

If you're going internationally, would Customs or Security have a problem with you bringing your own food on-board?

Don't see why they would have a problem. Of course, you still need to pass the LAGs check, so bringing soup as your meal from landside would probably not be a good idea.


The idea of bringing your own food onboard is not new - people with allergies have been doing it for donkey's years - and the entrepreneurial idea of selling meal boxes for onboard is not new either.

Of course, most meals brought on board must be suitable for a picnic, i.e. it usually is not warm or can be eaten cold / at ambient temperature. Now there are some fantastic salads you can obviously have, but a hearty warming home cooked meal like mama used to make you? Unlikely.

I don't think food (except for necessary dietary requirements) counts "free" of the standard luggage allowance, so it'd be counted (in accordance with the discretion of the airline and the gate agents) as part of your cabin baggage allowance.

I certainly wouldn't expect airlines to seize the initiative on this. Of course, some airlines allow pre-ordering of meals onboard, albeit still with the choices (and quality) designated for that particular flight. Naturally on LCCs this is not the case. I've brought food on board when flying LCCs before with no problem at all; certainly tastier and better value than what can be had from the buy on board selection, with no need to wait for the trolley.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

A home-cooked meal, perhaps.

Could be idea for entrepreneurial / start up, to tailor meals for passengers opting to forgo airline catering?

one issue would be airport security... any food with or in a sauce could be deemed against the LAG rules. so you'd be stuck with 'dry' food. And cold. fine for snacking I guess.

i saw an American college student take a pizza on a flight out of China to Hong Kong last year. They probably assumed it was going to be the same as US domestic catering (ie nothing).

they looked silly... and what are you supposed to do with the box prior to takeoff?

plenty of pax take food on domestic usa flights... chilli or burgers and various other stuff from airport concessions. personally I don't think I could be bothered... unless it was a long flight with no meals available at all on board

air Asia seems to have some good and cheap options.

special dietary needs or other medical grounds are are a different issue. I know some LCCs say 'no personal food'... but I don't think they can apply that in medical cases.

 

[Alanslegal]

one issue would be airport security... any food wi or in a sauce could be deemed against the LAG rules. so you'd be stuck with 'dry' food. And cold. fine for snacking I guess.

We encountered this issue once at SIN check-in. We were in the City and had had gone to Maxwell Food Centre for the really famous chicken rice shop there that Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay visited and in their opinion thinks its the best chicken rice in the world. We then bought some char siu (bbq pork) with egg noodldes from another shop there which is really amaze-balls that comes with this special sauce - and I've eaten lots of bbq pork. At check-in, we did ask and they said because of the sauce it would not pass the LAG test. We ate it there and then, it was so delicious, my mouth is watering at that thought

 

[exceladdict]

plenty of pax take food on domestic usa flights... chilli or burgers and various other stuff from airport concessions. personally I don't think I could be bothered... unless it was a long flight with no meals available at all on board

I felt a little bit bad stinking out the F cabin of an American Eagle 45 minute flight with this "Boom Dog" breakfast hot dog.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I felt a little bit bad stinking out the F cabin of an American Eagle 45 minute flight with this "Boom Dog" breakfast hot dog.

It looks delicious!!!! My kind of food!

Did you wash it down with a good stiff bloody mary?

 

[Warks]

I regularly grab a big ham salad roll at my favourite Townsville takeaway and then when we get to cruise on VA1520 I pull it out and consume it in front of many envious eyes. Now that there are 'meals' on all VA flights it will probably taste even better. Certainly better than half a tomato and Kraft processed cheese sanger.

 

[boomy]

Never took a meal onboard. I don't mind most airlines food and on the unfortunate occasion of flying LCC just eat something in the lounge before boarding.
Recently received $20 voucher from QF for not providing catering in Dom Y. After checking the food outlets in SYD Dom I found nothing appealing so gave my voucher to a nice backpacker and had dinner in the lounge.

 

[Denali]

Would donuts be considered a meal? That "fresh baked cookie" just doesn't cut it for me.

 

[kalboy]

Up until last week (as we finally now have our own store) a box of Krispy Kreme's would make its way into the overhead locker on the MEL-KGI direct flight. And was noted that we weren't the only ones by the CSM. May have consumed a couple on the way.
Many years ago in my youth back in Tassie when there was only KFC permitted in the State, HJ's was flown in for family members..

 

[leadman]

After travelling for probably too long in my life my policy is now not to eat on the aircraft; take away or "plane food" even the other day in MH F. Its hard, but once you're past the 50 mark its hard to get that gut off and its now my token attempt at a diet. Mind you, I never knock back the scotch or a few beers but with a bit of exercise I have dropped a few kg's. But it is hard when you see what the other pax are eating and a few times I've almost broken my promise. And if I was to break it, it would not be a hot dog!!!!

 

[Deleted member]

Nothing wrong with making your own sandwich.
Better than most store bought options IMHO.
A nice home made quiche goes down well too

 

[JohnK]

I have taken a sandwich onboard in the past. I have also taken snacks at various times.

I don't see anything wrong with airline food. I hope airlines continue to provide it free of charge. We don't need another addition to component pricing.