Got Food, Will Travel
Plan Ahead for Meals When Flying This Summer
The Signal - Business Section, June, 2005
Thank goodness for fast food. As we prepare for what is expected to be the busiest summer travel season this century, vacationers everywhere are advised to plan ahead for their next meal as they dash from security check to the boarding gate. There really is no such thing as a free meal at 30,000 feet anymore.
Gone are the days of TV-tray food service on flights during traditional meal times. We’re lucky if we get pretzel service and a soda, regardless how far and long we’re flying. It’s back to old-fashioned hunting and gathering for our meals on the road.
If you plan to eat, have a strategy. When traveling, time is of the essence so factor the food service stop into your next airport experience. Sure, it may be another line to stand in, but a to-go bag from the terminal deli or a pizza from a brand name kitchen now peddling fast food to busy travelers, is better than sitting through a three-hour flight chewing your pen cap. A burger sure beats a growling stomach any day.
When food first became scarce as an in-flight service, the concept of bringing a picnic lunch on board was novel. Many passengers felt uncomfortable whipping out the KFC and coleslaw in front of their drooling seatmates. Prosecution for planning ahead was the feeling.
But that has all changed. It’s now part of the game plan to get your travel meal to go. Finding quality foods at the airport has certainly become much easier thanks to the recognizable restaurants now offering satellite shops to feed the frenzied. Kiosks of freshly-made sandwiches and salads are also available for a fast-food stop when heading to the boarding gate. To-go meals at the airport are now easily accessible, and the only way to travel.
If time is too crunched for standing in a food service line, then there’s always the news stand for a quick bag of chips, giant cookie or trail mix. The message here is something is better than nothing. Really, it’s a long way to go from Los Angeles to Chicago on an empty tank. If nuts are offered in-flight, it’ll be hard to get the attendant to hand-out the 14 bags you’ll need to make a dent in your hunger.
With some 715 million passengers expected to fly this summer, airports will be extremely busy, flights full and delays longer. The last thing you’ll be able to count on is consistency in food service among the different air carriers. Offering on-board meals is a cost that airlines these days are cutting from the bottom-line.
What the airlines have done, however, is to offer food as a revenue stream. For an additional cost, you can have lunch. Sandwiches are for sale through the convenient sky cafe, but food is pricey and many times inventory is under-stocked. Service is strictly first come, first served. So be wary if you’re at the back of the plane, leftovers may be all that remains by the time they get to you.
As a final sure-fire suggestion to the meal dilemma, start at the beginning and pack a brown bag from home. Sounds so simple, but honestly, who has time for this when we’re trying to get to the airport on schedule. Taking food from home is a great idea for travelers who plan ahead, especially those with allergies, particular preferences, who are on a strict diet, and anyone taking kids along.
While we may be progressing in travel technologies, we seem to be returning to the bare bones of in-flight customer service. Food is so basic. We’ve all got to eat. But there really is no such thing as a free meal anymore, 30,000 feet or not. Happy hunting.
Commentary provided by Eric Maryanov, president and founder of All-Travel.com, the Los Angeles-based travel management company with an office in Valencia. He can be reached at 661.775.7511..
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