Before the Jet Age, and even into the early 70s, airline food was great, even gourmet. Airlines could not compete on pricing and had to find other ways to attract passengers, and food was the easiest way. The convection oven had been developed for the Air Force (B-36s would fly 26 hour missions and peanut butter sandwiches and a thermos of tomato soup would only go so far) and the early air fryers were too big. Airline food was great. People would fly SAS to Stockholm or Helsinki and then connect to European airlines because their food was so good. And Pan AM and United was just sumptuous. Then came deregulation and airlines were allowed to compete on price over the same routes and good food went by the wayside. And airport food became a high priced choice of rancid slop or toxic waste. Eat at a restaurant outside of the airport before you go. If a meal is available book a flight that allows you to choose your menu. Focus on fruit and veggies. Avoid the fish. Jet cabins are dry and pressurized to an altitude of 5000 feet. Taste buds basically turn off at this altitude, and the food served is salty in an attempt to let the passengers have some taste. So eat on the ground before you go. Our plane has a range of about 950 miles so when we do take longer trips we try to make stops where we know there will be good restaurants. There is a place in Moosejaw that serves the best homemade chili outside of Texas…
Before the Jet Age, and even into the early 70s, airline food was great, even gourmet. Airlines could not compete on pricing and had to find other ways to attract passengers, and food was the easiest way. The convection oven had been developed for the Air Force (B-36s would fly 26 hour missions and peanut butter sandwiches and a thermos of tomato soup would only go so far) and the early air fryers were too big. Airline food was great. People would fly SAS to Stockholm or Helsinki and then connect to European airlines because their food was so good. And Pan AM and United was just sumptuous. Then came deregulation and airlines were allowed to compete on price over the same routes and good food went by the wayside. And airport food became a high priced choice of rancid slop or toxic waste. Eat at a restaurant outside of the airport before you go. If a meal is available book a flight that allows you to choose your menu. Focus on fruit and veggies. Avoid the fish. Jet cabins are dry and pressurized to an altitude of 5000 feet. Taste buds basically turn off at this altitude, and the food served is salty in an attempt to let the passengers have some taste. So eat on the ground before you go. Our plane has a range of about 950 miles so when we do take longer trips we try to make stops where we know there will be good restaurants. There is a place in Moosejaw that serves the best homemade chili outside of Texas…