Beyond Mile-High Grub: Can Airline Food Be Tasty?

[Jamie B]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/business/airlines-studying-the-science-of-better-in-flight-meals.html

ONE of the world’s busiest airports, Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, lies a mere 1,026 feet above sea level. Which, it turns out, is perfect for your taste buds.
 
At low elevations, the 10,000 or so taste buds in the human mouth work pretty much as nature intended. With an assist from the nose — the sense of smell plays a big role in taste — the familiar quartet of sweet, bitter, sour and salty registers as usual. Tomato juice tastes like tomato juice, turkey Florentine like turkey Florentine.

But step aboard a modern airliner, and the sense of taste loses its bearings. This isn’t simply because much airline food is unappetizing, although that doesn’t help. No, the bigger issue is science — science that airlines now want to turn to their advantage as they vie for lucrative business- and first-class travelers.

Very interesting article that explains the effects of altitude on taste!

[Fly320s]

I read something similar a few years ago. I think that article was about coffee on planes. Airplane coffee is horrible.

[mtnbkr]

The food and coffee on British Airways is good.  United...not so much.

Chris

[Tallpine]

I spent much of my life living above the 8000' pressurization altitude, and never had a problem with tasting food 

[Hawkmoon]

That article was probably written by American Airlines, whose food is horrible.

When my wife and I fly to South America to visit her family, we fly LAN. Even at 33,000 feet their food is quite good.

[HankB]

The food I've had on foreign carriers has been better than what I've had on U.S. carriers . . . although oddly enough, I do remember having a couple of good meals & snacks on Eastern Airlines. (Which was dissolved in 1991.)

The one time I flew on one of my employer's Gulfstream V's the meals were quite excellent on both legs of the round trip.

Sandwiches I've brought along myself tasted just fine.

So as far as I'm concerned, blaming "altitude" for bad meals is malarky - airline food generally tastes bad because it is bad.

[seeker_two]

That article was probably written by American Airlines, whose food is horrible.

Typical corporate mentality.....if there's a problem, blame the customer....

Hey!.....guess which airline is currently in bankruptcy?......

[French G.]

I fly overseas again and I want SAS or KLM. Holy hell, flew SAS to Amsterdam, never really stopped eating and it was good. Only domestic bright side was Delta back from Athens, empty seats to spread out, they were pimping their new bourbon and I think they gathered I was service. Once I figured out there was no tab....

[Hawkmoon]

Typical corporate mentality.....if there's a problem, blame the customer....

Hey!.....guess which airline is currently in bankruptcy?......

Yeah, and it's no wonder.

I went through JFK about a month ago. American has opened a new terminal building at JFK. Brand new facility, serving American and some of their affiliated airlines. It's big -- American used to take up two buildings at JFK and this (I suppose) consolidates them under one roof, with space left over for some other airlines.

There isn't ONE restaurant or bar on the non-secure side of the screening area, nor is there anywhere that a family who brought someone to the airport can sit down with the traveler for a final chat before the person goes through screening. Not ONE table or even seating area. There is a (very) small "cafe" that offers coffee and soft drinks. Don't remember if they even sell snacks. But no seating. And no newsstands or anything.

Dumb. But most everything about JFK is dumb and uncivilized anyway. JFK is one of the world's major hubs for international travel, yet all announcements are in English only ... and most of them by women with such heavy Jamaican accents that even native speakers of English can't understand what they're saying. Heck, even in smaller cities around Europe all announcements are typically made in the native language plus English, French and German. Depending on where the airport is, they may tack on Russian or Spanish.

Seriously -- if it's so important to inform people not to leave luggage unattended so a terrorist can't put a bomb in your bag -- wouldn't it be LOGICAL to make that announcement in as many languages as possible? It's a canned announcement anyway ... how difficult is it to record it in multiple languages?

Sheesh. I hate JFK. Just thinking about it raises my blood pressure.

[wmenorr67]

After many flights all across the world the food that our contracted airlines get in Europe is much better than what is placed on the planes in the U.S.

[HankB]

. . .  Sheesh. I hate JFK. Just thinking about it raises my blood pressure.

I haven't been through  JFK for probably 20 years. I hated it - when I was there, there was no way to walk from one terminal to the next, and the bus shuttles between terminals (which only ran in one direction) were NOT free. 

[Perd Hapley]

The food and coffee on British Airways is good.  United...not so much.

Chris

This is the first laudatory comment I've ever heard about Brit food. Good thing I was sitting down.

[mtnbkr]

This is the first laudatory comment I've ever heard about Brit food. Good thing I was sitting down.

Actually, the food I had in Britain was good too.

Chris

[French G.]

This is the first laudatory comment I've ever heard about Brit food. Good thing I was sitting down.

You missed the shooter's sammich?

Lots of brit food (and beer) is delicious. The girl's teeth? nuther story

[Perd Hapley]

You missed the shooter's sammich?

Yeah, I did. Mushrooms is nasty. That sandwich looks nasty.

[French G.]

First pepperoni, now this.   

[Boomhauer]

[qoute]Hey!.....guess which airline is currently in bankruptcy?......[/quote]

Wait, are you suggesting that there is a such thing as an airline not in bankruptcy?

[Perd Hapley]

First pepperoni, now this.   

See, I have taste after all!

[wmenorr67]

See, I have taste after all!

Called no taste.

[Tallpine]

Air travel in general seems to be designed to see how much abuse and indignity the travelers will endure.   

I can't imagine why anyone would do it voluntarily 

[wmenorr67]

Air travel in general seems to be designed to see how much abuse and indignity the travelers will endure.   

I can't imagine why anyone would do it voluntarily 

Thread drift, funny when the military flies on a chartered aircraft into a theater of operations, we will carry our assigned firearms but any knives or multi-tools have to go in our checked baggage.

[Perd Hapley]

Thread drift, funny when the military flies on a chartered aircraft into a theater of operations, we will carry our assigned firearms but any knives or multi-tools have to go in our checked baggage.

Do you still take out the bolts and put them in an ammo can?

[wmenorr67]

Nope bolts and firing pins are in the weapons.

[seeker_two]

Wait, are you suggesting that there is a such thing as an airline not in bankruptcy?

Southwest seems to be doing well.....but they only pick on the chubby, scantily-dressed people.....

Thread drift, funny when the military flies on a chartered aircraft into a theater of operations, we will carry our assigned firearms but any knives or multi-tools have to go in our checked baggage.

Do they let you carry empty mags?.....seems like a good place to keep them....

[Viking]

Thread drift, funny when the military flies on a chartered aircraft into a theater of operations, we will carry our assigned firearms but any knives or multi-tools have to go in our checked baggage.

Do you carry ammo as well?