Travel goes B.Y.O.
By Amy Ziff, Editor-at-Large
October 1, 2003
Hungry? Tired of trying to keep up with which airline is serving what on which flight and in what class of service--and if you need to pack a snack, bring cash or order vegetarian ahead? It seems the safest way to go is B.Y.O. (bring your own…food, that is.) Then again, it's not always necessary, and who wants to carry more than you absolutely must? Well, I was tired of wondering too. Here's a handy accounting of where things stand, at least at the time of publication. Let's hope it won't change too much between now and dinner.
Continental, United, American Trans Air, Frontier, Alaska, and British Airways maintain that all in-flight fare remains complimentary. But then again, that is also the case on Southwest and Jet Blue, and they only offer scant snacks. (I personally prefer the name brand snacks that Jet Blue provides to some of the other airline snacks I've had the displeasure of sampling.) And for those concerned, yes, Midwest does still serve their trademark cookie.
On the other hand, there are airlines that are testing out various meal-for-money plans. The latest of these is American Airlines' attempt to sell food to passengers at the gate before boarding. This is being tried on "select" flights to Miami and St. Louis. While I think the concept has promise, it seems it's going to be a while before this is widely available to most travelers going to other destinations around the world.
America West offers food for sale; they have a range of options from $10 at the high end to $5 on the lower side. It's a similar story, just less clear to track if you're on one of the 135 Northwest flights offering food for sale out of Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Memphis. USAir is experimenting with food too. They are selling fare through their In-flight Cafe on designated flights that arrive and depart from 23 airports including: Boston, Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Myers, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Miami, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New Orleans, New York LaGuardia, Orange County, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa, and Reagan Washington National.
The jury is still out on Delta's plan. As of the 30th of September, they wrapped up testing out food for sale, offering snacks and meals for anything from $2-$10 out of Atlanta, Dallas, and Cincinnati flights. We'll know if it was worth the work if it returns as a broader plan.
Unfortunately, even after researching this topic, I must conclude that the bottom line is if you don’t want to go without, you need to B.Y.O. Snack. So if you're heading to the airport soon, here are a few tips to consider for your next trip:
- If you're on a food-free flight, pack yourself a brown bag lunch. Remember to be conscious of your neighbors and avoid messy, smelly items.
- Remember to think about disposing of things. Don't bring meat on the bone, try to bring fruit that doesn't have a core, or if it does, bring a re-sealable plastic baggie so there is no smell and no mess to deal with once you've consumed your food.
- Ask your hotel if they offer food for the road. I recently purchased the loveliest lunch from the Fairmont Vancouver--an amazing airport hotel! They packed the meal into a nifty carrying case (which I promptly tossed and jammed the lunch items in my carry-on instead). I had a tasty lunch for my flight home without having to rely on airport fare. The Four Seasons also has a program, but they're not just for the ritzy. Inquire at your next hotel stay.
- Packing food is permitted, according the TSA. As with everything else, be conscious not to pack it in a metal container. No real lunch boxes, please. No cans. Stick to the brown bag and plastic, please.
- Make sure items are well packed so they don't leak on your things.
- One note: peanut butter and chocolate tend to set off the screening machines so you may want to skip them and go for something else.
It used to be that people complained about the quality of airline food, now it seems they complain about the lack thereof. Unless you're taking a cross-country or trans-continental flight in business or first class, where your hunger is still sure to be sated by something, it's safest to B.Y.O. To be 100 % about your next flight, your best bet will be to call ahead. While there may be no such thing as a free lunch anymore, at least now you know whether you need to buy your own before boarding.
For more travel tips and advice, check out Amy Ziff's blog, The Window Seat, or her monthly column, Travel Trends & Advice from A to Z. To suggest a topic for a future column or to tell about a travel experience of your own, please email Amy Ziff at ask.amy@travelocity.com.
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