Airplane food has never had a good reputation, and there are plenty of reasons why. When you’re cruising 30,000 feet above the ground, there are certain regulations every airplane needs to maintain.
But while the regulation remains, the airline industry is taking the initiative to improve food quality. According to experts, the airline industry is hiring cuisine experts to offer passengers better means with balanced nutrients.
If you truly understand the reason why airplane food was so bland, you first need to know their history.
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History Of The Airline Meal
To recognize how meager today’s domestic flight meals are, we need something for comparison. And what can be better than the late 1990s and early 2000s, when airlines used to offer complimentary meals on every domestic flight?
In the aftermath of 9/11, the airline industry took a devastating blow. Finances started to feel short. As a result, most airlines start cost-cutting measures to sustain their business. This is when they completely stop offering any meals for economy passengers on domestic flights.
However, in the last decade, airlines have started to unbundle their services once again. That means now passengers can choose to pay for certain things beforehand. And if you want anything more than what you have already paid for the ticket, it comes with a price tag.
For example, if you are buying Singapore Airline Tickets, you would be asked whether you want to be served during the flight. If your answer is yes, you can select a menu and can pay for that menu beforehand.
What Might The Airline Industry Do Improve Airplane Food?
Now we know that the airline industry is now investing its time and money into improving the food quality, but there are challenges they face. However, if they can overcome those challenges, they can offer the passengers high-quality food.
Let’s examine these challenges to understand better food services and how the airline industry can create a positive food experience for passengers.
1. Space & Time
Space for food on any plane is a big issue. Every plane can carry a certain amount of weight. Now when we talk about weight, we are talking about everything that is on the plane. This also includes the food item that is there to be served.
That being said, in most planes, the food area is not much bigger than a small linen closet. With the pace of recycling, planes must also need a place to store those materials.
In addition, time for food also matters. Most domestic flight durations are so short that the airline barely has enough time to serve beverages, let alone a full-course meal.
If this problem can be solved, the place will have more space for fresh ingredients to make delicious food for the passengers. Yes, if the time of the journey is too short, it is okay to have no food alone. Light snacks will do the job.
2. Food Safety & Freshness
Food safety and freshness are one of the most important factors that add to the positive food experience. However, the only problem is that you cannot have enough space to carry all the fresh ingredients and time to cook a fresh meal for all the passengers in just a couple of hours’ journey.
To offer a positive food experience, airlines are trying different methods. One method includes restaurant catering. The airline industry is shaking hands with restaurants to get in touch with the master chef to create a meal plan for the passengers.
This has allowed the airline industry to cater high-quality and gourmet food to first-class passengers.
3. Environment
The environment also plays a major role in enjoying your food on the flight. As we already know, flight food is not that delicious because of certain limitations. It tastes even worse if you’re uncomfortable while flying.
If there is cramped space, and the time needed to enjoy a meal is insufficient, you would not enjoy even the gourmet food made by top chefs.
Considering everything the airline industry has to do to bring food on the plane, it is really hard for the airline industry to offer a positive experience.
They must package the food and heat it conveniently before serving, which seems out of the question.
You May Also Check: Reduce The Stress Of Your Next Flight With These Airport Tips
Final Thoughts
As airlines introduce the concept of pre-ordering food, it is easy to predict the orders for those who didn’t book in advance.
While the airline industry is working its best to offer what passengers desire. It is the responsibility of the passengers as well to understand the situation – they can’t simply expect restaurant gourmet food out there when they are disconnected from everything.
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