Every type of traveler — from occasional to frequent flyers — has an opinion about food served on planes, whether they’re appreciative of the fare or starkly opposed to eating anything that was precooked and then heated up in the air. But how do the people tasked with preparing and serving these onboard dishes feel about them? HuffPost spoke with three flight attendants about the airplane meals they would never eat midflight, as well as those they’d actually recommend. In the process, they also shared a few interesting facts about the industry.
Did you know, for example, that most airplane food is prepared at one of a handful of catering companies and then trucked over to various airports? Also, a whole lot of employees bring their own food to work, according to a flight attendant named Whytney who has worked with a major US airline for seven years. “Usually, people bring a pretty large insulated lunchbox with everything in it: meat, yogurts, salads, fruits and more,” said Whytney, who requested that her surname be withheld her privacy reasons. But when they do partake in airplane fare, here are some of the food and drink items they steer clear of.
Water (as Well as Coffee and Tea) Although bottled water is fine, tap water should be dealt with carefully, Whytney explained. “It all comes down to how often the pipes are cleaned,” she said, noting that tap water is also commonly used to brew coffee and tea on airplanes. “The issue isn’t so much within the Uni.