? about Delta and serving breakfast

[Liv's Mommy]

We will be flying out of Portland, ME in Sept. Our flight leaves at 5:45am and has a layover in Atlanta. My question is, will they serve us breakfast on that flight and if so is it extra or is it included in the ticket price? I need to know if I need to feed my kids beforehand or not. They will never be able to make it until Atlanta to have breakfast, which will be 3 hrs later. lol The last time that I flew was in the 80's and I remember them serving lunch for no extra charge, but obviously things have changed a great deal since then!!


Also, do I need to be at the airport 2 hrs before my flight?

Thanks so much!

 

[skiingfast]

A lot of things have changed since the 80's. One of the biggest things is the onflight meals.

I don't know Delta's policy on how it serves food. If you check the www.delta.com site you can find it. It depends on trip length. But expect it to be well worse than what you had. Prepackaged muffin is typical fare on airplanes not. Not hot meals and plentiful drink refills.

 

[uva185]

If you are flying First class a full complimentary breakfast will be served. Usually it is cheese omelet, sausage, potatoes, a croissant, and fruit.
http://www.delta.com/traveling_checkin/inflight_services/first_class/dining.jsp

If you are flying coach there are no complimentary meals, however Delta offers food for purchase. Honestly, the quality of the food is not terrible and I have has success having them heat up what I order if I ask really nicely. The menu can be found here: http://www.delta.com/pdfs/menu_May10_print.pdf

Enjoy your trip!

 

[disneyag]

You are allowed to bring food on the plane with you. I would suggest packing granola bars, bananas, etc from home. You CANNOT bring liquids through security, so once you have been screened, pick up milk, juice, or water from an airport store. If you are traveling coach, it can be a long wait for even a beverage, so it's a good idea to purchase one before boarding.

Plus, when my kiddos were small, the food I packed as a "surprise" was a great diversion and helped to pass the time more quickly.

Even in First Class, food and beverage service is random. Last summer, my DD and I flew FC on Delta from Austin to NYC at 11am and received no lunch service. (We did get beverages and peanut butter crackers.)

 

[francie57]

We fly Delta all the time out of CT and you won't get a breakfast for free. They do offer things for purchase. You will get a drink and small snack. We usually hit the grocery store the day before and pack a muffin or bagel for each of us. A few years ago the kids actually took a box of dunkin munchkins with them. You can bring food on the plane so that is what we do to hold us over. We never get to the airport 2 hours ahead. It depends on how busy your airport is. One piece of advice I would give us is to make sure you check-in on-line the day before so you can print out your boarding passes and you can also pay for your luggage at that time. You will save time and then when you get to the airport you can curbside check your luggage or go to the counter, whichever is shorter. They will then just pull up your reservation and print out the luggage claim tags and then you are all set to go to security.

 

[VAN]

Since you have not flown for quite a while, I would suggest you go to Delta's website to familiarize yourself with their baggage policies (size, weight, etc) and then read up on the whole liquids thing, etc going through Security. Please note that it is a good idea to watch those going through Security before you to see what they do. You will see that all jackets, sweatshirts, etc need to be taken off and put in a bin. You will also need to take off shoes. When boarding the plane, they like everyone to hold their own boarding pass ... unless your children are toddlers or infants, be prepared for your children to hold their own boarding passes when they are called.

Additionally, many airlines do not pre-board families with small children for the Orlando flights ... because there are so many.

Anything you can do to update yourself on airline, Security, etc practices will help you feel less stressed along the way.

A good money saver re beverages ... take an empty water bottle or two through Security and then fill it up at the drinking fountain. I do this all the time and then don't have to 1) wait in line to purchase water or 2) pay the huge price for a bottle of water to take on the plane.

Anything you think you may need access to on the plane should be in a backpack/bag that you store under your seat. So many times I see people board and THEN try to pull out the snacks, books, iPods, etc ... thus holding up the boarding process.

You will feel just like one of a herd of cattle, but that is the reality of flying these days. Just do your research, keep your eyes open, be prepared, and you will be just fine.

 

[Liv's Mommy]

Thanks so much! You all have been very helpful. I think that I will pack some easy breakfast like items for my kids to eat. The idea about the empty water bottle is a good one as well. I actually have been on Delta's website. I knew that I could not bring any liquids and I printed off all the info on the size of the carry-on bag that you can bring. Gosh, there is so much to think about!

One more question for you though. Can you bring aerosol hairspray or does it have to be the pump kind?

Oh, and after I posted I remembered that I did fly in 1994, so it has been since the 80's! Still a long time ago though!! I avoid flying at all costs, b/c I am terrified to do it! I could not convince my dh to drive though and I really want to take my kids to Disney, now that they are at a good age......so, flying is the only way I am gonna get there!

Thanks again!
Jen

 

[Tozzie]

Thanks so much! You all have been very helpful. I think that I will pack some easy breakfast like items for my kids to eat. The idea about the empty water bottle is a good one as well. I actually have been on Delta's website. I knew that I could not bring any liquids and I printed off all the info on the size of the carry-on bag that you can bring. Gosh, there is so much to think about!

One more question for you though. Can you bring aerosol hairspray or does it have to be the pump kind?

Thanks again!
Jen

Aerosol Hairspray is fine, in reasonable quantities.

 

[skiingfast]

I avoid flying at all costs, b/c I am terrified to do it! I could not convince my dh to drive though and I really want to take my kids to Disney, now that they are at a good age......so, flying is the only way I am gonna get there!

Thanks again!
Jen

Anything for Disney right?

Take a valium on the way to the airport.

 

[DebbieB]

I flew Continental from Pittsburgh to Houston this week. I was shocked to find we got a small bowl of cereal and an apple for breakfast and on the way home today they had a choice of a small turkey or ham sandwich, carrots and a snack size kit-kat. I really liked them, they passed through the cabin twice for drinks and the seats seemed to have a little extra room. FA's were pleasant.