Are there meals/food on 5 hour flights?

[LindaR]

Yep, my daughter was one that got nauseous. We had a very UGLY experience that taught me (and her, she is twenty now) to always carry stuff in our purses. I don't have that problem but would have no problem giving to a stranger.

Our plane was ON the runway for 3 hours (Chicago to Philly) due to a severe thunderstorm. Once we took off, nothing was served (we were in first) due to the turbulence. THEN there was a thunderstorm in Philly and we had to divert to Baltimore, land and refuel, and fly back to Philly. We got in to Philly about midnight (should have arrived around 5:30pm), and thankfully stayed at a very nice hotel (Hyatt) that even though their room service ended at midnight, made us dinner and brought it to our room. I had to FORCE my daughter to eat at that time because she was by then, sick to her stomach.

 

[AKL_Megs]

I might make a pitstop at Subway and get a couple subs (no mayo) that might last through the trip and any unforeseen delays. I would need a second sandwich if I was delayed another four hours after eating the first sandwich.

This is actually a longstanding joke amongst flight crews.

Apparently, if you bring 4 oz of mayo through security, you can't. BUT, if that 4 oz of mayo is on a sandwich, it's no longer 4 oz of mayo but instead part of the sandwich.

You CAN bring little packets of mayo, or better yet, let Subway put it on your sandwich! You'll be fine!

 

[laurie31]

Wow! Sounds like Continental treats its pasengers well! Looks like you willhave some real food offered to you!

But like others have said, come prepared. Pack a PB&J just in case, or a candy bar.

Airline food isn't all that great at all if what Continental offers is tray food. Now, food for PURCHASE is usually pretty decent.

Getting peanut butter and jelly through security might be a crap shoot. One TSA agent might let it go but the next might make you throw it out. Both peanut butter and jelly are considered "liquids/gels" and aren't allowed. For sure, you couldn't just bring along a jar of peanut butter.

However, if you can find such for purchase on the other side of security, then it's fine. If I were going to bring a sandwich, I'd bring something like turkey or ham with cheese, and no condiments. I'd bring a "fast food" type single serving packet in my 3-1-1 bag and put it on the sandwich once onboard the plane.

Oh, that reminds me. You can get peanut butter and jelly in those little packets too. If you have a PB&J dependent child (or you want one yourself) just bring the bread, and put the actual PB and J in your 3-1-1 bag.

How does your kids get sick from not eating

If you know there is some medical issue with your child, pack your own. Sorry but if you are counting on an airline to provide your dietary needs, that is asking for trouble!

Imzadi did a great job explaining how not eating can make you sick.

I don't have hypogylcemia, but I get very nauseated and get a bad headache if I go too long without food. It was so bad when I was pregnant, that I kept food with me all the time. Even during church - lol! I could eat an entire pound of grapes during a service!


The poster whose child got sick was stuck on the tarmac. People either don't know this can happen, or don't think it will happen to them, or that it won't last as long as it does. It hasn't ever happened to us, but I've heard the horror stories. I would think the stress of being stuck coupled with no food or water could make anyone sick.

 

[laurie31]

Well Imzadi, I have been an EMT-D for over 20 years. I understand what you are talking about....

The question is how you would travel and expect airlines to handle your needs? That is the main thing. You are paying them to fly you from point A to point B, not take care of your dietary needs.

You can manage what you need by packing smart and/or planning ahead and eating before the flight. You understand that, I am sure.. To blame the airline like you did was silly though.

You've lost me totally. Imzadi started this thread to find out what food she is allowed to bring so that she can make sure she has what she needs. She hasn't made the trip yet; I didn't read where she said she thought the airline should provide her a meal.

 

[aprilgail2]

I usually pack the packages of peanut butter and crackers and that gets through security no problems. Before 9/11 I would bring a small jar of peanut butter and a spoon and my daughter would be happy the whole flight!
I would be more than happy to buy a wrap- 7.00 sounds very reasonable to me!

 

[Imzadi]

I am talking about RIGHT TO total attitude meltdown! LOL!!! I also get a SEVERE headache and fatigue.

Oooh, it's no fun!

Yes, I forgot about the headaches. Combine them with the meltdown, not being coherent (during the meltdown,) and tired... what a combo!

Well Imzadi, I have been an EMT-D for over 20 years. I understand what you are talking about....

The question is how you would travel and expect airlines to handle your needs? That is the main thing. You are paying them to fly you from point A to point B, not take care of your dietary needs.

You can manage what you need by packing smart and/or planning ahead and eating before the flight. You understand that, I am sure.. To blame the airline like you did was silly though.

I haven't blamed the airlines... yet. I'm the OP asking if they serve food and what if any, so I can be prepared if they have absolutely nothing, or can I factor in one meal.

There used to be a time when the airlines did feed us. Also, there is a difference in having/taking/being served reasonable amount of food during a trip that takes an expected amount of time (even with reasonable delays factored in,) and some of these recent flights being held on the tarmac for another several hours or more, when they are close enough to the gate to let people off or back on.

I used to fly almost monthly before 9/11. One year, years ago when they were serving food, I was on THE last scheduled flight out of NY, during an ice storm. The rest of the flights were cancelled. The normally 6 hr flight ended up being 13 hours. The captain even took us back to the gate to let us off for 45 min, to make phone calls, go to a real bathroom, some people re-routed and cancelled, left, while the rest of us were able to load up on food, drinks and reading materials before getting back on for the loooong wait & flight.

Most of us didn't complain through the 5 1/2 hours of inching forward on the runway, then stopping while they de-iced the plane over & over again, every several minutes. We knew if we could just get off the ground we were heading for some place warm & sunny.

Normally, all my other flights were less than 7 hours even with delays. Since I had a meal somewhere in that time, I was fine.

 

[momrek06]

I just flew Continental in August round trip from Orange County, CA to Providence, RI and back. We had a bagel and cream cheese and juice for breakfast and we had sandwiches for lunch and soda and pretzels all through out the trip. All free. I also had packed snacks in case we did not have meals BUT WE DID!


Continental

 

[Imzadi]

You've lost me totally. Imzadi started this thread to find out what food she is allowed to bring so that she can make sure she has what she needs. She hasn't made the trip yet; I didn't read where she said she thought the airline should provide her a meal.

edandcolleen asked someone else about their child getting sick and I answered, so that's where that confusion started.

Since (s)he is an EMT, I'm sure (s)he's been called in on many incidences that probably were quite preventable , had people taken better precautions. So, I don't have a problem with him/her saying PLAN BETTER!

 

[Meriweather]

I eat at the terminal before leaving.....we just got back from WDW and that is a long flight.
I also always carry good......nuts, granola bars, fruit. And buy water to take on board (even though they give you drinks, I like having my bottle of water).
We try to fly a nonstop, but when we do have a stop, I grab something there too.
People bring sandwiches, burgers etc on with you and there is always the option of buying the food they sell on the planes.

 

[gm]

we flew continental from houston to new york and got a personal hot cheese pizza,chips,muffin and a drink. On our way back we got a turkey sandwich, chips, cookie and fruit and a drink.

We also flew continental during morning hours on another trip from houston to orlando and got breakfast platter that had eggs,biscuit,bacon and something else I forgot.

This was all in coach. Even though you book thru continental dot com it will usually say no snacks but you do get full snacks and meals. Thats why I love to fly continental.

 

[wowsmom]

Yes, I plan to bring plenty of my own protein snacks - and now a healthy sandwich or two. Hearing about the recent planes that were held on the tarmac for hours upon hours causes some anxiety, foodwise. (It would just piss me off otherwise. )




When a person is hypoglycemic, if their blood sugar drops excessively, a number of symptoms may happen. Usually, it starts off with crankiness, becoming real irritablility. Then for me, verbally I can't think of the right words I want to say. This is the first red flag to me. Because I may be cranky or irritable for a number of reasons. But, I am usually very articulate, so when the right words elude me consistentlyfor a bit, I know I should get something to eat.

Then body tremors start. I feel them slightly inside first. Then it shifts to my hands. (Pres. Clinton was recently filmed at a funeral with a trembling hand. The press went crazy saying he might have Parkinson's - when probably, it was only hypoglycemia. It's not like he could whip out a bag of peanuts and start chewing at the event, if they went crazy over a trembling hand. )

If don't get something to eat then, I start getting fuzzy or faint.

By that point, my body is on high red alert. My body is in survival mode then. I have been unintentionally quite nasty to a McDonald's employee if they are a little too incompetent right then and take too long, because I NEED TO EAT!!! Every second counts.

(If you've ever seen a kid have an absolute meltdown for not being able to eat something right away, they are probably having a real blood sugar drop. People think, "Oh come on, you brat, you can't need to eat so badly that you can't wait another moment or two." Actually, it IS that bad if they have low blood sugar. Their bodies know they need to eat.

I have never gotten to the point of being nauseous, though I've known others have.

My dad was diabetic instead of hypoglycemic, at that point, he might become extremely confused, disoriented or incoherent, seeming like he was drunk or intoxicated. Diabetics may laspe into this state without realising it. Once, my dad was stopped on the road in this state, the officer made him take a sobriety test. If he was admitted into a hospital in this condition they would also do a sobriety test in addition to a glucose level test, even if he had a medic alert bracelet saying he was diabetic.

That's why a kid would scream to eat and/or get nauseous. They have to get the message across that they need food before they get into the incoherent/disoriented stage. The body is really about survival at that point.

After that, is the possibility of passing out, (like if you saw Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias.) Then, lapsing into a diabetic coma.

Imzadi, I just wanted to say you did a great job of explaining what hypoglycemia can do to a person!

I really hate when I get the shakes - used to happen pretty often when we'd eat out because I could pretty much guarantee that if I was hungry, my order would get messed up. And I just loved the people at the other tables looking strangely at me when I was shaking.

As far as your flight, I highly recommend taking snacks with you - and maybe a bit more snacks than you think you'll need.

 

[flying_babyb]

Then body tremors start. I feel them slightly inside first. Then it shifts to my hands. (Pres. Clinton was recently filmed at a funeral with a trembling hand. The press went crazy saying he might have Parkinson's - when probably, it was only hypoglycemia. It's not like he could whip out a bag of peanuts and start chewing at the event, if they went crazy over a trembling hand. )

If don't get something to eat then, I start getting fuzzy or faint.

By that point, my body is on high red alert. My body is in survival mode then. I have been unintentionally quite nasty to a McDonald's employee if they are a little too incompetent right then and take too long, because I NEED TO EAT!!! Every second counts.

(If you've ever seen a kid have an absolute meltdown for not being able to eat something right away, they are probably having a real blood sugar drop. People think, "Oh come on, you brat, you can't need to eat so badly that you can't wait another moment or two." Actually, it IS that bad if they have low blood sugar. Their bodies know they need to eat.

I have never gotten to the point of being nauseous, though I've known others have.
QUOTE]
OMG- this so decribes me. Except I get hot first, like really hot... Then comes shakes, and the fuzzies. I have been to the point where I get nausious. After that comes the fun DRY HEAVES. I feel Im lucky I ger hot. It warns me I have about 20 mintues to eat or I'll get sick.

 

[MsAmerica]

Having spent up to four hours on the tarmac just waiting to take off, I wouldn't dream of getting on a plane these days without at least a power bar in my carry on.

I consider any food given out on board these days to be a bonus.


MsA

 

[BigDaddyRog]

Well Imzadi, I have been an EMT-D for over 20 years. I understand what you are talking about....

The question is how you would travel and expect airlines to handle your needs? That is the main thing. You are paying them to fly you from point A to point B, not take care of your dietary needs.

You can manage what you need by packing smart and/or planning ahead and eating before the flight. You understand that, I am sure.. To blame the airline like you did was silly though.

Hmmm...in THIS THREAD you said you were you've been a GM in the hotel business for the last 20 years. Im confused....do you drive your hotel around saving peoples lives? Doesnt that eat up some serious fuel???

 

[dare2dream]

Just because your flight offers food for purchase does not mean you will be able to purchase food. From what I have observed the amount of food allotted to a flight is not adjusted according to how full the flight is. I have been on several sold out flights when the food for purchase runs out before the flight attendants get to the back of the plane.

I bring an empty wide mouth water bottle from home through security with me. I have no problem with water from water fountains and fill up the bottle before I get on the plane. I also take a plastic cup from home and always ask the flight attendants for extra ice. I love my ice water.

Moral of the story - if you need food pack your own. If you have little ones or health considerations make sure you are always prepared for every worse case scenario.

 

[flying_babyb]

Whats A emt d? Ive heard of EMT B, EMT IV, but never d!

 

[Imzadi]

I just looked it up. The answer I found was also by a NYer like the OP who said (s)he is an EMT.

"They used to just have EMT, then when the defib came about defib was another certification. So then when defib became part of protocal everyone became an EMT-D. Then NY decided to conform and be the same as the rest of the country and EMT-D is now EMT-B... and everyone lived happily ever after...

(Since 2003) It's been back to EMT-B in NY."

Thanks for everyone's help!