Can you bring food on an airplaine?

[ncbyrne]

Our upcoming Continental flight is 5-1/2 hours. No meals, just "snack". (I assume the usual soda and cheapo trail mix) The flight is at 7:30 a.m and with heighten security I need to be at the airport by 5:30 a.m.! I'm sure I'll find something at the airport to call breakfast, but can I bring food on the airplane? And if I can, what kinds of things are acceptable and usual for flights of this duration?

 

[bavaria]

Yes, in fact airlines will encourage you to find something before you board. There is much discussion here re foods - especially in regards to peanut butter and peanut allergies. You may also avoid foods which are too smelly

I can't speak for your airline, but United has some healthy buy on board options - I love the RiteBite box for $5 which has hummus, pita chips, organic crackers, can of tuna, piece of cheese, raisins, and a mini Toblerone bar. Enough for two people to enjoy - I actually buy one and put it in my laptop bag for those late night hotel arrivals.

You could buy something in the gate area, but selection varies tremendously at different airprots. Check out your airport online to see what may be available.

 

[bavaria]

This is from Continental's website:

Flights over 3 1/2 hours
First Class: Beverages and a hot or cold choice of entrée will be offered for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Fresh baked-on-board cookies are included with breakfast and lunch. Ice cream with your choice of toppings is included with dinner.

Economy Class: Beverages and a snack basket containing cold breakfast items will be offered for breakfast. A fresh hot sandwich snack basket will be offered for lunch or dinner. For flights over 3 hours, a hot sandwich will be offered for Lunch and Dinner.

you may still want to buy your own meal to bring on board, as the hot sandwich may not be to your liking.

 

[mamacatnv]

Possessed reply - duplicated itself - sorry

 

[mamacatnv]

We take a small soft sided cooler with asst. sandwiches, cookie packets, chip packets, fruit cups, bananas, apples, string cheese and gogurts (yogurt tubes) etc... Last year we also had mayo & mustard in mini bottles but this year that will be out. We usually fly SWA and it takes us 7-8 hrs to get to the East coast so food is a must.

Our only dilemma this year is how to keep everything cold since no ice, cool gel packs etc... We figure we will throw in some empty zip lock bags and ask flight attendants for ice when we get on the plane.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

So long as it isn't liquid, you shouldn't have a problem. You can't bring drinks through the TSA security checkpoint, and you can't take drinks you buy in the airport onto the plane. You wouldn't have a problem with sandwiches or bags of chips or the like, though.

 

[bavaria]

Actually, I see a problem with the gogourt. And your mileage may vary with the TSA agent you encounter. A few weeks ago they wouldn't let bagels with cream cheese through security in Orlando - gel like, apparently. I think that's a little extreme, and haven't seen more reports of such over on flyertalk.com. BUT the rules are interpreted differently depending on agent and airport, so it's not a given.

 

[NotUrsula]

Here's your coolant: frozen grapes. (Companies that ship live lobsters have been packing them in frozen peas, but I don't think too many people would really want to snack on those. )

Grapes are a good solution, and you can eat them out of hand.

 

[mamacatnv]

Actually, I see a problem with the gogourt. And your mileage may vary with the TSA agent you encounter. A few weeks ago they wouldn't let bagels with cream cheese through security in Orlando - gel like, apparently. I think that's a little extreme, and haven't seen more reports of such over on flyertalk.com. BUT the rules are interpreted differently depending on agent and airport, so it's not a given.

Oops, I forgot to add that we took those last year but know we can't bring them this year.

Here's your coolant: frozen grapes. (Companies that ship live lobsters have been packing them in frozen peas, but I don't think too many people would really want to snack on those. )
Grapes are a good solution, and you can eat them out of hand.

Fabulous idea! Thanks

 

[zuzu310]

I sympathize with the OP. We leave Saturday at 6 am which means DH and I will be at the airport at 4 am. I thought about stopping for donuts on the way (Tim Horton's is open 24 hours), but I figured the cream filling, whipped cream, icing etc. would be pushing it. What is "legal" and still sounds good at 6 in the morning?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Here's your coolant: frozen grapes. (Companies that ship live lobsters have been packing them in frozen peas, but I don't think too many people would really want to snack on those. )
Grapes are a good solution, and you can eat them out of hand.

Fabulous idea! Thanks

AND it avoids the problem of the plane only having a limited amount of ice (and needing it for passengers' beverages ahead of giving any to passengers to keep their brought-aboard food cold). The other option is, of course, to not bring anything perishable.

 

[Donald is #1]

I recommend that you call your airport & check. When I flew 2 weeks ago, you could not bring any food through security! I was flying early in the morning and I asked if I could buy a bagel and bring it through security and I was told no. Perhaps if you buy it within the security zone they will let you bring it on the plane. But anyways, you should probably call & check.

 

[NotUrsula]

There is a "ban" on bagels in some airports not because of the bread, but because of the spreads used on them. They were interpreting a cream cheese schmeer as a gel, and making people throw out the container, which was the bagel itself. Bagels seemed to get special attention because people often put the toppings on pretty thickly, which I suppose leads some overzealous agents to think that "they could put the fake stuff on there and then scrape it off so that they could use it to blow a plane to kingdom come."

According to the TSA website, food is still OK for carryons, but you cannot bring any condiments/spreads on separately. I took sandwiches through with the mustard and mayo already on them, but someone else dumped a salad because they would not allow a packet of dressing unless it was opened and applied to the lettuce before entering the checkpoint.

 

[CarolA]

There is a "ban" on bagels in some airports not because of the bread, but because of the spreads used on them. They were interpreting a cream cheese schmeer as a gel, and making people throw out the container, which was the bagel itself. Bagels seemed to get special attention because people often put the toppings on pretty thickly, which I suppose leads some overzealous agents to think that "they could put the fake stuff on there and then scrape it off so that they could use it to blow a plane to kingdom come."

.

The inmates are running the asylum here........

The problem is NOT the spread on your bagle, the problem would be that the TSA is not screening for EXPLOSIVES!!! (Once again they TSA is treating the SYMPTOMS not the DISEASE) Has it never occured to the TSA that blowing the MCO gate area to kingdom come would be a newsworthy event for a terrorists? Guess not, that stuff is "safe" in the gate area but not on the plane. In the TSA world explosives are only dangerous at 30,000 feet. In my world a bomb's a bomb.....

Food is allowed thru the screening area. However, as Donald discovered you may get the TSA on a power trip where they change the rules. Some of my fellow business travelers print out the TSA rules and have them available to provide to the TSA agent who wants to change the rules. I don't go that far I just give in at the checkpoint, walk thru and ask for a manager. I then watch the look of terror and listen to the TSA agent say something about how "by the time the supervisor gets here you will miss your plane" So... I wait. I then complain if I was treated rudely and/or the agent is making up their own rules. If the treatment is really bad I write a formal complaint to the TSA and the local airport. TSA supervisors have pretty much admitted to me that most folks don't complain because they don't want to waste the time or are scared too. I have decided that allowing myself to be bullied by a TSA agent is not any different then letting the playground bully beat up a kid and I am not willing to be bullied. I have never been rude to a TSA agent so they have no reason to be rude to me. (I made all these decsions after watching a TSA agent SCREAM at a grandmother because she was unable to walk and he had to deal with her wheelchair.... Sorry, but if you have been getting away with that and your coworkers were willing to allow it ALL of you should be ashamed!)

 

[NotUrsula]

Carol, I agree with you, but when I'm travelling for leisure and with my kid, I'm not going to take a stand. Travelling alone when I can go standby is another story.

I think this whole "liquids" circus is ridiculous overkill, but at MCO, at least, I usually don't want to waste my time fighting with TSA (figuratively, of course -- raising your voice to TSA is enough to get you hauled off in cuffs these days.) When travelling with a kid I do what I can not to cheese them off, if you'll pardon the pun.

 

[Belle2002]

Last I heard no yogurt or puddings. It really depends where you are. My friend flew from LA last week and couldn't even take a pen on board. It's all so rediculous!!

 

[*Belle*]

Was it a Gel Pen?

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Right now, TSA seems to be allowing liquid/gel-like food products if they are incorpoated with other food but not if they are still in a packet or container. So PBJ sandwiches are okay but not a packet of jelly; salad with dressing is okay but not a container of dressing; tacos with hot sauce but not the hot sauce still in the packet.

But, the formal list of prohibited items includes any food which is a "gel like food substance" so the TSA officers clearly have authority to prohibit many foods no matter the "container."

Best of luck -- Suzanne

 

[CarolA]

Right now, TSA seems to be allowing liquid/gel-like food products if they are incorpoated with other food but not if they are still in a packet or container. So PBJ sandwiches are okay but not a packet of jelly; salad with dressing is okay but not a container of dressing; tacos with hot sauce but not the hot sauce still in the packet.

But, the formal list of prohibited items includes any food which is a "gel like food substance" so the TSA officers clearly have authority to prohibit many foods no matter the "container."

Best of luck -- Suzanne

We all know the terrorist would NEVER disguse the "explsoive" by putting it on REAL food......

 

[NotUrsula]

... And what about those onions scupted out of C4?