By OWEN MORRIS
“It’s 80 percent entertainment and 20 percent hunger.... A meal is one trick airlines use to keep passengers diverted during a long flight in a narrow, sterile metal tube."
The above is a quote from Aer Lingus executive Jack Foley in this Portfolio article by Joe Brancatelli talking about how airline meals are overrated. Brancatelli's message seems to be that people shouldn't complain that airlines such as United are removing meals from flights — even international ones — because the food is not very good and it's irrational to desire something so bad that strongly.
I, for one, disagree. Having been on several international flights I can tell you that those flights are about the worst thing in the world. Maybe things are ten times better in business or first class (where Brancatelli casually drops in that he sits) but when I've gotten off long flights, those passengers always look the worse for wear as everybody else. Back in coach, the food may be lousy, but it's about the only morale booster for eight solid hours. Flying over the ocean is boring. If you forget your own entertainment, there's nothing to look at except the in-flight movie ("all right, Bicentennial Man!") or the back of the seat in front of you. Between seeing the food cart, waiting for it, waiting for the beverage cart, carefully opening your food, eating it... food acts as something that diverts attention for almost a solid hour.
In that way it may be entertainment but there's another, bigger purpose. Eating just makes people feel good. People's faces light up when they get that tray covered in foil. Having a warm(ish) meal is also relaxing and it's only after eating a meal that I can really try and doze off.
Meesha, the blogger behind Kansas City With a Russian Accent recently chose Amtrak over flying to Chicago and I asked him how the food was different. "On a train we only had breakfast. We sat at the real table. Beautiful views on both sides. The food was served on real plates. I had eggs/potato/bacon and a coffee. My daughter had cereal/milk/fruit/yogurt/oj... As with the rest of our trip I felt totally relaxed, no pressure. enjoying myself. "
The dining experience is better on Amtrak but it's also a different vibe. People aren't as scrunched together and between the beautiful views, dining car, mobility etc, trains have more options for activity than planes do. Then again, Meesha did not seem to have too high a view of airline food in the beginning, so maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm in the minority for still caring about that little tinfoil tray.
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Hey- I never said I wasn't stupid but how did I misquote him? I'm not taking his quote out of context nor am I manipulating it. Maybe I should have, it would have made more news.
As for the book...you're right. I should have taken a book on my last flight but I didn't have any room in my carry-on and the books at the airport were in German. They did have an old Newsweek in English and I read through that a couple times.
Also--and this is a different subject-- I have terrible taste in picking books to read on airplanes. Of the last two I have picked (one by George Plimpton and one on mountain disasters) both turned out to be duds.
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