Bringing lunch from home on airplane

[clifffaith]

We (meaning me, because Cliff won't pack until 9PM Friday) are starting to get packed and organized for our flight to Hawaii at the crack of 8AM on Saturday. From approx 2008 to 2013 I carried a 9"x6"x5" completely collapsible (no insulation) bag with our lunch in it. Basically a "third" piece of carry on luggage. Once or twice during that time someone asked "is that food?" and when we answered yes they just passed us on through. This would have been mostly on American Airlines.

Then on a flight on Hawaiian from Kauai to Honolulu where we were then catching a flight home they wouldn't allow the lunch bag but we were able to stuff it in another bag. Carried it openly on American as usual on the next leg of our trip. At that time I went on Trip Advisor to ask if others had problems with their lunch sacks. The question went over like a fart in church with everyone jumping on me for gaming the system with my lunch tote. That freaked me out enough to make me never carry the compact lunch kit again. Instead I put our lunch into a disposable plastic shopping bag that "relaxes" into a much bigger parcel than my zippered lunch tote ever did.

How does everyone else deal with food on a long domestic flight?

 

[Passepartout]

We buy something in the airport after security. That's how it is in the post 2001 world. The choices are actually pretty good these days. Now, out of courtesy, that Italian sub, loaded with garlicky sauce, isn't likely to make you too popular as you tuck into it while the drink cart is in the aisle and you're looking for those extra napkins you hope they put in the bag.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

We (meaning me, because Cliff won't pack until 9PM Friday) are starting to get packed and organized for our flight to Hawaii at the crack of 8AM on Saturday. From approx 2008 to 2013 I carried a 9"x6"x5" completely collapsible (no insulation) bag with our lunch in it. Basically a "third" piece of carry on luggage. Once or twice during that time someone asked "is that food?" and when we answered yes they just passed us on through. This would have been mostly on American Airlines.

Then on a flight on Hawaiian from Kauai to Honolulu where we were then catching a flight home they wouldn't allow the lunch bag but we were able to stuff it in another bag. Carried it openly on American as usual on the next leg of our trip. At that time I went on Trip Advisor to ask if others had problems with their lunch sacks. The question went over like a fart in church with everyone jumping on me for gaming the system with my lunch tote. That freaked me out enough to make me never carry the compact lunch kit again. Instead I put our lunch into a disposable plastic shopping bag that "relaxes" into a much bigger parcel than my zippered lunch tote ever did.

How does everyone else deal with food on a long domestic flight?

We just flew Alaska into Maui this past August and one of our carry on's was a rolling cooler and we brought breakfast and lunch and had no problems with all that food coming on

 

[clifffaith]

We just flew Alaska into Maui this past August and one of our carry on's was a rolling cooler and we brought breakfast and lunch and had no problems with all that food coming on

But did that leave you with five pieces between the two of you, or did it replace one?

 

[Sugarcubesea]

We put one of the personal carry ons in the cooler

 

[Talent312]

Now, out of courtesy, that Italian sub, loaded with garlicky sauce, isn't likely to make you too popular as you tuck into it while the drink cart is in the aisle and you're looking for those extra napkins you hope they put in the bag.

Shortly after take-off, we pulled out a couple of mesquite-chicken Quiznos subs.
Our neighbors were more jealous than annoyed. "Oh, man. That looks good."

.

 

[dioxide45]

It is pretty much up to the agents working the gate. They can choose to enforce or not enforce the rules. Seems more often than not, they don't.

 

[Luanne]

We buy something in the airport after security. That's how it is in the post 2001 world. The choices are actually pretty good these days. Now, out of courtesy, that Italian sub, loaded with garlicky sauce, isn't likely to make you too popular as you tuck into it while the drink cart is in the aisle and you're looking for those extra napkins you hope they put in the bag.

This is what we do as well. It seems lately that our flights have been so early in the morning that we've stayed at a hotel near the airport the night before. So the option of bringing a lunch I've made isn't really an option at all.

 

[isisdave]

Just remember to eat any fruit before you land.

 

[Jan M.]

I learned the hard way to bring my own food even if it is only some snacks. In case of delays or problems we always have something with us. We bring food from home or from our unit for the return flight or we get something on the way to the airport. I do sometimes buy food at the airport but I never plan on being able to buy food there for several reasons. Sometimes it takes forever to get your bag checked and through security and other times you are on your way to the gate in 10-15 minutes. Sometimes the lines at the different food places are very long too. Also not all terminals have a great selection of places to get food.

If we have an evening flight when we are arriving at a resort we always bring a few granola, fruit and nut bars so we have something for breakfast in the morning before we make a grocery store run.

I give a big thumbs up to the Pittsburgh airport. The restaurants there cannot charge more than 10% over what they would at a non airport location.

I have a small lunch sized insulated bag that folds up that I like to use but sometimes just use a grocery store plastic bag or paper bag from a restaurant. If I'm flying an airline that I'm not sure about I put my lunch bag in the grocery store or restaurant bag. I've never had a problem. I learned from watching other people to bring an empty water bottle and fill it up before getting on the plane. Flying is dehydrating so we try to drink lots of water. A number of airports now have water stations with filtered water not just drinking fountains.

 

[Phydeaux]

We pack a lunch and bring in our carry on every year we fly to Mexico. Have been doing so for quite a few years. Will be doing the same thing very soon for our upcoming trip. We don't think twice about it, and have never had any problem.

 

[am1]

I prefer to use airline that provides "food" as well as visit a lounge which at least has something.

I do bring some snacks for our kids. We have too many bags as it is to bring a lunch bag as well.

 

[mav]

Yes, we have brought lunch before, no problem. Every time we fly from Dulles there are people bring food from Potbelly's.

 

[csxjohn]

We always take some food for the flight. I think your problem was that it was another bag and not that it was food. We carry ours in our "personal Item" which is a back pack with some items in our jacket pockets.

 

[Timeshare Von]

You've gotten some good advice from others regarding your question about food but I'd like to say something about this comment . . .

>>>At that time I went on Trip Advisor to ask if others had problems with their lunch sacks. The question went over like a fart in church with everyone jumping on me for gaming the system with my lunch tote.<<<

Some of the forums on Trip Advisor are horrible. Their "Destination Experts" (DE's) can be obnoxious and rude, condescending and outright jerks. If you asked in the "Hawaii Forum" . . . they are some of THE WORST! I would take any advice from those volunteers with huge egos, with a grain of salt. There are some forums that are very good with great people volunteering to help others without their own interests in mind. Based on my experience, the DE's for Alaska are the best on Trip Advisor. The folks for Ireland are pretty outstanding too. Kenya & Tanzania . . . not so much.

So your mileage may vary in terms of the value you receive from input on Trip Advisor . . . keeping in mind what is the real value of something you are getting for free.

Enjoy your trip to Hawaii. I envy you! I wish I was heading to warmer locales too!

 

[jehb2]

There have been enough times in my travels where I've gotten stuck somewhere with no food available. So, I always take lunch or dinner on flights. Last couple of trips I've actually carried my large Costco soft sided cooler. I bring fun meals and treats. My family loves it.

I got the Costco cooler idea from this tug thread
http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?...g-a-cooler-as-a-carry-on.241997/#post-1888025

 

[TravelMaster]

We always bring high nutrient/energy foods in separate zip-lock bags. Cheese cubes, cashews, dried cranberries, energy bars, etc. Don't need a special bag, just stuff them in the smallest, most accessible carry-on. This is really emergency grub for those extra hours spent on the tarmac, or when you get stranded due to a cancelled flight......or what has happened more than once.....the airline runs out of food for sale. Worst case scenario is we toss the cheese, saving the other foods for the trip back.

 

[LannyPC]

We pack a lunch and bring in our carry on every year we fly to Mexico. Have been doing so for quite a few years. Will be doing the same thing very soon for our upcoming trip. We don't think twice about it, and have never had any problem.

That's good to know. We have some flights coming up and I was wondering about bringing food on the plane purchased before going through security. I should double check what the regulations are for Canadian airports.

 

[clifffaith]

We once bought sandwiches at the airport in Sydney before our three hour (or thereabouts) flight to New Zealand. Turns out they fed us because it was an international flight between two countries. Had to trash the sandwiches on arrival because New Zealand does not allow "foreign" meat to come in.

 

[vacationhopeful]

I always pack something to eat ... Subway, small cookie packages, etc. 90 minute layovers can rapidly turn into RUNNING with the BULLS to catch a connecting flight or your flight gets sent to never-never airport for fuel (and YOU sit on plane).

 

[Born2Travel]

Whatever you bring or buy to eat on the plane, please make sure it passes the NO SMELL test. Nothing worse than sitting near someone eating something that may smell good to them, but smells pretty awful to you. (I haven't read all the posts so this may have already been mentioned. If so, I apologize for the repeat)

 

[VegasBella]

Here's the TSA list of approved foods (multiple pages)
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/food

 

[easyrider]

Never had a problem flying Alaska or Delta with food in a small ice chest that would fit under the seat heading to Hawaii or Mexico from the USA. We always bring fruit , crackers and a wrap for the flight. To keep it cold we put something like prepared frozen casserole in the bottom of the ice chest. We get a beverage at the airport for the flight, usually water or iced tea. We toss all of the left over flight foods when we are about to land.

Is food prohibited on inter Island flights or was it too many personal items ?

Bill

 

[Here There]

How does everyone else deal with food on a long domestic flight?

I fly out east on red-eyes several times a year and like to begin the day with a healthier breakfast choice. So I generally pack into my large handbag or tote: a single serving pack of instant oatmeal, a plastic soup spoon, 1 hard-boiled egg or whole wheat quesadilla, some fruit (orange or cut-up apple slices), a single serving pack of hummus. When the final cart comes around serving hot beverages, I usually ask for hot water and prepare my cereal at my seat. Sometimes I'd stir some hummus into the cereal, other times I'd eat it with the apple slices. There's something about drinking hot porridge that hits the spot and fortifies me to face the dawn in a new city...

 

[brownhaired_girl]

Have to agree with Born2Travel about being respectful of odors. My worst flight ever was one where I was seated next to someone eating a Bloomin Onion. She pulled that dang thing out 3 different times on one flight. It might have served her right if I shared my breakfast with her