There are so many things that can make a long-haul flight a terrible experience, and one of those is having a gnawing pain in your stomach due to hunger.
Aside from abdominal distress, other symptoms related to being hungry such as nausea, dizziness, headaches, weakness, and irritability, can worsen being locked up in a sardine can that is an airplane for several hours.
This is why a lot of those who are about to travel on a plane, especially if they will be spending several hours being thousands of feet from the ground, wonder if they should bring their own food or not.
It’s for the fact that at times, food may not be served at all, or there is a possibility that they won’t like what’s going to be served.
So how many meals are served on a 14-hour flight? Usually, three meals are served on a really long flight, such as something that lasts for 14 hours. Other than three major meals, snacks are also offered to the passengers. However, it is important to note that different airline companies have different policies when it comes to serving in-flight meals.
Aside from meals included in the flight ticket, some airlines also offer food-for-sale service. It’s like having access to a convenience store except for only food and drinks are being offered.
Unlike in-flight meals, each of the items comes with a price tag. There are lots of other things that you need to know about food service offered by airlines, so keep on reading this article if you would like to learn more about the topic.
Especially if you are about to take a long-haul flight, being armed with the right information can help you keep your stomach and you yourself happy while flying.
Want more ideas on long-haul flights? Check out this link after reading the entirety of this article: What’s considered a long flight.
Knowing If Meals Are Included in Your Flight Ticket
First things first: before you decide if you should pack your own meals or not, check if your flight ticket already includes meals. And if it does, it’s generally a good idea for you to check how many meals will be served on the long flight.
This is especially true if you have food allergies or sensitivities. Knowing which food will be available during your flight is important if you are diagnosed with a medical condition that requires a special type of diet in order to fend off complications.
If the airline is known to provide full service to its passengers, then you can rest assured that you will be served with meals at least once during your flight. This is most especially true if it’s a long haul flight, which means that the airplane will be crossing several time zones.
However, some airlines are notorious for not offering in-flight meals to their passengers. This is especially true for their short-haul flights.
You cannot expect the flight attendant to hand you with something to munch on, especially if your flight is just a couple of hours long. You may consider yourself lucky if the airline serves snacks during a domestic flight, which tends to happen from time to time.
Needless to say, matters regarding meals differ between Qantas Airways and Philippine Airlines or any other airline company.
To know whether or not your flight ticket includes meals, pay the website of the airline a visit. If you are not a tech-savvy individual, you may call up the airline company and ask about meals.
More often than not, airlines do not talk about food and drinks unless their passengers ask about them. If you would like to know ahead of time if your stomach might end up rumbling on a plane or not, check or inquire about meals.
And just in case nothing will be served to the passengers, see which food you can and cannot bring with you.
Number of Meals Served Varies From One Flight to the Next
Once you are certain that the flight attendant will be handing out in-flight meals, there is one more important matter that you need to know about. That’s none other than the number of meals that will be served.
Most people eat three main meals a day, and they are breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In between these meals, snacks are consumed.
The good news is that not a lot of passengers have to spend the entire day on a plane, and that is why having one or two major meals and a snack while flying is usually more than enough.
In some instances, however, having three main meals is necessary for those who are taking long-haul flights. The good news is that airline companies that offer long-haul flights tend to provide three in-flight meals. Snacks are also usually served in between meals.
Definitely, the number of meals served on a flight tends to differ from flight to flight or airline to airline. If you are about to spend three hours or more on an airplane, the type of meal, as well as the frequency of meal to enjoy, will vary.
One of the most important factors when it comes to the type and number of meals that will be served is the time of day you will be flying.
For instance, if your flight that lasts for 3 hours is from 11 am to 1 pm, then it is very much likely that you will be served lunch. This is provided that a meal is included in your flight ticket.
If your flight is from 6 am to 11 am, then sometime during your 5-hour flight, you may be served breakfast or lunch, or sometimes both.
Longer flights that take 7 to 10 hours to complete certainly include a couple of meals with snacks.
On the other hand, really long flights that take 12, 14, and even up to 20 hours before the land usually include three full meals plus snacks in between those meals.
At which times meals are served on a flight differ from one airline to the other. Of course, you can rest assured that the times they are served will follow the times we eat on any other day. As an example, check out this timetable of meals that Continental Airlines stick to:
- Breakfast: between 1 am to 9 am
- Lunch: between 11 am to 1 pm
- Dinner: 5 pm to 7 pm
In order to be sure, it’s a good idea to visit the airline company’s website or give its office a call. Especially if there is a medical reason for you to have meals at certain times of the day, it’s important to be informed.
Keep Your Tummy Out of Harm’s Way by Being Prepared
Again, different airlines have different policies when it comes to serving meals. Some of them definitely serve meals as well as snacks if they take you through breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Others do not serve major meals, especially domestic ones, in which the passengers do not have to spend a lot of time thousands of feet from the ground.
However, there is a common thing shared by a lot of airline companies, and that is the fact that snacks are available. At times they are complementary, but there are also instances in which they come with price tags.
Meals served by flight attendants also tend to vary depending on where the passengers are.
Needless to say, the meals that those on business or first class may enjoy are completely different from the meals that those on the economy class may have.
You can rest assured that the amount and quality of food you may be served with will depend on a very important factor: the cost of your flight ticket.
Generally speaking, the longer the flight, the more meals are served to the passengers. Going from Los Angeles to Las Vegas is entirely different from going from London to Singapore in terms of in-flight meals. The amount of time spent in the air is definitely a crucial factor.
Being prepared by inquiring is highly recommended. This is most especially true if you have to stick to a dietary or nutritional plan. If you are suffering from diabetes, for instance, bringing with you oats, nuts, or hard-boiled eggs can help to keep your blood sugar levels during your flight stable.
It’s also possible to ask the airline company if it’s serving meals for passengers with special needs diet-wise.
Related Questions:
How long does a flight have to be for me to get a free meal?
Usually, it has to be three hours or longer and also takes you through at least one of the scheduled breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Can I put food in my carry-on luggage?
Yes, you can stash in your carry-on luggage, your favorite food provided that it’s not in liquid form that goes beyond the limit, which is 3.4 ounces.
Is it okay to wrap my food with aluminum foil?
Even though its metal, aluminum foil does not usually set off metal detectors, although it will show up on an x-ray.
I knew an older couple who put a lemon wrapped in a foil in their checked luggage. They had a long conversation with the TSA officer. Luckily, everything was resolved, but they were stuck for more than two hours because of a simple mistake.
