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AIRLINES FEED DIVERSE DIETS
published January 17 by Caribbean News Now and January 19 by Huntington News Network
By Rene A. Henry
SEATTLE, Wash., Jan. 17 – No airline will ever get a Michelin star for its food. But many now are at
least making an effort to accommodate the diverse ethnic, religious and nutritional diets of their passengers.
When my editor learned I was working on this story he responded: “Airline food? That’s an oxymoron!”
Before deregulation, when every ticket was the same price and there were no hidden fees, airlines
competed to provide the very best service and food. Unlike today, the options on the menu were always
available because extra meals were always on board.
As a contrast to nickel-and-diming customers for almost anything conceivable, today many airlines are
making a significant effort to meet the diverse diet needs of their passengers. This writer surveyed Alaska,
American, Delta and United-Continental airlines regarding their food service.
In the days when flying was an enjoyable experience and men dressed with jackets and ties, some
domestic flights were classics when it came to service and food. Air Canada from Los Angles to Montreal
or Toronto. Pan Am from New York to San Juan. Any transcontinental flight on American, TWA or United,
especially between New York and Los Angeles.
Before the days of widebodies, on some of its coast-to-coast flights, United for a while even had a chef
on board to personally serve its first class travelers. I don’t expect to see Daniel Boulud, Charlie Trotter,
Roger Vergé or Paul Bocuse serving food on any flight today. On premiere flights Pan Am had its Boeing
707s outfitted with a first class lounge where a male purser would serve drinks from a full service bar. The
days of the upstairs first class lounge on Boeing 747s are long gone as well as the piano bar between
business and economy classes on Continental’s Lockheed 1011s.
The many varieties of special meals being served by airlines include Asian, baby, child, bland, diabetic,
gluten-free or gluten-intolerant, Hindu, Jain, Japanese, Kosher, low-calorie, low-cholesterol, low-fat, low-
sodium, Muslim, Passover, vegan and vegetarian. Most airlines have eliminated handing out peanuts
because it is the most common food allergy in older children and adults. For a number of years I was a very
frequent traveler – sometimes my body told me perhaps too frequent – and I considered American Airlines
had the best special meals. When I was not hungry or watching calories, my favorites were a shrimp
seafood platter and a fruit plate.
Not all of the special meals are available on all flights of all airlines. Only Alaska and United-Continental
reported that they now have vegan special meals. Special meals generally need to be ordered 24 hours in
advance and are available on flights of two or more hours and served during traditional breakfast, lunch and
dinner times. Depending on the airline, the special meal may be free to first class and business
passengers but with a charge for those flying coach, also called the main cabin or economy class.
Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and Kosher “picnic packs” are buy-on-board options for economy class
passengers for $6 on Alaska Airlines according to Bobbie Egan, media relations manager.
“We are proud to provide a variety of complimentary special meals – accommodating dietary and
religious needs – that cater to all our customers’ tastes, ensuring an enjoyable in-flight dining experience,”
says Alice Liu, managing director of onboard products for American Airlines. She noted that special meals
are available in all classes to and from Europe and Asia as well as many cities in Latin America and that
first and business class passengers on non-stop transcontinental flights two hour or longer may request a
special meal. However, special meals are not available on those flights in the main cabin or economy class.
If special meals are important or of interest to you, before you book your next flight, call the airline and
ask if special meals will be available on the flight you want, what special meals will be available, and if there
are any restrictions or charges because of the class of service.
It is interesting to note that before Congress stupidly deregulated the airlines, all were profitable,
stockholders and employees were happy and pensions funds did not need to be replenished by taxpayers.
The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 was supposed to protect U.S. airlines from bankruptcy. The members
of Congress who voted for its passage should ask the people formerly employed by Braniff, TWA, Pan Am,
Eastern, America West, Midway, Northwest, National, Western, PSA, Piedmont, Ozark and People Express
airlines and especially the traveling public today if they believe they are better off with deregulation.
Selected Op/Eds and Commentaries
To access any of the following, click on the headline ...
Airlines Feed Diverse Diets, published January 17 by Caribbean News Now! and January 19 by Huntington
News Network
No airline will ever get a Michelin star for its food. But many now are at least making an effort to
accommodate the diverse ethnic, religious and nutritional diets of their passengers. When my editor learned I
was working on this story he responded: “Airline food? That’s an oxymoron!” Before deregulation, when
every ticket was the same price and there were no hidden fees, airlines competed to provide the very best
service and food. ...
Amtrak, Congress Need to Get With It, published February 23, 2011 by Huntington News Network
I love trains. And, because I love riding trains I wish the senior management of Amtrak, the people
responsible for passenger train service in our country, Congress and some of our governors would just get
their acts together. I’ve been fortunate to have been a passenger on some of the best trains in the U.S. and
overseas. ...
Customer Service Sells for Cruise Lines, published by Huntington News Network, November 21, 2001
Crystal Cruises is another company that is proving my thesis that many people want and will pay more for
customer service. This cruise from New York City to Los Angeles on the company's Crystal Symphony is sold
out and the travelers are proving that even in a depressed economy or recession that they will pay extra for
great customer service ...
Delta Air Lines Has New Ways to Scam Its Flyers, published March 28, 2010 by Huntington News Network and
March 29 by Caribbean Net News
If many airlines took the time and effort they devote to finding new ways to charge and inconvenience
passengers and redirected it to making it less frustrating and more enjoyable for flyers, I would call that
customer service ...
Is Delta's PR Hiding or Being Ignored?, published March 30, 2010 by www.odwyerpr.com
This is a public relations look at the new ways Delta is scamming its customers.
European Thieves Have New Scam for Travelers, published Caribbean Net News July 9, 2009 and Huntington
News Network, July 15, 2009
Thieves in Europe are always finding new ways to rob unsuspecting tourists. The latest scam is a team that
works together to disable a rental car, distract the occupants and then rob them of their belongings. A team
of thieves working together will look for tourists driving rental cars ...
Cruise Lines Discriminate Against Single Travelers, published March 28, 2009 by Huntington News Network
For years I never took a cruise because I resented being discriminated against as a single traveler. The cruise
lines don’t like to hear anyone use the words “penalty” or “discrimination” so they call the overcharge a
“single supplement.” This way they charge a single passenger anywhere from 125 to 200 percent more than
the basic fare....
Parallel Universe: deja Vu All Over Again: Great Minds Think Alike on the Airline Mess, by David Kinchen,
editor, Huntington News Network, April 22, 2008
On April 12, 2008, Huntingtom News Network ran a commentary by Seattle resident and Charleston, W.Va.
native Rene Henry on the airline meltdown (link: http://www.huntingtonnews.net/columns/080412-henry-
columnisairlinemess.html). Veteran flier Henry, with more than 3 million miles under his seat belt - hopefully
not all of them in the middle seat - wrote don't blame the airlines for the ..
Fed Up With the Airlines: Blame Congress, Not the Airlines, published by Huntington News Network, April 12,
2008
Don't blame the airlines if you're one of the hundreds of thousands of passengers they failed in any number of
ways this year. Blame Congress. For more than 25 years, Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike in
Congress have ignored ..
It's Time to Reregulate the Airlines, published by Huntington News Network, July 19, 2006
Every time Congress decides to deregulate an industry, it ends up costing the American taxpayer millions and
billions of dollars. Remember the savings and loan debacle? Or energy and telephone? And now, the
airlines. ...
published January 17 by Caribbean News Now and January 19 by Huntington News Network
By Rene A. Henry
SEATTLE, Wash., Jan. 17 – No airline will ever get a Michelin star for its food. But many now are at
least making an effort to accommodate the diverse ethnic, religious and nutritional diets of their passengers.
When my editor learned I was working on this story he responded: “Airline food? That’s an oxymoron!”
Before deregulation, when every ticket was the same price and there were no hidden fees, airlines
competed to provide the very best service and food. Unlike today, the options on the menu were always
available because extra meals were always on board.
As a contrast to nickel-and-diming customers for almost anything conceivable, today many airlines are
making a significant effort to meet the diverse diet needs of their passengers. This writer surveyed Alaska,
American, Delta and United-Continental airlines regarding their food service.
In the days when flying was an enjoyable experience and men dressed with jackets and ties, some
domestic flights were classics when it came to service and food. Air Canada from Los Angles to Montreal
or Toronto. Pan Am from New York to San Juan. Any transcontinental flight on American, TWA or United,
especially between New York and Los Angeles.
Before the days of widebodies, on some of its coast-to-coast flights, United for a while even had a chef
on board to personally serve its first class travelers. I don’t expect to see Daniel Boulud, Charlie Trotter,
Roger Vergé or Paul Bocuse serving food on any flight today. On premiere flights Pan Am had its Boeing
707s outfitted with a first class lounge where a male purser would serve drinks from a full service bar. The
days of the upstairs first class lounge on Boeing 747s are long gone as well as the piano bar between
business and economy classes on Continental’s Lockheed 1011s.
The many varieties of special meals being served by airlines include Asian, baby, child, bland, diabetic,
gluten-free or gluten-intolerant, Hindu, Jain, Japanese, Kosher, low-calorie, low-cholesterol, low-fat, low-
sodium, Muslim, Passover, vegan and vegetarian. Most airlines have eliminated handing out peanuts
because it is the most common food allergy in older children and adults. For a number of years I was a very
frequent traveler – sometimes my body told me perhaps too frequent – and I considered American Airlines
had the best special meals. When I was not hungry or watching calories, my favorites were a shrimp
seafood platter and a fruit plate.
Not all of the special meals are available on all flights of all airlines. Only Alaska and United-Continental
reported that they now have vegan special meals. Special meals generally need to be ordered 24 hours in
advance and are available on flights of two or more hours and served during traditional breakfast, lunch and
dinner times. Depending on the airline, the special meal may be free to first class and business
passengers but with a charge for those flying coach, also called the main cabin or economy class.
Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and Kosher “picnic packs” are buy-on-board options for economy class
passengers for $6 on Alaska Airlines according to Bobbie Egan, media relations manager.
“We are proud to provide a variety of complimentary special meals – accommodating dietary and
religious needs – that cater to all our customers’ tastes, ensuring an enjoyable in-flight dining experience,”
says Alice Liu, managing director of onboard products for American Airlines. She noted that special meals
are available in all classes to and from Europe and Asia as well as many cities in Latin America and that
first and business class passengers on non-stop transcontinental flights two hour or longer may request a
special meal. However, special meals are not available on those flights in the main cabin or economy class.
If special meals are important or of interest to you, before you book your next flight, call the airline and
ask if special meals will be available on the flight you want, what special meals will be available, and if there
are any restrictions or charges because of the class of service.
It is interesting to note that before Congress stupidly deregulated the airlines, all were profitable,
stockholders and employees were happy and pensions funds did not need to be replenished by taxpayers.
The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 was supposed to protect U.S. airlines from bankruptcy. The members
of Congress who voted for its passage should ask the people formerly employed by Braniff, TWA, Pan Am,
Eastern, America West, Midway, Northwest, National, Western, PSA, Piedmont, Ozark and People Express
airlines and especially the traveling public today if they believe they are better off with deregulation.
Selected Op/Eds and Commentaries
To access any of the following, click on the headline ...
Airlines Feed Diverse Diets, published January 17 by Caribbean News Now! and January 19 by Huntington
News Network
No airline will ever get a Michelin star for its food. But many now are at least making an effort to
accommodate the diverse ethnic, religious and nutritional diets of their passengers. When my editor learned I
was working on this story he responded: “Airline food? That’s an oxymoron!” Before deregulation, when
every ticket was the same price and there were no hidden fees, airlines competed to provide the very best
service and food. ...
Amtrak, Congress Need to Get With It, published February 23, 2011 by Huntington News Network
I love trains. And, because I love riding trains I wish the senior management of Amtrak, the people
responsible for passenger train service in our country, Congress and some of our governors would just get
their acts together. I’ve been fortunate to have been a passenger on some of the best trains in the U.S. and
overseas. ...
Customer Service Sells for Cruise Lines, published by Huntington News Network, November 21, 2001
Crystal Cruises is another company that is proving my thesis that many people want and will pay more for
customer service. This cruise from New York City to Los Angeles on the company's Crystal Symphony is sold
out and the travelers are proving that even in a depressed economy or recession that they will pay extra for
great customer service ...
Delta Air Lines Has New Ways to Scam Its Flyers, published March 28, 2010 by Huntington News Network and
March 29 by Caribbean Net News
If many airlines took the time and effort they devote to finding new ways to charge and inconvenience
passengers and redirected it to making it less frustrating and more enjoyable for flyers, I would call that
customer service ...
Is Delta's PR Hiding or Being Ignored?, published March 30, 2010 by www.odwyerpr.com
This is a public relations look at the new ways Delta is scamming its customers.
European Thieves Have New Scam for Travelers, published Caribbean Net News July 9, 2009 and Huntington
News Network, July 15, 2009
Thieves in Europe are always finding new ways to rob unsuspecting tourists. The latest scam is a team that
works together to disable a rental car, distract the occupants and then rob them of their belongings. A team
of thieves working together will look for tourists driving rental cars ...
Cruise Lines Discriminate Against Single Travelers, published March 28, 2009 by Huntington News Network
For years I never took a cruise because I resented being discriminated against as a single traveler. The cruise
lines don’t like to hear anyone use the words “penalty” or “discrimination” so they call the overcharge a
“single supplement.” This way they charge a single passenger anywhere from 125 to 200 percent more than
the basic fare....
Parallel Universe: deja Vu All Over Again: Great Minds Think Alike on the Airline Mess, by David Kinchen,
editor, Huntington News Network, April 22, 2008
On April 12, 2008, Huntingtom News Network ran a commentary by Seattle resident and Charleston, W.Va.
native Rene Henry on the airline meltdown (link: http://www.huntingtonnews.net/columns/080412-henry-
columnisairlinemess.html). Veteran flier Henry, with more than 3 million miles under his seat belt - hopefully
not all of them in the middle seat - wrote don't blame the airlines for the ..
Fed Up With the Airlines: Blame Congress, Not the Airlines, published by Huntington News Network, April 12,
2008
Don't blame the airlines if you're one of the hundreds of thousands of passengers they failed in any number of
ways this year. Blame Congress. For more than 25 years, Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike in
Congress have ignored ..
It's Time to Reregulate the Airlines, published by Huntington News Network, July 19, 2006
Every time Congress decides to deregulate an industry, it ends up costing the American taxpayer millions and
billions of dollars. Remember the savings and loan debacle? Or energy and telephone? And now, the
airlines. ...