The days of cutting into beef stroganoff or a ham-and-cheese omelet at 30,000 feet are a distant memory. Today, unless a passenger is traveling internationally or has a first class ticket, free in-flight meals are practically non-existent.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, carriers have consistently been spending less and less on food since the 1990s, resulting in the new trend of the BOB, or "buy on board." For $3 to $5, passengers are able to purchase a sandwich or a snack box, usually including cookies, cheese, crackers and other pre-packaged items.
Junior Leanne Andruszkiewicz thinks purchasing food onboard is economically unreasonable. "Why should I give them more money?" Andruszkiewicz said. "You're paying the airline a good chunk of money and you have other options. Airlines should accommodate."
Andruszkiewicz found the most "accommodating" carrier to be Delta Airlines. She flew a connecting flight on Delta to visit her boyfriend in Alaska this past December. On board she was served a free "decent sandwich" and a "nice" snack pack consisting of cheese, crackers and a granola bar.
"It was enough to keep you satisfied," she said.
On the way back, however, Andruszkiewicz flew United Airlines. That airline only gave her peanuts.
Delta seems to be a favorite among many Tufts students, mainly due to the food service. Senior Alice Chiou was also given a meal during her six-hour Delta flight to Los Angeles. "It was pretty good," Chiou said. "It was hot food - it wasn't crap."
Not everyone, however, shares similar opinions about the succulence of the in-flight meal. For decades, the quality of airline food has been the subject of ridicule. In 2001, a Web site, www.airlinemeals.net, was created in honor of airline delicacies.
"I never eat the meals," senior Laura Nolan said. "They're gross."
When faced with a choice of "disgusting beef lasagna or some chicken dish," Nolan decided to go hungry on her American Airlines flight to Ireland over winter break. Sophomore Sara Douglass did the same during her United flight. "The main course was disgusting," she said, although she did eat the pre-packaged snacks.
Even though she will not eat the meals on board, Douglass refuses to buy a snack from the carrier. "The options they give are really expensive," she said.
Other students agree. "I think it's really too bad you have to pay," Nolan said. "It's really ridiculous."
Despite complaints and growling stomachs, students do understand airline carriers' decision to cut spending on food. "I guess I understand if there have to be cutbacks - that's what should go," Douglass said.
Cutbacks on food have helped various airlines stay in business. As quoted in the Los Angeles Times, Tim McMahan, a food planning and development manager at American Airlines, said that "by eliminating complimentary food, we [American Airlines] were able to save $30 million in our food and beverage budget each year."
Yet many students believe a hot meal can be just the ticket to get through a long flight. "A little bit of luxury will go a long way," Nolan said.
