No catering on 7 hour flight...

[Totallyconfusedaboutlife]

I booked flights for me and OH last month and have just gone into my booking to try to order a GF meal for me - I'm coeliac. But there is no catering on this flight. This is OK (kind of... ) for me, but OH is type 1 diabetic and could really do with a meal half way through. I've never been on a flight this length that doesn't offer catering. Is this a new thing? The flight wasn't cheap (not Easyjet or anything like that).

@Totallyconfusedaboutlife

Thank you so much all you lovely people! As I said earlier, we aren't seasoned flyers and haven't used the catering outlets in the departure lounges (and tbh I probably still won't - I really don't want to be glutened on a 7 hour flight - I'm disabled on top of everything so getting to the loo is a bit of a major undertaking).

Have you seen my post? I check my flight reservation system and Air Canada provide a meal if you're flying Heathrow to Toronto. Special meal should've been selected at time of booking but if you email/webchat/facebook message them, they can add it in for you

Thanks - customer service have responded (I emailed this morning) and there is no catering on the flight. I was only enquiring about GF meals at the time - I suspect there may be an exception for diabetics. OH can decide.

I used to have to take enough food for for my anaphylactic child to fly 26 hours. And not junk food as I wanted her to feel well and not whacked up on junk.

I used to get stuff from M&S. It's absolutely freezing on planes. The food is always fine.

I prefer no catering. It's such a hoo-haa getting trapped in your seat by those trollies.

They won’t let you take nuts on a flight
I've flown countless times on numerous airlines with aforementioned anaphylactic dd and I've never come across a nut free flight.

Come on!! There's heaps of options for coeliacs at the airport!!

There really isn't, depending on airport and terminal. Even those places that do gluten free options often don't have them available

Prepare food yourself. Keep it in an insulated bag. You can keep the bag & food chilled with frozen bottles of water which you can either remove to drink or throw away last minute. The chilled bag and food should stay cool long enough for it to be edible. Or use a thermos flask ( will have to check if allowed on planes). My DD has an omie lunch box, it’s great and keeps her food hot for hours white keeping her cold food separate.

For a long flight like that I’d probably take fruit and make some pizzas just before setting off, that way you can make them to your dietary requirements. A long as they are wrapped and stored correctly they will be perfect to eat cold on a plane.

Buy a little bento type box for snacks. Ds is nut and gluten free, so I always take him a little selection of everything he can have and he can just eat as and when he likes.

Roasted chickpeas, mini cheeses, fruit and raw veg, mini gluten free pretzels, yogurt pouch, uht mini milk carton, cold sausage chopped up. Ds is a toddler though, your dh might be less fussy and have more options.

How can you free bottles of water when you are through security where you buy your water? You can't!
Nor take icepacks, they are liquid.

customer service have responded ... and there is no catering on the flight

Well I'm absolutely astounded - and somebody needs to tell them to update their website if that's the case

@Totallyconfusedaboutlife

Thanks - customer service have responded (I emailed this morning) and there is no catering on the flight. I was only enquiring about GF meals at the time - I suspect there may be an exception for diabetics. OH can decide.

They've actually said no catering? Are you flying soon? I checked a date in June and that definitely had meal service, so unless you're flying very soon and they've stopped for covid temporarily, there should be a meal provided

@Roussette

How can you free bottles of water when you are through security where you buy your water? You can't! Nor take icepacks, they are liquid.

Well no, but as stated by previous posters you can throw the frozen water or ice packs away before security. Your food would stay cold still after being stored with the frozen item. It's not an issue.

@Puzzledandpissedoff

customer service have responded ... and there is no catering on the flight

Well I'm absolutely astounded - and somebody needs to tell them to update their website if that's the case

Agree! The only thing I can think is it's stopped temporarily due to covid as my GDS says meals included

I've taken a thermos flask of pasta on a flight before. Obviously pasta isn't great for your DH, but you know what does work well in a thermos - hot dogs. Add some boiling water after security and yummy lunch. Not very healthy, but you could put veg and stuff in instead.

I've also taken breakfast cereal and bought a pint of milk after security. Plus all sorts of cold food such as cooked chicken.
I've often thought that shops selling frozen water bottles for long flights would make a killing now so many people take food on board. I toyed with buying a callipo once to keep my food cool but decided I couldn't justify the cost.

Given that your husband is diabetic, I think either way he'd be much better preparing his own food than having whatever it on flight.
There are plenty of options you could either pack or buy that wouldn't be super carby.

I can't understand why Air Canada aren't providing in-flight meals but having flown with them, it doesn't actually surprise me.

We paid an arm and a leg for business class flights to Vancouver in 2019 and the food was really poor, especially on the flight home.

I'm sure you'll come up with suitable picnic food, OP - and I've never heard (as someone suggested) of people having food taken from them at security or on boarding.

Actually no. I've mis-represented them. No pre-ordered catering. I suspect, as people say, they'll be serving sandwiches and snacks.

I thought they would. It was the same on my recent 6 hour American Airlines flight. No pre-ordering of anything. But a choice of 2 hot meals and the usual mini starter, cheese, bread thing.

@Jconnais1chansonquivavsenerver

Oh, *@Wotagain*, my condolences on your husband's unexpected recent death.

Thank you, it’s awful.

@Totallyconfusedaboutlife

Actually no. I've mis-represented them. No pre-ordered catering. I suspect, as people say, they'll be serving sandwiches and snacks.

Ah I understand now. There will be a hot meal service provided but is unlikely to be suitable for both of you with your medical needs. There should be a choice of meal one of which should be vegetarian, so hopefully ok for your DH at least. Could you reply to the email asking them to confirm the meal options? At least that way it will help you plan better?

Grab a nice salad from pret at the airport x

@Totallyconfusedaboutlife

Actually no. I've mis-represented them. No pre-ordered catering. I suspect, as people say, they'll be serving sandwiches and snacks.

So after all that, there is food on board after all?

Surely with gf and diabetes you would pack your own food anyway rather than rely on catering?
I often get low blood sugar (not diabetic but it's a very unpleasant feeling) and I wouldn't dream of travelling without some food and emergency snacks.

Just bring some cheese sandwiches, don't overthink it but bring enough snacks. It doesn't matter if the food is hot or cold really.

If he uses a pump manually disconnect the infusion set while the plane is descending. Due to some physics thing (don't remember which physics law) there is a possibility of "leaking" a little bit of extra insulin during descent, which can cause a hypo around the time you go get your luggage from the belt. I tend to disconnect around 15 minutes before landing, but that's just what works for me.

They won’t let you take nuts on a flight

I take an average of 50 flights a year, and since 2015 I have been on a total of 2 nut-free flights. They’re really rare.

Like the OP has updated, AC simply aren’t taking special meal orders prior to departure. There will be food on board, there just won’t be any special meals.

OP, you can take biscuits and snacks through security. No one will take them off you. You might have to take them out of the bag and put them on a tray (although I doubt they’ll do this at Heathrow, it’s only happened to me at other European airports lately) but you can take food through.

You might want to leave any fresh fruit behind when you land, as fresh produce is usually banned outside the EU.

Just have a proper meal at the airport before you board and take appropriate snacks with you.