Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

No catering on 7 hour flight...

264 replies

Totallyconfusedaboutlife · 10/03/2022 15:18

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).

OP posts:
MurmuratingStarling · 10/03/2022 18:21

This is a non-issue tbh. No reason at ALL why you can't just take food with you.. Confused I have been on several 6 to 8 hour flights in the last 5-8 years, and have just taken breakfast biscuits with yoghurt, cereal bars, crisps, sandwiches, sausage rolls/greggs bakes type of things. and a few bottles of water,. Surely he can go 6 hours without a hot meal/main meal. Confused

MurmuratingStarling · 10/03/2022 18:23

Also, buying meal deals from M & S, Tesco, Boots etc (as a few people have suggested) is a good idea.

Tulipomania · 10/03/2022 18:23

Just seen you are flying from Heathrow. There is a massive choice of food to take on the plane there.

You can avoid meat and fish, if you worry about food staying fresh for 4 hours (although even cooked ham & chicken should be fine).

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Flying Holidays
ittakes2 · 10/03/2022 18:25

Children go to school with lunches staying in lunch boxes for 3-4 hrs your DH will be fine. If he likes porridge they do some nice instant ones these days just add hot water.

Hangingwithmygnomies · 10/03/2022 18:26

@Totallyconfusedaboutlife I have just checked my flight reservation system and if you are flying Heathrow to Toronto, meal is provided. It's best to try and contact them to pre-order the special meal as it has to be done in advance. They may have a web chat service or email address rather than trying to phone

TillyTopper · 10/03/2022 18:30

Personally I find it better to turn down the inflight meal and take my own on board. More tasty and much nicer. If there is a Pret a Manger then Salmon or chicken salad might be good for DH.

EinsteinaGogo · 10/03/2022 18:31

That is odd, OP.

What a pain. Random plane food is a way to break the boredom as well.

I was surprised to learn you can actually take pretty much massive home made meals through the scanners and security.
Seems very odd, but you can.

Maybe make a big salad with eggs / cheese etc and take in your carry on bag?

also hard boiled eggs are excellent to pack too (look innocent if your fellow passengers wonder about the smell!).

Good luck and take lots of options. Hunger at 30.000 feet is no fun, and even less if it causes a medical issue.

betwixtlives · 10/03/2022 18:35

does he not carb count? I don’t know a single type 1 who doesn’t carb count these days! we can eat whatever we like and inject accordingly. I often go longer than 7 hours without eating (don’t most people?) without having a hypo. If he’s not managing to do that I’d suggest asking his diabetic team for advice on adjusting his background insulin

EinsteinaGogo · 10/03/2022 18:36

@VeryQuaintIrene

Just bring suitable food with you. That's what my vegan partner does for long haul flights. Why is this so difficult to figure out?!

This is Mumsnet.

It's conversational.

That's the point.

Blimey - if every post had to be a genuine head scratcher there'd be nothing on here at all Hmm

BettyOBarley · 10/03/2022 18:41

I once flew from Bangkok to Sydney which was just over 9 hours, they fed us as soon as the plane took off and we got nothing else, we were starving!

At least if you know in advance you can plan some food for him, annoying as it is. It's quite unusual I'd say for that length of flight.

Ilostit · 10/03/2022 18:43

@MurmuratingStarling

This is a non-issue tbh. No reason at ALL why you can't just take food with you.. Confused I have been on several 6 to 8 hour flights in the last 5-8 years, and have just taken breakfast biscuits with yoghurt, cereal bars, crisps, sandwiches, sausage rolls/greggs bakes type of things. and a few bottles of water,. Surely he can go 6 hours without a hot meal/main meal. Confused
Literally all the foods a diabetic can’t eat!!
Ilostit · 10/03/2022 18:44

Here is a list of cafes/ restaurant -
www.heathrow.com/at-the-airport/restaurants-a-z

Pret’s is brilliant deffo some diabetic friendly foods there - good luck OP. And the little cool bags are a great idea.

And to the readers being arses be respectful

MurmuratingStarling · 10/03/2022 18:46

I didn't say he had to take the same foods as me for fuck's sake. Hmm

Take what HE eats. Are you a bit hard of thinking @Ilostit ?

Ilostit · 10/03/2022 18:47

@MurmuratingStarling

I didn't say he had to take the same foods as me for fuck's sake. Hmm

Take what HE eats. Are you a bit hard of thinking @Ilostit ?

Neither were you helpful! You just had to be a tad bit nasty didn’t you!
KenAdams · 10/03/2022 18:48

I'm still confused as to why you think there is no catering on the flight?

You still definitely do get complimentary meals, BA do them for example. Last time my gluten free meal didn't turn up so the flight attendants raided the menus from the other classes and I got a lovely meal and breakfast in the end!

MurmuratingStarling · 10/03/2022 18:51

@BettyOBarley

I once flew from Bangkok to Sydney which was just over 9 hours, they fed us as soon as the plane took off and we got nothing else, we were starving!

At least if you know in advance you can plan some food for him, annoying as it is. It's quite unusual I'd say for that length of flight.

Exactly this. As I, and a number of other posters have said, it's a non issue. Just take a packed lunch for goodness sake .. I despair! Confused
Roussette · 10/03/2022 18:55

OP....

I'm still puzzled as to the lack of catering on a 7 hour flight but it'll be fine

Are you absolutely sure there's no catering on this flight? I bet you there is...
We've just flown 6 hours on American Airlines UK to US, and when I checked their website it honestly looked as if there would be no catering at all.
There was. The meal was actually not half bad, and better than the BA return flight.
I think they have to cater for a flight of that length.

Roussette · 10/03/2022 18:58

All those saying take a cool bag. I honestly don't think the icepacks would be allowed through security! (liquid)

Puzzledandpissedoff · 10/03/2022 19:00

I have just checked my flight reservation system and if you are flying Heathrow to Toronto, meal is provided

That's how it appeared to me as well, but it's good to have it confirmed by a professional Smile

FWIW I've just booked September flights to Florida with BA and they certainly provide meals too - I honestly can't imagine a long haul flight which wouldn't, providing you're travelling with one of the majors of course

MurmuratingStarling · 10/03/2022 19:00

@Roussette

OP....

I'm still puzzled as to the lack of catering on a 7 hour flight but it'll be fine

Are you absolutely sure there's no catering on this flight? I bet you there is...
We've just flown 6 hours on American Airlines UK to US, and when I checked their website it honestly looked as if there would be no catering at all.
There was. The meal was actually not half bad, and better than the BA return flight.
I think they have to cater for a flight of that length.

We went to NYC on Continental Airlines (6 hours) and had 2 hot meals including dessert. Too MUCH food actually. Other holidays that have been even further than NYC (7-9 hours,) had no food. We managed to survive. Like the OP we were told in advance there would be no 'catering,' so we took our own food.
Oblomov22 · 10/03/2022 19:02

As a T1 Diabetic I can understand. In 7 hours I'd have 2 main meals. I too love aeroplane food. And hospital food. Never order the diabetic meals though - they are rubbish.

Even if I wasn't diabetic I would expect a meal on a seven hour flight. I just think it's totally unacceptable by any airline.

Gwenhwyfar · 10/03/2022 19:03

"Won't anything we pick up from the airport be rancid after 3 or 4 hours though?! "

Eh? How do people manage to take their lunch into work if it goes off after 4 hours?

oncemoreunto · 10/03/2022 19:05

@Roussette

All those saying take a cool bag. I honestly don't think the icepacks would be allowed through security! (liquid)
You can get cool bags which just use insulation. Then as pp said you can put a couple of chilled cans in to get them to stay cool.
oncemoreunto · 10/03/2022 19:06

Although we had food on our recent transatlantic flight.
I would double check.

Aintnosupermum · 10/03/2022 19:08

I’ve been flying transatlantic during covid. SAS started charging for water with only tea and coffee available for free. BA didn’t feed me on any of their flights. Air Canada was a nightmare despite there only being 6 of us on the flight.

Couple of things. They don’t let you get up and walk around now. For your husband, given his diabetes, make sure he has compression socks. At the airport buy 4 liters of water and drink it all.

Food wise it’s been really bad during covid. Flights are normally early so I get breakfast this side. When returning from the US I get the Parma pizza at Newark airport, terminal B. I don’t eat on the plane.

Good snacks are salami sticks, veggies, cheese and crackers, ham and cheese roll ups and olives. Don’t eat eggs or nuts on a plane. You can bring seeds.

For my children I made my own meatballs made with black beans and meat. They also had sweet potato, spinach, mashed cauliflower and egg mixed in.