What would you like on your airline meal tray?

[Melissande]

Just composing an email to an airline to complain about their weird (cheap) choice of food on the tray. And no chocolate. I mean NO Chocolate!!! So give me some ammo, what would be on your ideal airline meal tray?

The kind of awesome sandwiches you can get in NYC delis.
Unlimited hummus and pita bread. You can brush hummus off your clothes when it dries.
Greek yogurt.
Nice tea and bikkies, filter coffee.
I think I once had good old brown bread, butter and jam for breakfast on Aer Lingus from JFK to Dublin -- twas just what the doctor ordered.
Fried string cheese. Yuck but filling for children.

Just flew long haul with Aer Lingus. Alcohol is no longer free, portions were tiny, we were really hungry so we had to buy sandwiches from their snack menu. Seriously low budget food, it was awful. I think the best plan is to take food with you, airlines are becoming meaner with their food as they try and be more competitive with their pricing.

We usually fly shorthaul with budget airlines, so the couple of times it's been longhaul I've been so delighted to actually be provided with free food and unlimited water ( at first I couldn't quite believe that bit and had to be prodded by my family to clear some of the 8 glasses I managed to accumulate) that I don't notice the quality too much.

I had a yummy vegetable curry with United Airlines a couple of years ago that I still remember fondly. Our meals on a recent Air transat flight from Canada were not that great, but did come with a side salad which I enjoyed. DS is quite fussy so it's good if whatever you get comes with a bread roll, some cheese and a decent dessert. My niece visited recently and raved about the chocolate brownie on her Canadian Air flight.

To be honest though I know the airlines are against it with profits these days, so I don't expect much and therefore am rarely disappointed, I wouldn't bother complaining about it unless they were serving tripe and onions.

I fly long hall every month and after trying loads of different airlines I now stick to Emirates. Their food is the best I've seen in Economy. Last week I had a salad, spicy curry, cheese and crackers, dip and bread sticks, bread roll and butter, choc mousse and Haagen Dazs ice cream. Plus mint tic tacs! The wine and spirits were flowing too, it was quite a party atmosphere.

*haul grrrr

Whatever they do to business meals. The couple of times I've had the pleasure of flying business, the food has been lovely. Long haul in economy (ie when I'm paying) the food is practically inedible.

Emirates and SQ do the best food. I love the fact that SQ bring round a little basket of snacks continuously throughout the flight.

I'd rather bring my own but mainly because having the tray down makes me really claustrophobic and it can sometimes take ages for them to clear everything away.

It depends on the time of day too.
My brother requested vegetarian and got veg curry for breakfast while everyone else had scrambled eggs and croissants.
He was livid and sent a harsh letter and got £100 airline voucher. Good luck op!