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No Naan for You: Air India Ditches Some Free In-Flight Meals

There’s bad news for those who enjoy the in-flight catering aboard Air India flights, and that’s because it’s going away. Just like many of the airlines in the United States, Air India has decided to ditch in-flight meals for some of its passengers on some of its flights. Of course the blame falls squarely on the cost, but at least they still might throw a granola bar or something your way.

As of February 1, short-haul domestic flights received this new revised in-flight menu, and that means no more freebie meals for those in the economy cabin. For flights less than 90 minutes the typical breakfast, lunch, or dinner selections are gone, but in their place the airline is promising “heavy snacks and soft drinks.” Honestly, for less than 90 minutes we’d be happy with some in-flight Naan and a Diet Coke, but still, clearly this is an overall bummer.

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In-Flight Meals / Airplane Food / Delta / JetBlue / Southwest / Aeromexico / Midwest Airlines / Frontier / Dessert Travel / Food Travel / Lists / Airlines / → All Tags

Five Favorite Airline In-Flight Snacks and Where to Buy Them

Free airline snacks are far and few between but there are some so good, we don’t want to wait for another flight to taste them again. Luckily, we’ve done some sleuthing and found our favorites in grocery stores and specialty shops around the country. Found your favorite in-flight goodie on the road? Let us know!

· Constant Craving: Biscoff Cookies
Delta Airlines has raised the hackles of many a customer, but you’ll find few willing to complain about the sweet, crunchy, cinnamony goodness of the Biscoff cookie. We were thrilled to find them in our cookie aisle, but even better? The new Biscoff spread made up of 50% of Biscoff cookies. There’s even a new crunchy version with chunks of cookies in it (swoon!). We’ve tossed aside our peanut butter and Nutella with scorn and slathered this goodness on everything from toast to English muffins. Yeah, it’s a problem.

Where to Get ‘Em: The cookies have been spotted in Walgreens, Ralphs, and even Walmart, but the spread can be found in the peanut butter section in stores like Shop Rite, Kroger, Hannaford, Wegmans, and even on Amazon.com.

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In-Flight Dining / Etihad Airways / UAE / First Class Travel / Middle East Travel / Airplane Food / In-Flight Meals / Food Travel / → All Tags

First Class Food from a Five-Star, Onboard Chef? It's Coming to Etihad.

This is some next level stuff. First Class in-flight meals on Etihad—the Abu Dhabi-based airline—are now being prepared by a qualified chef. No, really; one person is dedicated to cooking, preparing and plating the meals served in the front of the plane. Yes, you read correctly: cook!

Etihad announced the hiring of 110 restaurant-caliber chefs to fly back and forth from Abu Dhabi to a handful of cities while preparing the menu for the Diamond Class cabin. The chefs will also be responsible for contributing to the evolution of the menu and meal choices both in-flight and on the ground in the each of the airline's lounges. Each chef will need at least 6 years experience in a 5-star restaurant to be welcomed aboard, and there are even some Michelin-starred restaurants that have lost their chef to the airline.

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In-Flight Meals / Flight Reviews / Virgin Atlantic / LGW / LAS / Food Travel / Virgin / Airplane Food / → All Tags

Shocker! Virgin Atlantic's Economy Food is Actually Pretty Decent

You may remember we told you a little while back about a rather underwhelming experience in Virgin Atlantic's economy class from London to Vegas. Luckily, we're pleased to report the food was much, much better.

First, a bit of background. This member of Jaunted is not a fan of airline food—even in business class. We were also seriously unimpressed with the meals consumed in premium economy a couple of years back, with the exception of a recent excellent Full English Breakfast. Alas, we still didn't have much hope for economy.

But what do you know...for economy, it was actually very decent.

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Wine Travel / Air New Zealand / New Zealand Travel / Drinking Travel / In-Flight Meals / Airplane Food / → All Tags

The Who, What, Where, and Why of the Air New Zealand Wine Awards

Harvest may be over in most parts of the Northern Hemisphere, but south of the equator they’re headed into spring, and in New Zealand, that means it’s time for the Air New Zealand Wine Awards, the biggest, most prestigious wine competition on the country. And yes, it’s sponsored by an airline.

6.5 MILLION GLASSES OF WINE

We’ve already explained just what makes Air New Zealand’s wine program so unique—including the fact that the airline takes its role as an ambassador of all things New Zealand very seriously, leading its top brass back in 2004-2005 to make the decision to serve only New Zealand wines (except Champagne and Port) on its planes, and that it serves over 6.5 million glasses of NZ wine a year, making it the largest single server of New Zealand wines in the world.

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Airplane Food / In-Flight Meals / In-Flight Cocktails / Booze Travel / Drinking Travel / Airline News / Economy / Virgin Atlantic / Virgin / → All Tags

Virgin Atlantic's Complimentary Welcome Cocktails Finally Hit Economy

For a year and a half, we've featured an In-Flight Cocktail of the Month and managed to get mighty tipsy in the process. Over the course the last 18+ months, one airline has had the most stand-out cocktails worthy of the feature and that is Virgin Atlantic with their Virgin Redhead, "New" New York Sour and Indian Summer.

Free drinks on flights? Awesome, right? Well, not so awesome if you're flying economy because the free cocktails were limited to meal service. A change in the economy menu, announced this week, now brings a complimentary welcome cocktail to those in the back of the plane.

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Airplane Food / ANA / Airlines / In-Flight Meals / 787 / Economy Class / → All Tags

Guess What Airline Still Gives Metal Forks, Knives and Spoons in Economy Class?

The photo gives away the answer, which is Japanese airline ANA, also the star of the week as they took First Delivery of Boeing's much-delayed 787 Dreamliner. But back to the goods...

We flew ANA from Bangkok to Tokyo just this weekend, and while the sun rose over Japan and we descended into Narita, ANA's perfectly coiffed flight attendants, with their perfect neckscarf rosettes, passed around breakfast. Imagine our surprise when a trio of metal utensils clattered out of the baggie with the refreshing wipe.

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Airline Food / United / Business Class Travel / Food Travel / BKK / NRT / In-Flight Meals / Airplane Food / → All Tags

United's Business Class Meals Between Tokyo and Bangkok

No warm nuts. No warm nuts! How dare an airline take away the pleasure of a little warm nuts before a long flight? Answer: when it's United between Tokyo-Narita and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi.

Following a $600+ upgrade to Business Class, an 11.5-hour flight from SFO to NRT and some filet mignon, we were excited for a little more local fare on the 6 hour and 30 minute flight. And we got it. Kinda. If Trader Vic's-recipe dishes can be considered thusly.

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Photo Gallery / United / Business Class Travel / Food Travel / SFO / NRT / In-Flight Meals / Airplane Food / Airline Food / → All Tags

Hope You're Hungry: United's Business Class Meals Between San Francisco and Tokyo

"The 'Grilled Shrimp Brochette' looks nice, but then so does the 'Saté Spiced Chicken!'"

No, you are not in a restaurant. You are 38,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean, sitting in Business Class on a United 777, and you've got a printed menu open in your hands. Hard to believe? Hopefully not, because that was us recently after scoring a last-minute paid upgrade.

We've begun by telling you how we got it, now it's on to the experience of the flights themselves. Key to the fun of chilling in biz is enjoying the actual plated meals, instead of a plastic tray of "fish or meat" in economy.

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Airplane Food / Singapore Airlines / In-Flight Meals / Airline News / → All Tags

LA Chef Suzanne Goin to Cook Up Some Cali Cuisine with Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines manages to avoid the stereotypical nasty flight food. In fact, the airline got props for serving one of the top meals in the sky. It even has its own cookbook. Now it's recruited respected chef Suzanne Goin to help craft its cuisine.

Goin, the chef behind noted L.A. hot spots Lucques, A.O.C. and Tavern, has been recruited to be a member on the Singapore Airlines International Culinary Panel. That means she'll get to serve her trademark California eats to travelers. She'll make her seasonal, local cuisine on flights from Singapore to U.S. cities starting August 1. Now you won't have to try to snag a reservation at Lucques' delish Sunday Supper to taste the chef's cuisine.

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Emirates / Airline Food / Airplane Food / Tsa the Season / In-Flight Meals / Holiday Travel / → All Tags

Emirates to Serve Tasty-Sounding Iftar Meals During Ramadan

If you are flying on Emirates during Ramadan, you won't have to worry about timing Iftar, an after-sunset meal that breaks your fast, or passing out from hunger. The airline will hand out Iftar snack boxes to those observing the month-long Islamic holy holiday.

For those flights that take off near sunset, snack packs will be handed out at the gates when you board an Emirates flight that will fly during the Iftar times. You'll be able to chow down on a veggie calzone, dates and namoura, a Middle Eastern sweet cake made of semolina or farina. The snack boxes also come with water and laban, a yogurt drink.

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In-Flight Meals / Food Travel / Airplane Food / Airline News / Travel News / Health Travel / → All Tags

FDA Warns that Airline Meals Pose a 'Real Risk of Illness'

Prepare to be grossed out. USA Today got their hands on some recent FDA documents stating that the majority of food produced for consumption onboard US flights serviced by LSG Sky Chefs, Gate Gourmet and Flying Food Group is prepared in unsanitary, unsatisfactory conditions.

Cockroaches, mice and employees with bad hygiene are overtaking many of the 91 kitchens operated by the in-flight meal companies, which deliver "more than 100 million meals annually to U.S. and foreign airlines at U.S. airports." Food from these kitchens ends up onboard most of the major airlines, including Delta, American, United, US Airways and Continental. Inspectors warn that the conditions cause "real risk of illness and injury to tens of thousands of airline passengers on a daily basis," and open up a door to massive food poisoning outbreaks.

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