Travellers thoughts
December 10th 2006 21:42
Travelling thoughts:
HOW ABOUT REAL FOOD!
After decades of traversing the globe by air, it still amuses me to see the concoctions that pass for airline food especially in economy class. Based on the way we choose restaurants, I can’t quite put a name to the style judiciously served up to the ‘captive audience’ on board. Perhaps "double-boiled delights","guess the meat/or gravy", "lucky shapes" or "rainbow surprise" might come close. ‘Less is more" might be a hint to the airline ‘caterers’ who feel inclined towards mixing as many ‘bits’ as possible on a plate.
Recently I have noticed an alarming trend. For airlines leaning towards ethnic-fare- please omit the heavily spiced numbers! We really don’t want curries or hot chilli food options. Staying confined in air space is bad enough, but wading through the toilet gauntlet is daunting, to say the least! We don’t want to add "funny tummies" to our flying experience.
Full marks to the airline that enables you to book your business class menu in advance- what a delight to see the envious looks of fellow passengers as your fillet steak medium- rare appears. It always has other passengers puzzling at their dinner plate.
We all want tasty, healthy food. If it is so hard to keep food decently hot, why not serve gourmet sandwiches and decent cake or cookies. This does not include heavy and thick slabs of ‘pretend’ foccaccia with a transparent excuse for filling- that does little to ease a rumbling tum. I would prefer to ‘bring my own’ and have the airline supply the plate and cutlery! I congratulate airlines that offer fresh fruit and ice cream bars! It is such a refreshing change from stodgy food. A chocolate bar would be a treat…especially a Picnic.
Best of all I would love a good crisp salad with sun dried tomatoes, olives, avocado, mixed lettuce, mushrooms, capsicums, pink salmon, real chicken or beef.
Also hasn’t someone thought of using deep dishes- to avoid the clutching of shallow plates during every air pocket?
After travelling around Asia I became resigned to the use of minuscule plastic knives and forks at food venues that are totally useless. This sadly is becoming the standard on airlines for safety reasons. So please serve food that can be cut with plastic, or perhaps that is why pasta and more rice dishes are making their way onto the menu. To make matters worse, many food courts in western countries are now taking the lazy route.
Must I eat at home in order to get decent real cutlery?
LOUNGE LIZARDS ALL
The disparity between food offerings in airport lounges is astounding.
We seem to be victims of a cost-cutting spree that overturns boundaries of decency.
What next? -folding chairs?
After one particularly gruelling flight, I stood in a group of people eyeing the solitary piece of dried cheese. The fare was mean at best; that it consisted of mostly empty plates was even more disconcerting.
I managed to get a piece of yesterday’s bread, but passed on the peanuts as a filling! The drinks department was worse. The pacific gannet population had landed, rendering most bottles of spirits empty. Armed with a minuscule drop of gin I searched vainly for a mixer- the choice? Ginger ale, and orangeade in volumes – not an ice-cube or lemon slice in sight, but plenty of olives. A challenge to invent a new drink?
For those travelling ‘mass-class" – I’m sure a choice other than fast food in the terminal might be appreciated. And while I am at it, why have a food outlet if you decide not to open for business?
Airport food outlets charge outrageous sums for basic, ordinary fare. One almost needs to visit the money changer to afford a meal….sigh.
There should be a warning sign outside airports " enter at own risk if you wish to keep
holiday funds intact". I thought airport tax applied to travellers – not food!
‘USE BY’ dates required: As a frequent traveller through many international airports I have noticed some establishments retain the same displays of the same products for an appreciable number of years! ‘Special offers’ are looking a bit sad. Has anyone noticed that duty free wine is the same price (or less) outside?
A few suggestions:
* Serial overladen passengers: make them go to the end of a long queue to re-sort their
baggage instead of creating a hold up.
* Seat allocation: all airlines allow pre-seating confirmations on line before arriving at airport.
*Special seating requests: airlines adhere to asthmatic passengers request to be seated in aisle seats and away from smoking section!
* Make parents of potential screetching toddlers responsible to keep their kids quiet, and ensure the airline staff assist in the comfort of other passengers instead of the opposite.
* Have airline staff ‘police’ large size passengers ‘overhanging’ their allocated space- being squeezed to the extent of having to cross your arms during a long flight is NOT fun!
* Offer mints to passengers overindulging in alcohol to spare the unfortunate sitting beside them!
* Bring back peanuts! No more cheap tiny savoury snacks or teeth breaking Asian peas and brick chews!
* Get a convection microwave and serve crusty bread rolls and croissants.
…..I could go on and on.
*****
HOW ABOUT REAL FOOD!
After decades of traversing the globe by air, it still amuses me to see the concoctions that pass for airline food especially in economy class. Based on the way we choose restaurants, I can’t quite put a name to the style judiciously served up to the ‘captive audience’ on board. Perhaps "double-boiled delights","guess the meat/or gravy", "lucky shapes" or "rainbow surprise" might come close. ‘Less is more" might be a hint to the airline ‘caterers’ who feel inclined towards mixing as many ‘bits’ as possible on a plate.
Recently I have noticed an alarming trend. For airlines leaning towards ethnic-fare- please omit the heavily spiced numbers! We really don’t want curries or hot chilli food options. Staying confined in air space is bad enough, but wading through the toilet gauntlet is daunting, to say the least! We don’t want to add "funny tummies" to our flying experience.
Full marks to the airline that enables you to book your business class menu in advance- what a delight to see the envious looks of fellow passengers as your fillet steak medium- rare appears. It always has other passengers puzzling at their dinner plate.
We all want tasty, healthy food. If it is so hard to keep food decently hot, why not serve gourmet sandwiches and decent cake or cookies. This does not include heavy and thick slabs of ‘pretend’ foccaccia with a transparent excuse for filling- that does little to ease a rumbling tum. I would prefer to ‘bring my own’ and have the airline supply the plate and cutlery! I congratulate airlines that offer fresh fruit and ice cream bars! It is such a refreshing change from stodgy food. A chocolate bar would be a treat…especially a Picnic.
Best of all I would love a good crisp salad with sun dried tomatoes, olives, avocado, mixed lettuce, mushrooms, capsicums, pink salmon, real chicken or beef.
Also hasn’t someone thought of using deep dishes- to avoid the clutching of shallow plates during every air pocket?
After travelling around Asia I became resigned to the use of minuscule plastic knives and forks at food venues that are totally useless. This sadly is becoming the standard on airlines for safety reasons. So please serve food that can be cut with plastic, or perhaps that is why pasta and more rice dishes are making their way onto the menu. To make matters worse, many food courts in western countries are now taking the lazy route.
Must I eat at home in order to get decent real cutlery?
LOUNGE LIZARDS ALL
The disparity between food offerings in airport lounges is astounding.
We seem to be victims of a cost-cutting spree that overturns boundaries of decency.
What next? -folding chairs?
After one particularly gruelling flight, I stood in a group of people eyeing the solitary piece of dried cheese. The fare was mean at best; that it consisted of mostly empty plates was even more disconcerting.
I managed to get a piece of yesterday’s bread, but passed on the peanuts as a filling! The drinks department was worse. The pacific gannet population had landed, rendering most bottles of spirits empty. Armed with a minuscule drop of gin I searched vainly for a mixer- the choice? Ginger ale, and orangeade in volumes – not an ice-cube or lemon slice in sight, but plenty of olives. A challenge to invent a new drink?
For those travelling ‘mass-class" – I’m sure a choice other than fast food in the terminal might be appreciated. And while I am at it, why have a food outlet if you decide not to open for business?
Airport food outlets charge outrageous sums for basic, ordinary fare. One almost needs to visit the money changer to afford a meal….sigh.
There should be a warning sign outside airports " enter at own risk if you wish to keep
holiday funds intact". I thought airport tax applied to travellers – not food!
‘USE BY’ dates required: As a frequent traveller through many international airports I have noticed some establishments retain the same displays of the same products for an appreciable number of years! ‘Special offers’ are looking a bit sad. Has anyone noticed that duty free wine is the same price (or less) outside?
A few suggestions:
* Serial overladen passengers: make them go to the end of a long queue to re-sort their
baggage instead of creating a hold up.
* Seat allocation: all airlines allow pre-seating confirmations on line before arriving at airport.
*Special seating requests: airlines adhere to asthmatic passengers request to be seated in aisle seats and away from smoking section!
* Make parents of potential screetching toddlers responsible to keep their kids quiet, and ensure the airline staff assist in the comfort of other passengers instead of the opposite.
* Have airline staff ‘police’ large size passengers ‘overhanging’ their allocated space- being squeezed to the extent of having to cross your arms during a long flight is NOT fun!
* Offer mints to passengers overindulging in alcohol to spare the unfortunate sitting beside them!
* Bring back peanuts! No more cheap tiny savoury snacks or teeth breaking Asian peas and brick chews!
* Get a convection microwave and serve crusty bread rolls and croissants.
…..I could go on and on.
*****
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