There seems to be a growing trend on aeroplanes these days… and I’m not sure I like it. Back in the good old days there were kids meals and vegetarian meals… and well… that was about it for options. Have you taken a minute to look at the options available now?
Aside from the old classics, there’s now all kinds of other options for people with dietary or religious requirements. Now, I’m totally onboard – if you’re gluten free or allergic to nuts, then why shouldn’t you get a meal you can actually eat when you’ve paid for it like everyone else. But I feel like, almost like the world, it’s getting a little bit out of hand. We’re not allowed to offend anyone (and I in no way mean to give offence) so every religious affiliation must be catered for. We’re certainly not going to risk any kind of lawsuit, so we’re going to cater for any kind of possible food intolerance that exists.
It used to be, after take-off, there was the token messing about with getting the plane off the ground and sorted, and then dinner would turn up. When you’re boarding a flight at midnight, what you want is to get that food as quickly as possible, so you can eat if you’re hungry, and more importantly, so they will turn the damn lights off so you can go to sleep!
Dispensing kids’ meals and veggie meals never took very long. But nowadays, if you’re a person with normal dietary requirements, you can wait for anything up to an hour before the poor flight attendants have run around with the various meals to get them to the right people. And I get it, but where does it stop?
Because nowadays, there’s even travel forums and blogs advising you to order a special meal, just so you get your meal before everyone else. Not because you are religious, or have a food intolerance, but because you WANT TO PUSH IN FRONT. It might be cool for you, but it’s not cool for everyone else.
Yet the desire to try these other meals can be overpowering, especially since you often hear that the vegetarian/Buddhist/Kosher option is tastier/safer etc. Hubby chose the low calorie meal on one of our flights to Australia (yes, that’s an option now). To be honest though, I was a bit jealous. Because on a long flight, you get so many meals that finishing everything on the plate would mean a tummy ache for many people. I find that I just pick at bits and pieces of each meal, knowing there is plenty more to come, and I certainly don’t need 4+ bread rolls in a 24 hour period. And they pack those meals full of salt so they taste better, not something I need more of in my life. So while I secretly also wanted to take the low calorie meal, my scruples wouldn’t let me.
So I’m torn. Because part of me loves the idea of more choice, and part of me thinks that only the people that actually need special food should get it.
So go for it, choose your special meal, I won’t judge you.
an aussie in austria 