Do you eat it, bring your own or what?

This past weekend I was following a Face Book post of a traveler who was upset that the airline did not have enough food on the plane for purchase.  She and her children were sitting at the back of the plane and by the time the crew made it to them they had no more food.  In the midst of the conversation another person posted that she did not have time on her international connection to pick up anything.

This got me thinking about what you should know before you travel.​

Don't plan on anything like this! That is unless you are flying first class and possibly international.

Does your flight include food or drinks?  That is the BIG question.

Most flights will give you a drink.  Coffee, tea, water, some form of soft drink and maybe juice.  If you are have a strong preference or you like a lot of fluids.  My suggestion pick something up once you have gone through TSA.  If you are like me and want to be able to control the amount of  water you get simply take an empty water bottle with you and refill it before boarding the plane.  Madison and a number of airports have special bottle refills at the drinking fountain area.

With a domestic flight the flight attendants may get to you one time.  Serve the plane and are back to pick everything up.​   In most cases my hot drinks are still hot when they are picking up the cups.  I simply finish my beverage and place it into the seat pocket in front of me if I miss them.

Any alcoholic beverages will need to be paid for.
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If you are traveling internationally they may come through a couple of times.  When they come through they may offer different drinks.  For an example on my recent trip on Air Berlin the first time through they offered wine and no coffee or tea (hot beverages).  To keep everyone hydrated they also gave everyone a bottle of water before the lights were turned off.  That was very nice.​
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On Southwest when I went to Florida from Chicago.  I not only received a coffee and water (you can ask for two) but also a peanut or similar morsel.  Again that was very nice and a pleasant surprise.​

Aero Mexico Chicago to Mexico City

Now for the notorious meals!  If you are flying domestically and it is during meal hours, you will want to check on the airlines website to see what they offer and the cost.   Breakfast is between $5.00 - $10.00, a light lunch/dinner about $10.00.  The pricing could very per airline and is per meal. 

If you are looking for just a snack estimate $4.00 - $10.00 again.  This could be from chips to cheese and crackers.

Always keep in mind that they do not have to have enough food for everyone on the plane and that what you think you might be offered maybe something else when you board.

Also if you are connecting to an international flight your domestic portion is still a pay for food flight.  So if you are flying out at 7:00 A​​​M and you have a tight connection somewhere.  I would suggest grabbing something before getting on your first flight.

And don't forget you can pack your own snacks for the trip or pick up McDonald's (or anyone else) at the airport for your eating enjoyment.  The snack can be brought from home any liquids will need to be purchased after TSA. 

NOTE:  If you are traveling outside the United States and carrying snack.  Please verify that you can take them into the country that you are visiting.

Enjoy your flight!​​

You may get coffee, tea, water or soft drink.