Baby food on board aircraft of Russian companies. Meals on S7 Airlines planes. The effect of flight on human taste buds

After safety, schedule accuracy and in-flight comfort, airline passengers place food in fourth place. We learned from experts how the on-board menu changes during a crisis and how not to leave the plane hungry.

Double set of rules

For Russian airlines developed “ General rules air transport passengers, baggage, cargo and requirements for servicing passengers, shippers, consignees.” This document obliges passengers to be provided with food and cold or hot drinks during a flight of more than three hours. But he also allows passengers not to be fed at all if the company informs about this at the stage of purchasing tickets.

The probability of remaining hungry when flying on a foreign flight is very high.

Most American and European carriers do not include full meals in the ticket price. For domestic economy flights within the USA average duration 5-6 hours is considered normal: a glass of water/juice and a small package of chips or peanuts. European carriers can limit themselves to just a chocolate bar or a pack of chips. But growing competition is forcing some foreign companies to reconsider the established principles of approach to passenger nutrition: snacks are being replaced by full hot meals.

By the way, as a rule, they do not feed passengers for free, providing the opportunity to fly inexpensively, but without additional services.

The crisis brought further adjustments to the on-board menu. Russian passengers, accustomed to eating heavily on domestic flights, note a trend towards a decrease in the amount of food they eat, especially in economy class on popular Russian airlines.

What do Russian air carriers feed?

Aeroflot's economy class menu increasingly includes sandwiches. First, snack boxes with dessert, sandwich and juice were removed from short flights lasting up to two hours. Later, passengers flying up to three hours were deprived of cold lunches and dinners; in return, they were offered those same snack boxes.

S7 Airlines changed the menu in the fall of 2014. The new tortilla dish is offered to passengers on flights lasting up to 2–2.5 hours. Previously, depending on the destination, passengers were either not offered a snack at all or were provided with a box of food.

As for Utair, which once offered economy class passengers even on short flights a full hot lunch with cold cuts, salad and dessert, this is a thing of the past. For a flight of up to three hours, you can be content with a glass of water; beyond this time, you can have a sandwich and a hot drink. The UTair press service emphasizes that “the decision to reduce food rations for passengers was made in order to preserve existing prices for air tickets."

Director of Communications at Andgo.travel Konstantin Parfenenok noted two trends: simplification of meals on short flights and the systematic introduction of paid meals. “If previously the plane was in the air for 2–3 hours, and you could count on a tray with cold appetizers, dessert and drinks, now only a sandwich and water (examples are Aeroflot and S7 Airlines). And on long flights of more than eight hours, the second meal - most often breakfast - has become less varied. Rossiya Airlines continues to feed its passengers for free, but at the same time offers to purchase chocolates, snacks and drinks on board for additional money.”

Marketing expert and business coach Alexander Levitas, who has to make up to 100 flights a year, points out that you should choose an airline that doesn’t skimp on food. “I stopped flying long before the newspapers wrote about the crisis in the company. I discovered that the flight attendants I know from this airline prefer to take sandwiches with them rather than eat what is served to passengers.”

How not to stay hungry?

The choice of meals on board is influenced by the season, the airline's budget, class of service, national characteristics and duration of the flight.

Since nutritious meals are initially included in the cost of tickets for passengers who prefer first and business class, airlines will be the last to save on them. In addition, the loss of a business-level client can be more expensive than an economy passenger. Fly first class - the right way eat well on board.

As for seasonality, it is worth knowing that “winter” food is higher in calories than summer food. Spring, in a sense, is the season of fish.

There is also a “trick” already known to many - ordering special meals 24–36 hours before departure on the airline’s website or by phone.

By the way, not all air carriers offer it free of charge. And in most cases, it is only available on long flights of three hours or more. But many passengers note a much greater variety and volume of special dishes compared to the regular portion. By the way, a pre-order children's menu is available on every flight of all airlines.

“I usually order kosher food, because it is not only the largest portion among all special food options, but also, in my opinion, the highest quality in terms of composition,” Alexander Levitas shares his experience.

Book instead of lunch

It is useful to treat meals on board during short flights as a way to take your mind off the flight rather than as a vital necessity.

“I noticed that I wanted to eat on the plane out of boredom. Therefore, an interesting book or movie during the flight brightens up the inconvenience. And my personal recipe is to do work during the flight. When I get “head over heels” in what I love, I completely forget about food,” agrees transformational trainer, coach, healer Eva Efremova.

Provided that a modest “snack” is provided for a fee, it is sometimes better to organize it yourself.

Yulia Kurets, PR manager at Kupibilet.ru, notes that the main thing is to know what products and in what quantities you can bring on board. All of them must be packaged in sealed bags or containers. This is a security requirement. “As a snack, it is better to choose foods rich in protein: beef, poultry, hard cheese, nuts. Avoid perishable foods, ingredients with a strong odor (onions, garlic, fish) or those that increase gas formation (beans, eggs, cabbage). Ideal option There will be nuts, a salad or a sandwich packed in an airtight container. Do not take liquid products on the plane - jams and preserves, honey, yoghurts, cottage cheese, jelly, soup, pate, peanut butter, etc. If you are flying with a child under two years old, you can take baby food for him - puree or pate - in volume of more than 100 ml, but provided that this portion is designed only for the duration of the flight - no more.”

"IN hand luggage I usually have a bag of mixed nuts and dried fruits. Light in weight, nutritious and not harmful to health, unlike chocolates or snacks,” agrees Alexander Levitas.

If you are about to fly with a low-cost airline and you expect that you will be hungry by the time you board the flight, it is better to order food in advance through the website. It will be about half the price of buying it directly on the plane.

On carbohydrates

Many people know the story of how American Airlines managed to save $40,000 in a year on one olive, which “disappeared” from every salad of first-class passengers.

Russian air carriers claim that changes to the menu do not allow significant savings. At the same time, food is reduced with enviable regularity.

Probably the changes in the in-flight catering of Russian airlines will not end there - the crisis. Preference will be given to potatoes, pasta and cereals, and meat and fish dishes and there will be no more vegetables.

The average cost of a passenger's portion on an airplane, including packaging, as before, reaches 200–300 rubles. But with rising food prices, attempts to stay within the stated budget force you to either replay the range of dishes offered, or replace ingredients and reduce the size of portions.

“As I understand it, the figure remained in the same range as before: 200 - 500 - 700 rubles. Another thing is that this amount can now afford a completely different range of products,” confirms Konstantin Parfenenok.

Formally, passengers are not allowed to bring food on board, although the flight attendants are not strict with this. In any case, it is better to take care of meals during the flight in advance: choose the airline or flight class carefully, and arrange special meals. And, as an option, eat directly at the airport terminal.

When choosing air tickets, passengers usually clarify as much information as possible about the flight and whether there is food on board the plane, so that the trip is as comfortable as possible. Will they be fed at night, is it possible to somehow adjust the child’s diet, and what to do if, due to religious beliefs, regular food on an airplane is not suitable? Let's consider all these issues using the example of one of the leaders of domestic air transportation, S7 Airlines.

History of aircraft nutrition

Airplanes of the early 20th century were not particularly comfortable; passengers constantly found themselves in a kind of “challenge”, they were shaking and in such uncomfortable conditions there was no talk of food, the main thing was to fly, not to feed.

When flight conditions became more comfortable and people began to fly more often, a real battle for passengers began. To attract new customers, airlines made in-flight meals more and more delicious, thereby increasing sales.

By the early 60s, most airlines were already working with companies that equipped their own 24-hour production facilities and provided catering services. Food is becoming more “mass”; we talk about delicacies only when we mean VIP transportation.

Currently, airlines share meals based on the class of ticket purchased. First and business have a separate menu and a wider range of drinks, including alcoholic ones. Regardless of the class of service, each passenger has the opportunity to order special dishes - dietary or children's, for example, this should be done at least one day before the flight.

Note! Passengers who have chosen special dishes will receive their meals first, because the distribution of dishes begins with special orders.

Since food that is familiar to us, such as cutlets, sausages and pates, is perishable, it may not always be provided. Most airline catering establishments follow the procedure blast freezing, allowing the full taste of the dish to be conveyed to the passenger after it has been heated. Salads or dishes that require sauce are served semi-annually - oil, spices and mayonnaise are supplied in individual packaging.

Is there always food on board?

S7 always provides food for its passengers on board the aircraft, regardless of whether the flight is day or night, but its quantity and type depend on the flight distance.

However, it happens that in the airline ticket or in the comments for the flight on the company’s website there is a special note “meals on the plane are limited.” Such notes are on flights with a short flight duration, up to 3 hours. This means that during the flight, meals on the economy class plane will not include hot dishes. Passengers will be offered water and soft drinks, as well as a light snack menu - sandwiches, usually with a choice of chicken or cheese.

Due to their short duration, you can order food on these flights only once, however, at the request of the passenger and if possible, the flight attendants will be happy to repeat the drinks.

How many times can you eat during the flight?

On s7 flights, passengers will not go hungry, but how many times are they fed on the plane during the entire flight and what can a passenger expect?

Refreshments are provided to passengers according to the following scheme:

• lollipops against motion sickness - provided when greeting passengers, before takeoff and landing;
• soft drinks - 15-20 minutes or immediately after takeoff;
• main meals (snacks or hot food) - within 30-60 minutes after takeoff.

If the flight duration is more than 6 hours, the airline must provide full meals twice, with a snack provided in between meals. Drinks will also be offered again. It is also possible combined option- 1 full hot meal and one snack menu - with snacks or sandwiches.

Diet on the plane

So what exactly is the in-flight food offered on s7 flights?

Flights with a flight duration of less than 3 hours:

• Drinks (tea, coffee, juice, water - to choose from)
• Light snacks - sandwiches with chicken or cheese (your choice).

Flights lasting more than 3 hours:

• Drinks - according to the same scheme (double serving possible).
• Hot food - meat and fish dish of your choice, with salad and side dish.
• Dessert (sweet bun or fruit).

Important! Every few months, chefs update airline menus. However, many passengers say that food on planes seems bland and tasteless to them. This is not the fault of the airline; studies have proven that the activity of a person’s taste buds changes under the influence of altitude. This, for example, determines the love of passengers for salty tomato juice During the flight.

Ordering special menu items

s7 business class passengers can receive free special meals during the flight by contacting the company's call center in advance. For economy class, the additional payment for a special order on flights lasting more than 3 hours will be 150 rubles. The order must be made and paid by bank card at least one day before departure.

What are the special menu items:

• For babies - vegetable and fruit puree in separate packaging, a sweet bun, a bag of milk.
• Children's set - vegetable salad, pieces of stewed chicken with pasta, individually packaged bread, sweet waffles and assorted sliced ​​fruits, drinks as for other passengers - juice, water, tea.

• Meals low in lactose - vegetable salad, potato cutlets with stewed vegetables, individually packaged bread, assorted sliced ​​fruits, berry or fruit jam, drinks.
• Vegetarian set - does not contain animal fats and meat products- vegetable salad, rice with steamed vegetables, tomato sauce, assorted sliced ​​fruit, individually packaged bread, jam, drink and sweet waffles.

• Muslim menu - vegetable salad, chicken bugs with rice and stewed vegetables, individually packaged bread, assorted fresh sliced ​​fruits, sweet waffles and a drink.
• Low gluten content set - vegetable salad, chicken bugs with rice and stewed vegetables, assorted fresh sliced ​​fruit, jam and drink.

Interesting! If you want to show off your knowledge in flight, useful fact There will be what is the food on the plane called - order a casserole or a diner box from the flight attendant and you will definitely not leave hungry.

The S7 company has always valued its reputation and passenger nutrition is one of the important factors for the air carrier. During the flight, comfort and food will be taken care of.

Since today 85% of passengers prefer budget flights, people who are interested in whether there is food on economy class planes. After all, this issue becomes especially relevant for routes that last for 5–9 hours. In addition, travelers are concerned about the quality and range of dishes offered. Let's look at these nuances in more detail.

Airlines are in a constant state of competition. For this reason, carriers are constantly improving the quality of service, which includes serving meals to passengers. However, when traveling with low-cost airlines, clients are unexpectedly faced with the requirement to pay additionally for such a service. Although even in such situations, airlines offer travelers free snacks and drinks.

The first condition for the probability of supplying power to customers is . Business class passengers choose a menu and receive restaurant-quality meals. For people who prefer an economical flight, the airline offers a standard range of meals. But charter flights or travel with low-cost airlines imply the absence of such an opportunity.

A separate nuance is the passenger’s choice of food based on religious beliefs or a decision dictated by the need to adhere to a certain diet. Here it is advisable for the client to apply in advance for the opportunity to receive an individual menu. True, such food on an economy class plane sometimes turns out to be paid.

Another condition for the provision of food is the duration of the flight. Newcomers often ask if they feed you if you fly for 2 hours. Here, the rules of airlines around the world are the same: hot food is served only in situations where the journey lasts at least 3 hours. So, in this case, customers are limited to cold appetizers. We will consider specific options for such a menu below.

Food on an economy class plane for flights of 3–6 hours requires a mandatory hot lunch or dinner. For trips that last more than 6 hours, airlines offer customers two meals a day. In addition, there is also a snack of yogurt or sandwiches between meals.

Features of the kitchen on an airplane

Food gets on board the aircraft under contracts with special services that prepare semi-finished products to order from the airline. Caterers cut, prepare, package and package food into disposable packaging, which is then heated by kitchen staff. Hot processing of food takes place on the ground, and in the air flight attendants only bring the food to a warm state.

After the plane gains altitude, the in-flight kitchen workers warm up the travelers' rations - after all, all the food is frozen. After heating the food, he offers each passenger an individual sealed launch box. Here, each dish is hermetically packed in a separate container. The tourist unpacks the food on his own and starts eating.

IN competition Large Russian airlines Aeroflot and UTair compete for the client in the quality of the service provided on board. These airlines independently develop menus and offer tourists food prepared using personal reserves.

Note that here travelers are given dishes that can compete with restaurant delights. Twice a year, the chefs of these airlines update and approve the assortment of food on board. Moreover, tourists who have used such services assure that the quality of the food here is excellent, and the portions are sufficient to satiate you. To understand the issue thoroughly, let’s find out when and what they feed on an economy class plane.

Airline offers on flight times

Let's start studying the specific airline menu. Let's start with short flights, when the journey does not take more than three hours. In this situation, the carrier offers passengers a snack with sandwiches, dairy products, pastries or sweets. Keep in mind that budget airlines here are limited to fruits, yoghurts or breakfast cereals.

It is appropriate to clarify the issue with a specific food offer at the stage. True, it is advisable to take into account here important point. On board charters and low-cost airlines, only drinks and small portions of baked goods are served free of charge. Although airlines offer regular flight passengers who choose economy seats standard set meals for this class of flight.

When traveling when the flight is up to 6 hours, the air carrier provides hot food. Here mandatory set there is a choice of meat and fish dishes, several types of side dishes and salads or vegetables. Sometimes the airline offers customers to try seafood, and the meal ends with sweets - cakes, pastries, candies.

Again, low-cost carriers neglect their responsibility to feed passengers. People who have flown with low-cost airlines say that most of these airlines prefer to charge customers even then. Find out about nutrition in advance - after all, in situations where you have to spend 3-6 hours in the air, it is appropriate to stock up on food from home, and not overpay for airline services.

Long flights of six hours or more require a standard hot lunch and dinner, consisting of a main course, salad and dessert. Moreover, in cases where you have to fly in the afternoon, airlines do not exclude customers from eating on board the plane at night. In addition, here the air carrier offers passengers a snack with sandwiches, muesli, yogurt or pastries. Budget airlines remain adamant here too - at best, customers receive modest portions for free. Moreover, food distribution here will take place only once.

About drinks

Of course, customers also expect drinks during the flight. The company offers people water, tea, coffee, lemonade and juices. In some cases, beer, a glass of wine or champagne may be served. Let us note that, according to reviews from travelers, the coffee on board the plane will not impress gourmets. Moreover, the quality of this drink does not depend on the flight fare and seat class.

Regardless of the flight budget, airline customers can expect to be served drinks en route

Airlines that fly regular flights always include the price of drinks for passengers in the air ticket price. Therefore, it is not advisable to worry that during a budget flight the client will not be offered water. As for alcohol, there is a bar on board, where travelers can order their favorite cocktail. Of course, you will have to pay separately for such a service.

Special offers

Now let’s briefly discuss how things stand with special nutrition. If we consider the offers of Russian air carriers, here the airlines compete in the range and variety of products. Aviation market leader " Aeroflot"will surprise passengers with 16 special menu options. Here customers will find Muslim and Hindu food, kosher products and dietary dishes different directions, food for children under 12 years of age, vegetarian or low-calorie food.

Pre-order of the children's menu is included in the air ticket fare

Variations baby food travelers will find on all airlines. Moreover, serving dishes with spicy seasonings is excluded here. Children are offered poultry or beef meat products, dairy products, vegetable and fruit purees, and bakery products. Please note that food distribution on board begins with baby food.

Regarding payment, different types rations involve the free distribution of special food or the payment by the passenger of an additional payment. As a rule, food for children is included in the ticket price, but an application for kosher food on S7 airlines becomes a paid service.

Remember, it is appropriate to notify the air carrier of your personal taste preferences at least 36 hours before departure. Airlines prefer to receive such notifications by telephone. Here the passenger names the flight and ticket numbers and orders additional services. In addition, it is appropriate to clarify at the same time the need and method of payment for the service.

Nuances

Finally, we will define certain points that regulate the procedure and rules for issuing food on airplanes. The standard menu does not involve preparing dishes from minced meat, mushrooms, serving desserts with cream or medicinal mineral water. Moreover, the calorie content of food is determined by the season of the year. In winter, carriers feed customers mainly meat delicacies, and in the warm season, the basis of the diet is light plant foods and seafood.

The assortment of food on the plane depends on the time of year and season.

Passengers have the right to order special meals only in situations where the flight timing requires serving a hot lunch. If a passenger, for health reasons or other reasons, needs to eat food immediately while in the air, it is advisable to discuss this issue with the carrier in advance. In the case where such an outcome is impossible, .

It is not advisable to worry that special nutrition is not responding established rules. Airlines entrust the preparation of dishes of this kind to restaurants that specialize in specific form kitchens. In addition, such a menu is checked for compliance with all canons by experts in the field of food technology.

To ensure that your flight does not bring any inconvenience and leaves only pleasant memories, take care of your personal comfort in advance. Check with the airline representative for an approximate set of meals and find out whether such a service will require an additional payment. We hope your first flight by airline will bring you only positive emotions.

Competing with each other, major air carriers are improving service on board the aircraft, offering customers a healthy and satisfying menu
Unfortunately, budget flights on low-cost airlines or charter aircraft usually do not provide free food distribution
Food preparation and processing takes place on the ground; flight attendants only heat frozen semi-finished products.
Some major airlines pamper customers with baked goods that are prepared during the flight
When the route involves a flight of up to 3 hours, passengers are offered only sandwiches and pastries
Standard hot lunch on board scheduled flights

During short and long flights, the company takes care of the nutrition of its passengers.

Our company is one of the world leaders in the quality of in-flight catering. This is our advantage over competitors, which we are constantly developing.

V.Savelyev
Aeroflot CEO

Meals on Aeroflot flights usually include light snacks, a main course and dessert. The company periodically updates the range of its dishes, and they are prepared only from natural and fresh products.

Meals on board Aeroflot aircraft are divided into three categories:

• economy class meals
• business class meals
• special food

The menu of all classes was developed by the chef of LSG SFY CHEFS, Thierry Monat.

Economy Class Menu

The choice of dishes depends on the direction and duration of the flight. For example, on flights from Moscow, which last from 6 hours, passengers are offered a snack of herring fillet, lemon cake, chicken fillet with mashed potatoes or lamb with buckwheat (main dish to choose from). On long flights, two passenger services are provided.

If a passenger is heading to New York, for example, he will be served an omelet with tomatoes, pancakes, Hungarian goulash or chicken with vegetables. Under each menu its caloric content and energy value are indicated.

The economy class menu on short flights includes buns, jam, and butter on a tray. Sometimes fruit, yogurt, and muesli are served.

Let's give a few examples. All photographs were taken by passengers.

Flights lasting more than 6 hours (two photos each): ,