First Class Food: To Eat or Not to Eat?

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Recently I’ve been encountering first class fliers that are waving their first class finger and passing on the entrees.

It’s not even that the food isn’t good, because it is! I only know because when passengers upfront refuse their food or would rather a choice from the coach cabin we get to eat what’s leftover up front.

More often than not on any given flight at least the flight attendants are getting a hot meal meaning that at least three first class passengers are opting not to eat. Now I’m sure some of them just aren’t hungry, which is understandable. However, when I flew first from Philadelphia to Paris a few years back I wasn’t hungry either but some how managed to eat two courses, dessert and breakfast again prior to landing. It’s like my stomach knew the food was included so I must eat it — I guess the passengers I’ve been encountering lately just have more will power than I do.

Some passengers have been telling me about allergies that they have to the ingredients used in our meals. Something that’s also understandable, so long as the passenger doesn’t get annoyed when they’re allergic to so a common ingredient that’s used in everything. I can’t stand when passengers get annoyed with the flight attendants over meal options and the preparation of them. We have no control over what the ‘powers that be’ decide to load on to those planes nor do we have the recipes to explain in details what exactly was used and how much when prepping your meal. If you’ve got a strange allergy or eating habits that aren’t as simple as you being a meat eater or a vegetarian  then its best you bring your own food.

That brings me to selecting meals from coach. My airline might be unique here, but we allow first class to have anything they want. We are always allowed to say ‘yes.’ So long as the item is still available for sale in the back, we can take it from inventory and give it to a first class passenger. This includes snacks and entrees. A lot of our frequent fliers know this and when they get tired of the same old stuff up front — they opt to switch it up with something from the back. I  happen to like this practice. I feel as though they’re paying the most money to be on the plane they should be allowed to eat what they want.

But, I’m wondering if my airline is alone with first class fliers recently not wanting to eat what’s being offered? Or, am I just encountering a string of true ‘first class’ fliers and not upgrades? We all know about the upgrades.

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  • SkyWarrior

    One possibility is that you have certain first class pax who fly -regularly- and, as a result, try to limit their intake of certain products such as sodium and starches when they fly. There’s a certain “group” of us that have to watch our girlish figures as best we can. :-)

  • J

    Two reasons come to mind: (1) With “special meals” going away, even in First, as a vegetarian, I can never count on being able to eat what’s served, especially if I’m sitting toward the back of the cabin. (2) Most of the people flying First are there because of an upgrade, and often that upgrade comes at the very last moment before boarding. For both of these reasons, I always pack my own salad and protein bars. Even when I’m upgraded and there’s something I can eat, usually what I’ve brought along is tastier and healthier.

  • Brian

    I just found this blog entry and have had similar experiences myself. I am a frequent transatlantic passenger who flies mostly business class and occasionally first. The food is really wonderful, but as someone who is very careful about eating right (not too much fat or sugar and enough veggies and protein), and not wanting to eat to late, I often need to decline. I would not normally eat a rich dinner an hour before going to bed, so I don’t on the airplane. The flight attendants are all very sweet and offer me alternatives, but if I have a 7 or 8 pm flight, I will often eat before I go to the airport and then bring a protein bar with me, because it’s often 10 or 11 pm departure city time before dinner service is finished and I need to get my 5 hours of sleep before i arrive.