Here are some airlines that have made recent, noteworthy changes in their food policies; these apply to domestic coach flights except where otherwise stated, and exceptions are frequent:
Here are some airlines that have made recent, noteworthy changes in their food policies; these apply to domestic coach flights except where otherwise stated, and exceptions are frequent:
ALASKA
A couple of years ago, the airline explained its policy as "meals at mealtimes," except on some short flights. Now the general rule, Sperry said, is to serve a snack on flights that are expected to last 11/2 to three hours and occur during mealtimes; a hot entree on transcontinental flights and some others; and a sandwich at mealtimes on non-transcontinental flights that are longer than three hours. Special meals are available with notice.
CONTINENTAL
You can expect a free snack or meal on flights lasting three hours or longer, even if the flight is outside normal meal hours, said spokeswoman Julie King. Otherwise, expect food in coach on flights of more than two hours that occur during a mealtime, such as 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The airline runs its own on-board catering and doesn't offer food for sale. More than a dozen special menus are available, including Hindu, Muslim, kosher and diabetic. But last year, the airline began limiting special meals to certain flights, mostly long-haul transcontinental or foreign routes. "We look in every nook and cranny to cut costs," King said in explaining the changes. She also noted that fewer than 5 percent of Continental's passengers order special meals.
NORTHWEST
The airline serves free food on flights from its hubs in Detroit; Memphis, Tenn.; and Minneapolis to the West Coast and Hawaii (but not to the East Coast) that occur at mealtimes, also on flights from Milwaukee and Indianapolis to Los Angeles. Special meals can be ordered. First class gets free food on flights of at least two hours that occur at mealtimes. Meals can be purchased for $5 to $10, cash only, on about 220 flights, up from a dozen when Northwest began the program in January 2003.
UNITED
For flights shorter than 31/2 hours, spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said, free beverages and cocktail snacks are served on United; the company's low-cost carrier, Ted, adds some buy-on-board items such as cookies and potato chips. On most longer flights, up to five hours and before 8 p.m., on both United and Ted, there are no free meals, but you can buy food on board. Transcontinental flights still offer free food, including 17 special meals.