Food on the Fly

In the 1920s: 

• You'd most likely be flying in an airplane like the one pictured left.
• There was no way to heat food on the plane, so cold food was served.
• Hot coffee brought onto the plane in a thermos.
• Meals were served on paper plates since the airplane bounced so much in flight that other types of plates would break.
• Flight attendants handed out chewing gum to help relieve pressure in the ears.

In the 1950s:

• You'd most likely be flying in an airplane like the one pictured left.
• Airplanes now had ovens to warm up food, so you were able to have a hot meal.
• Frozen food was invented so more choices for meals was available.
• Economy class seating was created in 1951 so that lower priced tickets would receive lower service and first class tickets would receive fancier food and service.
• Amazing food menus were used to draw customers to flying instead of other transportation.

In the 1960s until 1978: 

• Airplanes now had kitchens, there was even better technology for reheating food, and airplanes were more comfortable which made for a better eating experience.
• Even in economy class, the law required that every passenger got an entrée, two vegetables, a salad, dessert, and a drink as part of their ticket price.

In the 1980s:

• Food service on airplanes changed forever in 1978.
• A law was passed to allow airlines to set their own ticket prices and travel routes.
• The good news was that more people could fly now since ticket prices were low.
• The bad news was that airlines changed in-flight food service to save money.
• First class meals were still many courses with food you could find in restaurants.
• If you flew in economy class, you had less food choices.
• Peanuts were introduced as a low-cost snack.
• Scientists discovered that the airplane environment made your senses work differently, so food tasted bland. This is why airplane food sometimes has a lot of sauce to make it more tasty.

In the 2010s until now:

• No more free meals for flights within the United States! To cut costs, airlines serve drinks and provide a snack—either pretzels or cookies. Peanuts were no longer served because of fear of allergic reactions.
• There are some additional choices for food, but you have to pay extra for it.