you won't find any of this in your seatback pocket
lots of opinions about how to behave on your next flight — but no safety advice
This is a newsletter about what we eat and how to do it better. Next up, I’m digging into bread, beans, and taxes on bbq restaurants. If you have a tip or question (I’m doing a mailbag at the end of the month), drop me a line at sophia@joinvoracious.com.
Air travel is not good right now. Newark, which usually gets to claim its place as the second-worst NYC area airport, has melted down. Planes have nearly collided in San Francisco and Washington, DC. Qatar is giving planes away like they are hot cakes — not suspicious at all. Beyond the news, the experience of flying has been going downhill for decades because 1) the food is bad and expensive and 2) social norms of fellow travelers have gone out the window.
The State of In-flight Offerings: Grim
Over a century after the first in-flight meal was served, one could describe the current state of offerings as potentially inciting class warfare. Airlines have partnered with chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants to craft five-course meals, complete with vintage wine pairings, for those in first class. A few feet back (and safely blocked by a curtain), the peasants receive microwaved Chef Boyardee. How is airline food (a $6B industry) developed and why is it so bad (for the masses)?
Scalability:
culinary teams have to design menus that can be cooked in a network of hundreds of kitchens.
all food is cooked and refrigerated (or frozen) in an onsite airline kitchen, and has to be reheated by attendants mid-flight.
Taste: to combat the 30% loss of sense of salt and sugar (caused by engine noise and reduced oxygen), they have to add much more salt and flavoring.
Price:
(they charge you) for domestic flights, selling food on-board enables airlines to save a 7.5% federal excise tax on profits.
(they have to feed you) for international flights, an economy meal costs an airline about $4, and a business-class meal ranges from $25 to $30. First-class meals can cost upward of $100. (TPG)
The Menu
what you should eat
If you’ve ever felt groggy the whole day after a flight, you’re not alone. Even short flights can wreak havoc on your body. That’s why it’s important to load up on:
water (either from the tap or Hudson News): to combat dehydration
fiber: to keep your digestive system running smoothly
and limit salty snacks: you’ll end up eating more to get your fix
what the stars eat
Jose Andres plates his own tin of sardines with bread and butter.
what you will eat
Nutritionists say you should pack your own meal at home, but you don’t want to be carrying Tupperware on your honeymoon. Here are nine tried-and-true ways to get from takeoff to landing without too many tears for ~$15.
10 Etiquette Rules
The airport exists outside of the space-time continuum: you can have a cocktail at 6AM, a coffee at 10PM, and an egg sandwich at any hour.
You must go a lounge to justify the annual credit card fee. (if applicable)
If you see someone traveling with children, they are having a worse day than you. Don’t make it even worse.
Put your personal item under the seat in front of you.
Talk to your neighbor — but don’t ask their star sign. Find out if they would prefer to be woken up to let you out for the bathroom.
Do try to figure out (without asking) what your seatmates do for a living, how their breakup is going, and what they are shopping for. It’s on them for not having a privacy screen.
Check if the person behind you has a laptop before you lean back.
Middle seat gets two armrests.
Don’t bring anything smelly.
Don’t be an asshole. If you’re up to it, be a good person — neuroscientists say it’ll make you feel better.
switch your seat to accommodate a family.
help put bags in the overhead compartment.
let people with connecting flights get off the plane before you.
ask the attendant at the counter how their day is before you ask to change your seat.
I’d Love to See Airlines Offer
a carpool service for all the partners who want to be there three hours before the flight; another for those who like to arrive at final boarding
a safety proficiency test that exempts you from all future videos
Tinder but for seatmates
clearly defined climate zones
a specific training regimen to ensure you can lift your carry-on overheard
a free change of clothes if someone spills on you
text updates from the captain and crew
themed menu (Mile High Club Sandwich, anyone?)
a tray that can stay down if you finish your food and need to pee before the attendant clears it
Other Stuff to Chew On
Childhood nutrition, and programs like SNAP, really matter. A new study shows that children who don’t have access to high-quality, nutritious food early in life (especially if their families don’t participate in SNAP), are more likely to have a higher BMI and be less physically active as young adults, putting them at risk for poor cardiovascular health. This comes at a time when SNAP is under scrutiny.
Airbnb announced it’s leaning into its Experiences and Services offerings — including booking services in your hometown. While I question the strategy behind this (seems like it could easily end up as pages of undifferentiated services for customers to wade through) I will admit that Airbnb Experiences have been some of my favorite vacation activities:
Verona: truffle hunting and lunch. I felt a kinship with the dog that could only be convinced not to eat the truffles with chunks of prosciutto.
Barcelona: walking tour with an architecture student. He introduced us to one of my favorite tapas bars, and gave us tips for what to do, and not do, for the rest of our stay.
Instacart launched Fizz, an app that lets you and your friends order beer and snacks for delivery, and split the bill. This sounds like something I would have used in college, but at this age, if we’ve run out of booze in the apartment, it’s time to go to bed. (This is your sign to build your own bar).
Uber is getting into the reservation game with its partnership with OpenTable. But now they will know that I am not going to make the 15-minute grace period…
I had to wear a black polo shirt when I worked at a café in college. I hated it. I empathize with the 1,000 Starbucks workers protesting the dress code.
Dairy milk consumption is up 1.3% since 2023. If you’re getting it raw, please be careful. A reader reported that milk was particularly helpful after they touched their nose with jalapeño fingers (which they had just cut for their rose, of course).
Rihanna with a bread bag has ended me.
Be like George,
Sophia
I don't eat meat or dairy so my airline hack is to pre order the vegetarian oriental meal. It's an airline meal that actually has flavour! And vegetables, and tofu.
This is very US-centric, the way their domestic airlines operate is cooked. Everyone else doesn’t get through security with their day destroyed and have to fight for a seat.