Why does airplane food taste so bad? Or at least have a bad rep? Is there anything you can do to make it taste better?

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“What’s the deal with airplane food?” is often the joke in and of itself. You’d think that as long as people have been flying airplane food has been terrible. Not so!

Actually, the earliest commercial flights didn’t even serve any food–even though people got dressed up and the flights were only for the wealthy. The planes didn’t have the capacity to bring anything extra onboard.

History of Airplane Food

1919 saw the first lunchboxes on planes–and they weren’t free then either! They cost 3 shillings per serving. These progressed to baskets with fruit salad, sandwiches, and cold chicken which began to show up on some flights. This was at a time when refueling was a regular occurrence, so picnic tables were often set up in hangars and passengers enjoyed a meal while the plane was refueled. I guess nobody was in a rush to get to their destination or worried about Wi-Fi.

Onboard kitchens made their appearance in the 1930s and meals were lavish hours-long multi-course affairs. The 1940s saw the advent of frozen meals and the availability of disposable dishes and cutlery. The 1950s brought 5-minute ovens to heat and serve.

Airplane food and meal service continued to expand and impress throughout the 1960s.

But the 1970s brought deregulation and with it competition which led to price drops. In order to maintain their bottom line, the airlines had to look for ways to cut costs. In the mid-80s, one airline (in)famously saved $80,000 by serving one less olive on first class salads (over $200,000 in 2022 dollars).

And Now…

Fast forward to the age of Instagram, Twitter, and things going viral. Passengers are now free to post pictures and complaints about anything and everything. And once again, that affects the airline’s bottom line. If enough people with enough followers complain, then airlines will see their sales affected.

So, airlines have begun to employ world-renowned chefs, partner with Michelin-starred restaurants, and have the health conscious traveler in mind. Even the food choices [for sale] in economy have gotten an upgrade (still deciding if the pun was intended 😜).

But, having said that, there are still some things you are not likely to see on a flight any time soon. Most airplane food is fully cooked and then blast-chilled. So, since any hot food is reheated before being served, most crispy food is generally off the menu (think: french fries and fried chicken). Also, prior to being loaded on the plane, it’s stored in a secured refrigerated area at the airport. If the flight is delayed too much, all the food may have to be remade to ensure freshness.

What Affects the Taste of Airplane Food?

There are actually many factors that affect the taste of airplane food. Some obvious, and some less so. In general, salty and sweet are much less pronounced (as much as 30%) while in-flight.

The More Obvious

Some obvious causes of this are the low cabin pressure and lack of humidity. Even though the cabin is pressurized–otherwise we couldn’t breathe at 35,000 feet (10,668 meters)–it’s not pressurized to sea level. It’s usually the equivalent or 7-8,000 feet (2134-2438 meters) above sea level, which is still quite high. For a point of reference, Denver is 5279 feet (1609 meters) above sea level; Mexico City is 7349 ft (2240 m); New York City is 33 ft (10 m); Jerusalem is 2474 ft (754 m); Johannesburg is 5751 ft (1753 m); Paris is 115 ft (35 m); and Mount Washington in New Hampshire is 6288 ft (1917 m).

The lack of humidity dulls your sense of smell so much that it’s the equivalent of having a cold. And we all know how much of our sense of taste is affected when that happens. In order to determine what something will taste like in-flight, a great trick is to hold your nose while eating it.

So, in order to combat the effects of cabin pressure and lack of humidity, airplane food is usually loaded with sugar and salt. Also, keep in mind that just as you and the air dry out, so does the food. This explains all the sauces. It’s not to hide the food but to keep it hydrated.

Pro Tip: To keep yourself hydrated, a good rule of thumb is to drink one glass of water for every hour of flight time.

Keep in mind when deciding what to eat in-flight that sour, bitter, and spicy are not really affected by altitude, pressure, or humidity.

The Less Obvious

Perhaps a more surprising thing that affects the taste of airplane food is the loud engine noise. There have been multiple studies that have demonstrated that the loud noise makes sweet tastes less so and savory tastes more so. The loud noise also makes food less crunchy.

All this has to be taken into consideration when seasoning the food to be served onboard (or even in a loud restaurant). This may also help you understand why the favorite snacks you brought (or the seven-course meal your nervous mother packed for a 2-hour flight) tastes so different than on the ground.

What Can You Do?

There are several things you can do to enhance the taste of your next airplane meal.

If you have the option to order something with an umami or spicy seasoning, this may reduce the amount of added salt and sugar. Most people retain water due to change in altitude as it is, added sodium doesn’t have to compound the problem.

You could add more salt to the food if you really wanted to; there’s usually salt packets included with the condiments.

You could bring your own mini tabasco sauce or other condiments with you. If you go this route, just be sure to follow the TSA liquid rules.

Get Great Tips for Travelling Carry-on Only

Add something crunchy to the food such as crushed pretzels or crackers.

Wear noise cancelling headphones while you eat. If you don’t own a pair of these, then you could at least wear earplugs or listen to music. Better not to use this time to bond with your seatmate (send him this article so he knows it’s not just an excuse).

Now you understand why the flavor of airplane food needs to be amped up and even goes overboard if you were to eat the same thing on the ground. But, a few simple tricks can make a huge difference for your next meal in the sky.

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