I am a Delta frequent flier. Because NYC is my hub and Delta loooves New York, I get the most options and best rewards from always choosing Delta for both personal and work travel. My upgrades are frequent thanks to three factors: my medallion status, the fact that I usually take the earliest flight out, and that I book way in advance whenever possible. And most domestic flights land early or at least on time which is amazing.
The Delta Sky Clubs are big and bright with clean bathrooms. And although the food options there are plentiful, they are sad. Jiggly flavorless egg bites. Kitchen sink soup that always smells of too much spice. Bruised fruit. Sweaty cheeses. Sloppy salsa. Everything is underseasoned and underwhelming. Why are the choices so bad when they should be elite?
For a foodie like me, once airborne, the snacks also lack status. And the on board selection is not great either. In fact, similar to the lounges, they seem way overdue for an upgrade. And it’s not just Delta.
I just learned that both Delta and American Airlines serve those annoyingly popular crumbly Biscoff cookies for flights over 250 miles long. It’s like hospital food. Or a dog treat? And Delta also serves those get all over your fingers mini Sun Chips in Garden Salsa that instantly give you and all of your fellow passengers dragon breath. Why serve this on an airplane with such tight quarters unless you’re also handing out breath mints! Were fishy crab cake bites not available? Jeez. Thank you next.
But news is spreading that Delta will start to serve it’s first class passengers Shake Shack cheeseburgers. Wow. Delicious. Although this is certainly a welcome bump, this seems a bit dangerous to me. For the rest of us peasants that aren’t in a big seat, just wait to see what happens when a disproportionate amount of travelers smell that unique aroma wafting back from boarding group one. Hungry folks from group five could storm the mesh people divider, unsnapping the flimsy class system’s barrier to entry and demand a Shackburger. And what about the crew? How will they be able to resist?
United goes their own way. They discontinued Biscoff cookies which I’m sure pissed off many. They switched to fruit bars and a savory snack mix. But of course some love it. And then United recently came out with a shocking but welcome announcement of their own. They have partnered with famed NYC cupcake shop Magnolia Bakery to serve their iconic Banana Pudding to first class passengers on flights over 901 miles. Now that’s taking snacking to new heights. Are they trying to test my Delta loyalty??
Jet Blue offers Terra Blue Chips and TrueBlue fliers love that snack. Honestly? I’d be happy with those, too. Jet Blue also offers their first class passengers curated menus from New York top chefs. Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about. Southwest brings some southern flair to their cart by offering classic pretzels and a spicy snack mix. (Please do not wake me for that, mmkay?)
So because snacks on board are so limited for commoners and only the first class peeps get the good stuff, folks usually remember to pack their own. My flight pattern always involves a full Swell bottle of plain water so it can stay cold the whole flight. (I never trust ice on a plane anyway. I’ve heard countless times that they never clean out the ice bins. I don’t even want to know what’s growing or living there. Ick factor personified.)
And I also have a pack of nuts on hand. If I’m starving, I use a to-go coffee cup from the lounge and fill it with bite sized melon chunks and pray that they are actually ripe and not wet orange rocks. If it is a cross country haul, I go out of pocket and buy a sando but I ditch half the bread. I always skip the cookie and chip handouts on board. It’s just not a good use of anyone’s valuable calories.
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