http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/6...sweb12.article


When topflight food was standard on planes

November 12, 2007
BY BEN GOLDBERGER, Chicago _Sun Times_ Reporter


"United Airlines' December 5, 1967 Baltimore-to-San Francisco flight was a
good one for a hungry passenger. The in-flight meal began with the French
shellfish dish Coquilles St. Jacques, followed by a choice of lobster
thermidor, grilled beef tournedos or double French lamb chops with mint
jelly. There was soup and salad, of course. Dessert offerings included lime
tartlette, chocolate torte and almond rum bar.

Sure, that was in first class, but the economy class food of the period was
nearly as extensive. Brunch for coach passengers on a 1969 United flight
from San Francisco to Omaha featured a mushroom omelette, broiled ham and
brandied hazelnut mousse. That same year, a Pan Am New York-to-Barbados
flight treated economy flyers to stuffed Rock Cornish Hen with madeira sauce
and a separate cheese course before dessert. A split of champagne? A buck,
even.

The menus for those high-altitude repasts and nearly 400 others are now
viewable online through a new Northwestern University Library web site:

http://digital.library.northwestern.edu/tranmenus.


Most of the menus, which cover 54 airlines, cruise ships and railroads from
1929 to the present, come from the personal collection of the late
Northwestern alum George Foster, a globe-trotting anthropologist who saved
the menus from his extensive travels.

The collection is both a nostalgic window on an era of air travel when
elegant, multi-course meals were an essential part of a flight -- in any
class -- and a cruel reminder of just how spartan air travel has become.

Nearly 40 years after George Foster sampled hazelnut mousse en route to
Omaha, almost every American airline has stopped serving complimentary meals
in their main cabins on domestic flights. Passengers on United flights
longer than three hours can buy pre-made salads and wraps for $5, or a
snackbox for $3. Passengers on shorter flights have to settle for peanuts --
even shrink-wrapped food is only available for purchase on longer trips.
American Airlines offers similar options, as do most U.S. carriers.

Blame 9/11 and the demand for lower fares, says David Stempler, president of
the Air Travelers Association, a passenger advocacy group.

"The airlines were in such a devastated financial condition after 9/11 that
there was a move to just getting back up in the air with very few amenities,
and slowly they realized the public was going to accept that, and no meals
became the new normal," Stempler said. "We've had a race to the bottom as to
fares, [and] in the process people went for the lower fares over food, over
pillows, over all kinds of amenities. They keep voting with their wallets."

But all is not lost for the airline gourmand. As carriers have gutted main
cabin service, they are increasingly competing to offer the plushest
amenities in business and first class. Almost every major airline now has a
celebrity chef consulting on its premium class menus.

"Our chefs are really focusing on what the restaurant trends are and keeping
airlines up to speed with those trends, rather than having airlines be the
last to get there," said Christina Ulosevich, a spokeswoman for the
international airline catering firm Gate Gourmet. The company recently
paired with TV-friendly Miami chef Michelle Bernstein to design upscale,
contemporary menus for Delta's international BusinessElite service. Among
the offerings are of-the-moment restaurant fare like braised short ribs,
grilled beef filet and shrimp scampi over lemon risotto and pomegranate
glazed lamb chops.

"It's a tale of two or three classes on the airplanes," said Stempler. "In
the front of the plane, in business and first, there's a race to the top.
[The airlines] are all fighting each other for the best food, the best wine,
the best service."

Such is the case at Chicago-based United. While George Foster had
complimentary grilled spring chicken with shallots on a United flight to Des
Moines in 1974, the airline's current main cabin passengers shell out for
pretzels. First class flyers on select international flights, however, are
served a multi-course menu designed by decorated Chicago chef Charlie
Trotter.


THOSE WERE THE DAYS

These three menus were all offered on the same flight from Los Angeles to
Auckland, New Zealand, in March of 1980:

LIGHT MEAL

Pineapple spears

Club sandwiches

Blueberry tart

Cheese and biscuits

Coffee -- tea

BREAKFAST

Compote of fruit

Mushroom omelette

Grilled ham

Grilled tomato

Danish pastry - roll

Conserves -- butter

Coffee -- tea

DINNER

Hors d'oeuvre

Fillet steak sauce Bordelaise

Carrots vichy -- butter minted peas

Noisette potatoes

Grateau royal Hawaiian

Cheese and biscuits

Bread roll -- butter

Coffee -- tea..."

</>

Greg, I flew Delta this weekend, they served three kinds of lovely
snack, peanut butt butter crackers, cookies, andsomething else in a
little bag.Needless to say, I flew in back, not in First, they
probably had a better selection.

A couple of weeks ago I flew AA, it was even worse, they offered
nothing in back, except a soft drink,...At least Delta gave you
something. Of course as crowded as it is, there is little room to
fool with forks and knives etc , not to mention food.

Is there anything they can do to may flying more unpleasant? If there
is , I am sure they will implement it ASAP.I hate flying coach.


Rosie

"rosie" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Greg, I flew Delta this weekend, they served three kinds of lovely
> snack, peanut butt butter crackers, cookies, andsomething else in a
> little bag.Needless to say, I flew in back, not in First, they
> probably had a better selection.
>
> A couple of weeks ago I flew AA, it was even worse, they offered
> nothing in back, except a soft drink,...At least Delta gave you
> something. Of course as crowded as it is, there is little room to
> fool with forks and knives etc , not to mention food.
>
> Is there anything they can do to may flying more unpleasant? If there
> is , I am sure they will implement it ASAP.I hate flying coach.
>
>
> Rosie
>
Rosie,
I flew Air France (bough my tickets through Delta) to Rome with a stopover
in Paris and the meal in the cheap seats was first rate! An interesting
salad, baguette, Chicken Francais with sautéed root vegetables, a cheese
course, desert, and wine (burgundy, chardonnay/viognier or champagne).

The meal on the return flight was equally as good. The service was first
rate as well. I'd fly Air France anytime.

Jon

Economy class on an airline today is probably worse than traveling by
Greyhound, and probably not as comfortable.

I used to love air travel. Now I despise it, for a multitude of reasons.

--
Wayne Boatwright

(to e-mail me direct, replace cox dot net with gmail dot com)
__________________________________________________ ____________

OK, I'm weird ! But I'm saving up to be eccentric.

In article >,
"Gregory Morrow" > wrote:

> http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/6...sweb12.article

Life has changed. We used to ride the bus. We don't very much anymore.
We used to ride the train. Last time we rode the train, the employee on
board told us, that if we planned to come back, to take the bus. We
did. We've ridden the train twice in the last few years. We weren't
actually going anywhere, fortunately, just for the trip. They don't
have spare engines or spare employees. When the engine doesn't work,
you just wait until it's fixed. When an employee gets sick, then you
just wait (or take the bus).

Flying used to be for the rich. No more. I went to visit my relatives
last month. I thought about driving. It would have cost at least twice
as much as flying, not to mention that driving would have taken four
days versus a few hours for flying. I plan to visit again. I talked to
my wife about me driving. That means she has no vehicle. She didn't
like that. I guess we could buy or rent another vehicle. That would
cost money. I suspect I will fly.

I've looked at bus fares. I don't think they are cheaper.

Dan Abel said...

> Last time we rode the train, the employee on
> board told us, that if we planned to come back, to take the bus. We
> did. We've ridden the train twice in the last few years. We weren't
> actually going anywhere, fortunately, just for the trip.


I remember on 9-11-2001 I got to the train station to return home after the
World Trade Center was hit and every train monitor blinked "Cancelled." I
was at Suburban station in Philly.

Now what am I gonna do?

Then all of a sudden a sign lit up for my train to Media would be pulling
in in 5 minutes. It didn't make any sense until the conductor on the train
mentioned that SEPTA owned all the track except at 30th Street station,
owned by Amtrak and wouldn't let SEPTA trains stop on their track. We
didn't stop at that station as usual.

I imagine other stations were all on SEPTA track but had no way of knowing.

Was my little piece of good luck on such a tragic day.

Andy

Gregory Morrow wrote:

> "It's a tale of two or three classes on the airplanes," said Stempler. "In
> the front of the plane, in business and first, there's a race to the top.
> [The airlines] are all fighting each other for the best food, the best wine,
> the best service."
>

Last year I flew first class from Atlanta to Los Angeles and back. What
a huge difference in my mood and physical condition when I arrived at my
destination! A little food, drink and extra space does wonders for me. I
dread flying in the cattle car section anymore. I can't afford to fly
first class/business often, but it is particularly worth it on some of
these long flights. Especially when it takes you hours and hours just to
get on the damn plane anymore.
Flying back home the flight left at o'dark thirty, so having a nice hot
breakfast (and unlimited screwdrivers!) was manna. I felt sort of sorry
for the hungry unwashed masses in the back.....

Zeppo wrote:

> I flew Air France (bough my tickets through Delta) to Rome with a stopover
> in Paris and the meal in the cheap seats was first rate! An interesting
> salad, baguette, Chicken Francais with sautéed root vegetables, a cheese
> course, desert, and wine (burgundy, chardonnay/viognier or champagne).
>
> The meal on the return flight was equally as good. The service was first
> rate as well. I'd fly Air France anytime.
>
> Jon
>
Yes, I once flew Air France and was very impressed. Loved the free wine
with my meal.

But my all time favorite flight was a very short haul from Amsterdam to
London and KLM managed to provide incredible little egg salad (my
choice) or seafood sandwiches and a drink on a flight just an hour long.
If they can manage it, why can't Delta?

KLM flight attendents are by far the prettiest I've seen in a long time
too. Well groomed and attired, attractive (as are ALL the Dutch!) and
really are reminiscent of "stewardesses" of years past. Delta's FAs now
look like a bunch of sloppy old cows. Except for the cute *** guys. LOL

l, not -l wrote:
> On 12-Nov-2007, rosie > wrote:
>
>> Is there anything they can do to may flying more unpleasant? If there
>> is , I am sure they will implement it ASAP.I hate flying coach.
>
> They could learn from Military Airlift Command; C-130 cargo plane, outfitted
> with aluminum tube frame and web seating.

Perhaps...but you can't beat the price.

"rosie" > wrote

> A couple of weeks ago I flew AA, it was even worse, they offered
> nothing in back, except a soft drink,...At least Delta gave you
> something. Of course as crowded as it is, there is little room to
> fool with forks and knives etc , not to mention food.
>
> Is there anything they can do to may flying more unpleasant? If there
> is , I am sure they will implement it ASAP.I hate flying coach.

Honest, if all they did was give me a smidge more space, they
would not have to feed me. I'm on the plane to get to Point B,
not for the food. Of course, getting food is a diversion, that's a
good thing.

Too bad for me I'm too darned cheap to fly first class.

nancy

rosie wrote:


> A couple of weeks ago I flew AA, it was even worse, they offered
> nothing in back, except a soft drink,...At least Delta gave you
> something. Of course as crowded as it is, there is little room to
> fool with forks and knives etc , not to mention food.
>
> Is there anything they can do to may flying more unpleasant? If there
> is , I am sure they will implement it ASAP.I hate flying coach.

I prefer this way. Serving those meals used to be a pain in the ass for
everyone involved, and it was crappy food. I'd rather eat real food
before or after the flight. I don't need much more than a can of soda
and maybe a cup of water to tide me over.



Brian

--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)

On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:03:51 -0500, Goomba38 >
wrote:

> I can't afford to fly
>first class/business often, but it is particularly worth it on some of
>these long flights. Especially when it takes you hours and hours just to
>get on the damn plane anymore.

To me, "business class" isn't much better than the back of the plane.
I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. The way I knew I was in
business class last time, they announced that they wanted something or
other that required earphones back.... I assumed it was a music
device. I didn't find an appreciable difference in leg space or arm
space, but first class seems to be very roomy. Too bad I don't fly
for business.

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smiley face first

Oh pshaw, on Mon 12 Nov 2007 09:03:59p, Sqwertz meant to say...

> Since when do fairies fly in airplanes?
>
> -sw

I didn't know there was a regulation or law that said we couldn't.

--
Wayne Boatwright

(to e-mail me direct, replace cox dot net with gmail dot com)
__________________________________________________ ____________

OK, I'm weird ! But I'm saving up to be eccentric.

Default User wrote:
> rosie wrote:
>
>
>> A couple of weeks ago I flew AA, it was even worse, they offered
>> nothing in back, except a soft drink,...At least Delta gave you
>> something. Of course as crowded as it is, there is little room to
>> fool with forks and knives etc , not to mention food.
>>
>> Is there anything they can do to may flying more unpleasant? If there
>> is , I am sure they will implement it ASAP.I hate flying coach.
>
> I prefer this way. Serving those meals used to be a pain in the ass for
> everyone involved, and it was crappy food. I'd rather eat real food
> before or after the flight. I don't need much more than a can of soda
> and maybe a cup of water to tide me over.
>
>


When you have to leave home 3 hours before an 8 hour flight in order to
check in 2 hrs. before and experience runway delays at either end, you
can get pretty hungry, especially when security gets hard-nosed about
carrying food through.

gloria p

In article >,
Goomba38 > wrote:

> Last year I flew first class from Atlanta to Los Angeles and back. What
> a huge difference in my mood and physical condition when I arrived at my
> destination! A little food, drink and extra space does wonders for me. I
> dread flying in the cattle car section anymore. I can't afford to fly
> first class/business often, but it is particularly worth it on some of
> these long flights. Especially when it takes you hours and hours just to
> get on the damn plane anymore.
> Flying back home the flight left at o'dark thirty, so having a nice hot
> breakfast (and unlimited screwdrivers!) was manna. I felt sort of sorry
> for the hungry unwashed masses in the back.....

To each his (or her) own. I travel by air about 2 or 3 times a year on
average, which is not a lot, but I have been doing it since 1970 when I
was 9 years old. I grew up in Philadelphia. I had family in Miami when I
was a kid. My folks would pack me off to visit family in Miami once each
summer and we would usually go to Miami over the winter school break all
together. When I traveled solo as a kid, my parents would take me to the
plane and watch me board it. When I arrived in Miami, my dad's brother
and my aunt were at the arrival gate to greet me. This worked out well.

When I first set foot on a commercial plane (Eastern Airlines) in 1970,
we were fed well, even in cattle class. That lasted for around 15 years.
Now, after many years of flying, I don't care if the flight has food on
it or not, even for long haul flights. I appreciate the extra space in
first class, but not enough to actually pay extra for it. Where air
travel is concerned, my only expectation is that the flight arrives
intact, on time, and that my luggage is undamaged and not lost.

Whenever I board a long-haul flight, I have a hearty meal right before
it. I also take a snack on board with me, such as some crackers. Even
for a flight from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, if I don't eat a meal on
the flight, I am none the worse off for it. The little snacks the flight
attendants offer and the cold drinks are usually enough to tide me over
for a cross-country flight.

Fortunately for me, PHL has some nice places to eat with reasonable
prices, which is why I am rarely hungry during a flight. On most
flights, I just put on my earphones, crank up my iPod, and doze off just
after the flight takes off or I read.

Stan Horwitz wrote:

>
> Whenever I board a long-haul flight, I have a hearty meal right before
> it. I also take a snack on board with me, such as some crackers. Even
> for a flight from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, if I don't eat a meal on
> the flight, I am none the worse off for it. The little snacks the flight
> attendants offer and the cold drinks are usually enough to tide me over
> for a cross-country flight.
>
> Fortunately for me, PHL has some nice places to eat with reasonable
> prices, which is why I am rarely hungry during a flight. On most
> flights, I just put on my earphones, crank up my iPod, and doze off just
> after the flight takes off or I read.

Well.. considering that on that last flight I mentioned I had to get a
taxi from the hotel at 4 AM to get to the airport in time for the 6 AM
flight. I wasn't in a private home to fix myself a meal beforehand.
Not a lot of restaurant choices or time to find one in that situation,
eh? So again, that breakfast (and the lovely screwdrivers) were more
than welcomed by me by the time 7 or 8 AM arrived.

On Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:26:05 -0500, Stan Horwitz
> wrote:

>Whenever I board a long-haul flight, I have a hearty meal right before
>it. I also take a snack on board with me, such as some crackers. Even
>for a flight from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, if I don't eat a meal on
>the flight, I am none the worse off for it. The little snacks the flight
>attendants offer and the cold drinks are usually enough to tide me over
>for a cross-country flight.

I dunno.... somehow, a cross country flight - or one to Hawaii just
isn't a BFD for me anymore. It was when I was younger, but now I
sleep or read through it and it's over in a flash. I can't stand
airline food, so if they don't want to serve me any - I don't miss it.
I'd rather watch a decent in flight movie instead.

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smiley face first

Sqwertz squirts:


> Since when do fairies fly in airplanes?


"Oh, Steve, you are just so...so...NEURASTHENIC..."


--
Best
Greg

In article >,
Puester > wrote:

> Default User wrote:
> > rosie wrote:
> >
> >
> >> A couple of weeks ago I flew AA, it was even worse, they offered
> >> nothing in back, except a soft drink,...At least Delta gave you
> >> something. Of course as crowded as it is, there is little room to
> >> fool with forks and knives etc , not to mention food.
> >>
> >> Is there anything they can do to may flying more unpleasant? If there
> >> is , I am sure they will implement it ASAP.I hate flying coach.
> >
> > I prefer this way. Serving those meals used to be a pain in the ass for
> > everyone involved, and it was crappy food. I'd rather eat real food
> > before or after the flight. I don't need much more than a can of soda
> > and maybe a cup of water to tide me over.
> >
> >
>
>
> When you have to leave home 3 hours before an 8 hour flight in order to
> check in 2 hrs. before and experience runway delays at either end, you
> can get pretty hungry, especially when security gets hard-nosed about
> carrying food through.
>
> gloria p

Just eat at the airport or stop for some takeout. I have left for
flights all hours of the day and night and I never have trouble finding
a place to get a quick and filling bite to eat on the way to the airport
or at the airport. If your departure is from a small regional airport,
the dining choices there will be limited, but one can prepare in advance
for an early morning flight by making a sandwich the night before and
packing it with a piece of fruit, and some snacks to eat on board the
flight or at the airport.

Shawn H. wrote:
>
> Just eat at the airport or stop for some takeout. I have left for
> flights all hours of the day and night and I never have trouble finding
> a place to get a quick and filling bite to eat on the way to the airport
> or at the airport. If your departure is from a small regional airport,
> the dining choices there will be limited, but one can prepare in advance
> for an early morning flight by making a sandwich the night before and
> packing it with a piece of fruit, and some snacks to eat on board the
> flight or at the airport.


It isn't so easy anymore. Airport security has rules about what can and
cannot be taken on board. The rules apply to all manner of liquids and
unmarked substances. It is all very well and good to point out that the
mayonnaise on your sandwich is mayonnaise. The bottom line still comes
down to the fact that they can tell you that you can't bring on board
anything they feel like. Besides, calculating bringing a good lunch for
the flight is all the more difficult when I've got a thousand things on
my mind including packing and cleaning out the fridge in anticipation of
being gone for 2 weeks.


I believe the airlines were all in a downward spiral before 9-11.
Flying was already so uncomfortable that I was doing anything I could to
avoid it. I'm sure I don't represent the public as a whole, but I still
think they were losing business by making the flying experience such a
pain: difficult airport transportation, delays, lost luggage, getting
there early, cramped seats, penalties for changing plans or simply
wanting to give one's ticket to a family member. As they lost business,
instead of making flying more pleasent, they made it worse: the need to
be at the airport even earlier, fewer amenities, even less space. So
they lost more business.


--Lia

On Nov 12, 2:14?pm, "Zeppo" > wrote:
> "rosie" > wrote in message
>
> ups.com...
>
>
>
> > Greg, I flew Delta this weekend, they served three kinds of lovely
> > snack, peanut butt butter crackers, cookies, andsomething else in a
> > little bag.Needless to say, I flew in back, not in First, they
> > probably had a better selection.
>
> > A couple of weeks ago I flew AA, it was even worse, they offered
> > nothing in back, except a soft drink,...At least Delta gave you
> > something. Of course as crowded as it is, there is little room to
> > fool with forks and knives etc , not to mention food.
>
> > Is there anything they can do to may flying more unpleasant? If there
> > is , I am sure they will implement it ASAP.I hate flying coach.
>
> > Rosie
>
> Rosie,
> I flew Air France (bough my tickets through Delta) to Rome with a stopover
> in Paris and the meal in the cheap seats was first rate! An interesting
> salad, baguette, Chicken Francais with saut ed root vegetables, a cheese
> course, desert, and wine (burgundy, chardonnay/viognier or champagne).
>
> The meal on the return flight was equally as good. The service was first
> rate as well. I'd fly Air France anytime.
>
> Jon- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I have found, when I am flying, and not in the US, the food is better
and usually the service, with the notable exception of Aeroflot, and
it has been a long time since I was on that airling.

I liked Virgin Airlines, and Air france for some reason.

Rosie

Julia Altshuler said...

> Shawn H. wrote:
>>
>> Just eat at the airport or stop for some takeout. I have left for
>> flights all hours of the day and night and I never have trouble finding
>> a place to get a quick and filling bite to eat on the way to the airport
>> or at the airport. If your departure is from a small regional airport,
>> the dining choices there will be limited, but one can prepare in advance
>> for an early morning flight by making a sandwich the night before and
>> packing it with a piece of fruit, and some snacks to eat on board the
>> flight or at the airport.
>
>
> It isn't so easy anymore. Airport security has rules about what can and
> cannot be taken on board. The rules apply to all manner of liquids and
> unmarked substances. It is all very well and good to point out that the
> mayonnaise on your sandwich is mayonnaise. The bottom line still comes
> down to the fact that they can tell you that you can't bring on board
> anything they feel like. Besides, calculating bringing a good lunch for
> the flight is all the more difficult when I've got a thousand things on
> my mind including packing and cleaning out the fridge in anticipation of
> being gone for 2 weeks.
>
>
> I believe the airlines were all in a downward spiral before 9-11.
> Flying was already so uncomfortable that I was doing anything I could to
> avoid it. I'm sure I don't represent the public as a whole, but I still
> think they were losing business by making the flying experience such a
> pain: difficult airport transportation, delays, lost luggage, getting
> there early, cramped seats, penalties for changing plans or simply
> wanting to give one's ticket to a family member. As they lost business,
> instead of making flying more pleasent, they made it worse: the need to
> be at the airport even earlier, fewer amenities, even less space. So
> they lost more business.
>
>
> --Lia


When I flew to Kalifornia recently, at the electric ticket check-in counter
the touchscreen asked me if I'd like to purchase an extra 4" of leg room
for $4.00. I declined.

On the plane after take-off I noticed one side of the aisle of emergency
exit seats (with the extra 4" of leg room) were empty and made myself
comfortable for free. "Almost" more comfortable than first class, if it
weren't for the oatmeal cookie and water lunch. You COULD buy the cheese
and fruit tray for $9.00.

Also it seemed that the attendants spent more time going up and down the
aisle collecting trash.

And I'd much prefer a parachute to a floatation device under my seat. They
probably decided against them since it'd be difficult to demo without the
attendant jumping out of the plane onto the tarmac.


Once I took an "island hopper." After walking out onto the tarmac we were
told to board a bus. I said, I thought we were flying to Hell. It drove us
across the tarmac to the tiny prop plane. So small that I couldn't stand up
straight and there was a curtain left open between the cabin and the
pilots. In a nice wind, getting tossed about, the view out of the front
windshield is a tad uncomfortable to watch.

Flying sucks nowadays. And you about have to be an acrobat in the restroom.

Sent #1B back to Kalifornia once with a bag of three frozen cheesesteaks.
They landed safely, I'm happy to report.

Andy

Puester wrote:

> Default User wrote:

> > I prefer this way. Serving those meals used to be a pain in the ass
> > for everyone involved, and it was crappy food. I'd rather eat real
> > food before or after the flight. I don't need much more than a can
> > of soda and maybe a cup of water to tide me over.

> When you have to leave home 3 hours before an 8 hour flight in order
> to check in 2 hrs. before and experience runway delays at either end,
> you can get pretty hungry, especially when security gets hard-nosed
> about carrying food through.

That's why they have food vendors past security.




Brian

--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)

On Nov 12, 8:39�am, "Gregory Morrow"
> wrote:
> http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/6...sweb12.article
>
> When topflight food was standard on planes
>
> November 12, 2007
> BY BEN GOLDBERGER, Chicago _Sun Times_ Reporter
>
> "United Airlines' December 5, 1967 Baltimore-to-San Francisco flight was a
> good one for a hungry passenger. The in-flight meal began with the French
> shellfish dish Coquilles St. Jacques, followed by a choice of lobster
> thermidor, grilled beef tournedos or double French lamb chops with mint
> jelly. There was soup and salad, of course. Dessert offerings included lime
> tartlette, chocolate torte and almond rum bar.
>
> Sure, that was in first class, but the economy class food of the period was
> nearly as extensive. Brunch for coach passengers on a 1969 United flight
> from San Francisco to Omaha featured a mushroom omelette, broiled ham and
> brandied hazelnut mousse. That same year, a Pan Am New York-to-Barbados
> flight treated economy flyers to stuffed Rock Cornish Hen with madeira sauce
> and a separate cheese course before dessert. A split of champagne? A buck,
> even.
>
> The menus for those high-altitude repasts and nearly 400 others are now
> viewable online through a new Northwestern University Library web site:
>
> http://digital.library.northwestern.edu/tranmenus.
>
> Most of the menus, which cover 54 airlines, cruise ships and railroads from
> 1929 to the present, come from the personal collection of the late
> Northwestern alum George Foster, a globe-trotting anthropologist who saved
> the menus from his extensive travels.
>
> The collection is both a nostalgic window on an era of air travel when
> elegant, multi-course meals were an essential part of a flight -- in any
> class -- and a cruel reminder of just how spartan air travel has become.
>
> Nearly 40 years after George Foster sampled hazelnut mousse en route to
> Omaha, almost every American airline has stopped serving complimentary meals
> in their main cabins on domestic flights. Passengers on United flights
> longer than three hours can buy pre-made salads and wraps for $5, or a
> snackbox for $3. Passengers on shorter flights have to settle for peanuts --
> even shrink-wrapped food is only available for purchase on longer trips.
> American Airlines offers similar options, as do most U.S. carriers.
>
> Blame 9/11 and the demand for lower fares, says David Stempler, president of
> the Air Travelers Association, a passenger advocacy group.
>
> "The airlines were in such a devastated financial condition after 9/11 that
> there was a move to just getting back up in the air with very few amenities,
> and slowly they realized the public was going to accept that, and no meals
> became the new normal," Stempler said. "We've had a race to the bottom as to
> fares, [and] in the process people went for the lower fares over food, over
> pillows, over all kinds of amenities. They keep voting with their wallets."
>
> But all is not lost for the airline gourmand. As carriers have gutted main
> cabin service, they are increasingly competing to offer the plushest
> amenities in business and first class. Almost every major airline now has a
> celebrity chef consulting on its premium class menus.
>
> "Our chefs are really focusing on what the restaurant trends are and keeping
> airlines up to speed with those trends, rather than having airlines be the
> last to get there," said Christina Ulosevich, a spokeswoman for the
> international airline catering firm Gate Gourmet. The company recently
> paired with TV-friendly Miami chef Michelle Bernstein to design upscale,
> contemporary menus for Delta's international BusinessElite service. Among
> the offerings are of-the-moment restaurant fare like braised short ribs,
> grilled beef filet and shrimp scampi over lemon risotto and pomegranate
> glazed lamb chops.
>
> "It's a tale of two or three classes on the airplanes," said Stempler. "In
> the front of the plane, in business and first, there's a race to the top.
> [The airlines] are all fighting each other for the best food, the best wine,
> the best service."
>
> Such is the case at Chicago-based United. While George Foster had
> complimentary grilled spring chicken with shallots on a United flight to Des
> Moines in 1974, the airline's current main cabin passengers shell out for
> pretzels. First class flyers on select international flights, however, are
> served a multi-course menu designed by decorated Chicago chef Charlie
> Trotter.
>
> THOSE WERE THE DAYS
>
> These three menus were all offered on the same flight from Los Angeles to
> Auckland, New Zealand, in March of 1980:
>
> LIGHT MEAL
>
> Pineapple spears
>
> Club sandwiches
>
> Blueberry tart
>
> Cheese and biscuits
>
> Coffee -- tea
>
> BREAKFAST
>
> Compote of fruit
>
> Mushroom omelette
>
> Grilled ham
>
> Grilled tomato
>
> Danish pastry - roll
>
> Conserves -- butter
>
> Coffee -- tea
>
> DINNER
>
> Hors d'oeuvre
>
> Fillet steak sauce Bordelaise
>
> Carrots vichy -- butter minted peas
>
> Noisette potatoes
>
> Grateau royal Hawaiian
>
> Cheese and biscuits
>
> Bread roll -- butter
>
> Coffee -- tea..."
>
> </>


Just came back from China flying 1st class all the way on American
Airlines and then some inter-China carriers.
All I could think about was in the "good old days" of Pan American
Airlines wherein they made the most incredible Grand Marnier Orange
Souffle cake available in 1st class mainly from the East to West Coast
and vice versa.
Do you have any access to the recipes from Pan Am?
BTW.....if I had to grade the food on American International 1st class
I would give it a "C-"......
On domestic AA flights we bring our own sandwiches from a great deli
even in 1st class.....

Stephanie