圖1，受到抱怨的Virgin 航空公司飛機上的食品
圖2，理查德布蘭森爵士-Sir Richard Branson
圖3， posted pictures from the meal served by Japan Airlines in the first class cabin, between Chicago and Narita， chosen as "Meal of the Month," for May 31, 2006. http://www.airlinemeals.net/meals/JapanAirlines371450.htm
相信在過去5~10 年中乘過若幹次飛機的人們，對最近航空公司提供的服務都一定會有感受。尤其是飛機上的食品，這些年來的變化可太大了，從有到無，從可稱是美食，到，well，看看紐約時報的文章和讀者們的評論，您會想出最好的對應辦法的。
如果大家能交流一下自己的感受，恐怕會很有“揚長避短”的實際意義。以往(十多年前)見到的最好的機上食品與服務，一是西北航空公司飛香港、台灣的航班，一是全日空飛亞洲-北美的航班。不但飛機上有懂不同語言的服務人員，提供的飯菜，那可真是色香味俱全，飯前飯後有熱毛巾服務。西北航空公司飛台灣的航班不但給經濟倉的乘客免費提供開胃酒，晚飯後還有地道的威士忌享受。近年來，中美之間的國際航班越來越頻繁後，幾乎所有飛中國航線的航空公司都不再對經濟倉的乘客免費提供葡萄酒了。見到的最差的食品，是幾年前在聯航來美國的飛機上，早餐是一小盒方便麵，從來沒吃過隻有醬油味道的方便麵。晚飯則是加了很多CHESS 的麵條，不想吃這麽多的CHESS？那就隻剩下喝水了。另外，也是在這次從芝加哥至北京的聯航航班中，機長在發現有一個衛生間出現故障後，決定用一個半小時飛回安卡拉奇檢修，然後又飛回舊金山，再更換飛機與整個機組人員繼續去北京，整個行程長達20多小時。聯航，BYE BYE 了，您呐。
紐約時報的旅行專欄今天對飛機上提供的食品有篇短文，提到英國的 Telegraph 報最近發表了一位對在從孟買到倫敦的Virgin 航空公司飛機上的食品極為不滿的乘客，Oliver Beale ，給總裁理查德布蘭森爵士-Sir Richard Branson 的抱怨信。認為機上食品這個話題已成為互聯網上一個小小的引人注目的現象，其背後有很好的理由。
-- “看看這個，理查德。隻要看看它： [見圖1 ] 。 我相信同樣的問題會經過您才華橫溢的腦子，就像這個問題在那個悲慘的日子經過我的腦子一樣。這是什麽？為什麽給我這個？ 我究竟做什麽了而得到這樣的待遇？瞧，哪一個是 開胃的，哪一個是甜食？ 您之所以得到這樣的位置，理查德， 是出於您具有豐富的觀察能力，所以我知道您肯定會發現在兩塊黃色的海綿樣物體旁邊左側的西紅柿。是的，它們就在海綿狀物體旁邊，沒沾上綠色的糊糊。這肯定是線索，不是嗎。有理智的人不會把西紅柿當作甜食來提供，是不是。那麽回答我這個問題，理查德，什麽樣的ANIMAL-動物/家夥會把豌豆放在甜食裏。”--
讀者中有相當若幹人強調，乘飛機最重要的是安全到達，至於吃什麽不重要，讓人懷疑這裏麵有航空公司派的奸細冒充乘客。
1, It's a flight, a means of transportation. It's not a restaurant, diner or cafeteria. Why some travelers are so obsessed with airline food or compelled to open their brought-aboard delicacies the minute a plane reaches 10,000 feet remains a mystery. Other than providing a limited diversion while on a five- or ten-hour flight the requirement that a passenger be fed a memorable meal is redundant at best.- Posted by lyle gary west palm beach, fl
2, I wish I could afford to fly to India ━who cares about the food! - Posted by Cynthia
自然了，本來就是眾口難調，對什麽是“好”食品難達成協議，但恐怕食品得“能吃”是大多數人的意見。舉幾則評論，長長見識，
有位認真的讀者對照片中的黃色海綿狀物體有個解釋，類似印度的一種香辣的開胃菜，不是甜食，看來那位英國乘客需要有點文化知識：
Meatballs with tomato sauce on top of white rice anyone?
in the late '80s and early '90s, the only meal served on a nonstop Moscow-Vladivostok flight - nine hours - consisted of one wing of a chicken that I suspect died of natural causes, a slice of black bread, one very hard boiled egg, all washed down with a little bottle of sulfurous mineral water.
Eastern Airlines, late 1970's from Miami to Boston. Still-frozen pancakes and grapefruit juice.
I was served beef that was just about raw. I sent it back twice to be cooked longer then gave up and ate it. The result? Food poisoning at 30,000 ft with the most unsympathetic flight crew you can imagine.
American has become so disgustingly cheap that proper meals in coach to Hawaii are no longer even available. You have to buy some kind of cheap do-it-yourself boxed lunch or starve for eight hours.- Posted by Spector
The last time we flew to Hawaii on Hawaiian they served this unappetizing pasta dish and a dried bagel with a slice of pressed turkey in it. It was dreadful.
最讓人捧腹的是下邊這條評論，乘客以為在三明治中咬到的硬東西是雞骨頭呢，結果是釘書釘，還真慶幸不是自己的 4歲孩子吃到：
My highlight was last week, on an Air Canada flight from JFK to Calgary. I had a chicken sandwich, when I bit on something that I first thought was a bone. It turned out to be a staple. I was just glad it was me and not my 4-year old who had to experience this.- Posted by Lars
這兩位乘客恐怕就有點小題大做了，吃豆腐怕什麽：
Continental offers vegetariansà..a slab of unflavored tofu sitting on top of lima beans and cornàfor breakfast!!!
On American Airlines going from Boston to London, I was served tofu on a stick. Disgusting!!! And I was a gold member of the frequent flyer club at the time. So much for airline loyalty.這恐怕有壞蛋的嫌疑:
A recent BMI flight from Tel Aviv to London included a plate of grey scrambled eggs and reminded me why we shouldn't regret the loss of meals on airlines in the states.- Posted by Kathy
看來，當年吃肉乘客的待遇比對吃素的好，過目難忘：
1，My worst ever airline meal was on a cross-country USAirways flight about 15 years ago. Back then, the airlines served actual meals, and I called ahead to request a vegetarian one. It was cold and it came in a box. There was a thick layer of dust on the box and it turned my fingers black when I touched it. Inside I found a dried-up wedge of plastic-wrapped cheese, a package of crackers, and an envelope of beef boullion powder (remember, this was supposed to be a vegetarian meal). I was ravenous by the time I got off that plane. - Posted by MichelleH
2,What I received looked like dog food heated and placed on top of rice. Being allergic to bell peppers I had to refuse the meal as this was the primary ǒvegetableō though no vegetables were in their natural state. - Posted by Tracy
吃不到的葡萄一定是最酸的：
The worst airline meals are the ones served in Business class - when I am sitting in coach! Ice cream and fresh baked cookies! Agony to see the people up front actually enjoying their meal.- Posted by Ben
抱怨最多的是對加拿大航空公司，頗有同感。
Air Canada - by far the worst airline food ever. For a time in the mid 90s Air Canada served what my family came to call ǒOrangeō. It was either chicken or beef (no difference in taste or texture - just one was darker than the other) with 2 oz of wallpaper paste mashed potato, and some tinned peas - all covered with a brilliant neon orange ’sauce’ that indelibly stained anything it touched. If you look carefully at the seats in some of AC’s older jets you can still find the ghostly traces of Orange-past. - Posted by Sian
火車的食品也不一定就好，幸虧早就謝絕 hotdog 了，
Does Amtrak count? I once purrchased a hotdog in the dining car, took it back to my seat, bit into it and discovered that it was filled with green mold. It was one of those stomach -churning moments, but it was als an occasion for wonder bordering on the mystical. After all, this was a hot dog. Given the ratio of preservatives to meat in the average sausage, what happened on that fateful day was on the order of winning the lottery. Where did that dog come from, I wondered. Was it perchance a government warehouse containing the last rations from the Spanish American War? A moldy hot dog. Someone had to have put a great deal of effort into getting it to me in that condition.Amtrak, you're #1. - Posted by Willy S.
有同情心的人，都沒笑吧。
最好的評論：
1，The last flight I took was Asiana and their food (especially the Bi Bim Bop) was very delicious. I highly recommend flying with them.，When flying to Europe do so on KLM. I've traveled a lot over many years & found KLM had the best so far.
2，When flying to Europe do so on KLM. I've traveled a lot over many years & found KLM had the best so far.
3， I remember the days on Braniff International and even American being served meals in coach on plates with cups and silverware ─ on two hour flights down to Dallas!
食品加啤酒，上海到北京，見過這種服務嗎？
Took an intra-China flight from Shanghai to Beijing. A little less than three hours. They served food! And a beer, without charge! In the coach cabin!! - Posted by flyer
最好的建議：
I keep my expectations between low and zero and plan ahead. My standard travel pack-along food:
1] A few apples;
2] A couple tuna snack packs (pre-mixed tuna+crackers);
3] My custom trail mix, consisting of a cup of dried cherries, a cup of unsalted macadamia nuts & a cup of dark chocolate chips - Posted by Dr. Bob
http://themoment.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/feedback-the-worst-in-flight-meal-ever/?apage=4#comments
