The Free Food Request You Never Realized You Could Make On A Plane
Airline food isn't always amazing, but our ranked list of the airlines with the best quality meals lets you keep in mind the good ones when you're booking long-haul flights, which is worth knowing, especially since there's a free food request you likely never realized you could make on a plane. In an interview with The Telegraph, a spokesperson from Virgin Atlantic said that if a passenger wants extra food, they'll almost always oblige. That doesn't just pertain to free bags of nuts or chips, either. On the subject of hot meals, they said, "If we have some left at the end of service then we can always offer another."
Other airlines have similar policies, too, with the general consensus being that you should ask nicely and only after everyone else has been served. While you do run the risk of sounding greedy to your neighbors by asking for a second meal, airline crew are, generally, happy to provide. That is, as long as there is something available and the request is within reason.
One cabin crew member said on a Stack Exchange forum, "In general, flight attendants will be happy to give you the extra meal after the service is done, because they know it will be thrown after landing anyway." They also mentioned that meals are only heated once and only good to be served for a certain period after that. So it's best to ask if you're hungry; perhaps you skipped lunch due to delays, or won't have time to get dinner upon landing, or the portions were just a bit too small to hold you over. You shouldn't feel shy about asking for an extra meal, just remember to say please and thank you.
Beggars can't be choosers
While most airline crew members are happy to provide an additional meal if it means fewer of them go to waste at the end of the flight, there are some exceptions. For one, you shouldn't expect to be handed a free first-class meal if you're sitting in economy — especially if you've already had your own. Aside from the obvious outstanding price difference between seats and the meals served between them, one airline employee pointed out on Reddit that airlines only prepare a specific amount of meals to accommodate one meal per person for the expensive seats.
Another point is that when you're asking for an extra meal, it's best to take what you can get. While most airlines — including Delta, United, and American Airlines — allow economy passengers to choose their meals or request certain alternatives prior to boarding, once you're seated there's not much they can do when it comes to customizations, and they only make as many special meals as are requested. So, if you're gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan, the likelihood of you getting served another meal that fits your restrictions is very slim. The same thing goes for meat eaters too. If you ask for an extra meal and the steward offers you a free serving of zucchini pasta or tofu stir fry, don't be picky.
Also, remember that some airlines don't offer free food at all. While this is usually more the case on budget short-haul airlines, some — like Icelandair, PLAY Airlines, and some Air France flights — only serve buy-on-board food even on longer flights.