Travel expert offers do’s and don’ts for eating on airplanes, cautions on seafood and burgers
One Mile At A Time contributor Ben Shlappig says passengers should think of inflight meals as reheated leftovers and choose dishes that withstand reheating to reduce risk of poor taste or illness
Travel writer Ben Shlappig on Saturday published a set of practical tips for choosing airline meals, advising passengers to favor dishes that reheat well and to avoid seafood and burgers that can spoil or suffer from poor reheating.
Shlappig, a contributor to One Mile At A Time who says he eats mostly fish and vegetables and describes himself as a "lazy pescatarian," urged travelers to remember that airline food is not cooked onboard but prepared hours earlier at a catering facility and then reheated in the galley. "Consider the realities of airplane food," he wrote. "If you go to a restaurant and bring food home, what’s going to reheat best, and taste best the next day?"
Shlappig recommended soups, curries and many Asian vegetarian dishes because they tend to reheat well and retain flavor. He noted that the same principle that makes Indian takeout taste good the next day applies in the sky. In premium cabins he said signature or regional dishes on an airline’s menu are often reliable choices, citing Singapore Airlines’ chicken satay and Emirates’ Arabic mezze as examples. He also pointed to Emirates’ unlimited first-class caviar service as an indulgence available on some carriers.
While Shlappig said he often orders fish, he warned that seafood is generally a poor choice for inflight meals because of spoilage risk and strong odors in confined spaces. He referred to long-standing advice from restaurant circles — including a oft-repeated tip attributed to the late chef and host Anthony Bourdain — to be cautious with seafood early in the week, and he echoed concerns voiced by etiquette coach Jamila Musayeva that seafood can "emit pungent smells in a confined space" and poses a higher risk of foodborne illness if not stored properly.
Shlappig also advised passengers to consider skipping main courses in premium cabins when portions are large, and instead choose a smaller combination — for example, an appetizer and a dessert on airlines such as Lufthansa. He said that domestic first-class offerings, which often come with much smaller food budgets, can be better approached with simple choices like grain bowls. "Typically, airlines serve way more food in premium cabins than I can eat," he wrote. "So if I have to prioritize what I’m going to eat, I tend to think that it’s often worth just avoiding the main courses."
Shlappig warned against ordering burgers on planes, saying they are difficult to reheat well and often made with lower-quality meat. He also described pasta as "not terribly nutritious" and said that when he does choose to eat meat on a flight he prefers to reserve it for non-premium occasions rather than on a short domestic route where a high-end option is unlikely.
Health experts and airline food professionals have long noted the constraints of inflight catering: meals are cooked in off-site facilities, chilled, transported and reheated, a process that can affect texture, flavor and, if not managed correctly, food safety. Airlines typically follow catering and food-safety regulations designed to limit bacterial growth, but temperature control and time from kitchen to plate remain factors that influence risk.
Shlappig’s suggestions are practical-minded and aimed at reducing the chance of an unpleasant dining experience at altitude rather than promising better nutrition. He encouraged travelers to think of inflight plating like leftovers at home: pick dishes that retain structure and flavor after reheating and avoid items that are best enjoyed immediately off the stove or grill.
The guidance may be particularly relevant for travelers with sensitive stomachs or those traveling long distances, where a disagreeable meal could compound jet lag or discomfort. Airlines continue to vary widely in menu quality and service levels, from elaborate multi-course offerings in some international first and business cabins to simplified boxed meals on short domestic sectors, and Shlappig’s rubric — pick what reheats well, favor soups and curries, avoid seafood and burgers when possible — offers a simple decision framework for passengers navigating those differences.