Meals on board Aeroflot aircraft. Ordering a special meal. Economy Vegetarian Menu

After questions of safety, schedule accuracy and in-flight comfort, airline passengers put food in fourth place. Experts learned how the on-board menu changes during a crisis and how not to leave the plane hungry.

Double set of rules

For Russian airlines developed " General rules air transportation passengers, baggage, cargo and requirements for servicing passengers, consignors, consignees. This document obliges to provide passengers with food and soft or hot drinks during a flight of more than three hours. But he also allows not to feed passengers at all if the company informs about this at the stage of purchasing tickets.

The probability of being hungry when flying on a foreign flight is very high.

Most US and European carriers do not include good nutrition in the ticket price. For U.S. domestic "economy" flights lasting an average of 5-6 hours, a glass of water/juice and a small bag of chips or peanuts are the norm. European carriers can be limited to only a chocolate bar or a pack of chips. But growing competition is forcing some foreign companies to reconsider the established principles of approach to passenger nutrition: snacks are replaced by full-fledged hot meals.

By the way, as a rule, they do not feed passengers for free, providing the opportunity to fly inexpensively, but without additional services.

The next adjustments to the on-board menu were made by the crisis. Russian passengers who are accustomed to eating well on domestic flights, note a downward trend in the amount of food, especially in the economy class of popular Russian airlines.

What do Russian air carriers feed

The Aeroflot menu for economy class increasingly includes sandwiches. First, snack boxes with dessert, sandwich and juice were removed from short flights lasting up to two hours. Later, cold lunches and dinners were lost to passengers flying up to three hours, in return they were offered the same snack boxes.

S7 Airlines changed their menu in autumn 2014. The new tortilla dish is offered to passengers on flights lasting up to 2–2.5 hours. Previously, depending on the direction, passengers were either not offered a bite to eat at all, or they were provided with a box of food.

As for Utair, which once offered economy class passengers even on short flights a full hot lunch with cold cuts, salad and dessert, this is a thing of the past. When flying up to three hours, it remains to be content with a glass of water, after this time - a sandwich and a hot drink. The press service of UTair emphasizes that "the decision to reduce the rations for passengers was made in order to maintain the existing prices for air tickets."

Andgo.travel Communications Director Konstantin Parfenok noted two trends: simplification of meals on short flights and the systematic introduction of paid ones. “If earlier the plane was in the air for 2-3 hours, and you could count on a tray with cold snacks, dessert and drinks, now it’s only a sandwich and water (examples are Aeroflot and S7 Airlines). And on long flights more than eight hours the second meal - most often breakfast - became less varied. Rossiya Airlines continues to feed its passengers for free, but at the same time offers to purchase chocolates, snacks and drinks on board for additional money.

Marketing expert and business coach Alexander Levitas, who has to make up to 100 flights a year, draws attention to the fact that you should choose the airline that does not save on food. “I stopped flying long before the crisis in the company was in the papers. I found that the flight attendants I know from this airline prefer to take sandwiches with them, rather than eat what is served to passengers.

How not to stay hungry?

The set of meals on board is affected by the season, the airline's budget, the class of service, national characteristics and flight duration.

Since full meals are initially included in the ticket price of passengers who prefer first and business class, air carriers will be the last to save on them. In addition, the loss of a business-level client can cost more than an economy-class passenger. Flying first class is a sure way to eat well on board.

As for seasonality, it is worth knowing that "winter" food is more high-calorie than summer. Spring is, in a sense, the season of fish.

There is also a “trick” already known to many - ordering special meals 24–36 hours before departure on the website or by calling the airline.

By the way, not all air carriers have it free. And in most cases it is available only for long flights from three hours. But many passengers note a much greater variety and volume of special dishes in comparison with the usual portion. By the way, children's menu Available on pre-order on every flight of all airlines.

“I usually order kosher food, because it is not only the largest portion among all special food options, but also the highest quality, in my opinion, in terms of composition,” Alexander Levitas shares his experience.

Book instead of lunch

It is useful to treat meals on board for short flights as a way to distract from the flight, rather than a vital necessity.

“I noticed that I want to eat on the plane out of boredom. Therefore, an interesting book or film in flight brightens up the inconvenience. And my personal recipe is to do in-flight work. When I get involved in what I love, I completely forget about food,” agrees transformational coach, coach, healer Eva Efremova.

Provided that a modest "snack" is provided for a fee, it is sometimes better to organize it yourself.

Yulia Kurets, PR-manager of Kupibilet.ru, notes that the main thing is to know what products and in what quantity you can bring on board. All of them must be packed in sealed bags or containers. This is a security requirement. “As a snack, it is better to choose foods rich in protein: beef, poultry, hard cheese, nuts. Avoid foods that are perishable, strong-smelling (onion, garlic, fish), or gas-producing (beans, eggs, cabbage). The ideal option would be nuts, salad or sandwich, packed in an airtight container. Do not take liquid foods on the plane - jams and preserves, honey, yogurt, cottage cheese, jelly, soup, pate, peanut butter, etc. If you are flying with a child under two years old, you can take for him baby food- puree or pate - in a volume of more than 100 ml, but provided that this portion is designed only for the duration of the flight - no more.

"IN hand luggage I usually have a bag of a mixture of nuts and dried fruits. Light in weight, nutritious and at the same time does not harm health, unlike chocolates or snacks,” agrees Alexander Levitas.

If you are going to fly with a low-cost airline and you think that you will be hungry by the time you board the flight, it is better to order food in advance through the website. This will be about half the price of buying directly on the plane.

On carbohydrates

Many people know the story of how American Airlines managed to save $40,000 a year on one olive that "disappeared" from every first-class passenger's salad.

Russian air carriers assure that changes in the menu do not allow significant savings. At the same time, food is reduced with an enviable regularity.

Probably, the changes in the in-flight meals of Russian airlines will not end there - the crisis. Preference will be given to potatoes, pasta and cereals, and meat and fish dishes and vegetables will not increase.

The average cost of a portion of a passenger on an airplane, including packaging, as before, reaches 200-300 rubles. But with rising food prices, attempts to stay within the stated budget are forced either to remake the set of dishes on offer, or to replace ingredients and reduce servings.

“As I understand it, the figure remained in the same range as before: 200 - 500 - 700 rubles. Another thing is that now you can afford a completely different range of products for this amount,” confirms Konstantin Parfenok.

Formally, passengers cannot carry food on board, although flight attendants do not show strictness with this. In any case, it is better to take care of food during the flight in advance: approach the choice of airline or flight class thoroughly, arrange special meals. And, as an option, eat directly at the airport terminal.

The other day, when registering for a flight to Novosibirsk, I was surprised to find that now, in addition to Muslim, Hindu and kosher, Russian appeared on the menu! In fact, it was introduced already on June 1, but in order to order it, you need to have access to the booking at least 36 hours in advance. And I usually register for 24 and have not used the service of choosing a special menu for a long time.

In general, I could not pass by this and ordered myself.
Let's see what's inside and how Russian it is.

The new menu is available on Aeroflot's own direct flights departing from Moscow on flights lasting over three hours.

Who will tell you the decoding of the first two letters, well done. RVHB: HB (Half Board) means half board, that is, free two meals a day - breakfast and dinner. Today we have breakfast.

So we have:
Millet porridge with pumpkin
Red fish pancake with lettuce and olives
Tula gingerbread
Yogurt, jam, bun.

I have already written several times that I don’t really like the usual catering that Aeroflot feeds passengers on regular flights (tomato sauce brrrr ....).
But the guys... This time they managed to surprise me. This porridge was just the height of perfection! Overeating and omnomous!!!

But the pancake with fish passed without enthusiasm. Nothing special, just like yogurt.
Instead of a salad and not at all Russian olives, I propose to introduce salted grurtsy or young potatoes with dill into the menu.

Depending on the duration of the flight and the class of service, for dessert, passengers are treated to Tula gingerbread, ice cream or apples baked with cranberries.

The Tula gingerbread was in an opaque package and, as a pleasant surprise, it had an imprint of the Aeroflot logo on it.
I didn't eat it, I'm taking it home :)

Manufacturer and composition.

And here is what was offered to passengers who did not bother with the choice of special meals.
Yesterday, only pancakes with lemon reached the 30th row.

On the AFL website they write that business class passengers will be able to taste in the "Russian" menu "Assorted Siberian fish" or "Chekhov's mushrooms" for a snack, as well as "Tavern hunk of sturgeon" with potatoes with mustard sauce or "Smolensk gruel with boiled beef" with Port Ju sauce.

I ordered the "no added sugar" menu for the next segment, I'll suddenly like it. We must try everything.

Well, how do you like this menu?

Almost any person who flew on an airliner was keenly interested in how they manage to serve hot in the air, like in a restaurant, and whether all passengers can count on it. For example, I wonder how different the food on an economy class plane is from what is served on a more expensive places in the cabin.

The menu of meals served on board depends on several factors:

• the budgetary possibilities of the airline;
• class of service;
• the duration of the flight itself;
• compliance with the rules of proper nutrition.

In addition, traditions, religious preferences and the age of passengers are taken into account. If people have to fly with small children, they can make an advance order for two days in advance for children's cuisine, which is divided into two categories (for children under 2 years old and older children). Babies are likely to cook dishes that exclude spicy spices:

• dishes from dietary meat;
• vegetable and fruit purees;
• dairy products.

Solid part major airlines made it a rule to include hot meals and drinks served in flight in the ticket price. Hence there is a certain difference in service and the proposed menu between passengers on the same flight. On the lines of low-budget companies, they often offer their customers a paid lunch and a less saturated diet. The situation is similar for charter flights. Therefore, one cannot count on a wide choice of dishes on such routes.

Full lunch for both economy and business class

What is served, depending on the duration of the flight

Airlines that make regular flights are very attentive to the gastronomic issue. If the question arises whether food is served on economy class planes and how often, we will tell you a little more later. After all, it depends on the number of hours spent by passengers in the air. For flights not exceeding 3 hours in the air, all on board will be offered:

• cold snacks;
• sandwiches;
• sandwiches;
• sweet pastries and cakes.

Excellent refreshing breakfast for passengers on a diet

If you have to fly from 3 to 6 hours, then customers will be offered hot lunches, which include a more varied menu, which already consists of several hot dishes, which must include:

• meat;
• fish;
• seafood;
• several types of side dishes;
• vegetable salads;
• sweet desserts.
• chocolate

When the duration of the flight exceeds 6 hours, all passengers will be honored twice with hot dishes, and in between, a snack will be arranged.

Major airlines offer their passengers a full meal

Who cooks for the passengers

Many people were interested in the question of who cooks hot culinary delights for passengers. It entirely depends on the passenger turnover of the company itself. For example, the Russian Aeroflot prepares every day all the dishes developed by the famous chef (and this is 90 thousand servings).

In "UTiAir" they also prefer to treat their customers with dishes of their own cooking. So the food in the economy class aircraft of domestic companies is at a decent level, which some foreign carriers can envy.

All food is prepared on the ground, and only then, in a ready-made frozen state, it arrives on board the aircraft, where it is only warmed up. The menu changes every six months. Even for the most fastidious customers, there is a dish at the ready that will fully satisfy its palatability. Behind additional fee on a number of scheduled airlines, you can feast on exquisite culinary creations worthy of good restaurant. True gourmets will be able to taste dishes:

• lean;
• exclusively vegetarian;
• Hindu meat;
• Muslim;
• for diabetics;
• children's, etc.

Some airlines prefer to indulge their customers with culinary creations cooked directly in the air, but there are very few of them.

A full kitchen on board an aircraft is a rarity

What's the deal with in-flight drinks?

One of the important aspects in the air is the issue of drinks, and here each company has its own policy. It is typical for many regular flights that almost all drinks are served free of charge, along with lunches. Basically, this also applies to how food is arranged on board the aircraft of a certain company. Most major air carriers It is customary that the drinks served are included in the ticket price:

• champagne;
• wine;
• coffee or tea;
• juices;
• cold lemonades.

Even low-budget passengers on some airlines can expect to be served a small bottle of wine or a can of beer with dinner. There is practically no difference in which flight you have to fly, since the quality of the coffee served on board differs little from the carrier's budget, except for rare exceptions.

Things are quite different with this in more expensive classes, however, and there it is not necessary to be particularly picky. In addition, those wishing to add a dose of alcohol to themselves can order any drink or cocktail to their taste at the aircraft bar.

You can order whatever your heart desires, and you do not have to pay for standard drinks - if you are a business class passenger

How are budget passengers served?

Now there remains one more important question: what will the passengers who bought cheap tickets on different routes? As a rule, on charter flights for feeding you will have to pay extra, this often happens on regular destinations low-cost carriers, although not universally.

Therefore, in order to avoid unpleasant surprises, before buying a ticket, you should ask , what they feed on an economy class plane, especially if you have to long flight. To do this, you just need to call a representative of the company and ask your questions. In most cases, this service is also at a decent level. Of course, the proposed menu will not be so refined, however, even in this case, there is often a good choice:

• meat with a side dish;
• fish with garnish;
• salads from fresh and pickled vegetables;
• drinks and sweets, desserts.

So passengers flying regular flights major airlines may not worry that they will remain hungry, even if they fly on cheap places in the aircraft cabin. But with low-budget companies, you should be more prudent and keep a certain amount of money with you if you couldn’t find out whether you have to pay for meals on board or not.

Light breakfast for business class passengers

What to eat on short flights

When purchasing a ticket for a flight that will last an average of 1.5-2 hours, you should not rely on the fact that hot meals will be served during the flight. Because most often the question of whether they feed on the plane, if you fly for 2 hours, you will receive a negative answer. On such short flights, the crew will treat their guests with drinks, juices, beer, spirits. And for all this splendor they will offer to eat:

• sweet pastries;
• jam;
• butter.

Often, yoghurts, fresh fruit and even muesli are served in flight. Now it is easy to find out the degree of service by calling the airline first, and then there will be no annoying surprises.

In contact with

« Food at Aeroflot is something incredible.” It is these reviews that can be found on numerous forums where air carriers and the features of their service are discussed. On board the aircraft you feel like a visitor gourmet restaurant where delicious and beautifully presented dishes are served. Of course, the quality of food and menu for each category of customers is individual (it all depends on the amount of payment). How to order food at Aeroflot? What options exist? What is kosher food and special nutrition? These and other questions will be discussed below.

Read also -

Food on board Aeroflot aircraft: economy and business class

Standard meals on airline flights is a classic appetizer, main and sweet dish. The carrier does not stand still and regularly updates the menu, preventing passengers from starving during the flight.

Aeroflot food is conditionally divided into the following categories:

• For economy class passengers.
• For comfort class
• For reputable clients (business class).
• For demanding passengers - special meals.

We will definitely discuss the last option, and now let's talk about the features of the economy and business class menus.

Food in the economy class of Aeroflot aircraft

The client's possibilities in terms of choosing dishes directly depend on several factors - the duration and direction of the flight. For example, on flights from Moscow that last no more than six hours, customers are offered fish or chicken fillets, cakes, buckwheat or mashed potatoes.

If the flight takes longer, the carrier offers two service options (depending on the direction). For example, if a person flies to one of the US cities, he can count on chicken with vegetables, goulash, tomatoes and pancakes. An important point is an accurate indication of the calorie content of products, which is a big plus for people who follow their figure.

On short flights, the economy class menu is limited to a small snack - jam, bun, fruit and yogurt.

Food on Comfort class aircraft

This meal class is not available on all flights. The official website contains detailed menu cards for each direction. For example, when flying from Los Angeles to Moscow, you can count on a large selection of appetizers, salads, main courses and dessert. In this case, the service is performed twice per flight. Drinks are also available - wine (red and white), juices, drinking water, hot drink.

Food in the business class of Aeroflot aircraft

Passengers traveling in business class can expect to receive more refined meals. Here, a real chef of the restaurant is working on filling the menu and selling dishes. Some meals are accompanied by wine or soft drinks. The choice directly depends on the duration of the trip. On short flights, you can only count on snacks. If the flight takes more than six hours, hot meals are offered.

Types of special meals

Aeroflot customers have access to special meals that differ from the classic menu and are selected according to the preferences of the customer. Food is ordered in advance. On economy flights - four hours before departure, and on Business - no later than an hour. If the departure is from Sheremetyevo, you can choose any of the possible options:

• national cuisine
• Diet food.
• Religious food (Kosher, Hindu, Halal and other food).
• Vegetarian dishes.
• Baby food.

How to order food on an Aeroflot plane?

As noted, the order of special meals is made in advance. Wherein the method of registration depends on the place of purchase of the ticket:

• Aeroflot official website. Immediately upon buying a ticket, the carrier offers to order food. If the ticket was purchased through an intermediary, you need to go to the airline's resource, log in, select a flight, and then decide on a suitable meal.
• Through the cashier. If you cannot order food when buying a ticket at the box office, return to the official website and use the above recommendations.
• By phone of the airline. This option is relevant when buying a tour or voucher. Before choosing a meal at Aeroflot, ask the employees how and when you can order special meals. There are situations when lists are transmitted late and for selection suitable option I have to call the airline from time to time. From the travel agency you need to get the flight number and the name of the company in advance.

Popular Aeroflot destinations

Kosher food at Aeroflot

Kosher food is one of the varieties of special meals at Aeroflot. We are talking about the food intended for the Jews, who eat the meat of a limited number of animals. In addition, in such a diet, strict rules are established for fish and poultry meat, as well as for plant foods, because many foods are prohibited for consumption.

How to order kosher food at Aeroflot? It was noted above that this must be done in advance, even at the stage of booking tickets. If a passenger forgot to make an order in a timely manner (through the official website), this can also be done by phone, but no later than 36 hours before departure. When ordering special food at Aeroflot, no additional payment is required. At the same time, such food is provided in cases where the flight lasts more than four hours.

The kosher food menu includes many different dishes, namely Mezanot bun, kasher, poultry meat, marshmallows, biscuit, fresh berries and much more. A more detailed menu is available on the official website (for domestic and international flights).

Now you know how and when to order food on an Aeroflot plane. Remember that quality food on board is a guarantee comfortable flight which will definitely be remembered from the good side.

Aeroflot is the best Russian airline, in order to always be at the forefront of this industry, it tries to protect the interests of all passengers using its services. Catering on board Aeroflot is an issue that receives a lot of attention. After all, you must admit that the impression of a flight can be distorted due to a tasteless and poorly designed “snack”. Therefore, flight attendants try to serve passengers no worse than in a fine restaurant.

Cutlery from the kosher set and the regular set

Kosher food - eating foods that meet the laws of Kashrut, defined in Judaism. Jewish laws have always made high demands on all aspects of human life, including nutrition. For example, a kosher diet allows the consumption of meat only from certain animals that meet certain characteristics. For example, they must have cloven hooves and chew the cud. These, for example, include kids, sheep, cows. In addition, the animal must be properly slaughtered (there are special rituals) and its meat properly cooked.

Kashrut establishes the same strict rules for fish meat, poultry, plant foods, there are many foods that are prohibited for consumption. Many religious people strictly adhere to these laws, kosher food on the plane is necessary in order not to violate their rights and make the flight enjoyable for them too.

Beautiful box with kosher food

Where does Aeroflot get kosher products?

A company producing such products must have kosher certificate. The exclusive right to issue such a certificate on the territory of the Russian Federation has Department of Kashrut under the Chief Rabbinate of Russia. By receiving such a certificate, the company expands its sales market, because the laws of Kashrut are not subject to any economic and political crises.

Kosher food at Aeroflot is provided by PINHAS, which has the highest degree of kosher according to the certificate.

Kosher certificate

Which flights offer special meals?

Aeroflot makes it possible to order special meals when booking a ticket, you only need to put the KSML code. If you forgot to do this, you can order the food you need by phone, but you need to do it no later than 36 hours.

No extra charge for order special meals not charged by the company.

Special meals in economy class service is provided if you fly more than 3 hours, in business class - for flights lasting more than an hour. At the same time, on flights of Rossiya Airlines JSC, such meals are provided for flights lasting more than 4.

On some domestic and international flights kosher meals are not provided. For example, on this moment- these are flights "Moscow - Vilnius", "Moscow - Minsk", "Havana - Moscow", "Irkutsk - Moscow".

On the Aeroflot website, you can check whether your flight is provided with kosher meals, download the plate and look at the column with the name “KSML”.

Poultry snack

What is included

All meals on the plane are served in vacuum packs, while hot meals are served in special aluminum containers. Be sure to find the expiration date and the seal of the Chief Rabbi on the packaging - a sign that the food is really kosher.