Before each flight, passengers not only want to know about the ticket booking process, airport procedures, and checked baggage rules, but also a service that passengers are particularly interested in, especially on long flights, is the in-flight dining service. Based on recent questions Cuồng has received regarding the issue of dining while flying, Cuồng has noticed that there are two things that people ask about the most: whether meals are served on the plane and if they can bring their own food on board. If you also have the same questions, then follow Cuồng’s article below on the experience of dining while flying to find the most satisfactory answer.
Currently, alongside the increase in the number of flight routes, services on flights are constantly being improved, from quality seating, modern entertainment amenities to delicious and nutritious meals served to passengers.
According to Cuồng’s knowledge, almost all domestic airlines now serve meals on board, however, depending on the class of your flight ticket and the length of your flight, meals may be served for free or for a fee. In this article, Cuồng will focus on clarifying the dining regulations on board for all 4 domestic airlines: Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Jetstar Pacific, and Bamboo Airways, so make sure to pay attention and continue reading Cuồng’s article.
1. Regulations on in-flight dining service
1.1. In-flight dining service of Vietnam Airlines
Vietnam Airlines is the national airline and the first 4-star airline in Vietnam. Therefore, the menu for meals on Vietnam Airlines flights is always carefully prepared to provide customers with delicious and nutritious meals. Additionally, this Vietnamese airline diversifies its in-flight meal menu by collaborating with top chefs in the region. Depending on the class of your seat on Vietnam Airlines flights, you will be served different meal options. Based on Cuồng’s experience flying with Vietnam Airlines, the meal options include:
Business class is the highest class of Vietnam Airlines with many premium services, therefore the meals for passengers in this class always have high standards in terms of quality, taste, and passengers can choose according to their preferences. One of the traditional Vietnamese dishes is pho served exclusively for passengers in this class. In addition, the meals in business class are diversified with dishes in Western, Japanese, Korean styles… depending on each flight. The meals are served according to each season, Christmas, Oktoberfest…
On Vietnam Airlines’ 4-star standard flights, business class passengers are also served meals in a luxurious restaurant, hotel style. Furthermore, the bar service on some modern aircraft like B787 and A350 is always ready to serve passengers special drinks. One of the special drinks served for business class passengers is the “Hello Vietnam” Cocktail as a warm greeting from the S-shaped country to international travelers, sipping a gentle red Song Hong River to feel the bitter sweet taste and reminiscent of the beloved river carrying silt to nurture the Northern plains, or enjoying a light sweet Saigon Sun with a refreshing lemon scent to quench thirst in the scorching hot seasons in Saigon. The special drinks that Cuong just mentioned above will be served for business class passengers on flights from Vietnam to Japan, Korea, Australia, as well as the UK, France, and Germany.
Special Economy Class Meal
The meal menu on Vietnam Airlines in the economy class includes high-quality dishes, a diverse menu that harmoniously combines Vietnamese and international cuisine. This menu is regularly updated, improved, and carefully selected by the airline to provide memorable culinary experiences for passengers. In addition to main dishes, passengers can also choose from light snacks such as sandwiches or instant noodles along with a selection of carefully curated beverages served throughout the journey.
Economy class meal
Economy class meals will include quality dishes with a diverse menu that harmoniously combines delicious Vietnamese and international cuisine. This menu is regularly updated, improved, and carefully prepared to provide tasty, nutritious, and clean meals on every flight.
Special meal
Besides the business class meal, special economy class meal, and regular economy class meal, Vietnam Airlines also provides various special meal options to serve passengers, including:
+ Vegetarian meal
+ Meals for children and infants
+ Medical meal
+ Other special meal types
+ Halal meals for passengers flying between Vietnam – Malaysia and vice versa.
For those who wish to order special meals like Cuồng mentioned above, you can contact the place where you purchased your flight ticket and register for the service at least 24 hours before the flight departure time. Additionally, you should also note the following:
- Short flights or flights that do not serve meals will not offer special meal services. Therefore, if you want more details, contact your ticket booking agency in advance for further clarification.
- Some special meals like Kosher (vegetarian meals for Jewish passengers) are only available on certain routes and require registration at least 72 hours before departure.
- If you change your itinerary or flight time, you need to re-register for the service and double-check to ensure the meal will be provided on the new flight.
Regulations on complimentary meals by Vietnam Airlines
Compared to other airlines in the region, Vietnam Airlines may have relatively high ticket prices, but one advantage of this airline is that they provide complimentary meals on flights, both domestic and international.
1. Domestic flights
For domestic flights, if you are using an economy class ticket on flights with a duration of around 2 hours or more. For example, flights from Saigon to Hanoi, Hai Phong, or from Hanoi to Can Tho, Phu Quoc… and vice versa, you will be served a complimentary meal. However, if your flight falls during regular meal times at noon or in the evening, you can choose between fish rice or pork noodle, accompanied by fruits or dessert. If your flight falls at other times like morning or afternoon, you will be served a sandwich with cold cuts or sausage, along with tea and a mixed bag of peanuts.
For shorter flights such as flights from Saigon to Vinh, Dong Hoi, Da Nang, Hue, Quy Nhon, Buon Me Thuot, Pleiku, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Da Lat… please note that you will only be served with a small bottle of water and a wet towel per person. Therefore, if you are flying during this time, make sure to eat before boarding the plane to ensure your health.
2. International flights
For international flights, complimentary meals for economy class are served on most Vietnam Airlines flights, except for very short flights such as Saigon to Siem Reap or Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh which only take 45 minutes.
The international meal is served similar to a domestic main meal, consisting of 2 options for you to choose from, rice or noodles, along with fruits or dessert, and an additional bread roll with butter. On international flights between Vietnam and China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar: Vietnam Airlines will serve a meal about 20 to 30 minutes after takeoff. For flights between Vietnam and Malaysia, Vietnam Airlines serves meals prepared according to Halal standards to cater to these passengers.
In addition, with long routes such as between Vietnam and Europe, Australia, the airline will serve a menu consisting of 2 hot meals, while light meals like instant noodles will be served between the two main meals when requested by passengers. Therefore, you may be served a complimentary meal depending on your flight segment. But you need to make sure to pre-order this special meal at least 24 hours before your flight.
Read more: 10 Things You Need to Know for First-Time Air Travelers
1.2. Dining Service on Vietjet Air Flights
Vietjet Air is one of the leading low-cost airlines in Vietnam. With fierce competition in the current aviation market, Vietjet Air always prioritizes implementing cost-saving policies and providing many practical benefits to passengers when participating in the airline’s flights. Among them, the service of choosing meals on flights has left a great impression on passengers.
Unlike Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air does not provide free meals on flights for customers, but instead, this airline has lower fees compared to other airlines. Therefore, Vietnam Airlines is considered the cheapest airline in Vietnam. Although customers have to pay for food services, those who wish to use food and beverage services on Vietjet flights are served attentively and thoughtfully.
The menu of food and beverages on Vietjet flights is quite diverse, especially the meticulously prepared and delicious meals. Delicious meals on domestic Vietjet Air flights include hot dishes such as: mixed fried rice, five-flavor chicken rice, Thai grilled meat, beef stew noodles, Singapore stir-fried vermicelli, crab stir-fried glass noodles, and many other regional specialties.
- Regarding food
The variety of food on Vietjet Air flights is quite extensive. From main dishes to side dishes, sweet to savory, everything is ready to serve passengers. People often worry about the quality of food on trains, buses, or planes, fearing that it may not be guaranteed, the taste may not be good, or the prices may be double or triple the normal. However, at Vietjet, the food is prepared by professional chefs with high expertise, and the ingredients for the dishes are always changed after each landing, so they are always fresh, allowing you to somewhat relax.
Vietjet’s menu includes 9 hot dishes, 20 instant dishes, and various beverages selected by 5-star restaurant chefs. Depending on the length of the flight, there are different menus. For domestic flights, some hot meal options include: five-flavor chicken sticky rice, mixed fried rice, Thai grilled meat, crab stir-fried glass noodles, beef stew with noodles, Singapore-style stir-fried vermicelli, and many other regional specialties. You will be surprised to know that the prices of food and drinks on Vietjet flights are only half the price compared to stores on the ground. That’s the domestic flight menu; for international flights, you can enjoy dishes like square sticky rice cakes with pork floss, square glutinous rice cakes with pork floss, and more.Not stopping there, Vietjet also offers up to a 45% discount on pre-ordered hot meals for passengers. To order these meals, you can directly access the official Vietjet website 36 hours before departure. This program applies to all domestic and international flights except for flights under 1 hour (Ho Chi Minh City – Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City – Buon Ma Thuot, Ho Chi Minh City – Quy Nhon, Ho Chi Minh City – Phu Quoc, Ho Chi Minh City – Da Lat…).
In terms of prices, hot meals cost around 50,000 VND for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. For a combo of a hot meal with a drink, the price is around 65,000 VND. Additionally, for those who prefer something light, Vietjet offers instant meals such as instant noodles, instant pho, instant beef stew noodles for 30,000 VND/meal. Desserts and sweet cakes are also served with prices ranging from 5,000 VND to 30,000 VND, such as snack cakes, Toppo cakes, french fries, cashews, etc. The menu is quite diverse, isn’t it? You can freely choose according to your preferences and needs.
- Regarding beverages
Beverages are one of the highlights in the food service of Vietjet Air. Not only serving bottled drinks, various types of milk, this airline also serves fruit juices such as orange juice, lemon juice, watermelon juice, not to mention coconut water, instant coffee. Particularly impressive at Vietjet Air is a type of coffee made by a professional bartender. The price for this beverage service ranges from 20,000 VND to 40,000 VND. Fresh fruit drinks will have higher prices than other products.
1.3. Food service on Jetstar Pacific flights
No one flies for domestic and international flights without knowing Jetstar airline. Starting its business in 2008, this airline has quickly become a shining star and opened up a more affordable style for air travel – a complete breakthrough from the expensive air services at that time. And up to now, Jetstar airline tickets are still the companion receiving attention and trust from many layers of customers, regardless of age or gender. Booking cheap Jetstar airline tickets is always one of the top search keywords on the internet and social media, showing the increasing demand for cheap airline tickets, becoming more popular and expanded by airlines for many domestic and international routes.
Food on the plane is also a very important aspect when evaluating the quality of airline services and for Jetstar airline ticket customers, it is no exception. Booking cheap Jetstar airline tickets, you will be served food on the plane depending on the class of seat you book.
Just like Vietjet Air, Jetstar also does not provide complimentary meals on the plane. On Jetstar Pacific flights, passengers in the economy class and above will be served light snacks and will have to purchase main meals separately, with prices ranging from 50,000 VND per meal and up, which are not included in the flight ticket. The food prices on Jetstar flights are very reasonable, and you can request the flight attendant anytime with a diverse menu including not only rice but also noodles, porridge, pho, etc., catering to individual culinary preferences. This is also a strong point of Jetstar flights compared to other low-cost airlines in the market.
In addition to being served food on the plane, Jetstar also allows passengers to bring their own food on board. However, there are no refrigeration or heating devices on the plane, and the crew will not provide utensils, cutlery, napkins, or cups for the food brought on board by passengers, so you must be prepared to avoid bringing food on board without knowing how to handle it.
1.4. Food service on Bamboo Airways flights
On Bamboo Airways flights, there is also a variety of menus for corresponding seat classes similar to Vietnam Airlines. The food is divided into 2 types: paid and complimentary. Specifically:
-Complimentary food: Complimentary meals are served on domestic flights with a flight time of less than 2 hours, for example, some short flights like Saigon – Hanoi, Hanoi – Can Tho, and vice versa. Complimentary food on the airline is only applicable to the economy class. Complimentary items on Bamboo Airways flights usually include free bottled water and wet wipes.
– Paid meals:
When booking a flight ticket with Bamboo Airways, if you choose to include meals on your flight, the ticket price will be increased to cover the cost of the meals according to the airline’s regulations. Throughout the flight, you won’t need to pay for the pre-booked meals and will be served during your journey. In case you wish to have additional snacks, fruit juices, or other necessary items during the flight, an extra fee will be charged as per the airline’s policy. For different seat classes, Bamboo Airways offers corresponding meal options, as follows:
Economy Class
When booking Bamboo Airways economy class tickets, you will be served a variety of meals that change with the seasons. You will get to enjoy the rich flavors of Vietnamese cuisine such as braised fish sauce rice, vegetable soup, and seasonal fruit juices.
Special economy class:
When choosing this class of seat, your meal will include a variety of delicious dishes. In addition to traditional meals, there are also light options such as sandwiches and seasonal fruit juices. For flights longer than 2 hours, it is recommended to order a meal on the plane to ensure your health. The airline also provides meals according to religious preferences, but you should make a request to receive the best service.
Business class:
Business class tickets are served on both international and domestic flights of Bamboo Airways. The menu for this class will always be changing to meet your needs. In addition to delicious meals and various beverages, the airline also serves premium wines. Therefore, depending on the ticket class you purchase, you will receive corresponding meal options. The fees for meals or complimentary meals are applied according to the airline’s regulations. If you have a need, you must pre-order at least 24 hours in advance for the best arrangement.
Read more: Latest 2019 Guide to Jetstar Flight Procedures
2. Can you bring food on the plane?
For those who prefer convenience and quick service, choosing meals served on the plane is the most suitable option, right? However, some may worry about the quality and food hygiene on the plane, so they want to prepare their own food to ensure. The question then arises: can you bring food on the plane? Currently, some airlines have stopped providing meals on flights to save costs. In addition, some airlines only provide meals for long flights. Therefore, the answer is you can totally prepare some light food and bring it on the plane to “recharge” when needed.
2.1. Why should you bring food when flying?
Besides the reason that some airlines do not serve meals on short flights, there are other reasons why bringing food on the plane is completely reasonable:
– Meals served on the plane may not suit your taste: This is very normal and can happen, especially on international flights. In addition, food on the plane is usually more expensive than on the ground. Therefore, preparing and bringing food on the plane will help you enjoy better meals and save more costs.
– To prepare for layovers or delayed flights: Waiting for layovers or delayed flights due to some reasons is not uncommon when traveling by plane. In these cases, you may feel tired or hungry. Therefore, having prepared food and drinks will help you recharge your energy. Although there are shops selling food at airports, searching for a shop in an unfamiliar place will surely take time and the food may not suit your taste. However, if you bring food with you, you can open your bag and take out the food to “recharge” your body whenever you want.
2.2. What to consider when preparing food to bring on the plane?
If you already know whether you can bring food on the plane or not, then next you should know how to prepare food that is suitable to bring on the plane. Specifically, during the food preparation process, you should consider:
- Determine the amount of food to bring on the plane
Surely no one wants to carry too much luggage when traveling. Especially when flying, you cannot carry too much luggage. Especially when carrying food, you cannot carry a comfortable amount, enough variety. Therefore, you need to consider bringing the right amount of food for you, suitable for the flight duration. For example, if your flight lasts from 1-3 or 4 hours, you should only bring light snacks. If the flight lasts from 4-8 hours, or even longer, you should bring additional food to supplement your energy.
- Prepare convenient food
When flying, it’s important to note that if you bring food, prepare quick and convenient items like sandwiches, cookies, snacks, fruits, etc., instead of foods that require cooking utensils or a microwave, plates, dishes, spoons, forks, etc., as these items are not provided on the plane.
- Pack your food carefully before bringing it on the plane
Although passengers are allowed to bring food on the plane, the food must be carefully packaged beforehand. Even if it’s just some pastries or a few fruits, they are still considered as carry-on items that you bring on the plane and must go through security checks. Therefore, to smoothly bring food on the plane, make sure to pack these types of food carefully. Especially, carry-on luggage taken on the plane will be restricted in terms of liquid quantity. If you need to bring water on the plane, pay attention to these regulations. It’s best to share with the airline staff, ticket office, or agency right from when you buy the plane ticket to get the most accurate advice.
- After the security check area, there are food and beverage stalls
Another point that passengers should know when flying is that inside the waiting area after passing security checks, there are shops selling food and drinks. If you want to bring food and drinks on the plane, you can buy them here. In case your flight is short, it’s best to eat and drink fully before boarding the plane and then “recharge” after the plane lands. This way, you won’t have to worry about bringing food on the plane and avoid the hassle of carrying extra items, reducing many complicated procedures.
- Foods not recommended to bring along
When it comes to airplane regulations, it’s not just liquids like water, milk, etc. that are restricted from being brought on board, but also some other types of light snacks that are classified as liquids. These include yogurt, mashed fruits, soup, dessert items, appetizers, etc. Additionally, what can be brought on board is no longer solely dependent on the regulations of each airline. Therefore, before bringing any type of food on board, you need to consider, research, and check carefully. It’s best to prioritize bringing light snacks such as cakes, candies, fruits, various nuts, etc., but avoid bringing foods with strong odors. Fruits like durian and jackfruit should be avoided to prevent affecting those around you and not making the cabin smell of food.
- Prepare extra clean plastic bags
When bringing food on board, don’t forget to bring along a few plastic bags to store the food and after eating, you can use these bags to dispose of food containers, leftover food, and trash in the designated areas on the plane. Respecting airplane regulations and maintaining general hygiene will help you have a smooth flight and not cause discomfort to those around you.
3. Common mistakes to avoid when eating on an airplane
When flying, having a great meal is not just about the service provided by the staff or the quality of the food, but also the small things you do that can significantly affect the quality of your meal. With the common mistakes to avoid when eating on an airplane that Cuong is about to mention below, see if you have made any of these mistakes, and if so, make sure to change them immediately to ensure that your meal on the flight is the most enjoyable.
- Adding salt to your food
The altitude and pressure on an airplane will affect your taste buds. Most of the flavors of the food will be reduced. Instead of adding salt to your meal, you can add a slice of lemon or a bit of acidic juice to enhance the flavor of your meal like orange juice, lemon, or tomato…
- Eating on unclean trays
The multi-purpose trays on passenger seats are very dirty. Passengers place everything on them, from changing diapers for babies to resting their feet on… So remember to clean them before placing food on them.
- Not pre-ordering
Most passengers do not know that they can pre-order meals on long flights. Instead of skipping meals or choosing a meal that suits their taste, you can pre-order a meal according to your preference such as vegetarian, children’s meal, gluten-free meal. Pre-ordering meals will be helpful for passengers on special diets.
- Drinking tea or coffee
Coffee or tea may not be the safest drink on an airplane. The coffee maker on airplanes is rarely replaced unless it is broken, and only the coffee bag tray is rinsed. Additionally, the water tanks on airplanes are seldom cleaned. The water in the tanks on airplanes is rarely filtered or emptied, as airlines will top up the water when the plane lands in any city, while the old water remains stagnant below.
- Sitting at the back row
The food served also depends on where you sit on the plane. The delicious meals will be chosen by those sitting in the front seats. So if you want to choose good food, don’t sit at the back.
- Drinking too little water
At an altitude of thousands of meters above ground, the body loses a lot of water because the humidity is only between 10 to 20%. During a 10-hour flight, you can lose between 1.6 to 2 liters of water – about 4% of the body’s water content. If you don’t drink enough water, you may feel tired and have a headache. Therefore, buy drinking water at the airport to prepare for long flights.
- Drinking alcohol
This is a common mistake that passengers make, as alcohol reduces the body’s water content and they will only feel thirstier.
- Not taking advantage of vegetarian options
The humidity and air on airplanes are low, causing fish and meat to lose their flavor. Choosing a vegetarian option is a wise choice because vegetarians or those with restricted diets will be prioritized for service. This way, vegetarian food will maintain its flavor better.
- Eating according to the flight schedule
To avoid stomach issues, it’s best to eat according to your regular schedule when flying and gradually adjust to the new time zone upon landing.
- Bringing food from the airplane home
Taking food off the airplane without the manufacturer’s packaging label can cause trouble when passing through customs. Cuong’s advice is to leave everything behind, as there are plenty of delicious foods waiting for you outside the airport.
With the information just provided, you probably have answers regarding the food served on airplanes, whether you can bring food onto the plane, and also know the common mistakes when eating on airplanes. To ensure safety during the flight and have the most suitable meal on the plane, you can refer to the suggestions Cuong shared above. Hopefully, the information Cuong shared will be helpful for you, helping you have a pleasant, convenient, and safe flight, while also saving on flight costs and avoiding unnecessary troubles.
