Best Food/Drink Deals On Board Transatlantic Flights?

fieldsforever

Which airlines are the most generous with food and alcohol on transatlantic flights, while flying economy?


I am looking to take a transatlantic flight to Los Angeles. When looking up flights with my friend, he was telling me that he was given unlimited alcoholic beverages and food while on Virgin Transatlantic last year, but stopped at the fifth beer. This I found fascinating and to that he said "Uhmm, a lot of transatlantic flights do that. Some are more generous than others, I hear." When I traveled from New York to Ireland via Aer Lingus, I was not told that food and drink are free. If I knew, I would not of opted for being hungry. I mean, airline meals, I do not think should be over 5 euro. The people next to me were making out most of the night; it would of been nice to drink in attempt to ease me to sleep. :-P

I am reading a various of different things online. Some people are saying that they get one free meal which includes alcohol and a snack while soda and water are free while others are saying while flying economy on a transatlantic flight, they can get more than one alcoholic beverage and eat to their content.

coylemj

fieldsforever wrote: »

Which airlines are the most generous with food and alcohol on transatlantic flights, while flying economy?

Usually the airlines which charge the highest fares. Most of the regular airlines give you one main meal and one snack on transatlantic for no extra charge.

Seriously, if you fly with an airline that's generous with free booze, chances are that everyone will make a pig of it. What you want is the airline that has low fares and you can spend the savings on whatever amount of booze you care to consume.

Chances are that (1) you'll consume far less than you would if it was 'free' (2) the overall cost (fare and drinks bill) will be less and (3) you'll be in much better shape when you arrive at the other end.

rossie1977

LA is a longer flight so you will get 2 meals and the drinks trolley will be around more. The amount of people on the flight will determine things too, if its a full or nearly full there won't be unlimited drinks.

Not sure about aer lingus but having flown united, virgin and American to the states over the past year you are allowed more than one free beer. The quality of food in economy I find much of a muchness. I wouldn't go starving all day e.g if I had a flight leaving the states at 7pm back to Ireland.

cactusgal

rossie1977 wrote: »

LA is a longer flight so you will get 2 meals and the drinks trolley will be around more. The amount of people on the flight will determine things too, if its a full or nearly full there won't be unlimited drinks.

Not sure about aer lingus but having flown united, virgin and American to the states over the past year you are allowed more than one free beer. The quality of food in economy I find much of a muchness. I wouldn't go starving all day e.g if I had a flight leaving the states at 7pm back to Ireland.

You have to pay for all alcoholic drinks on Aer Lingus transatlantic flights.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Would Emirates be considered good for food and drink? Flying with them next month for the first time.

fieldsforever

Curb Your Enthusiasm wrote: »

Would Emirates be considered good for food and drink? Flying with them next month for the first time.

I would reply with a link, but apparently I need to make 50 posts first. From the list on the website, which has description that I excluded, says these are the best airlines for transatlantic freebies.

Here, the 10 airlines that serve free alcohol in coach class and note that this article is 4 years old, hence why I am asking on this forum


1. American Airlines: American Airlines serves beer and wine for free on long-haul flights, but you still have to pay for liquor.
2. Delta: Liquor, beer, and wine are free for international flights and flights from the U.S, east coast to west coast.
3. Virgin Atlantic Airways:The website says this is the best in-flight drinking is on Virgin Atlantic.
4. British Airways
5. Air France: Complimentary champagne on long haul flights
6. China Airlines: Free alcohol is served on flights longer than three hours and all international flights.
7. Air Canada: The site says "enjoy a cocktail free of charge". I do not know if that means you get only one free drink.
8. Lufthansa: All drinks are free and German brand beer available.
9. Singapore: Known to spend 10 percent more on customers as far as food and drink goes. Wide variety of alcohol choices and and an extensive list for cocktails.
10. Emirates: Huge wine list and all alcohol, but champagne is available for economy class.


This article, I found helpful in some ways, but there's a lot of flight deals with many airlines right now, all within the same price range. I would rather book with a company that will let me eat snacks to my heart's content oppose to shelling out ten euro for cheese and crackers and seven euro for a whiskey and coke. If I am gonna be stuck on a flight for 14 hrs, drink and snacks should be plentiful. Even if the drinks were atleast juice and/or water.

ebbsy

I can vouch for China Airlines. Good service.

fieldsforever

coylemj wrote: »

Usually the airlines which charge the highest fares. Most of the regular airlines give you one main meal and one snack on transatlantic for no extra charge.

Do you know this from first hand experience? I am asking because I found many round trip 14 hr flights to Los Angeles for 375 euro. The choices I have for the same price are United, Aer Lingus, Virgin, British Airways, and Lufthansa. My friend who was in economy said he chose to stop drinking at his fifth Heineken, but the drinks were unlimited on Virgin economy class.

coylemj

fieldsforever wrote: »

Do you know this from first hand experience? I am asking because I found many round trip 14 hr flights to Los Angeles for 375 euro. The choices I have for the same price are United, Aer Lingus, Virgin, British Airways, and Lufthansa. My friend who was in economy said he chose to stop drinking at his fifth Heineken, but the drinks were unlimited on Virgin economy class.

I've never flown nonstop to the US west coast - the longest flight to the US I've ever done was to Chicago so can't comment on the food on a flight to LAX but a poster above says that you get two meals which sounds right.

On booze, I flew American from Heathrow to Chicago last November, they gave us free beer, they said to mark the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series but the beer ran out in double-quick time.

An airline can't truly promise 'unlimited' booze on a flight because there is a limit to how much beer they will carry - bear in mind that there is a double cost involved, the cost of the beer itself and the cost of the extra fuel required to carry that additional weight. So with a given stock, if there's enough people drinking, the barrel will run dry and that will be the end of the 'unlimited' booze.

pl4ichjgy17zwd

I flew to LA a couple of weeks ago with Aer Lingus (technically to San Francisco with EI, then a connection, but to the west coast with them).

We were served a main meal and then a lighter meal (wrap one way, breakfast sandwich the other.) The drinks cart came around twice with free water/juice/soda and little pack of pretzels. People would go to the galley to get water (maybe juice/soda too, people seemed to only come back with water)

All alcohol was at a cost, unless you preordered one of their meals, which comes with a bottle of wine.

I've flown to Texas with British Airways and alcohol was complimentary with the meal, but I'm not sure if people asked/got more (I don't drink so I never check myself)

finbarrk

Curb Your Enthusiasm wrote: »

Would Emirates be considered good for food and drink? Flying with them next month for the first time.

They are fine. I got a couple of wines with my dinner, no problem. And a brandy afterwards.

cactusgal

Jesus Quick Beak wrote: »

I flew to LA a couple of weeks ago with Aer Lingus (technically to San Francisco with EI, then a connection, but to the west coast with them).

We were served a main meal and then a lighter meal (wrap one way, breakfast sandwich the other.) The drinks cart came around twice with free water/juice/soda and little pack of pretzels. People would go to the galley to get water (maybe juice/soda too, people seemed to only come back with water)

All alcohol was at a cost, unless you preordered one of their meals, which comes with a bottle of wine.

I've flown to Texas with British Airways and alcohol was complimentary with the meal, but I'm not sure if people asked/got more (I don't drink so I never check myself)

British Airways serves unlimited booze (unlimited wine, anyway!)