Is food on long haul flights free?

Fortunately, as we've noted, most long-haul flights still include a free meal or meals. But you should plan to eat at a time that will enable you to skip the expensive airport food options and yet not feel hungry during the first part of your flight, when the meal service still could be several hours away.



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Complimentary drinks and snacks We offer fresh coffee, tea, juice, water and soft drinks, as well as complimentary snacks on flights over 250 miles.

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Economy class meal service varies by flight time: flights under 2 hours: a snack. flights over 2 hours: a main meal. flights over 7 hours: a main meal and snack.

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How long does a flight have to be to get a meal? Meal service is determined by time of day, flying time and mileage, but in general, food is served on flights of approximately four hours or more than 1,750 miles. Meals and snacks are available for purchase on domestic flights longer than 3 1/2 hours or 1,550 miles.

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Check your flights itinerary and it'll either specify what, if any meals are served, or it will say food for purchase. Non-alcoholic drinks are still free on airlines.

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Usually 2 meals and 1-2 snacks. Some aircraft like the A380 have a small self serve snack bar with some water etc also.

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Passengers in first or business class get free snacks, “Lite Bites,” or full meals, depending on the length and time of the flight. Non-alcoholic beverages are free on all flights, while economy-class passengers will pay extra for alcoholic options. (These are free in first, business, and premium economy class.)

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Each airline has a different definition of what a long-haul flight is. However, a long-haul flight is generally any direct or non-stop flight that has a journey time of between 6–12 hours.

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Solid food items (not liquids or gels) can be transported in either your carry-on or checked bags within the continental United States. Liquid or gel food items larger than 3.4 oz are not allowed in carry-on bags and should be placed in your checked bags if possible.

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TSA-approved snacks and meals
  • Sliced veggies with a (smaller than 3.4 ounce) container of hummus.
  • Protein bars.
  • Dried fruits and nuts.
  • DIY charcuterie box (with hard, not creamy, cheeses)
  • Muffins and pastries.
  • Beef or mushroom jerky.
  • Popcorn.
  • Whole wheat crackers.


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Only two meals for a 15-hour flight felt pretty scant to me but Emirates did set up a snack bar in the middle of the cabin where passengers could grab fruit, crackers, chocolates, and water.

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What is this? You can only bring water through security if it's less than 100ml. This is almost 5 times smaller than the average water bottle! Also, it's worth noting that even if you only have 100ml in a larger bottle, it's the size of the container that counts, and it still won't be allowed through.

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Credit/Debit - No Cash: Most airlines now have cashless cabins where payment for drinks or snacks will only be allowed by credit or debit card. As a reminder, alcoholic beverages are for adults 21 and older. Flight attendants will not be afraid to ask you for your ID, so keep your credit card and identification handy.

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