Passengers order special meals enjoy during flights aboard airplanes for two main reasons: either they have stricter diets; or they want to avoid what could potentially be an abysmal meal by ordering what could potentially be a better meal — but one person reported one banana served as a vegan meal in the business class cabin aboard an airplane operated by Japan Airlines from Jakarta to Tokyo.
One Banana. Served as a Vegan Meal.
“Before takeoff today my flight attendant confirmed that I ordered VGML and that my breakfast was a banana, by which I mistakenly assumed she meant that breakfast included a banana” is what FlyerTalk member Kris_Chari posted — along with a photograph of the banana with a beverage. “When she served the banana after takeoff I thought it was just an underwhelming appetizer, but it was in fact the entire meal service! It was a really good banana—one of the best I’ve had recently—but it still seems more appropriate as a snack. Is catering out of CGK typically this underwhelming?”
At least the banana was served on a plate.
Marginally better was the Kosher meal of two bananas, an apple, and an orange which was served to FlyerTalk member JSM8 in the premium class cabin aboard an airplane operated by British Airways during a flight from Chennai to London.
Final Boarding Call
Do not get me wrong: bananas are quite good for your health as a snack — just not as a meal.
This is a lesson to anyone who is not on a restrictive diet and wants to order a special meal that they believe will be better than the regular meal being served.
Years ago, I ordered a Muslim meal in the economy class cabin — although I forgot the details of the flight itself. The member of the flight crew served me this disposable rectangular tin filled with some unidentifiable pale yellow glop. It appeared so unappetizing that I could not even try it.
Lesson learned for me. I have not ordered a special meal for flights since then — regardless of the class of service for which I paid. Doing so is basically a gamble: sometimes you will win — and sometimes you will lose.
Bizarrely, I usually happen to enjoy meals served aboard airplanes that are not special meals — despite my being rather particular about what I typically eat…
Photograph ©2018 by Brian Cohen.
