THE AIRLINE MEAL IS 95 YEARS OLD TODAY

[dropcap size=small]K[/dropcap]LM celebrated their 95th birthday this week, and there’s another big birthday that many might not be aware of. Teased continuously over the years and the butt of many jokes (So what’s the deal with airline food?) the airline meal will this weekend celebrate its’ 95th birthday.

SOME HISTORY FOR YOU

On October 11, 1919, the first airline meal was served to passengers on a flight from London and Paris aboard a Handley Page flight. And it wasn’t free! Passengers had to pay 3 Shillings for the meal which, and according to Measuring Worth that’s around £6.02 in today’s value.

For their 3 Shillings passengers received a Sandwich, Fruit, and Chocolate, so let’s compare to today’s prices. Today EasyJet fly between London and Paris and offer passengers the choice to purchase meals and snacks. Airline food has certainly come a long way since 1919 and today we can see many airlines teaming up with celebrity chefs, offering meal upgrades (yes pay to get a better meal!), organic meals and so much more. But have the meal offerings become better or worse over the years?

A similar meal today on easyJet would consist of:

Sandwich £4.40
Pepsi Max £1.80
Kit Kat £1.20
Total £7.40

Nik Loukas

Nik founded Inflight Feed in 2012, blending his passion for inflight dining with over a decade of experience in the airline industry. For the past 13 years, he has travelled the world, exploring and reviewing airline meals across countless carriers.

CNN Travel, The New York Times, and BBC World News have featured Nik’s expertise. When he’s not on the ground, you’ll find him at 35,000 feet, camera in hand, capturing the unique flavours of air travel. Follow his inflight meal adventures on Instagram: @InflightFeed.