Taking a picnic on the plane?

Soozeej

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 5, 2007
Hi all, we are travelling with Thomas cook from Glasgow, from what I can gather we just get one meal and need to pay for everything else, with 3 children this isn't going to work well! I'm thinking of taking a picnic, anyone do this and what sort of things do you take? I have a cool bag but will obviously be eating a good 5-6 hours after packing it all... Any ideas? Thanks
 
My daughter picks up a meal deal from Boots at Manchester airport. You could take some crisps and juices that don't need to be kept cool, also fresh fruit.
 
When do you go through customs, we travel from Canada and go through customs at our home airport, sometimes they will not allow fresh fruit.
 


Yeah, fresh fruit is probably not a good idea. And you'd be buying drinks after security anyhow.

I usually just buy picnic stuff after security. Prices are inflated but cheaper than on the plane. Crackers, cheese, meat, fruit juice or soda. Eat the cold stuff first and then move on to the not cold stuff.
 
I wondered about being allowed to take the food through but I think it's fine as long as it not liquids or restricted items, will probably plan to eat it all or leave on the plane to avoid taking food into the US. Good idea to pick up a Boots meal, will save me making sandwiches but just give the boys especially something else to eat. Thanks
 
we always have a carry on bag stuffed with snacks for the trip....
we travel for about 30 hours, so even with two meals on board the long haul flight, the kids need food/snacks along the way..

typically, we have pretzels (several bags, since the adults like them too), cheerios (the plain, nonsugar kind), crackers, rolls/bagels/bread....
also empty water bottles -the size the kids like to drink from...that have the nice drinking top..
then i fill those on the plane with water from the flight attendant...so the kids have water to drink during the flight...

i also bring a box of plastic ziplock bags....so i put the pretzels or whatever into them for the kids to eat....little serving sizes...

everything i've named above can be brought into the US without any problems...

.
 


Hi

Yes we take food on all our flights, to the USA it is a bit different in that I would make sure that you eat all of it before arriving in the USA. Once in the USA, fruit is definitely a no no we once had a spare sandwich when we landed which is also a no. When asked if we had food by border security, I stupidly said "only a ham sandwich" (looks of horror from my DW) we where told to go to a different line, had our bags rescanned and the sandwich disposed of. No real issue but slowed us down going through the airport.

Regards

Paul
 
we always have a carry on bag stuffed with snacks for the trip....
we travel for about 30 hours, so even with two meals on board the long haul flight, the kids need food/snacks along the way..

typically, we have pretzels (several bags, since the adults like them too), cheerios (the plain, nonsugar kind), crackers, rolls/bagels/bread....
also empty water bottles -the size the kids like to drink from...that have the nice drinking top..
then i fill those on the plane with water from the flight attendant...so the kids have water to drink during the flight...

i also bring a box of plastic ziplock bags....so i put the pretzels or whatever into them for the kids to eat....little serving sizes...

everything i've named above can be brought into the US without any problems...

.
Good idea re ziplock bags! They'll be handy on holidays too, will add to my list
 
Hi

Yes we take food on all our flights, to the USA it is a bit different in that I would make sure that you eat all of it before arriving in the USA. Once in the USA, fruit is definitely a no no we once had a spare sandwich when we landed which is also a no. When asked if we had food by border security, I stupidly said "only a ham sandwich" (looks of horror from my DW) we where told to go to a different line, had our bags rescanned and the sandwich disposed of. No real issue but slowed us down going through the airport.

Regards

Paul

reminds me of the time we accidentally brought in salami (i'd forgotten we were flying into the US, rather than canada, our traditional point of entry up to then).

i had several of those large dried ones in our suitcase...

i told the customs officers i had it, laughing as i said it, knowing it was so completely forbidden (meat)

they sent us over to this completely isolated area where the officers had hazmat suits on....seriously....hazmat.....i couldn't stop laughing...

they took out these big tongs, lifted the salami out of the suitcase like it was nuclear waste and dropped it into a huge barrel type thing that looked like a bomb disposal unit..

i swear i doubled over laughing...

i told them it was some of the finest european salami made and they should take it back out when no one is looking to take home with them...

they just smiled sheepishly, knowing the whole thing was ridiculous..

needless to say, i haven't made that mistake again..
.
 
We often get the meal deals at Boots as the children can each choose what they like. We also get bottles of fizzy drinks to take on board.
 
I know a few others have advised against fruit but a cautionary tale; we once had sniffer dogs coming around everyone at passport control. They were incredibly interested in my grandmother's hand luggage and kept signalling to their handlers that they'd found something. Their handlers actually ignored them twice but on the third time insisted on inspecting the bag. They found nothing...which was when dear grandma 'fessed up to having had apples that she'd eaten on the plane! So if for some reason you do get dogs there's every chance they will still pick up food scents even after it's been disposed of!

This was at least 12 years ago and the only time we've encountered sniffer dogs mind you.
 
I know a few others have advised against fruit but a cautionary tale; we once had sniffer dogs coming around everyone at passport control. They were incredibly interested in my grandmother's hand luggage and kept signalling to their handlers that they'd found something. Their handlers actually ignored them twice but on the third time insisted on inspecting the bag. They found nothing...which was when dear grandma 'fessed up to having had apples that she'd eaten on the plane! So if for some reason you do get dogs there's every chance they will still pick up food scents even after it's been disposed of!

This was at least 12 years ago and the only time we've encountered sniffer dogs mind you.

yes they still have fruit sniffer dogs in customs...
i don't know if in all the airports, or just the ones where they often have fruit smuggling types...
but they definitely still have those cute dogs...
they have several different dogs - bomb sniffers of course - but they're in a different part of the airport..

in customs they have drug sniffing dogs and fruit sniffing dogs..
perhaps they're the same dogs...i don't know if dogs specialize :)

but they do have dogs sniffing for both things ...
 
actually, US customs is very unforgiving about the fruit thing...
DD came into the US by train..
she took the train from vancouver to seattle....it's just across the border..

anyway, she had a cut up fruit salad from the breakfast at her hotel....the hotel had packed her a box breakfast, since she had to leave for the train so early..

anyway...when the train go to the border, the customs officers confiscated the salad and threw it away...

consider how ridiculous that is....the flies can fly themselves across the border....it's not as if there's a big screen between canada and the US...

but no...they threw out her fruit salad....so ridiculous...

.
 
Slightly off topic on how ridiculous US Customs are, we brought 2 cases each (half full for souvenir space) on the trip we've just had, and got a massive interrogation (just before going up the escalator @MCO) as to why we had so much luggage. Instead of asking a million questions, why not just ask me to whip the case open to prove I am not importing anything!!
 
Slightly off topic on how ridiculous US Customs are, we brought 2 cases each (half full for souvenir space) on the trip we've just had, and got a massive interrogation (just before going up the escalator @MCO) as to why we had so much luggage. Instead of asking a million questions, why not just ask me to whip the case open to prove I am not importing anything!!

don't get me started on US Customs...
i have stories that would make your teeth curl..

.
 
We're flying Norwegian from Gatwick to Orlando but hate aeroplane food plus it's not included on Norwegian, so am I ok taking a packed lunch on the flight, as long as it's all eaten before we land?
 
We're flying Norwegian from Gatwick to Orlando but hate aeroplane food plus it's not included on Norwegian, so am I ok taking a packed lunch on the flight, as long as it's all eaten before we land?

Yes, as long as you don't try and take liquids through security at Gatwick. (Drinks, yogurts, smoothies etc)
 
We always take packed lunch as we don't like aeroplane food. Usually sandwiches, muffins, bread, crisps, chocolate etc.
 

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