You’ve likely seen vintage photos of airline food served to smiling, wholesome families by chefs in crisp, white uniforms as they wheel out a smorgasbord of colorful dishes. Today, the taste and presentation of in-flight meals has somewhat lost its glamor but depending on who you fly with, some airline food still reflects the quality and variety of yesteryear’s in-flight grub (minus the cheesy, salivating smiles from passengers).

Airline food has become the butt of many jokes for travelers over the years. Many passengers have come to expect the same pudding pot and stale bread roll when they jet off on holiday, but while it's true that a basic in-flight meal is a little on the bland side, this actually has more to do with the science behind tasting food at 35,000ft than the food itself. The truth is, airline catering companies work quite hard behind the scenes to make sure passengers have an appetizing meal on board and like anything else – you get what you pay for when it comes to a quality meal.

Because of the change in air pressure and humidity in a plane cabin, food that would normally hit us with flavor like cheese and spicy dishes register as a little ‘meh’ to our airborne taste buds. For that reason, not every airline meal is going to be a culinary delight, but plenty of airlines work hard to make them as interesting as possible. Did you know that some airlines change their menu according to the destination route? Or that some menus are planned and tested months in advance? Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about your in-flight meal

25 Our Tastebuds Change At High Altitude

The first thing you notice when you take the tiniest sip or bite of something when you fly is that flavors don’t taste as strong anymore. You might feel like you’re eating while suffering from a slight cold.

This is because the lowered air pressure and humidity in the plane cabin essentially dries out our nose

and deadens our sense of taste. Also, since a lot of how we process taste relies on our saliva to break down the flavors, our newly dried up olfactory senses can make the spiciest chili dish seem mild!

24 So Expect Heavily Seasoned And Spicy Dishes

To make up for the fact that our taste buds take a bit of a back seat when we’re 35,000ft high, airline caterers have naturally created in-flight meals that are more on the tangy, spicy side. This is why typical airline meals are usually pasta and sauce dishes or beef and curry recipes to ensure passengers actually get a chance to taste something!

While sour and bitter flavors remain the same to our taste buds in the air, salty and sweet lose their power by about 30 percent – so expect a lot of herbs, spices added to an otherwise bland in-flight meal.

23 Savory Flavors Are More Intense At 35,000ft

Airline menus will always feature sweet snacks and treats, but their main food focus tends to be on savory dishes – and with good reason. Our savory taste sense, otherwise known as ‘umami’, is intensified at high altitude, which is why so many airline meals are tomato-based such as pasta and casserole dishes.

Airline chefs have also discovered that foods like mushroom and spinach have a way of perking up otherwise bland savory dishes, so expect these kinds of flavors in your in-flight lunch or main meal.

Tomato juice is a hugely popular drink for the same reason – so much so that it’s one of the most well-stocked drinks on board.

22 Your Ears Can Actually Affect The Taste Too

Our ears affect our balance, so it’s not such a weird stretch when you realize they affect our perception of airplane food either (ok, perhaps it is a little odd). So how do our ears have anything to do with the taste of food while we’re airborne at 35,000ft?

The constant low hum and various working noises inside the aircraft can actually contribute to making foods taste less sweet and less salty. (A bad atmosphere really can ruin a meal, who knew?) Apparently, wearing noise-canceling headphones can actually help your taste buds out in distinguishing the flavors. Worth a shot!

21 Business Class Booze Isn’t All Its Cracked Up To Be

You may be feeling flash if you’re enjoying some first class canapés and champagne or wine on your business class flight, but when you realize how bitter and raw alcohol can taste in the air, it may take out some of the fizz.

The cabin pressure can make champers taste rather flat and any wine that steps out of the realms of traditional red and white varieties tend to assault our taste buds since we can’t pick up on the fruit as much. On the plus side, the effects of alcohol are a little stronger in the air, so at least you’ll feel relaxed quicker!

20 Emirates Airlines Prepares 180,000 Meals Every Day

Emirates Airlines have established themselves as one of the most luxury airlines to travel with in recent years and in keeping up this stellar reputation, they dedicate themselves to running a finely tuned catering operation that provides 180,000 meals to passengers every day.

Emirates flights pride themselves so much on their quality of in-flight meals that even their economy class dishes go above and beyond.

Budget flyers get to enjoy a starter, and dessert as well as complimentary drinks. First and business class meals meanwhile are made to order and designed by top international chefs. Nice!

19 High-Profile Chefs Are Sometimes Behind The Airline Menu

It may be hard to believe if you’ve only ever flown economy class and sampled tasteless soup and stale bread, but some of the major airlines actually have celebrity chefs calling the culinary shots on board, so if you’re a frequent flyer, you owe it to yourself at least once to try a restaurant quality meal in the sky.

Passengers hopping on an Air France flight can enjoy menus crafted by a host of Michelin-star chefs like Olivier Bellin and the recipient of the prestigious Bocuse d’Or award, Michael Roth. While the judge of ‘MasterChef South Africa’, Benny Masekwameng, also serves up incredible dishes.

18 Airline Menus Are Sometimes Prepared A Year In Advance

We’ll bet that even the fanciest restaurants in the world don’t have a reservation period this long!

As odd as it might seem, airline meals are planned thoroughly up to a year in advance of a flight.

Airline food is pretty expensive to prepare and to load onto an aircraft, so naturally, airline caterers like to make sure they get every last detail right to avoid wasting money and resources. In a bid not to cut costs and waste, AA once saved $40,000 a year just from removing a single olive from their salads!

17 We Consume A Large Amount Of Cals When We Fly

You might be thinking “Calories? Who cares, I’m on vacation!”, but for those of you who may be interested in holding on to a well-earned beach bod – eating at high altitude can have us consuming way more than our normal daily limit. Because of our deadened sense of taste when we’re up 35,000ft, in-flight meals like to serve us lots of extra portions -and this can add up to a lot.

To put it into context, those deceptively small airline meal trays eaten on a long-haul flight can be the equivalent of eating 6 Big Macs (that’s 3,400 calories!). Yikes.

On the whole, airlines try to keep costs down by serving a pretty basic and generic menu for passengers – particularly on budget airlines and those in economy class. But more and more airline companies are trying to keep the food interesting and most importantly – authentic depending on your flying route.

Emirates Airlines, for example, hire regional catering teams to oversee specific menus and dishes that reflect the authentic cuisine of each destination, and even each individual city in some cases.

So no two curry or sushi dishes will taste similar when flying to destinations across India or Japan.

15 Singapore Airlines Are Among The Best For Appeasing Fussy Kids

The majority of airlines do their best to appeal to fussy eaters by serving a range of kid-friendly dishes on the menu, but word has it that Singapore Airlines have well and truly stepped up the game when it comes to kids airline food.

Not only do they serve a seemingly endless menu of both comforting and healthy snacks and mains for kids (sausages and pancakes, anyone?), Singapore Airlines also cater to every kind of dietary requirement under the sun and also allow you to pick out their meal in advance. Leaving mom and dad to enjoy a (somewhat) peaceful flight!

14 Leftovers Are Incinerated (But In Some Cases, Donated)

You might be wondering where all the uneaten food goes after each flight? Surely it’s not just dumped? Unfortunately, this is often the case, but as much preparation went into making the meals, making a planeload of passengers ill from serving less than fresh food just isn't worth the risk.

The leftovers from flights and food waste on planes that have been delayed or canceled are either binned or burned at the quickest opportunity. In some cases though, some leftovers thankfully go to a better place. Food charities like OzHarvest in Australia work with airlines to collect untouched first-class meals and snacks for the hungry.

13 When In Doubt, Bring Your Own Snacks On Board

In-flight meals are definitely something to experience at some point, but if a dish whipped up at 35,000ft doesn’t sound appealing to you, you can always bring your own snacks with you on board.

Contrary to the popular belief of new flyers, you can carry things like sandwiches and fruit in your hand luggage – just make sure it keeps in line with the airport security liquid requirements.

As well as saving a bit of cash, bringing your own snacks is especially helpful if you’re on a long-haul flight with young kids and you know that only the tried and tested home snacks are the thing to keep them happy.

12 Airline Food Is First Tested In Simulated Aircraft Cabins

In normal circumstances, having a job as a food tester sounds pretty cool, but unlike working in a chocolate factory, testing airline food is probably not going to be so sweet. To make sure in-flight meals have the right balance of flavor for passengers, taste testers try food and beverages on the ground and in the air to check for acidity levels.

To test as thoroughly as possible when on the ground, taste testers try out the food in simulation aircraft cabins that mimic the low air pressure at 35,000ft. It’s a weird job, but we guess someone has to do it.

11 Be Wary That Baby Food And Milk Is Not Always Provided

Flying as a new mother for the first time can seem scary for a lot of reasons, but worst of all is being in the dark about how air travel might affect the health and well-being of your baby.

Where their nutrition is concerned, all you need to know is that you should come prepared with your own baby food and formula.

While most airlines aim to have certain first aid kits and other supplies stashed away for emergencies, it's rare that things like baby food and milk will be provided on board, so always be sure to pack some in your hand luggage.

10 It’s Easier To Feel It In The Air Than On Land

Because of the low air pressure within an aircraft and a little less oxygen getting to your brain, drinking an amount that wouldn’t normally affect you on land can make you feel fairly drunk on the plane. One drink can be equal to three, in other words.

The tendency to get drunk a lot more easily in the air than on the ground might also account for how quickly a peeved passenger can turn rowdy and this is, in fact, one of the most common reasons that a passenger can be kicked off a flight for, so maybe go easy on the celebratory Chardonnay.

9 What Can You Expect From A Typical Airline Meal?

As with most things, you get what you pay for where airline food is concerned and every meal can differ slightly depending on who you fly with. If you’ve ever been curious about what a standard meal in the sky looks like, however, this is pretty much it.

Nothing fancy, but nothing inedible either – standard economy class fare on most flights will consist of a meat stew and veg main with a drink, a bread roll and either a fruit salad or pudding pot for dessert. Depending on whether you fly long-haul or short, these may be complimentary with the option to upgrade.

8 What Are The Best Kinds Of Meals To Have While Flying?

Most travelers skip the airline meal altogether, particularly if they’re only flying short-haul, but if you’ve got a sizeable journey ahead of you, it’s good to know what menu options are available to you (hint: you don’t have to be stuck with the basic stew and veg option!).

Frequent flyers will recommend choosing rice and curry dishes since these flavors and textures tend to maintain their taste over long periods.

Whereas dishes like pasta and chicken can spoil quite quickly since the humidity dries out the chicken and the noodles will get soggy pretty fast.

7 First Class Food Is Served In A Restaurant Atmosphere

On budget airlines and economy class flights, the in-flight meals are typically served in trays and eaten with plastic cutlery. Premium economy might occasionally stretch to presenting the food on plates, but in first class, every care is taken to make passengers feel like they’re in a flying restaurant booth.

In addition to the beautiful 5-star presentation and quality of the food, meals are served on the finest crockery and passengers get to use real cutlery and full-sized salt and pepper mills instead of sachets.

Basically, every measure you can think of besides a string quartet!

6 Plain Is Better Than Pungent When It Comes To Airline Food

Although we might complain that our budget economy class meal doesn’t have the kick of flavor we’d like it to have, trust us when we say your nose will be glad of a lack of strong smelling food on a flight.

In a plane cabin of recirculated air, the smell of other people’s feet and body odor is already wafting down the aisles most of the time. Which is why most airlines won’t be serving stench-inducing foods like tuna fish, curry sauce, and nacho cheese into the same recirculated air.