Or, what else do you do to improve the experience?

Just because I'm flying cheaply, doesn't mean I can't have a proper flying experience. A two hour + flight just doesn't feel right unless I have a meal. In the absence of attentive FAs, I'll pamper myself, thank you. I was wondering if other people prepare their own meals or pre-plan indulgences in anyway.

As I work nearby, I try and get a £3.50 bento box from the Sushi-so next to Moorgate station before getting the Stansted Express from Liverpool Street and it's better than most of the meals I've ever had in Short Haul Business (not that many, but enough to know that they're generally not that great). Thing is as more and more European airlines are cutting away their perks and services, I'm actually starting to prefer the self sufficiency of the LCC flights.

I never pre-plan a picnic. I've flown with are Jet* and Virgin Blue in Australia but as the flights were only an hour long or so I didn't bother bringing my own food onboard or even buy any snacks. The only other time was on Virgin Express from BRU-FCO which was just under 2 hours long and I bought a sandwich only because the price was reasonable and I didn't have anything to eat on a previous 2.5hr journey.

Even with flights under 3 hours I don't need any food. I just make sure I'm well fed before I fly and bring my own drinks and maybe a chocolate to munch on.

I'm not bothered about needing something to eat on a short LCC flight unless the flight coincides with my meal time. If I'm not able to bring a sandwich from home I usually grab one in Boots or M&S.

Having something to eat on a flight can nicely break up the boredom, so if I'm not too hungry save it to eat on the plane rather than at the airport.

Not truly a LCC but "almost": Alitalia has the worst possible meals on its TLV flights. I always brown bag it.

I pick up a chopped liver on bagel sandwich a few hours before leaving and some small chocolate dessert to go with it. I get my drinks from the FA and for about $8 I wind up eating better in Y than anybody does in FC.

I bought a sushi box from Pret a Manger at STN the other day - was going to eat it on my Ryanair flight but it looked so nice I scoffed it all at the gate!

I usually fly mainline AC here in the states because they're really not much cheaper than LLC's here because of the competition.

If I know i'm not getting a meal, I just eat beforehand (or afterwards) and usually don't take anything on the plane unless I'm in a hurry.

99% of the time other arilines are cheaper than LCCs on the 10 or so routes I frequent. I know because I do check their websites too for comparison - most always to be disapointed. The key is understaning how to get the discounts from the majors...

I usually grab a bite to eat at the airport. I buy something tasty and healthy - if I can find it.

Here's a report (http://www.pcrm.org/health/reports/airport_food_review04.html) that suggests some healthy food options at the 12 busiest airports in the US.

I normally eat before boarding, but if I do want to bring something, I normally just snap up a few things at the airport. As I'm flying mostly ex-DUB at the moment the options aren't that exciting :(

Leaving from our hub airport Montreal Canada, seems to add on airport/ flight/ transit time to our travels, because we always need to go thru another airport to get to our final destination. So, I always bring a lunch and snacks.

I can't eat alot at one time, so I tend to pick at my food along the way. I usually bring for hubby and I, sealed mini carrots bag, 1 small tub of philly dip, small individually wrapped assorted cheese packets, individually wrapped melba toast packets, assorted nuts in ziplock, and homemade gourmet deli wraps, or for variation I use flavored bagles or kaiser rolls, or any other type of filling bread I fancy. I usually bring a small bottle of red wine for each of us to accompany our meal.

As for the snacks its usually more for hubby's sweet tooth, granola bars, stuffed dates, homemade healthy cookies and muffins.

I am not a big fan of pre-made foods, as I watch my health closely, so I tend to cook more than the usual housewife. But anyone could adapt the above with similar store bought items.

I would love to bring much more different foods but we need to watch what we take across the border, so this limits our airplane meals.

Power Bars, Trail Mix bags, something that won't melt but will still be kinda' healthy.

I either grab a bite at the airport before boarding or else bring a nice sandwich to eat on board when they serve the drinks. If I am flying home from RSW (which has limited food choices at present) I nearly always make a stop at Publix on the way to the airport to pick up a hero for the plane.

OR CURRY. :D J/P. I try to bring a wrap or something non smelly.

Gotta say that when faced with Buy on Board, I will try and throw a couple of spam musubi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_musubi) in my carryon. They travel quite well. :)

Flying out of Boston on any carrier, look for a Summershack and treat yourself to a lobster roll. Tastes even better onboard than at the restaurant ^
http://www.summershackrestaurant.com/Locations_Logan_Airport.asp

Have only done it once on Southwest. Chocolate does the trick. If I have a choice of a short flight during meal time or not, I avoid the one at meal times. I like my food too much.

Well, considering that most airlines in US now don't serve any food in coach at all (yep, even on 5-6 hour transcons) and at the very best sell some crappy stale sandwiches or salads, I try to eat shortly before the flight. If that doesn't work out, I tend to grab a sandwich or a sub in the airport, to it during the flight. Never actually bother to plan it out however :-)

OR CURRY. :D J/P. I try to bring a wrap or something non smelly.

I had people asking me for the name of the Burmese restaurant when I took takeout from San Francisco on an OAK-ORD flight. I'm still friends with one of the people I met on the flight! :D

And at least the fragrance of curry shouldn't give anyone a headache like colognes (or (horrors) nail polish remover...).

99% of the time other arilines are cheaper than LCCs on the 10 or so routes I frequent. I know because I do check their websites too for comparison - most always to be disapointed. The key is understaning how to get the discounts from the majors...

My key (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=372). :D

Just got back from a DCA-HNL ($344 - $50 coupon!) mileage run on NW where forethought on meals would've been good... :eek: But I earned over 30,000 miles for it.

Since NW still sometimes serves meals in F on domestic flights, to spruce it up, I bring a pepper grinder. Sometimes I also bring a chunk of aged gouda.

I never take food on a plane. If I am on a relatively short flight from EWR around mealtime, I eat in one of the sit-down restaurants in Continental's Terminal C. There is Gallagher's Steak House and a new, good Portugese Restaurant. For breakfast, The Garden State Diner is great. Continental still serves meals or between meal snacks on flights over two hours.

I almost always use my trips as an excuse to clean out the fridge, especially if I will be gone a few days. Anything like fresh fruit or veggies that will spoil before I get home goes in my travel bag. I'll also bring some cheese or yogurt. Always bring water. And I'll occasionally buy chocolate at the airport, especially if it's right in front of my nose while I'm paying the cashier for my newspaper.

I bring several of the little mini bottle of rum, the ones with 2 shots worth in them. Then I buy a coke. And eat a candy bar.

Oh, I am bad, if it is an afternoon flight or evening flight, I bring babyback ribs and cornbread. The smell just drives people crazy.

A few years ago, on a SAN-OAK on WN, three of us stopped at Porkyland and picked up a family pack: a kilo of carnitas, tortillas, salsa, beans, cilantro and onions, all wrapped up in foil.

When we broke it out, you could see heads turning and noses uplifted, sniffing the aroma, all over the aircraft. :cool:

My experience is not on LCC, but on a normal airline. With ASIANA I've done AKL-ICN. The food was quite nice, but just not more enough to feed a 22 years old young man, so on the way back, I bought some 2 minutes noodle.....yum... and ate them on the way back.