Originally Posted by
fotographer
I have a few friends with allergy issues of all types, feel sorry for them, however they always travel with their own food just to avoid issues like this.
I know its not the best, but at least they know exactly what they are eating
I'd be perfectly happy if there was an option, when booking,to not have food provided. I imagine the airline would benefit too. I know the cost of food is a very small component of the total fare but, psychologically, I feel that because I've paid a lot for CW I want my money's worth, including a decent meal.
Even if they knocked £50 off a long haul flight for not eating, I'd feel much better about bringing my own food.
As it is, I haven't been able to eat the nuts that come with drinks now BA have changed what they serve (cashews were fine for me, olives would be great). I try to eat low carb due to diabetes, so bread/pasta/rice etc are not ideal for me although it doesn't kill me to have them on occasion. I'm severely allergic to shellfish and some nuts (mainly the ones that BA have started to put on most of their menus), and I'm intolerant (acute discomfort) to quite a lot of the more upmarket type of fruit and veg that appears more often in premium classes (mangoes, spinach, kiwi and mint in particular). I end up picking my way through a BA menu, whereas the airlines that offer a more varied choice and a dine on demand service, like Qatar, are so much better for me.
So yes, I should bring my own food if I'm flying BA - but only because they're so inflexible. The lack of flexibility has been discussed elsewhere so I won't go into that,but I would feel so much better catering for myself if it was a choice I could make when booking, and be compensated for it.