LuvAirFrance

Is the plastic tableware there to eat carryon food? I keep seeing people packing stuff in the carryon that never occurred to me when packing. I didn't take any food on my flight to France. I'm a pretty hungry person, but I paid a lot for the ticket and expected some kind of food to be served. It was, and it was very nice food. And for the items normally not eaten with hands, Air France gave me tableware to eat it. I guess the stripping of amenities has led to a lot of new things being brought along "in case". But for an international flight, I would definitely pay whatever fare included food. Flying to another country is hardly ever cheap anyway.

songsparrow

I have no idea why the OP had a fork in his/her luggage. However, there are plenty of reasonable reasons why someone would bring along a fork - hikers or backpackers who are traveling with their gear, parents traveling with snacks for the kids, people traveling with food for themselves, and the environmentally-conscious who wish to bring their own reusable fork instead of tossing disposable ones.

Lurker1999

I usually pack a spork when I travel. I've been amazed at how hard it can be to buy a single utensil if you're going to a grocery store and just want to get a couple of cups of yogurt.

wendyg

I also pack a spork for similar reasons, and also a pair of chopsticks that unscrew into halves. It's actually easier to eat airplane salad with chopsticks than with one of their plastic forks.

wg

flpab

tour title is misleading, security did not make you miss your connection, you did.

nrr

One of the big highlights of European travel is their super train system (I'm a train "nut"--I've heard that others leave out the word train). With the high price of food (and weak dollar) I do a lot of picnicing while riding trains; having plastic spoons, knives and forks is very useful--I carry several sets of these (they are very "breakable".) I've been through CDG many times with my plastic cutlery and have never been stopped (ditto for zhr, lhr, and all US airports.)
CDG is poorly designed and walking to get to connections can be confusing since the signs are not well placed. If OP had to connect from another terminal to one in the "terminal 2 group", it is easy to see why he ran into problems. [I've been in CDG many times when whole areas were blocked by security people so continuing to get to your final section (at least on foot) was impossible.]

Dovster

Years ago, pre-9/11, I flew AF FRA-CDG-TLV.

When I arrived, my suitcase was missing. It came the next day -- it had been broken open and two things removed: a souvenir porcelain windmill I had bought in Holland and an old pair of heavy winter shoes.

There was no question as to who was the culprit: it had a large tape holding it closed and the tape was marked "Sécurité".

I went to the AF office in Tel Aviv to complain. They asked me to fill out a report, which I did on the spot, and I commented in the report that not only was I upset about the suitcase lock being broken but very disappointed by what was stolen. I would have thought that French Sécurité would have had better taste.

A few weeks later I received a check from AF for $300 -- which was considerably more than the value of items taken and the cost of replacing the broken combination lock.

I think that AF was embarrassed by the gauche taste of Sécurité.

(On the other hand, ever since then, on every flight I have taken on AF to TLV, I have been chosen for a patdown at the gate. I think that Sécurité has not forgiven me for pointing out the lack of class demonstrated by its thieves.)

SFOSpiff

I carry a hard plastic picnic style fork, spoon, and knife (yes) in my carry-on backpack. When I travel internationally, alone, I often grab food from grocery stores, as it's quicker and easier than sitting in a restaurant by myself.

I've flown all over the world with them and never had a single problem.

nrr

When I depart CDG (going to the USA) how do the screeners know who I am? Maybe for TLV there is a different procedure(?) [Going to the USA, I've found that I can use any security lane, not just the one closest to where I check in.

Dovster

I also do not get checked CDG-USA, but when I show them my boarding pass at the entrance to the gate area for a TLV flight, I am first asked some questions, then for additional ID (which must be approved by a superior) and then patted down.

mikeef

Dov,

Is it female patters who choose you? My sources tell me that you're quite the ladies man. Of course, your posts on FT are generally the source, so take it for what it's worth.

Mike

Dovster

For some odd reason, is it not.

Who am I to doubt your sources?

Personally, I don't believe anything I write.

Mimo

I also travel with a thick plastic fork, spoon, and knife in my carry-on and have also had no trouble on flights all over Australia, Thailand, and several US, Mexican, and European airports. The utensils are very similar to the REI one linked by the OP.

Why carry plastic utensils? For eating leftovers or grocery store food in the hotel room. I also carry a plastic microwave-safe plate. I use them on almost every trip. They're in my carry-on because I don't check bags.