Your bag is stowed. You’re seated, podcasts at the ready … one last leg of your trip. And then, the guy next to you pulls out a tuna melt. Or a bowl of greasy garlic noodles. Or a Ziploc bag full of hard-boiled eggs.
There’s a lot we can’t control about our in-flight experience, but organizations like the United States Passenger Comfort and Cleanliness Coalition (PCCC) are campaigning to eliminate avoidable nuisances — like objectively offensive food odors. The first step? An official BANNED FOODS LIST.
The PCCC released its official recommendations to both domestic and international airlines last week, but individual carriers will ultimately have control over their own banned foods lists and how these restrictions will be enforced. Discussions are ongoing, but the initial proposal includes the following:
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Hot foods (including hot sandwiches) will no longer be allowed in-flight, as higher temperatures intensify odors, allowing them to carry farther — and linger longer — in enclosed spaces.
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General restrictions include strongly spiced and seasoned foods (such as garlic and curry) and pungent meats and cheeses.
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Specific ingredient restrictions currently under negotiation include:
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Seafood
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Eggs
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Raw onions and garlic
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- In addition to outlawing hot foods, passengers will be asked to exercise judgment when selecting snacks to bring on board. Airlines will reserve the right to confiscate foods with offensive odors. However, passengers are still welcome to bring dry snacks such as chips and popcorn, as well as fresh whole foods like fruit and vegetables. Cold sandwiches are approved, provided they don’t contain strong-smelling ingredients.
While the PCCC frames this change as a customer satisfaction measure, some speculate there may be ulterior motives — namely, airlines limiting what passengers can bring on long flights while pushing their own approved (and expensive) hot food options.
So, what’s next? Will passengers soon be prohibited from bringing any of their own food and drinks onboard? While we FULLY support restrictions on flight-ruining foods, other travelers may worry about the loss of personal choice.
We’ll be staying tuned as individual airlines respond to this initiative!
Editor’s Note: We believe in laughter, and we celebrate April Fool’s Day every year — but our attorney says we need to make it clear that this article is a joke. Attorneys are no fun, but they keep us out of trouble.
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If you missed it, be sure to check out our 2023 April Fool’s Day announcement, highlighting the SEC’s totally fictional dress code update requiring clear boots in addition to clear bags. (It’s not too late to fool your friends!)
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