Airplane meals..: I am off to tenerife... - Gluten Free Guerr...

Gluten Free Guerrillas

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Airplane meals..

Maryelle profile image
25 Replies

I am off to tenerife end of april with Thomsons

Last time I flew with them they did a great GF meal on flight, now they have no meals but a menu with snacks and burgers on it. When I asked about GF foods they have stopped doing it.

They suggested I had the chips........ more weight gain ? no packed lunch this time !

the problem is the flight back, how does one pack a lunch for that, we are staying in a hotel....

Any ideas anyone or has anyone had this problem ?

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Maryelle profile image
Maryelle
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25 Replies
Mia1057 profile image
Mia1057

I usually go to a supermarket before the return flight and buy what I need (minus liquids) and make my own, or if the hotel is good about GF foods see if they will do you a packed lunch for the return journey.

Maryelle profile image
Maryelle

Thank you Mia, yes maybe I can put something together, not sure what the wee supermarket will have but its worth a try.

The hotel does have a GF fridge so maybe they will allow me some food if I offer to pay for it.

great idea thank you.

Don't worry about.....the supermarkets have gf bread....make something for the airport..and it's only four and a bit hours the flight.....

Janie

Maryelle profile image
Maryelle in reply to

thank you Janie

Maryelle profile image
Maryelle in reply to

do you mean the supermarkets in tenerife Janie ?

in reply to Maryelle

My son was there last week and he found gf bread in the supermarket....when I go away I take a few bits, eat natural bars I love, so when everybody else is having cake and coffee....I have one of these..

Plus I always carry fruit with me.....but that's cos I do slimming world, nowt to do with being coeliac...

Not sure what your allowed to take on the plane now....cos they seem to change yearly.......

I'm off to Latvia to meet my will be soon in-laws......and we are travelling round the country, so....I shall report back to see how the gluten free goes over there........got my Latvia and Russian app on me phone, so will be able to say gluten free please.....lol

Weather was 29 there last week in Tenerife......I'm soooo jealous have a fab time..

Janie

jan44 profile image
jan44

I recently found a a tuna salad called 'light lunch mexican style tuna salad' by John West that is gluten free doesn't need to be kept in a fridge and basically does the job when there is nothing available and hunger strikes. I have a couple in the cupboard for those just in case moments. Can always be eaten with GF bread or crackers.

Maryelle profile image
Maryelle in reply to jan44

do they have this in most supermarkets ? sounds great.

jan44 profile image
jan44 in reply to Maryelle

They have it some supermarkets they do several types but this one is the only one without gluten, based on beans rather than pasta.

Maryelle profile image
Maryelle

Thank you everyone for such prompt replies.

I have to be so carefull like lots of CD folk, I get so sick if glutened...

Maryelle profile image
Maryelle

apartment very wise, this hol was booked by friends so no choice but hotel, next hol though will be an apartment for sure.

I like those pitta although sometimes they dont open I found.

thanks

kmminver profile image
kmminver

I have the same problem when I am traveling in this country re work. What I do is always have almonds in my bag and an apple. I also when booking ask hotel will they make a pack lunch. If they can't I pack gf rolls & then just need to get fillings. Hope this helps :)

Maryelle profile image
Maryelle in reply to kmminver

thank you kmminver

pretender profile image
pretender

A four hour flight where you need a meal? and pay for it. Having to get to the airport hours before departure I usually have a basic jacket potato and cheese and some biscuits in hand luggage for back up.

This week a four hour flight to Turkey and I will do the same, also have extra baggage allowance.

Maryelle profile image
Maryelle

great thank you pretender...

Maqh profile image
Maqh

Hi Maryelle

I recently got back and didn't have any choice for food on the plane Ryanair snacks only! The supermarkets in Tenerife are okay but it depends where you are staying. Mercadona supermarket is supposedly very good but there wasn't one near enough to us without using a car. The one near where we stayed (Santiago 3) had a small dietary isle (not just gf) but only had things like corn crackers, rice cakes and pasta. I didn't find any gf bread but everything else is well marked if 'Sin Gluten'.

I visited the supermarket for some snack things before flying home and got some cheese slices, spanish ham and corn crackers which was just as well as we were delayed 3-4 hours and as we were supposed to be the last flight out at 7pm all the shops and eateries bar the bar were closed. The vouchers we got were useless for food as there wasn't anything gf to eat. Last year we stayed in Los Gigantes and the supermarkets there were limited but I did find a gf bread roll at 2.50 euros.

I'm afraid you just have to be a bit more organised with the flights only having snack menus these days, it could be the holiday companies avoiding special diet requests, though we went on a Thomson or Thomas Cook flight last year and people who had booked a package holiday got food included! So it could be they are trying to compete with low cost airlines for flight only. I know what to expect with low cost airlines so work around it. Just don't try to take anything liquid like yoghurt.

Have a great time :-)

Maryelle profile image
Maryelle in reply to Maqh

Thank you for your reply we are in fact going to the north of the island.

Sounds like I am going to be taking lots of things with me rather than relying on eating out. Your delay sounds like a nightmare, giving you vouchers for closed eateries ugh.

Sin in spanish mean without i think ?

Thanks Maqhx

Maqh profile image
Maqh in reply to Maryelle

Indeed 'sin' is without and luckily 'gluten' is gluten in spanish lol

DS Ciabatta rolls are good for taking in your suitcase they have long dates on the packs and don't squash very easily, I prefer the white ones as they seem to survive better than the brown ones. I've tried taking sliced bread like genius but you need a freezer to keep that going for a week or two, it also gets squished in the suitcase.

poing profile image
poing

I had a long-haul flight to Australia last summer. They fed me plain chicken and plain overcooked vegetables three times in 14 hours, including for breakfast. It was tasteless and repetitive. I stole the yoghurt from my husband's meal tray in the end just for a bit of variety. I was really not impressed.

So on my next trip I took my own supplies from England. I took rice crackers, buckwheat crackers and millet bread, so that I would have something to eat with the meats and cheese that are commonly offered on the continent. I also took some breakfast granola, chocolate, nuts and dried fruit mixes. It was a walking holiday, and nearly half my baggage was non-perishable food items! But it was worth it.

puncturedbicycle profile image
puncturedbicycle in reply to poing

Yes, BA's idea of gf was to include rice cakes and loads of synthetic cr@p in both my meals. Breakfast consisted of a a small pot of orange juice, a small pot of sweetened applesauce, a tiny pot of margarine and a rice cake wrapped in clingfilm. I will eat the occasional rice cake but I don't want them in every blinking meal.

dobido profile image
dobido

only an idea but could you take a g/f ready meal those ones in the pouches and get the staff on the plane to microwave it fir you, i know that they are able to warm baby foods and bottles so i,m sure they should be able to do that for you. Also welst away you can buy tin fish with ringpulls don,t know if you eat fish and i always carry crackers and the hotel should have cheese and meats which you could have with them. Hope this helps you

meanioni profile image
meanioni in reply to dobido

Most airlines these days now refuse to heat meals that you bring on - one did it for me once about 3 years ago but last time I had a row with the crew and airline (I wrote and complained) as they claimed it was a "fire-risk". Apparently since charging for everything on the plane, it was becoming more common-place for customers to bring on micro-meals. Hence why they banned it.... (I swear it has more to do with making money than the potential risk of a firey conflagration brought on by warming a Tesco's Chilli....)

My daughter was a trolley-dolly for a while and when I told her about the ban she laughed and said the stewards/stewardesses bring in micro-meals and reheat them all the time..... but did admit they had been told not to reheat customers' food.....

Eggardon profile image
Eggardon

Just had a run in with BA as the GF meal option wasn't available on my flight to Dubai. The customer account settings seem to have dropped by GF request. Very frustrating. Be good idea to check your settings if you use this service.

I always have crackers and some cheese for airports and flying. Too many are now stopping the 'freefrom' meal

Maryelle profile image
Maryelle

thank you everyone for all your helpfull ideas and tips, <3

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