Flight Attendants Say This Is The Worst Type Of Food Passengers Bring On Airplanes

If you've been on a plane for any amount of time, you've probably packed some snacks or picked something up at the airport to eat during your flight. While you might enjoy your onboard meal, its smell may bother the passengers around you. Perhaps you've been relaxing into your seat when a pungent scent washes over you. Now you're stuck in the same place for hours on end, with the smell of someone's food lingering around you. It's a familiar scenario for anyone who flies a lot, and it can make a normal flight intolerable. You don't want to be that passenger, and you might be wondering about foods you shouldn't bring on a plane. According to flight attendants, smelly food is a big no-no, though that isn't the only kind of meal or snack they say you should avoid. Crumbly and sticky foods can make things difficult for both flight attendants and passengers.

Food etiquette is something many people only think about in places like movie theaters, but it's also a big deal when you have a few hundred people crammed into a tiny space for hours, with no way to escape. Even when TSA allows a food onboard, such as a charcuterie board, consider how its ingredients might smell in a shared cabin. Smelly, sticky, and crumbly foods can make the flight unpleasant for your seatmates and other nearby passengers. It's worth taking a few minutes to consider whether your food is going to be an annoyance to the people around you before you pack that meal. If you want to eat something of that nature, it's best to do it at home or at the airport before you depart. 

It seems like a no-brainer to skip smelly foods with ingredients like garlic, onions, or fish on a plane; however, not everyone does. It's something that really annoys flight attendants like one on Reddit's r/flightattendants who says, "Just leave the raw onions off your salad or sandwich. It makes the whole area smell like B.O." Another commenter says, "hard-boiled eggs ... it smelled awful the whole flight and they were just a couple rows away from my jumpseat." Another commenter recommends avoiding "Anything with a fishy or eggy smell" and adds, "Anything that creates too many crumbs when you have kids." Crumbly foods may feel like someone else's problem until you find yourself sitting among crumbs left behind during a quick turnaround between flights.

Not every complaint in the thread is entirely serious. One Reddit commenter jokes about foods that make them hungry, saying, "Anything that has a smell that makes me ravenously hungry. Like Popeye's...or life savers gummies. Don't make me jealous and hangry lol."

For your onboard meal, consider an onion-free sandwich or wrap. Pick up some candy (though note that TSA rules mean you have to keep liquid, squeezable, or spray candy in your 3-1-1 bag) in lieu of a crumbly, sticky cupcake. An apple, carrots, or other cut-up fruit and vegetables are additional options. If you prefer a full meal before boarding, consider eating at the airport. To that end, here are 10 U.S. airport lounges that have high-end offerings worth the splurge.