Do pilots get special treatment?

[Founder]

Do airline pilots get special treatment when it comes to food and stuff onboard an aircraft?

Can pilots choose what they want to eat or is the same which is served to the passengers, do pilots have to pay for the food or is it included?

[neil armstrong]

food on board ,nope!
but we have a vending machine in the crewroom with 5 day old sandwiches

Life is good


Neil

[Sphinx]

Yes we do get "crew food" provided in most airlines. There are several reasons. First we haven't got the advantage of being able to pop out to a shop, cafe or restaurant at mealtimes. Second there is the issue of food poisoning. In my airline every single member of the crew, including cabin crew, eats something different to minimise the risk of more than one person getting food poisoning in any one flight.

[PRNAV1]

...It depends. My happy meal had a crap toy in it last week and i asked for diet coke!

Some people just never listen :}

[Piltdown Man]

Some of us do get "special" treatment and at times, the outcome is rather good. LCY for example, have excellent meals as do EIN and HAJ but some places the outcome is somewhat less pleasant (names withheld to protect the guilty). There are times where I wish I could pay to get a proper meal. However, as I don't work for a "High Pay Airline" I don't see why I should have to pay for a meal which I need to do my job properly.

[Rainboe]

I remember hearing long ago with great amusement how one US 737 airline pioneered the really short turnarounds. As the last of the passengers was moving up the aisle to get off, he was followed by a cleaner with a hoover. Meanwhile, to save time, the pilots catering was 'loaded' (=handing in 2 happy meals -with coffee- through the FD window!).

And now it happens over here.....except no happy meals and no coffee- the pilots sort their own food out!

[luddite]

My in-flight food is whatever I remembered to take out of the freezer, assuming I've had time to get to the shops...... But the cabin crew do supply copious quantities of coffee! :cool:

[Jetdriver727]

I used to be 121(Airline) and there ws no love on the food side. Now in this plush 135 (charter) job we get to order basicaly what ever we want (no steak and lobester mind you) but it makes up for the pax that get to come to the cockpit and bother you on a 5 hour flight. :}

[FLCH]

At my airline we have Steak and Lobster.....disguised as a turkey sandwich and a bag of frozen carrots !!

[White Bear]

Piltdown man,
Quote:
“However, as I don't work for a "High Pay Airline" I don't see why I should have to pay for a meal which I need to do my job properly.”

Great comment Piltdown, very funny;
I mean it was intended to be humorous, Right?:confused:
W.B.

[NZ X man]

The middle eastern corporate pilots probably had it the best.727,737,707 corporate aircraft, what would you like captain, lobster, steak, cake etc. I am not sure on the smaller corporate aircraft, probably equal if not the same.
Since the enjoyments of life are so scarce in the Deep middle east, food was the release and the replacement so to speak:cool:

[Lindatr78]

our crews have crew meals and special meals, which is better than C/cls meal ( Catering company explained to us) but OUR CREWS request mcdonalds:{

[Jet_A_Knight]

You could always rely on a night freight pilot's breakfast..











Saliva.:{

[flyblue]

Our pilots get each a different crew meal: starter, main course, dessert, salad plus a tray with (for each pilot) a sandwich and a pudding. There are also a cheese platter and a fruit platter.
The importance of being properly fed to be able to carry out their duty is underlined in the Human Factor Course.

[DC10RealMan]

Flyblue,

I wonder if you might amplify the comment about Human Factors courses and the ability to eat correctly. I presume you might be talking about the low blood sugar and other physiological issues. We have problems in the ATC world about this and I would like some ammunition to use in discussions with our management. Please feel free to contact me via the private message website if you wish. Thanks in advance.

[TenAndie]

Well when there are 8 crew meals on board and 8 crew, the pilots always get 1st choice on what to have.

And pilots get made tea and coffee during the flight but make non for the cabin crew, so i would say yes, we get special treatment :D

[Kak Klaxon]

Yesterdays crew food,

Sector 1

Cheese and Tomato roll, Bounty Bar,Coffee white one.

Sector 2

Coffee

Sector 3

Hot chicken thing in gloop,coffee

Sector 4

Coffee.

I try to make Cabin Crew a drink on the turnround but time is so tight that its unusual to do this.

6 hours flying ,8 and a bit duty time, better than some ,worse than others

[angels]

Ysatis - Sense of humour bypass old boy? :}

[AFA]

We have our choice from the first class food. The cabin crew come up at the beginning of the flight with the menu and they put aside what we want. Crew food as well of course ie Jacket potato's and the usual sandwiches and snacks.
Not what i'd call special treatment though.