Can I bring food from home on an airplane?

[azfiddle]

I don't fly a lot, but have taken about 2 trips a year for the last 6-8 years. I've always brought my own food- not drinks since the new regulations. Coming back from Ireland last year I had cheese, bread, chocolate.... I think they took away some bananas (produce is a problem coming back into the US)

I've never had a problem packing food on a domestic flight and have brought sandwiches, luna bars, fruit, trail mix, etc. But it sounds like some people have had problems.

[ny biker]

My mother just told me that my sister brought sandwiches to the airport before their last trip to NY, and were forced to throw them away -- before they even got to security. Must have been an overzealous check-in person at Delta.

Right now I'm leaning toward butter on the bagel instead of cream cheese. I always liked that better anyway...

[jelee1311]

I usually travel with my daughter so I always bring food with me. As of now I have never hod a problem or been asked to throw anything away. I'm sure there is a starbucks at that airport and bagle with cream cheese is always on the menu though the oatmeal is great too. I always have luna bars and other treats because we have been stuck on the tarmac for hours....

[Crankin]

It's not the bringing the stuff on the plane... it's bringing it through security, Roxy.
I have never had trouble finding someplace that sold a bagel and yogurt on the other side of security. The restaurants know that people are looking for breakfast! My DH travels quite a bit and believe me, he doesn't skip breakfast, nor does he pack his own stuff.
I abhor Dunkin Donuts. Not the taste of their coffee, but their disgusting advertising, that puts down all kinds of things (like people who speak other languages) and their obvious appeal to specific demographics in a not so subtle way. My drive to work gets interrupted in 2 places by people lined up trying to go through the Dunkin Donuts drive through, who block the road on a major street.

[Catrin]

On a recent flight to Reno I was struck by the number and variety of food vendors after going through security. Unless you are going through a very small airport I suspect you won't have much of a problem finding food, but hopefully you can get through with your bagel and cream cheese. All of that is EXPENSIVE, but of course they know they have a captive market.

[Eden]

Everyone is so...practical and so conscientous.

Not if they pack tuna ......

[Biciclista]

Fruits, sandwich fixings, all that stuff is fine for going through security. I always pack a lunch bag (and fill my bike waterbottle at a waterfountain after I go through security.)

[kaybee]

I cannot tell you how many times DH and I have carried PB&J sandwiches, granola bars and apples through security and onto a flight. We just put our snacks in a backpack which he carries and have always gotten through security just fine.

KB

[Crankin]

Shooting Star, I am like you.... can't be bothered to pack my own stuff when I am traveling. Part of vacation is eating out .
I do make my own lunch every day for work, though.

[PamNY]

I always bring food -- even the smell of airport concessions bothers me. I've never had a problem but haven't flown in twelve months, and TSA changes all the time.

Has anyone had a problem bringing an empty water bottle through security? I remember hearing something about problems with something that even looks like a bottle with liquid in it, and was thinking of getting one of those flexible plastic things that flattens when empty.

[jessmarimba]

Empty water bottles are usually fine, though they've made me open my aluminum one to prove that there's nothing in it.

[ny biker]

Okay, I guess my bag looked innocuous because they let me through with no problems. I had a big ziploc bag full of medicines, a small one with a thing of cream cheese, purell and wet ones (packaged individually), bags containing a bagel, 2 peaches, cookies and granola bars, an empty camelbak podium bottle, plus various charging cords, an mp3 player, fleece vest, book, and a few other things. I thought I would have to take out the meds and the bag with the purell etc., but they never asked to see anything.

Also, its amazing how awake I felt after only 2 hours of sleep. Though I'm starting to feel sleepy now. I'm hoping to sleep for most of my flight. I just need to stay awake for an hour until we take off.....

[Crankin]

Guess I'm a light traveler . And not too picky about food when I am really hungry. As the years have gone on, I have found much more healthy food in airports.
My carry on usually has books, emergency skin care supplies, if my bags get lost, glasses, contact lens solution, and my little purse. There's usually a Luna Bar in there somewhere, but, it's always in there. I usually buy one of those boxed lunches to take on the plane, if it's a long flight, like from Boston to Phx.

[jessmarimba]

I usually fly day trips for work, and just buy food b/c it's expensed.

But I hate doing the whole ziploc for toiletries for a day trip - it's just one more hassle. I've become absolutely enamored with lotion bars now. Planes just make your skin so dry and it's nice to not need a ziploc just for one mini lotion bottle.

[OakLeaf]

I've become absolutely enamored with lotion bars now.

I'm sure that would be considered a gel, if they wanted to give you trouble about it.

I thought I would have to take out the meds and the bag with the purell etc., but they never asked to see anything.

You are supposed to take that out ahead of time (as the signs and audio recording in the line tell you to do ) but I've forgotten mine before, too. If you're traveling light enough that they can visualize everything easily on the X-ray and there are no big bricks like cameras or computer batteries, then it just comes down to profiling (and that doesn't seem to affect the luggage search, only the body search).

They seem to have gotten more sophisticated about camera equipment - DH used to get his camera bag pulled apart and swiped every trip, now it only happens occasionally.

The only time I ever had my carry-on searched, I still don't know what they thought they saw. Maybe it was just an X-ray shadow. The last thing they pulled out of my bag was my little carved turquoise statue of Ganesha, yet from what they said, they thought they saw something knife-like. I've brought fresh fruit several times with no problem.

Touch wood ... I'll probably have everything taken apart next trip.


Warning on the straw-type water bottles: SIP FROM THEM SEVERAL TIMES DURING ASCENT!!! Because the straw is fed from the bottom, if you get to cruising altitude and the pressure in the bottle exceeds the cabin pressure, as soon as you fold the bite valve open, you (and your carry-on and your seat-mates) will have your very own water fountain. DAMHIK