Flight Attendant Reveals The Worst Food Item People Bring On Planes: 'It's Rancid'
TSA doesn't have the authority to ban foods just because they smell. That's why plenty of passengers pack mid-flight snacks that can annoy their seatmates and airline employees. And while some are more obvious than others (onions and tuna aren't the only culprits), we tapped an American Airlines flight attendant to spill the tea on which food and drink items they're begging travelers to leave at home.
Fried Fast Food
According to the flight attendant, who needs to stay anonymous to avoid professional
repercussions, the smell of fast food "sticks to your clothes" and drives flight attendants nuts. The next time you pass an airport Micky D's and are tempted by a Big Mac, consider eating it before you board.
Onions
I said what I said. If you're packing anything with onions, you might want to rethink that snack strategy. The flight attendant says it's one of the worst items passengers can bring on a flight due to its powerful odor.
Tuna Fish
This one's another no-brainer. Like onions, tuna has a distinct smell that will absolutely piss everyone else off on the plane. Not only is it strong, but it takes a lot to get rid of the smell. Trapped on a flight with recycled air is probably the worst place to eat your tuna melt. That's just common sense.
Any Sort of Eggs
While hard boiled or scrambled eggs might sound like a protein-rich lunch to bring on your flight, there are a few reasons you shouldn't. For starters, they have a similarly potent smell that might turn off your flight attendants and fellow passengers.
There's also the food-safety factor. After they're cooked, you still need to keep eggs at a safe temperature (be it hot or cold) to avoid the growth of bacteria. Unless you're going the length to pack yours with an ice pack (and providing your neighbors nose plugs) you probably don't want to risk it.
Corn Nuts
Corn nuts are also a problem, even though they are sometimes served in-flight. "They are pretty tasty, but some of them stink the second you open the package," she tells Delish. "We actually serve them in our first class snack basket. The roasted barbecue flavor [is the worst]. When you open the bag, it smells like something is burning on the plane."
Jerky
The flight attendant said it best. There's nothing worse than smelling someone's jerky on a flight. "It's rancid."
Cheerios and Goldfish
"I also get annoyed with parents that bring snacks for their young children that can potentially make a mess…I know that's very petty of me," the flight attendant says, calling out snacks like Cheerios and Goldfish. "Anything that could be stepped on and make a huge mess because majority of parents will not clean it up and it gets in the carpet."
Alcohol
This one should be a no-brainer, considering you're not allowed to bring alcohol on a plane and drink it, but according to the flight attendant, it happens all the time.
"Occasionally passengers will try to sneak their purchased alcohol from inside the airport onto the plane and they aren’t allowed to do that, so that will drive us crazy," she says.
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