Airlines Gallery IV: Airline Menus and Food

There's nothing quite like enjoying a meal aboard an aircraft flying at 35,000 feet, looking down at the tops of clouds and seeing the world slip by underneath you. In a budget-conscious age, a lot of airlines have cut back on onboard meal and drinks service, yet good food and drink can still be found on some carriers and for business and first class passengers. While flight attendants will definitely question you if you try to save silverware, china, or even plastic dishes as souvenirs of your flight, you can get away with hoarding onboard snack foods using the excuse that you're saving them for later. With a little care, individually-wrapped cookies, crackers, peanuts, brownies, and other such items can be saved as souvenirs of your flight, like the items below. Airline menus can also be a great memento of your airline dining experience.

The front cover of the British Airways menu provided on a Toronto-London flight, c. 1998.

The inside of the above British Airways menu.

The front cover of Canadian Airlines' first class menu, circa 1999-2000, provided aboard a flight from Toronto to Honolulu, Hawaii.  (Courtesy of MoMI donors ES and DS)

Page 1 of Canadian Airlines' first class menu.

Pages 2 and 3 of Canadian Airlines' first class menu.

The last page of Canadian Airlines' first class menu.

The front side of the menu seat card found aboard First Air flights. First Air serves Canada's north, thus the presence of Inuktitut text. (Courtesy of MoMI donor RV)

The inside of the First Air menu card found aboard First Air flights.

A small bag of aircraft-shaped crackers served aboard Southwest Airlines flights. Note the clever name of the snack: 'plane crackers'.  (Courtesy of MoMI donor CS)

An opened bag of Southwest Airlines' 'plane crackers' - delicious!  (Courtesy of MoMI donor CS)

A small bag of salted pretzels served aboard Southwest Airlines.  (Courtesy of MoMI donor CS)

Three satchels of crunchy snack foods served aboard Sunwing Airlines.  (Courtesy of MoMI donor CS)

An individually-wrapped white chocolate brownie from Sunwing Airlines.  (Courtesy of MoMI donor CS)

Salt and pepper shakers obtained during a first class Canadian Airlines flight to Hawaii, circa 2000.

Plastic napkin rings obtained on a Canada 3000 Airlines flight from Toronto to Orlando, Florida, 1997.

An Air Canada First Class dinner menu, photographed during a November 2014 flight to Tel Aviv, Israel. (Courtesy of MoMI donor KF)

An Air Canada First Class snack and breakfast menu, photographed during a November 2014 flight to Tel Aviv, Israel. (Courtesy of MoMI donor KF)

A cheese, cracker, and fruit plate served in First Class aboard an Air Canada flight to Tel Aviv, Israel, November 2014. (Courtesy of MoMI donor KF)

The pre-arrival breakfast served in First Class aboard an Air Canada flight to Tel Aviv, Israel, including omelette with sausage and hashbrowns, muffin, a dish of mixed fruit, a single-serving yoghurt, and coffee. (Courtesy of MoMI donor KF)

Below: A 330ml bottle of water provided aboard Etihad Airways, circa 2014.  A product of the United Arab Emirates, the water is bottled by Al Ain Food and Beverages PJSC (an Agthia Group Company) of Al Ain, UAE. (Courtesy of MoMI donor BR)

A Qantas Airways sugar packet, October 2014. 

An Air Canada salt and pepper packet, October 2014.

The front side of an Air France Economy Class menu, circa March 2015. (Courtesy of MoMI donor PC)

The reverse of an Air France Economy Class menu, circa March 2015. (Courtesy of MoMI donor PC)

The menu provided to Club World passengers aboard British Airways flight BA 99 from London Heathrow to Toronto, 5 May 2016.  (Courtesy of MoMI donors ES and DS)

The front side of the wine list enclosed with the Club World menu aboard British Airways flight BA 99 from London Heathrow to Toronto, 5 May 2016.  (Courtesy of MoMI donors ES and DS)

The reverse side of the wine list enclosed with the Club World menu aboard British Airways flight BA 99 from London Heathrow to Toronto, 5 May 2016. (Courtesy of MoMI donors ES and DS)

A salt and pepper packet from a trans-Atlantic flight in British Airways Club World class, between London Heathrow and Toronto, 5 May 2016.  (Courtesy of MoMI donors ES and DS)

A packet of mixed nuts (dry roasted and salted almonds and cashews) provided to passengers in Club World class aboard British Airways flight BA 99, London Heathrow to Toronto, 5 May 2016.  These nuts are prepared by Kenya Nut Company Ltd. in Nairobi, and imported into the UK by Kings Fine Foods.  Best before date is January 2017.  (Courtesy of MoMI donors ES and DS)

After dinner chocolates provided to passengers in Club Class, British Airways flight BA 99, London Heathrow to Toronto, 5 May 2016.  (Courtesy of MoMI donors ES and DS) 

The reverse side of the box of chocolates given to passengers aboard British Airways flight BA 99 from London Heathrow to Toronto, 5 May 2016.  (Courtesy of MoMI donors ES and DS)

A single serving packet of salt and pepper, obtained in Premium Economy class on Air Canada flight AC 36, Brisbane-Vancouver, 30 November 2016.

The English and French language version of the Premium Economy menu for Air Canada flight AC 832, 7 October 2019.

The Flemish language version of the Premium Economy menu for Air Canada flight AC 832, 7 October 2019.

The Premium Economy dinner menu for Air Canada flight AC 832, Montreal to Brussels, 25 April 2022.

The Premium Economy luncheon menu from Air Canada flight AC 855, London Heathrow to Toronto, 5 May 2022.

The Premium Economy dinner menu from Air Canada flight AC 832, Montreal to Brussels, 15 April 2023.

The Flemish language version of the Premium Economy dinner menu from Air Canada flight AC 832, Montreal to Brussels, 15 April 2023.

The Premium Economy luncheon menu from Air Canada flight AC 833, Brussels to Montreal, 22 April 2023.

The Flemish language version of the Premium Economy luncheon menu from Air Canada flight AC 833, Brussels to Montreal, 22 April 2023.

The Premium Economy dinner menu from Air Canada flight AC 842, Toronto Pearson to Frankfurt, 14 October 2023.

The German language version of the Premium Economy dinner menu from Air Canada flight AC 842, Toronto Pearson to Frankfurt, 14 October 2023.

The Premium Economy luncheon menu from Air Canada flight AC 833, Brussels to Montreal, 28 October 2023.

The Flemish language version of the Premium Economy luncheon menu from Air Canada flight AC 833, Brussels to Montreal, 28 October 2023.

The Premium Economy menu from Air Canada flight AC 1, Toronto Pearson to Tokyo Haneda, 12 January 2024.

The Japanese language side of the Premium Economy menu from Air Canada flight AC 1, Toronto Pearson to Tokyo Haneda, 12 January 2024.

The Premium Economy menu from Air Canada flight AC 62, Seoul Incheon to Toronto Pearson, 19 January 2024.

The Korean language side of the Premium Economy menu from Air Canada flight AC 62, Seoul Incheon to Toronto Pearson, 19 January 2024.