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meal served -- but which meal?

A few years ago we took a red eye flight on KLM that left at 11:00 p.m. The ticket indicated we would be served dinner, but I assumed that on a flight leaving so late the meal would actually be breakfast. Wrong! Sometime after midnight we were awakened and served a full dinner; in the morning we got a light breakfast snack.

Fast forward to this year. I am flying via red eye to Vienna on Austrian Air. The flight leaves at 6:00 p.m. The ticket indicates we will be served breakfast. It would seem that a flight leaving at 6:00 would be a dinner flight....but having been wrong about this once, I'm not anxious to jump to any conclusions! I don't want to bring my own dinner, in part because I am limited in the weight I can carry on board. I'd prefer not to have to rush and eat an overpriced airport meal if it isn't necessary. But I definitely don't want to assume there will be dinner service, only to discover there isn't. I've tried searching the website and even googling the flight number and departure city, but haven't found anything. I suppose I could call the airline, although I hate to waste someone's time on this and am not sure the agent I spoke with would even know the answer.

Is there some trick to discovering what meal(s) will be served on an international flight that I'm not aware of?

Thanks!

Posted by
3522 posts

On the Austrian web site, it states that all long haul flight economy passengers will be served a breakfast or snack shortly before arrival. Drinks available throughout the flight. So, just guessing, I would believe the ticket. Even less info is available about their business class meals as far as serving time.

You can still bring your own dinner and eat in the airport if you don't want to carry it on the plane. TSA isn't weighing your carry on.

Posted by
740 posts

Tom, where exactly did you find the information about premium economy being served dinner and regular economy not being served dinner? Thanks!

Posted by
11877 posts

You have to find the 'FAQs' section and then look at 'long haul' by class, to see the food and other amenities

Posted by
2480 posts

The Austrian Airlines website says:

Choose between two menus created by our catering partner DO & CO.
Shortly before landing depending on the time of day, a breakfast or a snack is served. Throughout the flight you can choose from a wide selection of cold and hot beverages.
On Austrian Airlines long-haul flights you have the option to pre-select from a variety of special meals before departure.

From the German version it becomes clear that the breakfast is in addition to the dinner:

Je nach Tageszeit stärken wir Sie vor der Landung *noch* mit einem Frühstück oder einem Snack.*

Posted by
3522 posts

No, the German is no clearer as it says basically the same thing: depending on the time of day breakfast or a snack will be provided before landing. Nothing about a dinner AND the pre landing item. At least for economy passengers.

I do hope it is just an oversight on their part in the wording and they do serve a dinner and the pre landing snack or breakfast.

Posted by
5507 posts

I have flown economy on Austrian more times than I can count to the US. You always get dinner on the US to Vienna leg. Unlimited warm rolls, too. The meal on the Vienna to the US leg, however, is always better. Austrian is hardly a budget airline, folks.

Posted by
2480 posts

No, the German is no clearer as it says basically the same thing:

Sorry, it is, the difference being the "noch".

Posted by
740 posts

Thank you, Emily -- it was good to hear directly from someone who has made this flight!
I had also submitted an email inquiry and heard back (very quickly, especially it was certainly not an urgent question and submitted on a weekend) that -- indeed -- we will be served both dinner and breakfast. One less thing to worry about!

Posted by
5507 posts

I know you are joking, Tom, but as an American who actually lived in the developing world (Ghana) for 7 years and lived in Austria for more than 10 years, I can assure everyone that Austria is vastly more advanced than both the US and Ghana - on many levels.