Camilla Jessen
Why pilots never eat the same meal on the same plane.
Passengers might not think much about airline food while watching movies or trying to sleep during a flight. But behind the scenes, even the pilots have strict rules about what they can eat while in the air.
According to a former cabin crew member, the rule is simple: pilots on the same flight must choose different meals.
A safety precaution
Mandy Smith, a former Virgin Atlantic cabin crew member, explained the rule during a YouTube interview with LADbible Stories.
Smith spent 12 years working as an air hostess and said meal choices for pilots are carefully managed during flights.
She revealed that pilots are not allowed to eat the same dish as each other.
“So, if one has the chicken, the other one has to have the fish. They always decide that between themselves before they tell us what they want,” she said.
The reason behind the rule is straightforward: to prevent both pilots from becoming sick at the same time.
If the pilots ate the same meal and it caused food poisoning, both of them could become ill during the flight.
“Obviously, we don’t want both of them throwing up!” Smith joked.
She added that the rule is simply a precaution designed to protect safety in the cockpit.
Taste buds in the air
Smith also explained another surprising fact about airline meals: food tastes different at high altitude.
According to her, the pressure inside the aircraft cabin affects the body in several ways, including how taste buds work.
“It’s not the food that’s bad, it’s your taste buds that are different in mid-air,” she said.
Because taste changes during flights, airline chefs often prepare meals with stronger flavors.
“If you actually tasted that food on the ground… it actually tastes quite salty, and quite strong,” Smith explained.
Chefs intentionally adjust the seasoning so that the meals still taste flavorful when served at 35,000 feet.
Sources: LADbible, Cabin Fever by Mandy Smith
