How to Get the Best In-Air Meal Service, According to a Flight Attendant

If you have the luxury of flying first or business class, you’re probably getting a full-on dining menu with that extra-plush seat and room to stretch your legs. For the majority of us who opt for economy, however, the in-flight meal often boils down to two equally sad options: vegetarian or non-vegetarian. And sometimes, by the time the attendants reach your seat, your options have slimmed to whatever tiny trays they’ve got left.

But according to one flight attendant, there’s a hack for getting the best meal service possible — one that better promises a timely delivery, food that hasn’t gone lukewarm, and the full range of meal options, even if there are only two. The trick? Choosing your seat in advance.

“Often meal service will begin at the front of the cabin and progress to the back,” Cathay Pacific flight attendant Joyce Chan recently told Australian food publication Delicious. “Choosing a seat towards the front may increase your likelihood of being served earlier.”

On top of being among the first travelers to get your in-flight meal, landing a seat at the front of the cabin also increases your chances of getting the meal you want. In the unlikely but very possible scenario that the flight crew runs out of meal option A or B by the time they get to the back of the plane, won’t be stuck eating a cheese calzone when you were eyeing up the chicken parm that the guy in seat 5D just snagged.

This trick might seem like a no-brainer, but the importance of seat selection often goes overlooked by casual fliers who could care less about leg room or staring out the window during takeoff. It’s one of the few liberties that economy ticket-holders have, so it’s best to take advantage of it. If airline food really isn’t your jam, you can always grab some grub in the terminal. Maybe grab some coffee to bring on board, too.

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