As you can see from the chart below, the price of jet fuel has fallen precipitously over the last 24 months.

How has this benefited the average Road Warrior?  Snacks are back on the airlines and they are better than ever!  (Though the bar was previously set very low!)

United’s Snack Choices:  Stroopwafels!

On my airline of forced choice, United, if you depart before 9:45 am, you receive a delicious Daelmans Stroopwafel.  For those of you who do not know, a stroopwafel is a “soft, toasted waffled filled with caramel, cinnamon, and real bourbon vanilla.”  Stroopwafels are every bit as delicious as they sound.  On a recent flight from Seattle, a kind flight attendant offered me as many stroopwafels as I liked.  As a result, you may now also accurately describe me as “slightly browned, soft, and stroopwafel-filled”.  (BTW, Stroopwafels are now taking over America.  They really are the new Twinkie.  You heard it here first.)

If your flight departs at 9:46 or later (and I mean it) you will receive a package of Zesty Ranch Snack Mix or Asian-Style Snack Mix.  I am not clear on how United decides which type of snack mix to distribute, nor who decided that after 9:45 am we passengers want snack mix, not stroopwafels.

In any case, the Asian-Style snack mix is composed of sesame-style sticks, wasabi-style peas and rice-style crackers.  It is quite good, familiar stuff.  But my favorite aspect of this snack is the name.  By inserting the word “style” into the name, apparently United wants us to be clear that no actual Asians were involved in the making or distributing of said snack mix.  Either United is worried that the “Association of Asians” will investigate the true origins of their snack mix, or United thinks many of us are racist and want “Asian-style” mix, but also want to be assured that none of the proceeds will be going to real Asians.

Delta’s Snacks

On the Delta shuttle, I’ve been getting quite a nice mixed nut package from King Nuts.  It is a small package, though, so if I eat just one package  I feel a little like President Obama and his “seven almonds”.  Luckily, I can ask the flight attendant for 6 more packs—always six—never five or seven– and be Presidential in my own, gluttonous way.

American’s Snacks

American apparently has adopted United’s 9:45 am rule as well.  According to an American Airlines press release earlier this year:  “Customers traveling on flights departing prior to 9:45 a.m. will receive Biscoff® cookies. On flights departing after 9:45 a.m., customers will have a choice between Biscoff® cookies or pretzels, rotated on a seasonal basis.”  I am not sure what is seasonal about these products, but Biscoff biscuits were popularized by Delta, so there is some snack stealing going on here.  I don’t fly American very often, but as I recall, I have been getting basic pretzels.  These remind me of the days before fuel prices ran up.  Very nostalgic.

Road Warrior T-shirts Now Available

For you road warriors, please see my website for my new line of airline snack related T-shirts (not really):

My American Airlines T-shirt:

Another American Airlines Shirt:

My United Shirt:

My Delta Shirt:

Stay hungry my friends.