Airlines allow passengers to bring their own food and drink but have specific rules about hot drinks, alcohol and certain items(Image: Mrkit99 via Getty Images)
When embarking on a holiday abroad, purchasing refreshments or a bite to eat whilst in the air can significantly improve the experience. Carriers including easyJet, TUI and Ryanair provide an assortment of snacks and drinks which passengers can buy during their journey.
However, these offerings can be somewhat expensive, and should you be travelling with your entire family, expenses can escalate rapidly. Thankfully, passengers are generally permitted to bring their own provisions aboard, although certain items are absolutely forbidden.
Whilst individual airlines have their own particular regulations, there exist some blanket prohibitions of which you ought to be mindful.
Below is guidance on what to steer clear of when packing for flights with easyJet, TUI, and comparable operators, according to the Daily Record.
Those travelling with TUI on flights lasting more than seven hours are provided with complimentary meals and refreshments. On briefer trips, a trolley service offers food and drink for sale, though passengers are free to bring their own provisions.
TUI advises opting for “low-risk food such as pre-made sandwiches and snacks that can be eaten cold” and notes that cabin crew cannot heat up food items, aside from baby bottles. Furthermore, any alcoholic drinks not purchased on board must not be consumed throughout the flight.
easyJet permits travellers to pack their own meals whilst noting a selection of refreshments and nibbles are available for purchase during the journey. The airline also advises checking country-specific regulations regarding bringing certain foodstuffs into destinations.
Guidance on easyJet’s website states: “You can bring food into the cabin, although we do sell a range of delicious food and drink on board. There’s a 100ml limit for liquid food, like soup or custard. Different countries have different regulations about importing food and drink, so make sure you check the rules for your destination.”
Hot drinks are permitted on easyJet flights provided they have been purchased within the airport terminal and feature secure lids for safety purposes.
Ryanair similarly allows passengers to carry food items and non-alcoholic beverages onboard under its “feel free” policy, although bringing hot drinks aboard or consuming personal alcohol supplies mid-flight is prohibited, according to its website. Ryanair stated: “In the interest of safety we cannot allow passengers to board the plane with hot drinks or consume their own alcohol during the flight.”
Jet2 likewise prohibits hot meals or drinks on its flights, with its website guidance stating: “You may not bring hot food or hot drinks onboard the aircraft.”
Nevertheless, Jet2 assures passengers that various refreshments are available for purchase throughout the flight. Travellers are prohibited from bringing “items which in our reasonable opinion are unsuitable for carriage by reason of their weight, size or character or which are fragile or perishable or which may affect the safety, health or comfort of other passengers or crew, this may include hot or strong smelling foods and drinks.”
Passengers are only permitted to drink alcohol that has been bought on the aircraft itself during the journey.
Furthermore, holidaymakers ought to note that regardless of their airline choice, current EU regulations forbid the importation of any meat or dairy-based products into member nations. This ban includes seemingly innocent items such as sandwiches, even those purchased within the airport terminal after security checks.
