Glutenfree Menus With Us Airways?

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Hi to all,

I finally got my working permit and travel papers. So my mother-in-law gave me a journey to germany (my home country) as a christmas gift. We are flying with US Airways. This will be my first flight since going glutenfree. So I was wondering, if anybody knows, if they serve gluten-free meals? Does anybody have experience with US Airways already? Or does anybody know, how I can find out?

It's pretty soon, that we go there. We leave at 20th of January...

Stef

[celiac3270]

All you can do is call them. You'll probably get a good idea of whether or not they've dealt with this before and whether or not you can trust them--and of course, bring food of your own.

[Bikerboy]

I am flying to the Caribbean on US Air leaving on January 22nd. This will be my first vacation gluten free so I am taking gluten free breakfast bars and other carry on food just in case. I guess once I'm there I can eat fruit and fish if nothing else.

Unfortunately, we might not get the chance to try US Air since it sure likes like they will fold by January 15th.

I hope I'm wrong.

[tarnalberry]

While some people have had luck with some airlines, others haven't. (I've had a painfully gluten-FILLED meal served after asking for a gluten-FREE one.) To be safe, bring your own food, in addition to asking for a friendly meal.

[flagbabyds]

Call them, request a gluten free meal, bring your own food, and check with them before boarding to make sure you can have it, also you can always ask for a fruit plate.

[Linda74]

Stef,

Would love to know what happened with US Airways. I am supposed to fly with them in March.

Good luck,

Linda

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Hi all,

so here's my US Airways experience. Hell, that was a trip. I'm not only telling the story about the glutenfree meal. You have to hear the entire airport story about getting our plane as well. It was just hilarious, when I think about it afterwards.

Well, the last days, before we took off to germany it was pretty chaotic at home. I was so excited about finally flying into my home country again after over a year. And because i'm still afraid to talk english on the phone that added up to that excitement. So I didn't know how to call with the airline and what number and what to say and anyhow. And everything was pretty emotional and I was wound up. So every day passed and I still hadn't called. Well, the last day before the flight I urged my husband to call, cause I had heard you had to call 24 hours before. So he figured out the number and called there. First there was a woman that b%$@#ed with him, that he had to call 24 hours before. Well, it was like 20 hours before and I mentioned that they shouldn't be stupid because of 4 hours. OK, he hung up and called again. This time there was a man who was very friendly and said everything would be OK. The glutenfree food would be there with my seat number.

My mother-in-law and I flew from Philadelphia to Munich. She lives near State College and I live near Harrisburg. The flight would have been at 8:20 in the evening. So she thought that she leaves her home at 11:00 in the morning to pick me up in Harrisburg and then we'd go on to Phily. Well, this is a drive of about between 3 and 4 hours. And we had already planned in an extra of about 3 to 4 hours in case there's a traffic jam. What should have taken us 4 hours took us more than 9 hours. While standing in the traffic jam and realizing more and more that we'd miss our plane my mother-in-law said: "Well, it could be worse. We could have a little 3-year-old in the back whining 'I gotta pee'." How right she was. At 8:30 we arrived at the airport just to hear that the plane had had 20 minutes delay and was leaving in about 8:40. But there was no way we could still make it. We still had to park our car outside of the airport on the parking lot for a few days and take the airport shuttle to the airport. The plain was gone and with it my glutenfree meal. And all that trouble because of some stupid people who were rubbernecking on the other side of the highway (our side was perfectly fine) . Well, my mother-in-law thought (she told me later): "Oh well, maybe we weren't supposed to be on that flight..." I found that she was pretty calm for a woman who just sat 9 hours non-stop in a car driving herself all the time .

Well, after we made sure, that we got seats in the plane the next day same time (8:20) we tried to get a hotel room somewhere for the night. Everything was full. Finally we found a good and cheap hotel, but we still had to wait for the shuttle to drive us there, because it was too far to walk. So we went to the other side of the airport where the shuttles were stopping and waited... and waited... and waited. Then after about 30 minutes the shuttle to that hotel came and we were waiving with our hands like crazy and trying to get the driver to stop. Well, it finally stopped. The driver let three people in and told us, we couldn't get in anymore, because he had to make some other stops and make sure that at every stop he could let some people in. I thought I didn't hear right . Well, we strolled back to the bench and thought while we're waiting, we could call US Airways and ask for the glutenfree meal on the plane for me the next day. I was so glad that my mother-in-law did the call again, because of my "english-on-the-telephone"-phobia. She hung up and told me, the guy told her, everything would be fine, the meal would be there with my seat number. So meanwhile it was 10:15 in the evening. We were still standing outside waiting for that darn shuttle. It was so cold I didn't sit down, because my pants were cold and I'd freeze when the pants touched my skin. So I just stood there, shivering, staring holes in the air and trying not to do any unnecessary moves. Beside us an old couple around their 70s, a mother with a little girl. Another younger couple and one man, that looked like he'd go on a travel for his company. The little girl was freezing obviously, too. So my mother-in-law grabbed the phone and called the hotel. She told the woman on the other side of the line, that it was outrageous to let the people freeze outside and send only one shuttle. The woman in the hotel replied, that she doesn't have time for stuff like that right now, because she had a problem with her computer. And the shuttle doesn't have to take everybody anyway, because it would be free and just a courtesy of the hotel. We wouldn't pay for this service and if we needed a ride to the hotel ride away we should take a taxi. How rude

Meanwhile it was about 10:35 and I thought I call my husband who should be back from his working shift already. After I said "hello hunny, guess where I am" he knew, that we missed the plane. So I told him about our trip so far and could almost see him smile. He was right, it was starting to get hilarous.

A few minutes later we grabbed the "business guy" and took a "shared taxi" to the hotel. We arrived at the hotel at about 11:00 and there we saw what took them so long. They really had a problem with the computer. The checking in for about 10 people took over one hour and when we finally reached our hotel room it was 12:00 midnight. I asked my mother-in-law, if she still wants to go and eat something. She just replied the only thing she wants, is a bed. So I munched at my self-baked bread with some nutella on it and some rice cakes with cinnamon flavor.

Waking up the next day she asked, if we want to stay in the hotel room all day and take the shuttle to the airport in the evening. I just replied, it would be better to go to the airport in the morning, cause the only thing we're doing in the hotel room is reading anyway. And if we read in the hotel room or at the airport. Makes no difference actually. And also the traffic could be bad in the evening and there maybe was no coming through again. She agreed with me and after another 30 minutes we made our way down to the lobby. We just checked out and saw the shuttle standing in front of the door. Happily we were rushing towards the door. But the driver was comeing in and told us, that the shuttle just broke down. I couldn't believe it. Somehow I started to believe I'm in the wrong movie maybe. So we took the next taxi toward the airport. Later my mother-in-law told me, that she first believed (in the traffic jam) that we were maybe not meant to be on that plane. Later she thought, that we were maybe not meant to go to germany at all. I just replied, that we're not in germany yet, the plane still could brake down and not take off anymore. She said, she already had that happen to her before and if that happens to us this evening she'll get off that plane and go home. I was desperated. As I know my luck, that'll happen and I couldn't wait to see all my old friends anymore...

But the plane started in time. This time with us on it. Then after an our we finally got our meals. But there was no glutenfree meal for me. I was disappointed. I hadn't eaten much for one and a half days and really started to get crancky. My mother-in-law gave her meal back and refused to eat in front of me. The stewardess just said, she couldn't do much to help, she didn't even have some fruit to help me out. Then after 15 minutes later she came back and gave me some fruit and said, that another stewardess gave me that from her own food. I thanked her, took it and my mother-in-law asked the stewardess to bring her the meal back as well. About an hour before we arrived germany they gave everybody a muffin and she asked me about three times, if I didn't want one. So much for the flight crew to be educated about celiac. The stewardess just said to call 48 hours before we fly back. My mother-in-law replied "the same number we already called?" The stewardess just mentioned that she will be there as well on our flight back and she can pay a little attention, too.

When we arrived in germany it was a dream. My mother and my step-dad picked us up from the airport. My mother brought me a bag full of glutenfree food, cookies and chips and I started to munch like crazy. The people around us probably thought I'm crazy or so.

Well, one week later I called a number from US Airways in germany. A very friendly man said, that everything will be OK. He booked a glutenfree meal for me on my seat number and when I go onto the plane I should just tell the stewardesses, that it's me with the glutenfree meal. So they can connect a face to the meal. Well, I did as I was told and this time we had no problem. The meal was there and it was fantastic. It was a gluten-free bread with margarine, a bread spread I couldn't define (was good though), cheese and ham. Then poultry with potatoes and sauce and some vegetable. Everything stated glutenfree on the packages. Just the lunch box at the end of the flight contained a gluten-pretzel-mix among some glutenfree things. I was glad I checked the ingredients. So I gave it to my mother-in-law. The stewardess probably thought "Oh, that poor girl. Let's give her some pretzels as well."

Well, that was my experience with US Airways. I think everybody has something different to tell and it really depends on the airline. I can just say, they tried their best with the food and it's not their fault that there was a traffic jam.

Hope I didn't make the story too long. But that's a perfect example that food isn't the only thing where something can go wrong.

Stef

[MySuicidalTurtle]

Thank you for the story, Stef!

[Professor]

Hi,

I loved your story (WOW!), and you tell it so well. And what is this phobio about English on the phone? Your English is fine. I teach college English, and also college ESL (English as a Second Language), so what I say is true! Also, I used to live in Germany (for 5 years, in Trier), so we will have to PM about that sometime.

I have always had good gluten-free luck on planes. Usually lovely broiled seafood meals. I used to take my students to London and Paris (from the US) every spring, and they would be jealous of my meal on the flight over to Europe. For the flight back, I'd notice that several had apparently called for gluten-free meals, because they got what I got!

Patty

[lovegrov]

Bring your own food. This is the only sensible thing to do with any airline.

richard

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Thanks Patty,

my head is swelling now .

But what i forgot to tell. It just popped into my head, while reading your answers. In 1998 i flew to Canada (from Germany). 1998 i wasn't on the gluten-free diet yet, since i just was diagnosed last year. And the flight to Canada was about 9 hours, too. And there i had really severe knee pain (i almost cried), which was completely gone this time. I felt fine. I guess, that 1998 it was just, because nutrients were missing. Isn't that funny???

Hugs, Stef