Flight Attendant Reveals How Airlines Pick the In-flight Snacks

On a recent domestic flight, I found myself uncharacteristically reaching for the snack menu. I’m a slow eater, so I rarely snack on short flights; it feels like, no sooner than I’ve torn the wrapper from the food, the trash cart is already being wheeled through and we’re preparing for final descent. But that day, as the flight attendants came around, I nabbed three different snacks. One was too dry; the second, I enjoyed; and the third, I left sealed, saving it as a treat for my little cousin who’s always asking me for something “from the big plane!” While packing it away in my bag, I wondered, who chooses the snacks we eat on domestic flights?

United Airlines tells me its food and beverage and customer experience teams work together to choose the snack options. Many options rely heavily on customer feedback, but the teams also consider popularity and dietary needs. United Airlines flight attendant Tiffanie Johnson says the flight crew usually gets to try the prospective snacks first, but ultimately, the company decides which ones to actually introduce to customers.

For United, its Takeoff snack boxes are some of the most popular offerings, but the return of the stroopwafel has been especially well received. Johnson has also noticed a trend in snack preferences based on customer ages. “Our older crowd tends to gravitate toward the salty snacks, like pretzels,” she shares. “And the younger people enjoy the sweet ones, like the stroopwafel.”

At Delta Air Lines, its onboard service team selects all snacks. A big part of this process includes reviewing customer insights, and always trying to have a balance of both sweet and savory options available. This is why, for example, you’ll see the Biscoff cookies offered alongside a snack mix.

Aside from taste and preferences, another major consideration in selecting snacks is sheer volume. Vendors must have the infrastructure to support a large number of customers (in Delta’s case, 200 million per year), and logistics must be in place to provide the steady deliveries of snacks needed annually. Even if a snack is requested and well-liked, it could be removed from the rotation if vendor operations are lacking.

In total, I reached out to four airlines about their onboard snacks, and there was one common thread throughout all: Customer feedback is more important than you may think, especially when it comes to what you’re offered in flight. Johnson says the feedback really makes a difference, as it helps prevent customers from being offered snacks they don’t like. “In my 10 years with the company, I have yet to see people collectively dislike a snack,” she says. “I’ve seen more passengers get upset that we no longer serve a certain snack option they loved.”

The bottom line? Think twice before deleting the customer survey email after your next flight, especially if you want a say in what you’re served. Each airline says it regularly evaluates and refreshes its snack lineups throughout the year, so your request just may be in the next rollout.