Airplane Food

United Airlines, a pioneer in the industry, was the only airline to serve meals on trays from the beginning of commercial aviation. While other airlines had copilots passing out sandwiches to passengers, United employed uniformed stewardesses to serve cold chicken. Many airplane travelers in the early days of the aviation industry’s food service complained of how often chicken was served; American Airlines was even nicknamed “the fried chicken airline.” Passengers derided chicken as a cheap food option; industry professionals found that chicken’s versatility responded well to the demands of in-flight food service.