Various items, like food and liquids, are strictly off-limits for passengers to bring on board aircraft, and the restrictions can vary from one travel company to another.
No-frills airlines like easyJet, TUI and Ryanair entice travellers with their sky shops full of overpriced snacks and drinks. And if you’re catering to a hungry family, these costs can add up quickly.
That said, while tucking into your own food mid-flight can save you money you should take care to avoid banned items. Each airline has its own restrictions for food and drink, but some regulations are common across the board. Here are the food and drink items you can’t bring on board easyJet, TUI and Jet2 and Ryanair flights.
TUI
With TUI, those embarking on long-haul flights over seven hours are treated to complimentary meals and beverages. For shorter trips, TUI offers a purchase-on-demand trolley service, though bringing your own food is also permitted.
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The holiday giant suggests sticking to “low-risk food such as pre-made sandwiches and snacks that can be eaten cold” given TUI crew won’t provide heating facilities for food, unless for baby bottle warming services. Passengers are not allowed to consume any alcohol that was not purchased on the plane, reports the Liverpool Echo.
easyJet
easyJet has given the green light for passengers to pack their own snacks, but reminds holidaymakers that it offers a tempting selection of in-flight purchases. The airline’s website advises: “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.”
easyJet also caution: “Different countries have different regulations about importing food and drink, so make sure you check the rules for your destination.” You may take hot drinks onto easyJet flights but these must have been bought at the airport, and have a tight lid on, for safety reasons.
Ryanair
Ryanair’s “feel free” policy allows travellers to bring their own food and non-alcoholic drinks aboard, but draws the line at hot beverages and alcoholic beverages. Their website clearly states: “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
Jet2 customers are informed that both hot food and drinks are prohibited, as per their website guidance: “You may not bring hot food or hot drinks onboard the aircraft.” However, Jet2 assures flyers that a variety of food and drinks are available for purchase mid-flight.
Travellers are warned not to bring “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.”
It’s also crucial to note that regardless of the airline, new regulations prohibit the entry of any meat or dairy into the EU. This applies even to food items like sandwiches, irrespective of whether they were purchased at the airport.