Airline meals used to be plentiful, luxurious. Here's what happened

If you took an American Airlines flight in the 1960s, you’d be wined and dined with a fancy meal. However, today, free meals are mostly limited to long-distance international flights or coast-to-coast domestic ones. Airplane meals have declined due to cost-cutting measures and changes in government regulations, airplane design, health and safety concerns, and industry tax breaks. Airline safety protocols have restricted the types of knives that crews can use, and smaller galleys allow for more passenger seats. Moreover, some foods like peanuts are not served to protect people with allergies. The decline in meal service is also attributed to passengers’ willingness to trade food for low fares. Charging for food on board also helps airlines save on taxes. Before airline deregulation, every passenger received a full meal as part of their ticket price. However, free meals declined after the September 11 attacks as airlines faced reduced demand. Continental Airlines was the last major airline to end free domestic meals in 2010. While airline meals are still available in business and first-class, most economy class passengers miss the days of free meals.