Originally Posted by
727gm
Actually, it's amazing to me that airline pilots are actually carrying lunch boxes, or talking about coolers. Why is this necessary? I have never felt the need to carry food with me. Just one more thing to haul around with the flight case and suitcase....always thought that that was what per diem was for. Get a decent meal at a restaurant on the road, or go to a grocery or deli. Do they really run you so ragged that one can't get a decent, healthy meal? I've never seen an airline pilot carrying food unless it was too much to eat at the restaurant, so had retained leftovers for reheating....
Sorry, I've only worked 121 supplemental and flag.....
9 hour overnights after long days where getting sleep takes priority over spening 30-60 minutes eating dinner (then going right to bed which isn't a healthy practice) and hotels that have absolutely no food options around them are a couple of reasons to pack food. Plus hotel restaurants are usually more of a ripoff than airport food. Plus if you're going to try to eat healthy in the airport (especially on short turns with few options nearby) then you're gonna be eating a boatload of salad and not much else.
My philosophy somewhat ties in to the conversation on the first year FO pay thread: just because you CAN afford to buy something, doesn't mean you NEED to buy it. Yes I can afford to buy every meal on the road, doesn't mean it's the smartest policy to do so. If you figure that you save, as a conservative estimate, $8/day by packing your own food, 16 days a month for a year you're looking at over $1500 in savings. That number is definitely a lot higher for people who pack all the food they need (I usually still buy a few meals a trip). Making a little extra effort to save a big chunk of money year after year makes great financial sense, whether you are on a tight budget or not.