Filling Up in the Hungry Skies

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There's hardly been a free lunch in the air since about 2001, when carriers first started slashing amenities from the back of the plane. Nearly a decade later, those same airlines are shaking up their mile-high menus once again. From healthier in-flight choices to banned ingredients, we’ve rounded up three grub trends to keep an eye on.

**Continental Cuts Meal Service **
Forget about Continental’s free microwavable turkey dog lunches. This fall, the airline becomes the last among its competitors to get rid of complimentary meals on all domestic flights shorter than six hours (only in coach class, of course). Continental hasn’t developed the new pay-for menu yet, but it will likely include healthier and higher quality options than were available for free in the air.

JetBlue Upgrades Snacks
While beloved for giving away unlimited brand-name snacks (hello, Terra Blue potato chips), Jet Blue has realized that travelers cannot live on spuds alone. This month, the hip airline debuted its new menu of $6 boxed meals on flights longer than three hours. Choose from five packs – Wake Up!, Beef Up!, Shape Up!, Power Up!, and Cheer Up! – with everything from beef jerky to premium cheeses.

**DOT Considers Peanut Ban **
Look for a serious crackdown on peanut snacks in the near future. The Department of Transportation proposed regulations on the nuts to protect passengers with peanut allergies, which are sometimes so severe that just a whiff of the snack could send a patient into anaphylactic shock. Have an opinion on the proposal? Sound off at regulations.gov.