Hot Take: Delta's "No Meal" Policy in Business Class Is Fantastic.

 It's been a hectic month. This month, I flew six times across the Atlantic in business class between the United States and Europe, as well as two regional flights, for a total of eight flights in the last 28 days. I'm not bragging, believe me. I'm just establishing a critical metric.

Do you have any idea how many meals I ate on the plane? Two. I ate two meals in eight flights. Even when I did eat, I didn't have three courses — and having two meals was unusual. I almost never eat on planes.

Now comes the important part. Do you know how many meals were prepared for me and then thrown away? Six, you guessed it. An entire three-course meal — and possibly some extras — was discarded on six flights. All because I don't usually eat on planes and no one asked if I wanted to eat.

I've always wished that someone would give me the option of saying, "Please don't bother." It's no secret that plane food is a less-know-the-better deal, and when I travel frequently, I try to actively keep my circadian rhythms in check and only eat at destination times. That rarely corresponds to flight times.

If I eat a meal on the plane leaving New York at 9 p.m. on my way to London, it's the same as eating at 2 a.m. in London. It'll confuse me for days. Instead, I'd eat around 2PM in New York when it's 7PM in the UK, and then fast until morning, when breakfast is natural.

Even though it's completely boring, it works amazingly well.

That's beside the point. The point is that Delta 's new decision to offer a "skip the meal" button is a good one, even for people who pay thousands of dollars for international business class. I'd say that's fantastic!

The other point is that my friend, who I believe is the smartest guy in travel loyalty, made a mistake. Gary Leff recently argued that Delta is incorrect to offer a "no meal" option when preordering before a flight.

It's brilliant, good, and important in my opinion.

Health, Rhythms And Timing

There are numerous reasons why people eat or do not eat airplane food. Even in first class, it's not the same as anything prepared in a restaurant or cooked from scratch on the day of departure. Please do not read this if you enjoy airplane food.

When flying long distances, many people choose to eat in the lounge before, or at optimal times for circadian rhythms before or after a flight. I go out of my way not to eat on the plane.

Rather than wasting valuable food and increasing airline costs, which airlines are desperate to reduce, WHY NOT offer a "skip the meal" option? It's fantastic for everyone.

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