Our flight departs at 10:36p. DFW dining closes at 10p. I walked up Panda and the counter has already been cleared of food and they're counting the receipts. I walk past Panda to Wendy's just as the clock ticks to 10p, the Wendy's lighted sign goes dark and the guy, who looks kinda like Napolean Dynamite, looks directly at me and yells, "CLOSED!"
Hungry, I return to the gate to board the flight anticipating food service so I can buy some Pringles or Chex Mix to at least sate my hunger so my stomach doesn't continue to digest itself.
We go through the gate and have to hear the gate agent lament people's inability to put the barcode up in the scanner. The flight finally takes off and about 15 minutes later, they come on the Com and tell us that there's a problem with the engine and we have to go back. Still no food.
We fly back and wait for maintenance to see if they can fix it. No food. I ask if they can sell me food. "No, we can't start service. We have tarmac food but I need to get approved to use it."
More waiting, more hunger pains.
They tell us that we can possibly take another plane but we need approval from corporate. More waiting, still no food.
Another passenger asks for water and once that person gets water, everyone wants water. The passenger in front of us is looking like he's going to pass out. The travel companion is putting a wet rag in his forehead. A different travel companion asks if she can get food to help this guy and the flight attendant sells her food, no offer to anyone else.
They tell us that they've been approved to take the other plane, sorry to tomorrow's passengers that may not have a working plane. We deplane and the wife gets to a vending machine. Practically the whole flight is looking for sustinance and they're all in line for vending. We score some peanut butter crackers and peanut m&ms
We, again, go through hoarding onto the other plane and the replacement plane had not had catering yet, so the food supplies were lacking. Since I was seated in row 31, we were the last to get served. The flight attendant asked if we wanted anything and, of course, we said yes. I wanted Chex mix, my wife wanted Pringles, neither were available. The FA said they had a cheese tray, poptarts and M&Ms. I needed something so I requested the M&Ms. I was ready to pay and the FA told me that because they had run out of what we wanted that she wouldn't charge me. I do appreciate that. It's a tough situation for everyone. +1 star for the nice flight attendants and their handling of the situation. read more