Airline food long ago moved from complimentary hot meals to packets of peanuts. And then came... nothing... unless you were willing to shell out $3 for a packet of

M&Ms. May we suggest the cheese plate?! Or maybe not. A review:

US Airways

The fruit and cheese platter ($7) comes

with Swiss, cheddar, and pepper jack cheeses paired with seasonal

fresh red grapes, strawberries, and honeydew melon, and assorted

crackers.

Pros: The fruits and cheese weren't

farm fresh, but they were a proud quality for airline food. For not

eating breakfast, the portion held me till lunch, two hours later,

just fine.

Cons: The packets of Pepperidge Farm

crackers were hardly anything special.

Continental/United

The cheese and fruit plate ($6.25) is a

delicious selection of muenster, cheddar, gouda, and brie cheeses,

crackers, red grapes, and pecan halves.

Pros: The presentation looks like

something for a gift basket, coming with large cubes of cheese under

a dome of plastic. Four types of cheese is rather generous for an

airline these days.

Cons: I didn't get to eat a cheese and

fruit plate because they ran out by the time they got to 28E.

Verdict:

US Airways wins by default. Sorry

Continental/United, but if you're going to win the plato royale, you

must have more options for the back third of the plane beside a

parfait, muffin, and Jimmy Dean sandwich.