Green Bag it - at 35,000 feet

Check out this article on MSN called "The death of the airline meal." Here's the Cliff Notes Version: When the airline industry was still heavily regulated in the US, meals were a way for airlines to distinguish themselves. Prices were uniform, so it was service that mattered. With deregulation, airlines were free to set their prices and their services adjusted accordingly. After the webfares craze in the 1990's, the industry has had to squeeze out inefficiencies to compete with lower prices, and every $3.50 that they saved per passenger by not offering a meal added up.

Today when you travel, you can choose to (1) buy food onboard, (2) buy food at the terminal, or (3) go hungry. I would suggest an often overlooked option: pack food from home --- and carry it in a Green Bag, one of the many handmade crafts available at Unspeakable Visions.
Here's the reasoning: travelers are allowed to carry food from home through security - only drinks are prohibited. Instead of purchasing a soggy $12 dollar tuna sandwich at the airport terminal, why not do as these travelers (cited in the MSN article) have done:

Kerry Neville, registered dietitian: packs the inexpensive, indestructible and inevitably superfilling peanut-butter sandwich.

Candy Wallace, personal chef: packs as if on a light picnic: a nice salad, hard cheeses, grapes, nuts and perhaps a little meat in a separate bag.

Bob Cowen, travel guru and the founder of Internet Travel Tips: carries granola bars and water on every trip, even quick Detroit-to-Chicago hops.

Guess what? Each of those meals would fit in a Green Bag. And you could even stow it in the seat pocket in front of you until you are ready to eat. Better yet, when you have finished your meal, your Green Bag folds neatly into your carry-on bag.

Forget the funky pillows and the earmuffs (those people look ridiculous anyway). The Green Bag is the must have accessory for today's air traveler.