An Oregon mother of four has gained attention after sharing how she sidestepped high airport food prices during a delayed flight. While some people have labeled her actions as “rude” and “inconsiderate,” others are calling it “brilliant.”
Ari van de Graaf, who shares family travel advice on her Instagram account, Twin Passport Tales, saw her video rack up over 13 million views. In it, a man is spotted retrieving two pizzas from Domino’s outside Rogue Valley International Medford Airport.
Recently, while traveling to Mexico with her husband and their four kids—two sets of twins, aged 11 and 6—they discovered that their flight was delayed. With limited food options at the small airport, Van de Graaf wanted to avoid purchasing meals for all six of them.
“Airport food is really, really expensive,” she remarked in an interview.
That’s when her husband suggested, “Let’s go get Domino’s pizza.”
Using the app, Van de Graaf successfully ordered two pizzas and tracked their delivery right to the gate. She took two of her children while leaving her luggage with her husband.
“Then we went back through security,” she said, noting that they have TSA PreCheck and expected a smooth process.
They placed the pizza boxes on the conveyor belt, and everything passed through without any issues.
“The TSA agent even told us, ‘I’m so jealous. You’re so smart,'” she recalled.
Once informed that the flight delay was shorter than expected, the family boarded the plane, pizza in tow. Van de Graaf shared, “The kids had never had pizza on a plane before, and they thought it was really cool.” The flight attendant chimed in, remarking, “I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s genius.”
While many celebrated it as a smart parenting hack, there was a fair share of criticism online. Some users expressed concerns that the scent of pizza could bother other passengers.
One commenter argued, “It’s incredibly rude to bring food like that on a plane.” Another said, “If I had to sit next to someone eating pizza, I would cry.”
A woman who claimed to be a flight attendant suggested that travelers should eat before boarding.
Florida etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore echoed the sentiment, stating that passengers ought to think about the size and disposal of items they bring on board. However, she acknowledged that more people should consider bringing their own snacks, especially since many airlines have curtailed meal offerings.
Whitmore advised choosing foods that lack strong odors and are compact: “If you’re bringing food on a plane, opt for something easy to store and dispose of.”
Despite the mixed responses, many defended the family’s choice. Some pointed out that they could have worse smells to deal with.
As Van de Graaf humorously noted, “I’ve seen boiled eggs and canned tuna.” She firmly stated her priority: “I’m feeding my kids and doing what I have to do,” expressing no regrets about her decision. With airport pizzas costing around $80 for the family, it seemed like a cost-effective choice.
In her opinion, if she can avoid high prices again, she will. Domino’s Pizza seems to agree with her strategy.
