[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]

Continental has been my airline of choice for the last few years, and up until just recently it was one of the last airlines to include a meal with your ticket price. Well, another one has bitten the dust: Continental now charges Economy Class customers for snacks and food.

With the added price has come some upside. Now some savvy chefs have gotten in on the action and, from my view, upgraded the offerings. But more than that, the pay-to-eat structure means fewer of us are opting for the inflight meals, so terminal food courts are becoming food destinations unto themselves.

When I boarded my flight on a recent trip to New York City, I was sure I'd pass on Continental's meal options in favor of landing in my beloved hometown's warm, gastronomic embrace with an empty stomach. I peeked at the menu anyway—and staring back at me was the Angus Cheeseburger. What can I say? I have a problem: I feel compelled to try every burger that crosses my path. So I ordered the $6.25 of mile high burger experimentation. The result? Let's just say that this is a club you don't have to feel bad about being left out of.

The burger comes separated into its hot and cold elements. The plastic container has all of your condiments and toppings: lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, ketchup, mustard, and mayo. The burger comes steaming hot in a paper wrapping. Unfurled, it looks standard issue fast food-style, though once I put on the toppings I'd say it looked a few pips better than what you'd get from the clown.

Unfortunately, all hopes were dashed with the first bite. The toppings held up, but the hot ingredients just didn't make it. The patty was a gray hockey puck and the bun was chewy and unappealing. Ultimately, this might just be the limitations of making a burger whilst hurtling through the sky in an aluminum tube which, as Louis C.K. perfectly explains, is reason enough to cut some slack. That said, I still dream of a day when I'll be eating a delicious burger sitting in a chair... in the sky.

About the author: Damon is one of our roving burger reporters and food writers. When he's not eating more than is warranted or healthful (and then writing about it) he can be found writing and producing for television and film.