A Foodie’s Guide to Airline Food

Cost, time, and destination all play an important role in deciding which airline to choose. It’s easy to forget that food can be just as important: who can forget the irate letter from a Virgin Airlines passenger who was left bemused by his in-flight meal? Of course, food is unlikely to be a deciding factor but if you’re planning a holiday and want to be sure that you’re going to be served some tasty food whilst in the air, this guide could be of assistance.

Guide To Airline Food

Hawaiian Airline Sushi Meal | (c) Photo By The Wall Street Journal

Passengers on flights to Bodrum, Dalaman or anywhere else in Turkey rejoice. In a recent study, Turkish Airlines was found to have the best in-flight food based on taste and presentation. Their menu includes Turkish treats such as stuffed eggplant, as well as world cuisines. It’s no wonder that they came out on top, though their policy aims to bring their passengers fresh food with a “restaurant experience and taste.”

Singapore Airlines came in second in: no small wonder, since Gordon Ramsay is a consultant on their culinary panel. They’ve even released their own recipe book so that satisfied customers can recreate their in-flight meals in their own kitchens from the airline. It’s surprising that they didn’t come first, really; but perhaps porcini crusted sea scallop just doesn’t taste the same at 30,000 feet in the air.

Etihad missed out on the second spot by one point. All food served on the Arabian airline carrier is Halal certified, and fresh ingredients are used wherever possible. They also offer an astonishing number of special meals, for religious purposes and also dietary requirements (raw vegetables, low sodium, and seafood).

Also surprisingly, Irish airline carrier Aer Lingus beat out luxury airlines Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Qantas in the study: perhaps the pre-departure champagne service on their long haul flights had something to do with that?

Foodies on a diet might want to book flights to Canada. In a recent North American survey it was found that Air Canada’s food has the lowest caloric content. The top picks are chicken ramen noodle soup, chicken or beef wraps and vegetarian sandwiches. Virgin America is also taking steps to offering sensible healthy options including a protein meal with hummus, nuts and tuna. This is perfect for keeping energy up and keeping fried foods at bay.

Then again, foodies trying to cut down on food could also fly with a budget airline such as Ryanair. Faced with the choice of a lukewarm cheese and ham Panini or a Batchelor’s Cup-a-Soup, all at premium prices, personally I would prefer to skip lunch altogether and stick to coffee.

Well that’s that on your guide to airline food to all the foodies out there that are concerned!