People who fly frequently complain about the food provided on airlines more often than the cramped seating or risk of sickness. Many famous chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Anthony Bourdain claim that the only food they refuse to eat is airplane food.
Part of their reasoning lies in how they handle or process food prior to arriving in your meal service. The other part may be that our sense of taste decreases while flying by 15-30%. In either case, airline food does not have the best reputation.
Flying soon? Check out the worst and best in-flight meals offered to passengers in 2018 below.
Airlines with the Worst In-Flight Meals
If you like to eat while flying, you may want to avoid these airlines known for the worst meal service in the industry.
Air China
Most Chinese airlines do not have great reputations for their in-flight meals and Air China may have the worst. Skytrax, the main authority on airplane quality, gave the airline a rating of only two stars. Considering their closest rivals in Japan both received five stars, you know the service cannot be great.
Air China’s meal service can be considered abysmal by any standard. Soggy omelets and unseasoned vegetables plague their meals. It does not matter if you fly coach or premium first class, the food does not get any better.
Spirit Airlines
When an airline charges you for carry-on luggage and printing your boarding pass, you cannot expect that the food will be spectacular. With Spirit Airlines, you’re lucky to get any food at all.
Spirit offers no full in-flight meals, only snacks and drinks. Expect high prices on junk food like Combos, Cup Noodles, and Pringles. Even their expensive drink selection offers a lot to be desired with bottom-shelf options like Miller Lite and Bud Lite.
Airlines with the Best In-Flight Meals
Try one of these airlines if you want the airplane food offered to taste good.
Delta
One of the U.S.’s oldest airline services, Delta, also offers some of the best food. Passengers on domestic flights in Coach enjoy fresh, hot Starbucks coffee and Delta’s signature Biscoff cookies. Those in Economy Comfort receive a full meal for free.
The Delta meal service offers healthier options than some of the other airlines with most of their main meals not exceeding 600 calories. You can expect fresh wraps or sandwiches with deli meat and cheese. If you pay extra for the Delta One premium menu, you will enjoy meals from celebrity chefs like Michelle Bernstein and Linton Hopkins.
Qatar Airlines
Known as a higher end international airline, Qatar Airlines offers decent in-flight meals alongside their reasonable service. Their meals not only tasty pretty good, they also come well presented too. All their mugs, boxes, and trays are eco-friendly and 99% recyclable.
Passengers can expect fresh salad as a starter and a regional dip like hummus. They generally offer three main courses to choose from. They even offer a light option if you do not feel that hungry.
Qatar’s airline meals usually consist of dishes like Malaysian chicken curry or Indian pakoras. If you have allergies or any other special requests, Qatar will accommodate.
Serve Airplane Food Passengers Actually Enjoy
Are you surprised at the disgusting in-flight meals offered by some airlines? Impressed by the ones who go above and beyond to provide delicious meals for their passengers?
If you want to be an airline that excites with your meals, check out our yummy and exclusive menu. Every passenger will feel like they’re in first class with our impressive selection of airline meals.