Airline meals: the best and the worst

Emilie Zaoré April 27, 2015

Are you a fan of airline meals? According to a study by the German Fraunhofer Institute, it’s normal for flavours to a take back seat on planes, since flying conditions in high altitudes alter our sense of taste and smell. But this doesn’t stop airline companies from investing in their menus or travellers from sharing their impressions via sites like Airline Meals.

Here’s a look at the best… and the worst.

Top 5 best airline meals

1) Beef bulgogi on Delta Airlines

Delta Airlines has pulled out all the stops and hired the famous chef Masatoshi Ishimoto. Passengers in first class are treated to Korean beef bulgogi with miso soup and seaweed salad.

Photo: Delta Airlines

2) King prawn kebab on Oman Air

First and business class passengers can enjoy succulent king prawn kebabs with chickpeas and a salad.

Photo: Oman Air

3) Japanese meal on KLM

Let’s not forget economy class! By paying a little extra before departure, KLM passengers can now switch over from their original meal tray to a feast of Japanese flavours. Who can resist sushi, soba noodles and seaweed salad?

Photo: KLM

4) Breakfast on Turkish Airlines

This economy class breakfast, served between Spain and Turkey and photographed by the passenger himself, scored a perfect 10 on the Airline Meals website.

Photo: Airline meals

5) Beef with vegetables on Lufthansa

Full marks for this meal that includes Korean pepper beef, rice, vegetables and fresh fruits. Heaven on a tray for economy class passengers!

Photo: Airline meals

Top 5 worst airline meals

1) Chicken and rice on Xiamen Air

“Weird”. This is how the passenger described his meal between Taiwan and China in economy class. Lousy marks for the Chinese chicken with rice, and dessert of pitaya cubes and butter cake.

Photo: Airline meals

2) BLT on Susi Air

Thumbs down for this BLT sandwich which was served in economy class and was rated 1/10 on the Airline Meals website.

Photo: Airline meals

3) Chicken on Royal Brunei Airlines

Sadly for the airline, this chicken with potatoes, creamy crab salad and chocolate cake doesn’t pass muster on the Airline Meals website

Photo: Airline meals

4) Spinach ravioli on United Airlines

Oops! Culinary mistakes can occur in first class too. This spinach ravioli accompanied by a quinoa salad doesn’t excite the taste buds.

Photo: Airline meals

5) Sandwich on British Airways

What a letdown for this business class passenger between Bahrain and the UK!

Photo: Airline meals

So what’s your best or worst airline meal experience?

Author

Emilie Zaoré

A graduate of UQAM and the University of Montreal, Émilie has been a freelance communications expert since 2012. A foodie and passionate about new technologies, she's always on the lookout for trends and loves to share fascinating tidbits on social media.