These 5 Airlines Have The Best In-Flight Dining Experiences In The World, According To Research
Let's be honest: Airplane food, which is created by caterers, does not have the best reputation. The safety of your in-flight meal can be questionable, and it's also known for not tasting the best. Science is actually to blame for this notion. In-flight factors like high altitude, low pressure, and little moisture and humidity are detrimental to taste. This ultimately impacts how fliers perceive their meal. In fact, according to the BBC, 30% of taste buds are affected during a flight. This is also why you're always craving this tasty, fizzy beverage mid-flight.
However, some airlines are determined to restore the prestige that airline meals once had during the golden age of flying. During this era, cooking meals (rather than reheating them), providing different courses, and even smoking cigarettes were considered the norm. "Airline food has undergone a major revolution in the past decade," chef and popular content creator Dennis Littley told Forbes in 2023. "From locally sourced ingredients to bespoke menus, airlines are turning in-flight meals into unique culinary experiences."
That said, thousands of airlines traverse the world and feed fliers daily. We've searched the most notable travel publications and customer review sites to bring you the airlines that provide the best and most unforgettable in-flight meals and experiences. In short, these airlines will make you feel like you're dining anywhere else but on a plane.
Korean Air
In late 2023, Korean Air was bestowed with the Best Airline Cuisine by the Global Traveler's Tested Reader Survey awards. It's easy to see why the travel publication included the airline on its ballot for readers to vote on. First-class passengers are offered a 3-course meal with an appetizer, entree, and dessert. Classic Korean dishes include bibimbap, a rice bowl featuring veggies and meat, and dotori mukbap, a dish made with acorn jelly are typical entrees. However, Korean Air's bibimbap is especially beloved by travelers. Luckily, it's also available for prestige class and economy class passengers.
Kara Godfrey, deputy travel editor of The Sun, had a similar sentiment. In a review for the publication, she wrote, "The beef was full of flavour and not chewy at all — something that often happens on flights — with the veg somehow still crisp without tasting like it had been refrigerated." However, Godfrey is not the only one who loves Korean Air's bibimbap.
Several Tripadvisor reviews mention enjoying the hearty dish, with one person writing, "I must say, It was amazing and quite filling." Writing about their experience with Korean Air, another individual stated, "The food was also lovely, especially for economy. I got a bibimbap, a beef stew, and a congee. All were excellent. Very flavorful." In addition to the award from Global Traveler, Korean Air came in second place on the 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards from USA Today in 2023.
Singapore Airlines
Notably, Singapore Airlines offers the longest flight globally, which clocks in at 19 hours. Travelers opting for this journey or the various flights provided by Singapore Airlines will be happy to learn that publications like the New Zealand Herald and Food & Wine have commended its in-flight meals. Likewise, in an interview with Forbes, chef Dennis Littley labeled Singapore Airlines as having some of the best in-flight food. As he put it, "Their gourmet meals rival those of ground-based restaurants." With that said, Singapore Airlines is known for its Book The Cook program.
This provides passengers flying in all classes except economy with a selection of exceptional meals they can order before their flight. Note that the flight must be over an hour and a half long. These meals are anything but average. "Their Book the Cook includes a wide variety of dishes from various cuisines," Littley told Forbes. "For instance, you can expect Lobster Thermidor, grilled beef fillet or Nasi Lemak, a traditional Malay dish."
These gastronomic delights are thanks to Singapore Airlines' team of chefs who make up its International Culinary Panel. This includes Georges Blanc, whose eponymous restaurant has received three Michelin stars. However, economy-class passengers don't have it too bad either. They are served everything from congee to braised beef. Note that Singapore Airlines uses sustainable and locally sourced ingredients. In 2024, they upgraded their menu for premium economy passengers, providing even more variety.
Cathay Pacific
Based in Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific's inflight meals have earned praise from Forbes, Food & Wine, and The Telegraph. The same can be said about Tripadvisor reviewers, with one person writing, "The food and beverages provided were spectacular and it tasted awesome." With this in mind, the airline offers diverse dining and drinking options made with sustainable ingredients. For example, their extensive first-class menu features everything from caviar to mocktails and a burger. In addition, travelers flying first, business, premium economy, and economy class are served Hong Kong-style cuisine.
This is thanks to Cathay Pacific's Hong Kong flavours approach. Passengers can expect meals like dim sum, prawn curry, and more. Cathay Pacific's frequent collaborations with restaurants based in Hong Kong add to the food's authenticity. Previously, the airline has joined forces with Mak's Noodles, Duddells, and Veda. Mark's Noodles is a chain that also has locations in mainland China. At the time of this writing, first-class passengers can feast on the eatery's wonton noodle soup. Duddells, on the other hand, is Michelin-rated.
In 2023, with the Cantonese restaurant, Cathay Pacific offered first and business-class passengers a 3-course meal that included dishes like wok-fried lobster and steamed halibut. In an article for delicious. Australia, digital editor Erina Starkey enjoyed fare from the Duddells menu, including braised pork belly and Shanghainese rice. She applauded the latter. Veda is a vegetarian restaurant that produced 16 vegetarian and vegan dishes in 2023 for Cathay Pacific's economy and premium economy classes.
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways is an award-winning airline that does not take its in-flight dining lightly. First and business-class passengers can dine on demand, choosing to to eat whenever they please. Examples of entree options for the latter include sous vide lobster tail and lamb and vegetables for the former. As noted by chef Dennis Littley to Forbes, meals are multiple courses. However, there's another reason you'll want to use a sneaky flight attendant-approved plane hack to get your in-flight meal quicker from Qatar Airways.
In another Forbes article, Qatar Airways' vice president of catering, Shashank Bhardwaj, explained, "Every meal is freshly produced in all the kitchens we work with and nothing is frozen on-board," He added, "We work completely in contrast with the general perception of airline food being frozen. Every catering partner we work with has strict guidelines about sourcing the freshest ingredients in production." Bhardwaj also stated that sustainability and local ingredients are essential to Qatar Airways' meals.
It's no wonder that publication and Food & Wine have named Qatar Airways as having some of the best airline food in the industry. Reviewers on Tripadvisor agree. One individual wrote, "Food options were plentiful and delicious with good presentation, and wine and drink selection complimented the food options very well." In a TikTok, user @knivestomeetyoulondon emphasized that the airline provided several snacks and meals on her economy flights to London from Vietnam.
All Nippon Airways (ANA)
All Nippon Airways (ANA) is a highly-rated Japanese airline. Its service is known to be top-notch, as are its inflight meals. Their first- and business-class menus offer passengers a multiple-course Japanese or international meal. Either choice features starters, a main dish, and dessert, amongst other bites and sides. At the time of this writing, the main dishes include everything from wagyu beef to steamed trout. Publications like Forbes and Business Insider have lauded its banquet-like offerings. In 2023, ANA was number eight on USA Today's 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards.
Forbes writer Lauren Mowery said she feasted on several items from the Japanese menu, including sea bream sushi, stuffed lotus root with chicken, beef with veggies, Spanish mackerel, ramen (which she particularly enjoyed), and more. Mowery wrote, "Coming from a background of flying U.S. carriers on which food is often, literally, inedible, I was impressed with the quality, care, and presentation of ANA's meals." For Business Insider, writer David Slotnick had the Japanese and international meal during his first-class flights on ANA and was amazed by both. He chowed down on steak, udon noodles, and grilled sablefish, amongst other things.
The premium economy class and economy meals aren't bad either. Passengers can still expect to dine on Japanese dishes. Examples include simmered beef in miso sauce and seafood gratin. In fact, during the COVID-19 pandemic, ANA sold its international economy-class meals online in Japan, earning the airline $1.8 million between December 2020 and March 2021.
How we chose these airlines
We looked to media outlets like Forbes, USA Today, Food & Wine, and more to select the best in-flight dining experiences, and we chose the airlines repeatedly and most mentioned in these publications written by travel experts. Reviews from Tripadvisor and social media were also used to back up claims made by these outlets. The airlines mentioned above are in no particular order, and this list is not comprehensive. Instead, it highlights a small selection of airlines that offer high-quality meals, many of which are focused on providing a cultural, culinary session with exceptional customer service at 30,000 feet above the air.