Airline Dining: From Gourmet Hot Dogs to Disappointing Sandwiches
A look at the best and worst in-flight meals, featuring offerings from Swiss, Turkish Airlines, Japan Airlines, and more, alongside passenger complaints about subpar fare.
The in-flight dining experience can range dramatically, from elaborate multi-course meals to remarkably unappetizing options. While many passengers find airline food underwhelming, some carriers are elevating the onboard culinary experience with gourmet offerings.
Swiss First Class flights have introduced a "bastardo" hot dog, developed in collaboration with gourmet takeaway Frau Hund. This offering, available on journeys departing from Switzerland until September, features a Swiss sausage topped with coleslaw, apple chutney, sour cream, and roasted walnuts, served on a Swiss multigrain roll. The airline highlighted this "summer treat" on its Instagram account, emphasizing its First Class presentation.
Turkish Airlines has consistently been recognized for its in-flight cuisine, winning the APEX Best Food and Beverage Europe award for five consecutive years. Business Class passengers can choose from dishes such as lamb chops, homemade Italian pasta, pancakes, and poached eggs.
Japan Airlines is known for its elaborate dining, with former Thrifty Traveler editor Kyle Potter recalling a first-class flight to Tokyo where he was served between five and 13 courses. His meals included soup, beef, seafood, egg custard with caviar, and dumplings, with the sea urchin (uni) noted as being nearly on par with some of the best found in Tokyo.
Delta Air Lines collaborated with Shake Shack to offer cheeseburgers in its First Class cabins on routes over 900 miles. The Shake Shack Cheeseburger, featuring a 100% Angus beef patty with cheese on a toasted potato bun, was initially launched from Boston in late 2024 and proved popular. Passengers can select and edit their entrée choice up to 24 hours in advance via the Fly Delta app.
American Airlines offers an "All Day Roast" in its premium cabins, which has received praise from some passengers. The dish has featured both a classic pot roast and an Asian-inspired version, with one Reddit user noting that the airline does the roast well, considering it's not fine dining.
AEGEAN Airlines showcases Greek cuisine, with dishes designed by notable Greek chefs and pastry chefs. The menu includes items such as baked feta in filo pastries and meatballs, reflecting Greek hospitality.
Conversely, some passengers have reported extremely disappointing meal experiences. Ryanair has faced claims of serving the "worst plane food ever," with one passenger sharing a photo of a meager ham and cheese panini that they found unsatisfactory.
Virgin Atlantic also received criticism from a vegan passenger who described a sandwich with three slices of "mouldy" vegetables as the "worst meal" he had ever had. Photos showed two slices of courgette and a single slice of "rotten-looking" pepper on bread.
Another passenger documented a breakfast meal that included a mac and cheese topped with shrimp and "slimy" mushrooms, which was described as "monstrous." This incident was part of a journey where the passenger found none of the meals satisfactory.
