A Dublin holidaymaker has branded Ryanair’s in-flight meal the worst he has encountered on a flight home from a trip to Faro, Portugal. Declan Minogue, 61, and his wife, Claire, returned to Dublin on July 21 after a brief getaway, only to be met with a ham and cheese panini he described as bland and underpowered in both taste and substance. He paid £5.90 for the sandwich, which he said contained just two slices of ham, a very small amount of melted cheese, and no butter, leaving him hungry and disappointed once the meal was finished.
Minogue, speaking to The Daily Mail, said he opened the package to find the ham and cheese seemingly insufficient to cover even half of the bread. “It was bland,” he said, describing the overall impression as “the worst airplane food ever.” He added that the meal felt like a letdown from a budget airline and said he did not expect such a small, underwhelming offering from Ryanair. He emphasized that he was still hungry after finishing the sandwich and had to seek food again once the flight landed.
The couple had enjoyed a relaxing break in Portugal and were returning to Dublin when the issue arose on board. Minogue posted a photo of the opened sandwich on social media with the caption describing it as “shocking and insulting.” The image shows a sandwich with what appears to be a single ham slice cut in half and a small portion of cheese, along with bread that seems only partially covered by the fillings. The post drew responses from other travelers who echoed shock and shared warnings about purchasing food on flights, with some advising passengers to bring their own snacks instead.
Minogue said he regrets not complaining at the time and noted that, although Ryanair operates as a budget carrier, customers still expect reasonable service. “I wouldn’t buy anything on Ryanair’s flights again. The standards are a disaster,” he said, adding that his wife was more insistent on not challenging the crew. The Daily Mail has reached out to Ryanair for comment on the incident.
This incident has been reported amid broader coverage of in-flight meals offered by low-cost carriers, highlighting how passenger expectations for value and satisfaction can diverge from price. The exchange underscores the ongoing debate over what constitutes acceptable airline food on short regional flights and the impact such experiences can have on a traveler’s overall impression of an airline. The airline industry, particularly among budget operators, has faced continued scrutiny from passengers who weigh price against perceived quality of service. The outcome of Ryanair’s response to this particular complaint remains to be seen as the airline contends with a broader discussion about meal quality, portion sizes, and customer satisfaction on short-haul routes.