Revealed: Top ten airlines for in flight food

Wednesday, 15 February 2012 8:20 AM

UAE carriers Etihad Airways and Emirates Airline were ranked among the top five airlines in the world for the quality of their in-flight food, according to the results of a new survey.

Click here to view the full list.

Flight comparison website Skyscanner.net asked 100 passengers to rate the food served on 19 different international airlines and the UAE carriers ranked in the top five, while Doha-based Qatar Airways trailed at number 15 on the list.

Coming in at number three, Etihad Airways’ offering was described by reviewers as “tasty food served very hot.” The Abu Dhabi carrier last year began operating in-flights chefs in its first class cabin to serve passengers on its flights to London, Sydney, Melbourne and Paris and is planning to introduce the service on other routes in early 2012.

“Nice sizes and your never left hungry,” was how reviewers rated Dubai-based Emirates Airlines and the quality of food earned it fifth on the list. Topping the list were Turkish Airlines and Singapore Airlines.

The quality of in-flight catering has improved “tremendously” in recent years and passengers are prepared to pay more for a higher standard of food when they fly, the president Dubai-based aviation services company dnata told Arabian Business last year.

“My honest view is that the quality and standard of meals onboard has gone up tremendously over the years,” said Gary Chapman, president of dnata, the aviation services company owned by the state-owned The Emirates Group.

“It has changed and people are prepared to pay more to get a better experience,” he added.

“The stereotype of the barely edible in-flight meal appears to be a thing of the past… Investment in food appears to have been successful – many reviewers in our study described food as being ‘delicious’ or ‘tasty’ and over half of the airlines included in the study achieved a score of 70 percent or more,” said Mary Porter, Skyscanner’s food expert.

Click here to view the full list

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Posted by: Ziad Thursday, 16 February 2012 12:48 PM[UAE] - UAEpo1a5t7

I never tried Turkish Airlines so I cannot comment, but what I can say is that the food on Middle East Airlines (Lebanon) is far superior to Emirates (at least in the Economy section where I tried it). If you are lucky enough to take one of their morning flights from Beirut you will be served a breakfast which is next to none both in quality and quantity.

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Posted by: Shahla Thursday, 16 February 2012 12:47 PM[UAE] - USA

I just flew with Qatar Airways and their food & service was much better than the Emirates.

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Posted by: charles Thursday, 16 February 2012 12:47 PM[UAE] - uae

100 people. Wow!
Fully representative of the subject matter at hand bearing in mind the millions that travel each year.

Next a survey of 200 people on what time do you wake up in the morning.
Can't wait to read about that.

Posted by: Telcoguy Thursday, 16 February 2012 7:13 PM[UAE] - UAE

Yes, and you need to wonder if the poll is for business or economy, how many (if any!) of the 100 people have flown in more of one of the airlines (so the scoring may be somehow more relevant), if the demographics of the people with experience on each airline are similar or not (let me guess)

If you want to take a look at a properly designed and executed one check the American Consumer Satisfaction Index (http://theacsi.org/)

In the meantime giving airtime to this exercises in a business newspaper is pure nonsense, but we are used to that.

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Posted by: ozan opsin Wednesday, 15 February 2012 4:14 PM[UAE] - Turkey & UAE

Please check from internet for the real skyscanner list.
Turkish airlines food team prepares also F1 event vip party foods.For last years,the food variety and quality became amazing.Try it,see the differences.Even Emirati people agree this ways.As Service quality and staff smiliness Singapore is unbeatable.
Regards.

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Posted by: Non-Muslim Wednesday, 15 February 2012 4:13 PM[UAE] - Non-Gulf

I like surveys and ratings.

With millions of people being moved year after year by the airlines of the world, wouldn't it be more appropriate to have such a rating be based on slightly more than the 100 people who voted in this case?

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Revealed: Top ten airlines for in flight food

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