Airplane food isn’t exactly known for its gourmet quality, but whether you're planning a short or long-haul flight, you might be curious to know which airlines offer the best (and worst) in-flight meals before booking your next trip.
Money.com.au has ranked Australia’s top international airlines based on their average food and beverage ratings from review sites like Tripadvisor, ProductReview and Skytrax with all food scores converted to a standardised 10-point scale.
Qatar Airways took out top spot for the best-rated in-flight food with an overall score of 7/10, followed closely by Singapore Airlines at 6.9/10 and Emirates at 6.3/10. Qantas came in 6th with a score of 5.5/10, behind Air New Zealand (6.1/10) and Cathay Pacific (5.8/10).
"Premium airlines dominate the top spots for in-flight food ratings, which is no surprise given you’re likely paying top dollar to fly with them,” says Money.com.au’s finance expert, Sean Callery. "Along with better meals, you’d expect greater customer service and overall comfort compared to mid-tier airlines.
"For long-haul travellers, meal quality can be a game changer and the rankings suggest that, sometimes, you get what you pay for.”
Sean says Air New Zealand ranking ahead of Qantas in meal quality is bound to ruffle a few feathers.
"It could stir up some friendly rivalry, but New Zealand’s national carrier is clearly winning when it comes to serving up better in-flight meals.
"The fact that no domestic carriers made it to the top half of the table is not great news for people who regularly fly within Australia. The consolation is that many of the most popular internal flight routes are short enough that you probably don’t need a meal on board.”
Malaysia Airlines comes in at 8th place with a food score of 5.1/10, while budget airlines Jetstar and Scoot tied at the bottom with scores of 3.9/10.
"If you’re flying economy with a low-cost carrier, you’ll generally have to pay for on-board meals. If these rankings are anything to go by, you might be better off saving the extra cost and packing your own snacks,” Sean says.
