Plane food can seriously make or break your flight. While those sitting up front may be served seasoned steak with a glass of bubbly, we economy riders are more likely to get unusually-yellow scrambled eggs with naked sausages, overboiled carrots and a grainy slab of mashed potato. If you want to dodge disappointment the next time you peel back the foil of your airline meal, here’s who you should be flying with.
A new analysis has ranked Australia’s best and worst international airlines for in-flight dining – and let’s just say, it might be time to lower your expectations. The researchers at Money.com.au analysed more than 500,000 customer food reviews from Tripadvisor, ProductReview and Skytrax for Australia’s ten biggest international carriers. Scores were aggregated and converted onto a ten-point scale, then ranked from tastiest to most tragic.
Recently crowned as the World’s Best Airline for 2024, Qatar Airways passed the food test with flying colours, taking the top spot as Australia’s best international airline for in-flight meals. It earned an average rating of seven out of ten, which is a solid distinction by the books. Singapore Airlines marginally missed out on first place with a score of 6.9 out of ten, followed closely by Emirates at 6.3, Air New Zealand at 6.1 and Cathay Pacific at 5.8.
No domestic carriers cracked the top five, which is grim news for frequent flyers in Australia. Qantas claimed sixth place with a rating of 5.5 out of ten, while Virgin Australia was just behind at 5.4. Unsurprisingly, budget airlines Jetstar and Scoot tied for last, claiming the title of Australia’s worst in-flight food with a score of 3.9. If these rankings are anything to go by, you might be better off packing your own snacks.
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