One airline is eating up the airplane food competition.
A new study by Canstar Travel Insurance analyzed over 125,000 passenger reviews from sites like Airlinemeals.net and Skytrax to rank the top 100 airlines for in-flight dining.
AEGEAN Air, with a fleet of just 83 aircraft, beat out major carriers as the overall winner for best in-flight dining.
The Greek carrier ranked first overall with a score of 7.82 out of 10, fending off some of aviation’s biggest names with their “fresh, regionally-inspired dishes and authentic Greek hospitality.”
The airline’s menu draws on the Greek philosophy of “filema,” which is essentially “love and kindness through food,” the study noted.
Passengers in all cabin classes on AEGEAN flights will enjoy authentic Greek flavors, while business-class travelers can get the full experience of meals crafted by Greek chefs and sommeliers.
Other top performers were Qatar Airways in second place, Asiana Airlines in third, Eva Air taking fourth place and Singapore Airlines rounding out the top five.
Asian carriers dominated the rankings with seven of the top 10 spots, and South Korea and Japan were the only countries with multiple airlines in the top 10.
South Korea had Asiana (No. 3) and Korean Air (No. 6), while Japan had All Nippon Airways (No. 7) and Japan Airlines (No. 8).
The first US-based airline to show up on the list was JetBlue, coming in at No. 18 with a total score of 6.92 out of 10. JetBlue Mint, the airline’s business class experience, came in a few spots lower at No. 24 with a score of 6.78.
Hawaiian Airlines came in No. 31 with a score of 6.69 and another major US airline, Delta, came in No. 46 with a score of 6.44, while American Airlines and United Airlines barely scraped the top 100, placing 93rd and 94th, respectively. American Eagle, American Airlines’ regional affiliates, ranked 76th.
However, when ranking based on class, JetBlue came in No. 7 for Business, while Delta ranked No. 10 for First Class.
Other major airlines outside the US also struggled with their overall in-flight dining ranking. Qantas ranked 51st, British Airways came in at 54 and Air France ranked 70th.
“Airline food has long been the butt of jokes, but major carriers now understand the inflight experience matters in such a competitive market,” Canstar Travel Insurance said in a statement.
“However, our study shows that not all inflight meals are created equal. While not all meals will wow you, it’s incredibly unlikely they’ll make you ill. With comprehensive travel insurance, you can be covered for the unexpected from just a few dollars a day.”
Top 10 airlines for in-flight dining
- AEGEAN Airlines
- Qatar Airways
- Asiana Airlines
- EVA Air
- Singapore Airlines
- Korean Air
- All Nippon Airways (ANA)
- Japan Airlines
- Kuwait Airways
- Garuda Indonesia
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