For some passengers, the in-flight meal is just a way to pass the time, but for certain airlines it has become a genuine competitive tool. A new ranking by Canstar Travel Insurance analyzed more than 125,000 passenger reviews and ranked the world’s 100 best airlines for in-flight meals. Israeli carriers did not make the list.
Canstar is a veteran Australian comparison and ratings website focused on finance, insurance and consumer services. While it is not an official aviation body, it is considered a consumer research organization that publishes rankings and comparisons based on a stated methodology. In this case, the ranking analyzed 125,849 passenger reviews, excluded airlines with fewer than 50 reviews, normalized the scores and weighted them according to review volume to create a more balanced ranking.
In a surprise result, Greece’s AEGEAN Airlines claimed the top spot. The airline, which flies to Israel and operates a fleet of about 83 aircraft, managed to outperform some of the biggest names in aviation. It received a score of 7.82 out of 10, thanks in part to fresh meals inspired by regional cuisine and what the study described as authentic Greek hospitality.
According to the research, the menu of Aegean Airlines, Greece’s national carrier, is based on the Greek philosophy of “filema” — a concept expressing love and kindness through food. Passengers in all travel classes are served Greek flavors, while business-class travelers receive a more elaborate culinary experience created by Greek chefs and sommeliers.
The overall ranking reflected the dominance of Asian airlines, which captured seven of the top 10 spots. South Korea and Japan were the only countries with more than one airline in the top 10: South Korea’s Asiana Airlines ranked third and Korean Air sixth, while Japan’s All Nippon Airways placed seventh and Japan Airlines eighth.
Rounding out the top five were Qatar Airways in second place, Asiana Airlines in third, EVA Air in fourth and Singapore Airlines in fifth.
Alongside the major carriers, the study also highlighted several less-expected names that ranked highly: Kuwait Airways came ninth, Garuda Indonesia 10th, Air Algérie 14th and Azerbaijan Airlines 21st. In other words, when it comes to airline food, bigger does not always mean better.
By contrast, U.S. airlines performed far more poorly. The highest-ranked American carrier was JetBlue, which came in only 18th with a score of 6.92 out of 10. Its business-class product, JetBlue Mint, ranked slightly lower at 24th.
Other U.S. airlines also failed to impress: Hawaiian Airlines ranked 31st, Delta Air Lines 46th, while American Airlines and United Airlines barely made the top 100, at 93rd and 94th respectively. American Eagle, the regional subsidiary of American Airlines, ranked 76th.
Turkish Airlines leads economy class
However, rankings by travel class painted a somewhat better picture for American carriers: JetBlue ranked seventh for business-class dining, while Delta made the top 10 in first-class food, placing 10th.
Several internationally renowned airlines also failed to approach the top of the rankings: Qantas came 51st, British Airways 54th, Air France 70th and Air New Zealand remained outside the top 50 entirely.
In the first-class dining rankings, there was a three-way tie at the top: Swiss, Lufthansa and Qantas all received scores of 8.4 out of 10. They were followed by China Airlines with 8.1, Etihad Airways with 8.0 and All Nippon Airways with 8.0.
There were also surprises in economy class. Turkish Airlines ranked first for economy-class meals with a score of 7.6, followed by Air Algérie and Emirates, both with 7.5. Thai Airways came next with 7.4, while overall winner Aegean received a score of 7.3 in economy class.
Canstar noted that although airlines tend to maintain relatively standardized menus, the dining experience can vary depending on the specific route. According to the ranking, among flights departing Australia, one standout experience was Emirates’ Melbourne-Singapore route, which featured multi-course meals inspired by regional cuisine alongside an option to upgrade to champagne for an additional fee.
“Airplane food has been the subject of jokes for years, but major airlines now understand that the flight experience matters greatly in such a competitive market,” Canstar Travel Insurance said in a statement. “That said, our research shows not all in-flight meals are created equal. Even if not every dish will amaze you, the chances of it making you sick are very low.”
First published: 10:12, 05.10.26