What's the Best Non-First Class Airline Meal You've Been Served?

[JohnK]

Too many to try and remember but I tecall this one time a pork dish in economy on QF ex-MNL was close to the best airline meal I've had in any class.

Some fond memories too of AY, CX business class meals flying around in circles in SE Asia.

 

[drcam]

I remember when I was 13, I flew in Y on Qantas from MEL-SYD return as a day trip to collect a prize from Gabi Hollows.
There was a lavish breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausages and mushrooms, and on the way back, there was a gourmet beef and salad roll. To me it tasted out of this world compared to ordinary food. Granted, I was only thirteen years old, but I did not expect domestic whY food to be so good. My colleagues and I were by this point well aware of the classes of service on planes and we referred to whY as "worst class".

Otherwise, as an adult, the best airline food relative to outlay has been the purchased meals on Air Asia. They are small in size but I just paid for an extra serving (or alternatively, for a second, different entree).

 

[Forg]

My better half has a “worst Y” story.
Emigrating to Straya as a 9yo, she‘s exhausted & the QF flight is not far off Sydney.
The final meal comes with a small bar of Cadbury’s chocolate, and her mum says it’s OK she can have the choccie!
One taste of the low-rent Cadbury’s compared to the smooth unmodified-milk German chocolate she’s used-to and it brings the enormity of being moved to The Boonies crashing home … uncontrollable tears …

 

[Townsend]

By far my best meal was also on AY J class from HFK to Hel. A Finnish seafood stew that was as good as anything I had eaten in a top restaurant!

Flew AY last week. Still love the airline esp. the new J class seats, but was disappointed with the food. Definitely no seafood stew!

 

[OATEK]

I remember when I was 13, I flew in Y on Qantas from MEL-SYD return as a day trip to collect a prize from Gabi Hollows.
There was a lavish breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausages and mushrooms, and on the way back, there was a gourmet beef and salad roll. To me it tasted out of this world compared to ordinary food. Granted, I was only thirteen years old, but I did not expect domestic whY food to be so good. My colleagues and I were by this point well aware of the classes of service on planes and we referred to whY as "worst class".

Otherwise, as an adult, the best airline food relative to outlay has been the purchased meals on Air Asia. They are small in size but I just paid for an extra serving (or alternatively, for a second, different entree).

This reminded my of a flight from MEL to MQL on a Fokker Friendship in Y where they served a very similar eggs, bacon and sausage breakfast that was very good - somewhere around the mid-1980s

 

[MelbFlyer]

The best meal I've had on a plane is a Thai red curry that was served on an AirAsia flight from coughet to HK in economy that I pre-booked - out of all flights and classes!

I've had meals on business class on Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific (my only full carrier business class experiences) - the above meal was still better than what I had on SQ and CX!

 

[Quickstatus]

None come to mind...

If people think that QF is the spirit, then they should give everyone lambshanks on Australia day.

 

[Forg]

None come to mind...

If people think that QF is the spirit, then they should give everyone lambshanks on Australia day.

You should sell that marketing concept to them … stews like that are the sorts of things that actually work when microwaved!

 

[Quickstatus]

You should sell that marketing concept to them …

Surely they know about Lamb on Australia Day?

 

[Forg]

Surely they know about Lamb on Australia Day?

In order to make the $1b profit, I doubt their marketing consultants know anything of the culture outside of whichever 3rd-world country they’re consulting from.

 

[Quickstatus]

marketing consultants

Maybe too bogan for their designer level operations?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Almost everything I have had on QR J has been way better than most other airlines F meals I have eaten.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Lobster thermidore, Y, Singapore Airlines, Jakarta - Singapore, april 1973!

 

[Forg]

Lobster thermidore, Y, Singapore Airlines, Jakarta - Singapore, april 1973!

This is really interesting … I assume this was off the back of the era when every single ticket was expensive, regardless of class, and hence ‘fancy’ was still on offer?

Example of what I mean, a mate’s mum was recalling her trip from NZ to Australia in the late 60’s … the (cheapest available) airfares were half a year’s wages. That’d be like paying ~$30k for a return Y trip to Auckland, these days!

 

[TheRealTMA]

This is really interesting … I assume this was off the back of the era when every single ticket was expensive, regardless of class, and hence ‘fancy’ was still on offer?

Example of what I mean, a mate’s mum was recalling her trip from NZ to Australia in the late 60’s … the (cheapest available) airfares were half a year’s wages. That’d be like paying ~$30k for a return Y trip to Auckland, these days!

Not really. Can’t remember the price but not expensive. In those days, airlines served quite good food. AUS student hippie trail Bali to Amsterdam, overland.

 

[drron]

For me the J Japanese meals on JAL were consistently good.
But the best J meal I have had was mid 2019 when we got J Life miles awards on a TG 787 BKK -BNE. I had the Thai meal. I was asked if I liked it really spicy and said yes. It was just the way I like my Thai food. I still rate their Tom yum soup as the best I have had.

 

[Daver6]

Here's a little tip for QF domestic in Y. Kosher meals are the way to go. Other than being fed first, the food is 9/10 decent. The meat looks like meat. There's always cake and something nice to start. This was on a MEL to PER sector from memory. Now obviously don't pre-order kosher if you might upgrade to J, although these days, it might not be a bad idea!

Also, think Orange is the New Black

 

[Daver6]

Here's another example of a transcon Y kosher meal on QF from a few years ago. The item wrapped in foil on the right was just a bread roll. But the sheer amount of food and quality exceeds a domestic J meal these days.

 

[dairyfloss]

Here's a little tip for QF domestic in Y. Kosher meals are the way to go. Other than being fed first, the food is 9/10 decent. The meat looks like meat. There's always cake and something nice to start. This was on a MEL to PER sector from memory. Now obviously don't pre-order kosher if you might upgrade to J, although these days, it might not be a bad idea!

They look great! I'd have preferred that first meal and tray to any of the last 4* QF DOM J meals I've had.
Are you kosher yourself, or just stumbled across this goodness by chance? I've sometimes wondered whether there would be a better or more consistent option by hitting up the dietary requirements list. You can always add salt to the no salt meal, right!?

The special meals are sometimes (often?) made outside of Q Catering, and the smaller vendors are likely more eager to please.

Cheers,
Matt.

* Note: 3 of these last 4 were the ham-less croque monsieur

 

[Daver6]

They look great! I'd have preferred that first meal and tray to any of the last 4* QF DOM J meals I've had.
Are you kosher yourself, or just stumbled across this goodness by chance? I've sometimes wondered whether there would be a better or more consistent option by hitting up the dietary requirements list. You can always add salt to the no salt meal, right!?

The special meals are sometimes (often?) made outside of Q Catering, and the smaller vendors are likely more eager to please.

Cheers,
Matt.

* Note: 3 of these last 4 were the ham-less croque monsieur

No, I'm far from kosher. The Many many years ago at uni a non-Jewish friend told me about this. I never really considered doing it until I was totally over the rubbish QF would serve about 6 or 7 years ago. So I gave it a try and was impressed. Even though Im a member of the tribe, no proof is required when ordered a kosher meal

I don't order them all the time and there have been occasions when the food hasn't been quite as good but on the whole, it's certainly a better option. You're also correct about who the catering vendor is. I believe there's on in MEL, SYD and PER. Details are always provided in the (not so) little box.