Airline you won’t have heard of is revealed to have the world’s best inflight meals with ‘royal class’ service
AN AIRLINE you’ve probably never heard of has been revealed to have the world’s best inflight meals, with “royal class” service.
A popular budget airline also made a top 10 appearance on the list, but some of its more famous competitors didn’t make the cut.
Experts from comparison site MoneySuperMarket analysed over 27,000 customer reviews to produce a definitive list of quality grub in the sky.
Each carrier is given a score out of 10 based on the quality of food, the service and the range of dietary needs catered to.
Using that metric, MSM ranked Kuwait Airways as the best in the game for posh nosh.
As the name suggests, the company is based in the Arabic state of Kuwait but it has routes connecting destinations across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
UK passengers can hop on a flight from Heathrow or Manchester and be whisked off to any number of cities from Paris and Vienna to Delhi and Dhaka.
Plane etiquette
IF you're planning on going away any time soon, you'll need to pay attention to the following unwritten plane etiquette rules...
RECLINING SEAT: Podcast host and etiquette expert Nick Leighton explained that you shouldn’t recline your seat if the passenger behind you is working on their laptop.
He said: “Nobody likes their laptop snapped in half.”
Before you recline your seat, it’s best to check to see what the passenger behind you is doing.
If they are on a laptop, ask before you move your seat back.
FEET: A flight attendant told The Sun: “Your boarding card tells you a number and a letter, this will be the reserved seat that you have paid for.
“Your feet, which are attached to your body, should do their best to reside within this space and stay far away from anyone else.
“If you do insist on stretching out, please make sure your feet are covered up.”
CHAT: TV travel expert Samantha Brown explained that conversations from strangers aren’t welcome, suggesting that others shouldn’t expect a chat.
She added: “I’m not a talker. Plane time is me time.”
Kuwait Airways managed an average score of 8.58 from 117 reviews.
And it was a Middle Eastern lockout in the top three, with Oman Air in second on 8.44, narrowly pipping Middle East Air in third with 8.39.
The only European carrier in the top 5 was AirBaltic, which was fifth behind Algeria’s Air Algerie.
That being said, Air Algeria did beat out Kuwait Airways when the rankings were divided into cabin class, coming top in the economy category.
Kuwait then won the business class stakes, while the best first-class food was found on Swiss International, according to the analysis.
US budget airline JetBlue cracked the top 10, appearing in seventh with a score of 7.89.
However, more established rivals didn’t manage to dominate the list, with Emirates in 15th, Etihad in 18th, Lufthansa 43rd and BA coming 55th.
MSM’s analysis also recommended some of the best routes to fly for food, with both Emirates’ run from Melbourne to Singapore and Swiss Air’s from Zurich to Miami scoring perfect 10s.
Despite all the quality food, Alicia Hempstead, insurance expert at MSM, urged holidaymakers to take care.
She advised: “If you enjoy plane food, make sure you check out which airline serves the most highly rated food at 30,000 feet.
“Unfortunately, food poisoning can hit unexpectedly – even if you’re eating at some of the world’s highest rated restaurants and hotels.
“That’s why it’s important to take out travel insurance with sufficient medical cover.
“If you’re hospitalised because of food poisoning on your holiday, travel insurance may cover emergency medical expenses, cancellations if you’re too ill to continue your holiday, and in extreme cases emergency travel arrangements if you need to end your trip early.
“However, cover for food poisoning varies between policies, so it’s worthwhile to check the wording to find the right cover and to consider taking out comprehensive cover so you can enjoy your holiday worry-free.”
It comes after SunTravel’s Kara Godfrey sampled some top-notch plane food on the airline that won awards for its meals in 2023.
Top 10 airlines for food
Based on MoneySuperMarket rankings
- Kuwait Airways – 8.58
- Oman Air – 8.44
- Middle East Air – 8.39
- Air Algerie – 8.16
- Airbaltic – 8.03
- Aegean Airline – 7.98
- JetBlue – 7.89
- Turkish Airlines – 7.82
- Air Mauritius – 7.72
- Swiss International – 7.63