While most of the airlines we've contacted over the last six months claim that there has been no reduction in the quality of product or service, we've found that many of them downgraded their in-flight services last fall and have been restoring them only gradually since this spring. Passengers feel that airlines have indeed trimmed some of the luxury services: some airlines may no longer issue wine lists or limit the choice of wines, others may not provide amenity kits or will skip the appetizer in the meals, and the little things that passengers take for granted, like decaffeinated coffee or herbal tea, may be unavailable. Apparently, it's not so much the cost of these services, but the manpower, time and space required to provide them that's at issue. Certainly, First Class and Business Class are all about space, comfort and service, and -- the US excepted -- the smartest airlines are continuing to deliver on all three.The following passenger reviews of airline meals in the past six months clearly show how customers are feeling about the food and service.
AER LINGUS
Business ClassDublin to Los Angeles
Lunch: Shoyu of Salmon Marinated Japanese-Style with Thai dressing served with a mixed salad and breads. "The salmon was delicious, great flavor." Next they came around with some fried samoosa type hors d'oeuvres. "I've never been a big fan of fried food on planes since it doesn't heat up too well." this was followed by a canapé course: Some sort of berry, cheese on bread and veggies with salsa dip. The main course was a seafood pancake of prawns and lobster in a cognac sauce glazed with cheese served with asparagus. "A huge pieces of lobster and the incredible flavor. This was one of the best courses ever served on a plane!" Desert was chocolate cheesecake with chocolate sauce. "I chose this from a trolley of appetizing desserts. Once again the cake was very good. The food on the flight was top-notch."AEROFLOT RUSSIAN AIRLINES
Economy ClassMoscow to Vladivostok
Lunch: Mystery meat, rice, fish appetizer?, dark bread, cookies. "I was hungry so I ate it. I think it looked worse than it was."Moscow to Tomsk
Lunch: Sliced Ham, Boiled Chicken, Pickled Tomato, Black Bread, Roll and Butter, and PastryAEROMEXICO
Economy ClassHouston to Mexico City
Snack: Turkey sandwich, slice of tomato, and a custard/jello-type dessert. "Considering I expected the snack to be peanuts and a drink, this was pretty good. The sandwich and tomato slice were really good. The dessert was good, but after a few bites, it became overwhelming."
Breakfast: Omelette, fruit salad, blueberry muffin, and a soft roll. The meal also had sausage and hash brown-type things. "I didn't actually eat this, but I heard it was pretty good."
Breakfast: Pancakes with half of a canned peach, fruit salad, blueberry muffin, and soft roll. "It actually wasn't that bad. The pancakes were a little bit rubbery, but not completely inedible. I think the fruit salad, muffin, and soft roll saved it though."
AIR CANADA
Business ClassToronto to Frankfurt
Dinner: Appetizer was salmon bruschetta with mixed salad greens and an olive oil dressing with Alsacian white wine. "Great appetizer. Main course was nicely grilled salmon with salad greens and onions, served with warm bread. "Herb roasted chicken breast on tomato and provencale sauce, Shanghai noodles with red peppers, oven-roasted carrots and buttered asparagus. "Chicken was quite plain (as can be seen in photo) and noodles that are "oriental" seem to be a weird combination for chicken that is "provencal". But not bad at all."
Toronto to London
Dinner: Appetizer was lobster medallions and Tiger shrimp on Nappa cabbage with Alsacian White Wine. "Excellent meal service." main course was Herb Roasted Mahi Mahi, Tomato Sauce, Rice Noodles, Baby Bok Choy, Roasted Butternut Squash with Alsacian White Wine "Good dinner, but I wish I had the Grilled Beef option." Dessert was Praline Mousse Cake. "It tasted a bit commercial, but the good grapes, crackers and cheese made up for it."
Pre arrival snack "High Tea": Assorted open faced sandwiches (this one is a sliced chicken breast with cream)scones, jams, and clotted cream; oatmeal and/or chocolate cookies with ice cream. "This was an excellent snack before landing and the ice cream was great!"
London to Toronto
Appetizer before Lunch: Mixed Salad with Smoked Salmon and Prawn Appetizer". Served with warm rolls, butter and Italian dressing with Alsacian White Wine. "Excellent meal service and the meal quality was much better coming out of England. Excellent lunch service."
Lunch: Baked Hake with Herb Crust, Tomato Sauce, Chateau Potatoes with Dill, Buttered Leaf Spinach, Fresh mixed vegetables with Alsacian White Wine. "Excellent meal service and the meal quality was much better coming out of England."
Los Angeles to Toronto
Dinner: "Two meals are featured since I asked for a second entree, because I am a pig. In the middle is a steak, which was a bit too rare and a bit stringy. It is served with mashed potatoes and some grilled zucchini and eggplant. The second entree that was available, it was a filet of salmon wrapped in a puff pastry. It was nice and moist and creamy inside and the pastry was not dry as I imagined. It is served with asparagus and rice. Great service, but so-so food."AIR CANADA
Economy ClassVancouver to Toronto
Dinner: Sliced roast beef with steamed baby carrots on a bed of egg noodles, house salad to start with slivers of red cabbage and cucumber and Kraft roasted garlic chive dressing. Dessert was a nut-based cake (hazelnut?) topped with cream and crumbled nuts and coconut flakes with white wine (Ile la forge 2001 Chardonnay). "Bland and dry. The Kraft salad dressing and nice fresh salad was the most enjoyable part of the meal. Dessert was also bland and dry. Free wine was due to a 2-hour delay. It was kind of flat and acidic but I didn't complain and they kept it coming!"
Vancouver to Hong Kong
Dinner: Baked fish and mashed potatoes, fresh fruit salad. "So-so, not bland but not great. fish is hard to get the texture right what with the airline reheating deal. I just came across this site and happened to have these pics from last year - I'm an avid fan of flying and flying paraphernalia. Keep this up!"
Toronto to Vancouver
Snack after lift-off: "Airline coffee has improved somewhat over the years, this example being of Air Canada's serving of (the Canadian rival to Starbucks) Second Cup coffee. Pretzels are dry. I like the traditional smoked almonds better."
Los Angeles to Calgary
Snack: "In 50 years of flying, this was by far the worst meal I've seen on an aircraft, and, (in an integrated concept), it was accompanied by a truly nasty "shove it" staff attitude."
St. John's to Toronto
Vegetarian meal: Tomato, lettuce and cucumber on whole wheat. Mustard in a package. Olives, sliced carrots and zucchini, and a small pickle. Eight grapes. "More interesting than the sandwich was the accompanying card on the left listing all of the special needs meals. People with ulcers can order a bland meal, there are multiple ethic vegetarian meals, too. As for the sandwich, it's disappointing to be served something you could easily have prepared for yourself.
Toronto to, St. John's
Vegetarian snack (dinner was expected): Whole wheat wrap filled with couscous, carrots, mushrooms and an unidentifiable green vegetable. "This wrap is slightly larger than a snack, yet not quite meal-sized. People throughout the plane asked for seconds, only to be denied. Much like the Canadian airline industry itself really; scaled down and a little dry (it was kind of tasty, though)."
Toronto to London LHR
Dinner: crackers, chocolate iced cake for desert, green salad [there is never enough dressing in those plastic containers], hunk of cheese, main course consisting of mashed potatoes, beef with gravy, veggies [broccoli, carrots and green beans], crusty roll. "The usual fare... not to good not to bad although the bread was exceptionally fresh on this trip."
Toronto to Vancouver
Dinner: Vegetarian lasagne with spinach, bun with butter and cheddar cheese, a bare salad with a hefty garlic dressing. Sesame crips and a nice cheesecake. "The flavour of the spinach was quite strong but it was all very tasty."
Amsterdam to Toronto
Snack (vegetarian): bread with cheese and power bar. "The advantage: you are the first that gets served. It all was a little soggy but tasted not too bad."
Dinner: Vegetarian lasagne with tomato cream sauce, bun with butter and gouda cheese, a tough salad with vinaigrette and a fruit mix of melon and something. "The advantage: you are the first that gets served. It all was a little soggy but tasted not too bad."
Toronto to London LHR
Breakfast: Orange juice, berry yoghurt, and a piece of sweet bread. "Not much of a meal, but not bad."
Dinner: "That dish is chicken on rice. Its a hot meal, tasty too. The sauce is on the sweet side but I enjoyed it."
Dinner: Beef, mashed potatoes, vegetables (carrot, broccoli, cauliflower), a roll, a piece of cheese, crackers, salad, and a dessert somewhat akin to tiramisu, shown with a bottle of Merlot. "It actually didn't taste bad, despite its appearance."
San Francisco to Toronto
Dinner: "That dish is actually a chicken salad. Chicken tasted pretty good, the pasta also tasted good with spices such as parsley and onion."
Montreal to Paris Charles-de-Gaulle
Digestive: Cheap red wine. "On a transatlantic flight, either you sleep, either you get drunk, the gentleman to my right and I chose the latter. I don't remember the food, so the plan worked well."AIR FRANCE
Business ClassLos Angeles to Papeete
Supper: Gourmet Salad served with air dried beef and Parma ham with a glass of Côteaux du Languedoc "La Clape" 1999 Chateau l'Hospitalet Summum. "The balsamic and olive oil dressing was real nice, bread wasn't so good but starter was very filling." Main course was fillet of bass Dugléré, medley of white and wild rice with buttered broccoli Drink: Evian still water and Coteaux du Languedoc "La Clape" 1999 Chateau l'Hospitalet Summum. "Very moist fish and a creamy tasty sauce! " Desert was a strawberry mousse with a strawberry coulis and a finger cookie, "very nice and light."Economy Class
Paris CDG to Edinburgh and return
Breakfast: Ham and cheese, jam, bread, butter, orange juice, cake. "Nice breakfast."
Dinner: 3 slices of something very well done and something spreadable with French wine. "Wine was good."
Paris to Lisbon
Lunch: "Looks horrible, the taste was not bad at all."AIR JAMAICA
First ClassManchester to Kingston
Dinner/Lunch: Chicken. "Was lucky enough to get same cabin crew as previous flight. Flight Purser was more than attentive and ran a 'tight ship'. I had the chicken (again) and was not let down. The soup & salad were very good."
Kingston to Manchester
Dinner: "Having flown many First Class long haul routes, Air Jamaica has to be number 1 in my opinion. Choice of meals covers every taste, and has never let me down. This new route keeps up the consistency. Salad was crisp, and dressing good. I only eat chicken, and this was excellent : Jamaican-style, but not too spicy. Desert was chocolate cake with orange sauce."
Economy ClassMontego Bay, Jamaica to Barbados
Lunch: Fish, pasta salad, green salad, bread roll, and a cup cake with complimentary champagne or wine or beer (Red Stripe). "The fish was OK. The drinks were nice."
Lunch: Chicken, Jamaica rice and peas, spinach, salad, bread roll, and a cup cake with complimentary champagne or wine or beer. "The food was pretty good. The complimentary drinks were very nice and unexpected since we were in economy."AIR NEW ZEALAND
Economy ClassAuckland to Dunedin
Breakfast: Potato, Fruit, Yoghurt, Croissant. "So far so good, but the croissant is pretty cold!"ALASKA AIRLINES
Economy ClassSeattle to Washington Dulles
Breakfast: Fruit plate and muffin, "This was the breakfast "appetizer." I still don't melon and Alaska still serves it without fail in First for breakfast. Muffin was delicious." Omelette with sausage, potatoes, fruit, muffin, orange juice came with it. "the flight attendant served us a very good meal for coach.
Seattle to Boston
Breakfast: "Cheese Blitz" with scrambled eggs and sausage - muffin - fruit - orange juice. "There was also a choice of an omelette, which I think most other people were getting. They made an announcement that both meals were really good and not be disappointed if they didn't have your first choice. Once I figured out that they were saying "Cheese Blitz" and not "Cheese Bits", the choice was clear. The "Cheese Blitz" was essentially a thin pancake wrapped around warm cottage cheese with raspberry sauce on top. It was actually pretty good. I can't say the same for the eggs which looked like a science project gone wrong."
Boston to Seattle
Dinner: "Asian Chicken" with carrots and rice - salad with lettuce, olives, cucumber slice, tomato slice - roll - apple cobbler. There was also a choice of "Beef Stroganoff". The chicken was a bit dry, but the cobbler was pretty good."
San Francisco to Seattle
Water, Nemo's cinnamon bun, coffee & 2% milk. "Note the complimentary copy of the Wall St. Journal...best part of breakfast!"ALASKA AIRLINES
First ClassWashington Dulles to Seattle
Breakfast: Focaccia bread, cheese, salmon lox, salami, tomatoes, asparagus. "Lunch snack was quite good, the bread was awesome."
Breakfast: Omelette with asparagus, sausage and potatoes. "Good food, the sauce on the omelette was very interesting."
Dinner: Salmon, sugar snap peas, potatoes. Salmon was the best I've had on an airplane, very good. I had salmon at a wedding receptions 3 days before the flight, and this salmon was much better. The potatoes were really good. Pretty good for a salad, better than the salad in United's First Class. Good dressing."
Dinner: chicken, carrots, rice. "Tasty Chicken, standard carrots and rice."
Seattle to Washington Dulles
Breakfast: Fruit and a biscuit with jam. "I don't like cantaloupe; last time I took this flight we were served warm, fresh berry scones. This time it was a smaller biscuit with jam we had to spread on. I liked the scone much better."
Breakfast: Eggs, potatoes and ham. "Standard breakfast fare, nothing special. The potatoes were cooked an interesting way which were pretty good."
Breakfast: French toast and ham. "Nothing special, was able to get the syrup on the side and butter for the French toast."ALITALIA
Business ClassRome to Malta
Brunch/lunch: "Very tasty sour mozzarella cheese and excellent turkey. Tasty sweet croissant, roll and excellent apricot jam. Fresh fruit salad."
Rome to Geneva
Dinner: "Very good turkey, provolone cheese. Smoked salmon with pumpernickel bread but some lemon would have made it nicer. Desert: A custard sponge cake. Overall not bad. Quite tasty and sufficient. However we received the same meal for lunch on another flight. Alitalia should try and have some variations."
Rome to Malta
Cold lunch: "Prosciutto and provolone cheese. Cherry jam with delicious fresh crispy bread. Danish not so good. Fresh fruit salad."
Malta to Rome. Same meal Rome to Geneva
Cold lunch: "Tasty turkey with provolone cheese, horrible pizza, smoked salmon, custard sponge cake."
Economy ClassMilano to Barcelona
Lunch? "Frozen-no taste."
Athens to Milano
Lunch? "Frozen-no taste."ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS
First ClassLos Angeles to Tokyo Narita
Lunch: Lobster and Japanese side dishes, sparkling water. "Beautiful service and great tasting food!"AMERICA WEST AIRLINES
First ClassBoston to Phoenix
Brunch First Course: Spring greens w/grapes, Feta cheese, and walnuts w/Feta Greek dressing, toasted tortilla wedges with McGuigan Bin 3000, Merlot 2000, Iced Water with lemon. "Fresh salad with not enough dressing...overall acceptable."
Economy ClassPhoenix to New York JFK
Lunch/Hot Snack: Hot Italian meatball sandwich w/chocolate wafer cookies. "Needed is some fresh healthy food such as salad and veggies"
Washington to Phoenix
Meal: Hot Chicken Parmesan Cheese, Foccacia Sandwich, Salted Pretzels, Chocolate Flavored, Cookie Wafers. "The sandwich is very saucy and juicy, but I didn't eat it. (I'm a vegetarian) I gave it to someone else and they said it was scrumptious and tasty. I ate
the wafers which is totally delectable. The service was fabulous even though I didn't eat the entree."
Cleveland to Phoenix
Breakfast: A single club cracker and choice of beverage. "Triumph of the Bean-Counters. This was a five hour flight that left Cleveland at 7:10 AM. The accompanying photo shows the entirety of in-flight food service. Without a doubt the most cheap wad in-flight service I've ever experienced; the commuter flight from Phoenix to San Diego County had better snacks. Get food before I left? Just try finding an open food kiosk at Cleveland Hopkins before 8 AM.AMERICAN AIRLINES
First ClassDallas to Anchorage
Meal type: Salad before dinner - Wilted lettuce, fettucini with a sesame/peanut dressing, Chardonnay. "Barely edible."
London LHR to Chicago
Dinner: "This is a selection from the 'caviar cart', which I understand has sadly been eliminated due to cost-cutting measures. The appetizer includes caviar, blinis, toast triangle, focaccia bread, egg, onion, smoked salmon, and the blob of white stuff, which I'm not sure about. I don't recall what my main course was, the the drink was champagne. Heaven!"
Business ClassDallas to Miami
Snack: Rold Gold Colossal Cheddar snack mix. "An unimpressive meal for an impressive seat."
Santiago to Miami
Dinner: Warm roasted nuts to start, Salmon Tartare Appetizer, Season Greens Salad garnished with herbed-dried tomatoes with choice of Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar or Creamy Onion Dressing, (pictured) Cream of Asparagus Soup garnished with chopped parsley. "Quite tasty."
Cancun, Mexico to St. Louis
Dinner: Roasted herb chicken served with some type of chicken flavored rice, a couple pieces of zucchini, creamed spinach in a tomato, and two pieces of fresh shrimp topping a salad with vinaigrette dressing.AMERICAN AIRLINES
Economy ClassLos Angeles to Boston
Dinner: "Braised Beef" with carrots and potatoes, salad, roll, sweet bread, coke and cup of water. "Another flavorful meal from American Airlines. One wonders how much of the flavor is added and how much occurs naturally. The salad was a bit old and the roll was a bit dry."
Boston to Los Angeles
Lunch: Chicken with mystery sauce, salad, roll, coconut bread. "The chicken was actually very flavorful, though the flight attendants were unable to identify the type of sauce upon handing out the meals. There was also a choice of a pasta lunch. The roll was hard and the salad was so old it was turning brown. I didn't eat it."
Caracas to Miami
Lunch: Chicken, broccoli, tomato salad, cheese & crackers, bread, cake with soft drinks, juice, bottled water, and liquor for purchase. "Standard economy meal. Chicken was dry and overcooked."
Miami to Caracas
Dinner: Salmon, sliced potatoes, salad, cheese & crackers, bread, cake, soft drinks, juice, bottled water, and liquor for purchase. "One of the better economy meals I have had. The salmon was actually quite good despite being overcooked."
Miami to Denver
Snack: "Bistro" snack- Pastrami? sandwich; Bunni-Luv baby carrots; Ruffles potato chips; Pepperidge Farms Brussels cookies with soft drinks, juice, bottled water, and liquor for purchase. "Must be a definition of Bistro that I am not familiar with. The meat in the sandwich had very little flavor. The cookies, chips, and carrots were OK."
Aruba to Miami
Lunch; Some sort of vegetable+meat salad sandwich, plantain chip and a sugar cookie. "The sandwich was not even close to edible (for my standards). The plantain chips were tasty (from Venezuela) and the cookie was good. I give this meal a 4 just for the chips and cookie."
Honolulu to Dallas/Fort Worth
Dinner: Iceberg lettuce salad with Italian dressing, fresh pineapple, pasta bake, wheat dinner roll, and chocolate cake with soft drinks, juice, bottled water, and liquor for purchase. "Tasty. All plastic utensils and disposable plates."
Miami to Santiago
Lunch: Cheese Cannelloni, Salad, Breadstick, Crackers, and some type of cake. "Edible but nothing inspiring especially for international flight."
Snack: Only choice for our snack at 5:30 p.m. on an eight hour flight (can you think of a better time for a full dinner?) Grilled ham and cheese, cantaloupe, pretzel/chex mix and Milano cookies, with orange juice (came on tray), vodka and orange juice, coffee, and water. "Pretty good for a sandwich, but again, it was dinner time on international flight!"
Dallas/Ft. Worth DFW to San Francisco
Snack: "Bistro" snack, two thin slices of Purdue turkey breast with generic yellow cheese on bleached flour roll; one optional Hellmann's Dijonnaise packet; one bag Bunni-Luv baby carrots; one snack-size bag original Ruffles potato chips; and two Pepperidge Farms Brussels cookies. "Where's my special meal? Dijonnaise is nasty. Potato chips are nasty. I ate the turkey and cheese, but left the bun behind. The carrots and the cookies were the best part."
New York to Los Angeles
Breakfast: French toast, ham, yoghurt, melon and a beverage (orange juice and cranberry juice). "The toast was okay, made better by the Aunt Jemima syrup. No butter? Didn't try the ham ... The yoghurt was on the warm side, but the melon was fresh and tasty."AMERICAN TRANS AIR
Economy ClassChicago to Washington DC
Breakfast Snack: Fruit bar, some other cookie "thing."
Dinner Snack: Cookie bar and peanuts, with apple juice. "I pay $264 for a ticket, and all they can
afford is 15 peanuts and a cookie?"
Chicago to Los Angeles
Dinner: Peanuts, cookie and a beverage. "Mmmmm, real lavish dinner!."ASIANA AIRLINES
Economy ClassNew York JFK to Seoul
Lunch: "The main part was some sort of white fish in sauce with some veggies in there too, next to rice. Salad had one piece of shrimp and some sad iceberg lettuce and one cherry tomato. There was a roll with butter. The dessert was a really strange tasting strawberry "mousse" stuff with unidentified nuts sprinkled on top. Tasted a little like strawberry Quik. Polo mint. Also, they always give you a tube of chilli paste which helps the taste! I flew business class on the way back from Seoul the next week and that just totally ruined my perception of economy class food."AUSTRIAN AIRLINES
Business ClassThessaloniki, Greece to Vienna
Lunch: It was ham with melon, chicken breast with cracker with cheese, cake, mineral water. "I did not enjoy the ham, so I ask purser to bring me other thing and she gave me chicken breast with lemon sauce, it was excellent."AUSTRIAN AIRLINES
Economy ClassVienna to New York JFK
Snack: A micro-sandwich with either chicken or turkey and a garnish of lettuce and pickle slices. Dessert was a raspberry topped muffin. "After 6+ hours since lunch, I expected s bit more than a snack."
Lunch: A cheese lasagne with basil, served with a creamy coleslaw and a warm dinner roll. Dessert was a poppy seed cake and two pieces of chocolate. "The lasagne was quit good as was the dessert."
Vienna to Brussels
Snack: Sandwich cheese or ham. "OK"
New York JFK to Vienna
Breakfast: "A more typical Austrian/German breakfast of meat and cheese sandwiches. Served with a micro-muffin and a small cup of yoghurt. This meal was OK. The bread was fresh enough to stick to the roof of my mouth on the first bite."
Dinner: A mixed fish dinner that included a small piece white fish, salmon, and a shrimp. The side
dishes included mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini. A nice salad with Feta cheese, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, artichoke heart and lettuce. Warm dinner rolls accompanied the meal. The dessert was a light vanilla cake with a cream and strawberry filling. "I would have liked a bit more salmon with less mashed potatoes, but the grilled zucchini was very nice."
Thessaloniki, Greece to Vienna
Lunch: Chicken Breast Grill with Tsatsiki Greek yoghurt salad. "Chicken was too salty, not really edible for me."AVIANCA
Business ClassMiami to Bogota
Lunch: Appetizer of seafood salad, Fedora pate was followed by marinated steak with mustard sauce, oriental vegetables, Anna potatoes with champagne. "Very good."
Economy ClassBogota to Buenos Aires
Lunch: "Egg, jam, cheese, lettuce and tomato salad. Wheat bran cookies made in Argentina, port salut cheese, bread so dry perfect for old teeth, chicken a la Milanese (where was the chicken?), home made fries, steam vegetables, cheese, cake (age= unknown). Salad and wheat bran cookies were good. Don't ever try the chicken if you wanna live!."
Dinner: Fresh vegetables,with one olive, chicken a la vegetables sauce, zucchini and mash
potato, Colombian dessert: brevas with coconut and one chewy mint candy. "Was fine for economy class."
Sources: Airguide Airline Survey, passenger mail and E-Mail, www.airlinemeals.net and www.ratings.net.
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