Airline food has often been criticised, and understandably so. Served from an aluminum tray with plastic cutlery and occasionally quite bland tasting dishes.
Airlines are increasingly paying attention to the quality of their meals and have even collaborated with celebrity chefs or highlighted local dishes in order to deliver more satisfying flights. Great inflight dining options are available with Cathay Pacific.

Pre-order your meal

As airlines reduce meal options, more passengers are opting to pre-ordering their meals before flying – this saves both time and hassle during onboard dining, plus gives you first pick of menu items before the plane fills up – in addition to helping reduce waste onboard.
Airline food can often be an unpredictable affair, but by pre-ordering before your flight you can often make it more delicious than what is served on board. This can be particularly helpful if you have special dietary requirements or are traveling in premium cabins like business class.
Delta allows passengers to select their meals up to seven days in advance of departure, giving you three options for domestic first class and four on long haul flights. There is one caveat though – pre-selecting your main course can only happen on certain routes that have scheduled meal services and when an email reminder comes through from Delta encouraging people to pre-order them; unfortunately it doesn’t always work and doesn’t always apply across its fleet of flights.
Singapore Airlines takes an extensive approach to pre-ordering meals for flights in first and business class, allowing passengers to select their meal up to thirty days in advance for wide body flights as well as narrow body ones, including narrow body flights with wide bodies or narrow bodies and providing them a menu by city and class.
Pre-ordering meals allows airlines to bring them out before beginning to serve other meals – this can be especially helpful when travelling with children or those needing an early dinner in order to sleep.
However, don’t be tempted to bring an excess of extras for your meal on an airplane as space can be limited and could create an unsightly mess on your tray table or block out seats in front of you. If necessary, pack extra condiments in small travel containers so they can easily be used at your seat.

Check out Airlines meals

Airplane food may vary greatly in quality. Our sense of taste changes at higher altitudes, and airline meals often need to be cooked, cooled and then reheated on-board multiple times before being consumed by passengers. Since their early days of offering free peanuts and cookies on flights, airlines have significantly upgraded their meal offerings, now using celebrity chefs, an emphasis on health globally, increased frequency of travel and an online culture which encourages passengers to publicly review their on-board experiences (which ultimately influences ticket sales).
Most international airlines’ menus can be found online and many allow passengers to pre-order meals when purchasing flights, providing you with peace of mind that what you want will be available on your trip. If traveling with a specific diet such as veganism or vegetarianism, special arrangements can also be requested such as vegan or vegetarian meals.
Advice when selecting an in-flight meal: Avoid fried options as they often become soggy after being heated up in the galley, and instead choose stews which tend to stay moist and flavorful during reheat. Also try meals prepared using ingredients such as tomatoes, mushrooms and Parmesan cheese which hold their flavors better than things such as noodles, rice or fried foods.
Food from your destination country should also be highlighted, and ground caterers often produce meals with more authentic tastes than international cuisines.
Remember to bring snacks if you’re flying economy class; the folding tray in front of you has more bacteria than a toilet seat! So it is advisable to pack snacks from home to avoid being forced to consume bland airline meals!
Make sure you book Citilink flights through our website for maximum comfort by selecting our most accommodating seat, along with selecting meals before taking off. This way you have everything in place before flying and can select meals according to their preference!

Check with the flight attendants

Airline food often lacks variety and appeal, yet airlines are striving to elevate its quality. Emirates first-class passengers enjoy bottomless Persian caviar while those flying Air New Zealand’s business premier class enjoy paua saucisson (sliced abalone sausage) platters as well as lobster medallions on Air France’s best seats.
Your flight experience will be more pleasurable if you select meals that reflect your destination. Many airlines provide wines, dishes and snacks which showcase each locale; find something that makes you excited about traveling!
If you have special dietary requirements or restrictions, such as being vegan or vegetarian, bring snacks and meals from home for the flight. There is no guarantee that an airline will honor these requests directly rather than through a travel agent.
Listening carefully to the cabin crew is also crucial; their job is to create a safe environment and evacuate the aircraft in case of an emergency, so failing to heed their advice could compromise your safety and compromise its efficiency.
Passengers should abide by local laws and show respect to others around them, particularly if traveling with children. Keep a watchful eye on children at all times, and wear clothing that won’t restrict your movement or block vision during flight.
Flight attendants bear a tremendous responsibility to ensure passenger safety onboard their aircraft, including in an emergency situation. When an incident arises, flight attendants must double-check all doors are securely fastened before opening them again. You can assist them by making sure your seat belt is visible and not concealed under blankets or other objects; don’t change seats without telling the flight attendants and avoid moving without notifying the flight attendants; wearing slip-on/off shoes that make boarding and disembarking faster is also recommended to help expedite this process of taking and disembarking from an aircraft.

Don’t forget to drink plenty of water

Flying is an amazing feat of engineering genius that we all appreciate, yet can take its toll. Dehydration and stress may make the flight experience less than enjoyable – yet there are ways you can ensure the trip goes as smoothly and comfortably as possible.
Keep hydrated on long flights to prevent dehydration and promote better rest on board, and drinking lots of water also lowers your chance of headaches or sore muscles after landing.
Another important tip when traveling by airplane is to always eat your meal on the plate provided by the airline, rather than using plastic sporks or disposable plastic bags as these tend to taste more flavorful while being unhygienic.
Remember to sanitize your tray before beginning eating. Studies have revealed that folding trays attached to the back of seats contain more bacteria than toilet seats; to protect yourself and ensure a pleasant dining experience, wash this area of your tray prior to placing anything on it.