If you’ve ever stared down a sad tray of reheated lasagna at 35,000 feet and wondered whether anyone actually does this well, the answer is yes. Just not here.
A new study by Australian firm Canstar Travel Insurance analyzed more than 125,000 passenger reviews across specialized platforms to rank 100 airlines by the quality of their in-flight food. The results are not particularly flattering for Canadian carriers.
Only three Canadian airlines made the list, and none of them cracked the top 50. Air Transat was the best of the three, landing at 65th place with a score of 6.23 out of 10. Air Canada came in at 83rd with a 5.78, and WestJet brought up the rear at 92nd with a 5.58.
Air Canada does fare slightly better in one specific category, ranking 35th out of 68 airlines for the quality of its business class menu. So there’s that.
At the top of the list sits Greek carrier AEGEAN Airlines, which earned a score of 7.82 out of 10. The airline is known for meals inspired by Greek culinary traditions and a service philosophy built around what it calls “filema,” a concept centred on sharing and generosity through food. Regardless of cabin class, passengers can expect authentic dishes rather than the generic fare most flyers have come to dread.
The rest of the top 10 is dominated by Middle Eastern and Asian carriers, which have long set the standard for what airline food can actually be.
Here’s how the full top 100 breaks down:
- Aegean Airlines — 7.82/10
- Qatar Airways — 7.68/10
- Asiana Airlines — 7.61/10
- Eva Air — 7.56/10
- Singapore Airlines — 7.55/10
- Korean Air — 7.51/10
- All Nippon Airways — 7.37/10
- Japan Air Lines — 7.36/10
- Kuwait Airways — 7.26/10
- Garuda Indonesia — 7.09/10
- Oman Air — 7.09/10
- Turkish Airlines — 7.06/10
- Bangkok Airways — 7.04/10
- Air Algerie — 7.02/10
- Middle East Airlines — 6.99/10
- Hainan Airlines — 6.97/10
- Swiss Int Air Lines — 6.93/10
- JetBlue — 6.92/10
- Emirates Air — 6.91/10
- Austrian Airlines — 6.89/10
- Azerbaijan Airlines — 6.85/10
- China Southern Airlines — 6.80/10
- Etihad Airways — 6.79/10
- JetBlue Mint — 6.78/10
- Thai Airways International — 6.78/10
- Air Mauritius — 6.77/10
- Gulf Air — 6.75/10
- Ethiopian Airlines — 6.72/10
- Belavia — 6.70/10
- Tarom — 6.70/10
- Hawaiian Airlines — 6.69/10
- Aeroflot — 6.64/10
- Fiji Airways — 6.64/10
- Sri Lankan — 6.64/10
- China Airlines — 6.62/10
- Air Dolomiti — 6.61/10
- Air Tahiti Nui — 6.60/10
- Air Serbia — 6.59/10
- Virgin Australia — 6.54/10
- Cathay Pacific — 6.49/10
- Iberia — 6.48/10
- Lufthansa — 6.47/10
- Lufthansa City Line — 6.47/10
- Malaysia Airlines — 6.45/10
- Vietnam Airlines — 6.45/10
- Delta — 6.44/10
- South African Airways — 6.43/10
- Virgin Atlantic — 6.43/10
- SilkAir — 6.43/10
- Jet Airways — 6.42/10
- Qantas — 6.41/10
- TAP Air Portugal — 6.41/10
- LAN — 6.40/10
- British Airways — 6.39/10
- El Al — 6.38/10
- Air India — 6.36/10
- Air Asia — 6.36/10
- Egypt Air — 6.30/10
- Royal Jordanian — 6.30/10
- Philippine Airlines — 6.29/10
- KLM — 6.28/10
- KLM Cityhopper — 6.28/10
- Hong Kong Airlines — 6.24/10
- AirBaltic — 6.23/10
- Air Transat — 6.23/10
- Air New Zealand — 6.16/10
- Iran Air — 6.14/10
- TAM Airlines — 6.11/10
- Finnair — 6.10/10
- Air France — 6.09/10
- Nordstar Airlines — 6.02/10
- Air Malta — 6.01/10
- Rossiya — 6.00/10
- Aer Lingus — 6.00/10
- Jetstar — 5.99/10
- American Eagle — 5.97/10
- Alaska Airlines — 5.95/10
- Aero Mexico — 5.94/10
- China Eastern — 5.93/10
- LOT — 5.90/10
- S7 Airlines — 5.88/10
- UTair — 5.79/10
- Air Canada — 5.78/10
- Copa Airlines — 5.77/10
- Brussels Airlines — 5.76/10
- LATAM — 5.69/10
- SAS Scandinavian Airlines — 5.66/10
- Condor — 5.65/10
- Avianca — 5.63/10
- Aerolineas Argentinas — 5.60/10
- Saudia — 5.59/10
- WestJet — 5.58/10
- American Airlines — 5.57/10
- United — 5.47/10
- CSA Czech Airlines — 5.45/10
- Air China — 5.39/10
- ITA Airways — 5.29/10
- Kenya Airways — 5.21/10
- Icelandair — 5.16/10
- Air Europa — 5.07/10