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Jessy Chandra· 8 years ago
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Why don’t airlines serve good food?

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Replying to the question above
Updated on06/05/26

Airline food often tastes different or less flavorful because high altitude and dry cabin air can reduce a person’s sense of taste and smell during flights. Airlines also prepare meals in large quantities, reheat them later, and design them to stay safe for long hours, which can affect freshness and texture.

Cost-cutting is another major reason, especially on budget airlines where food quality is not the main focus. Some airlines also prioritize meals that are easy to store, transport, and serve quickly. Honestly, food that tastes average on the ground can taste even more bland inside an airplane because of cabin conditions and reduced sensory perception.

Must Read: Why is Food Waste Such a Problem?

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Ishaanvi Reddy
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Ishaanvi Reddy is a trained chef and food writer with over 4 years of professional experience in culinary arts and food content. She holds a Diploma in Culinary Arts from the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Hyderabad — a qualification that gives her food writing a level of technical accuracy that distinguishes it from content written without kitchen experience. Her content covers recipes, cooking techniques, ingredient guides, food culture, nutrition basics, and restaurant trends across India. Her work has appeared on platforms including Slurrp, Herzindagi Food, and Eat This Not That India, where she writes for home cooks and food enthusiasts who want content that is tested, practical, and rooted in real culinary knowledge — not just adapted from other sources. With hands-on kitchen experience spanning South Indian, North Indian, and Continental cuisines, Ishaanvi brings a cross-regional perspective to her food writing. She has published 150+ food articles and recipes, covering everything from everyday meal planning to deep dives into the science of cooking and the cultural history of Indian food. Across all her work, every recipe is kitchen-tested, every technique is chef-verified, and every recommendation comes from direct culinary experience — not guesswork.

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Replying to the question above
Updated on05/28/26

It’s not like that airlines don’t serve good food. You may have a bad experience but I am a regular flyer and I found most of airlines food average. The food quality mostly depends on the airline. I think the food quality on US carriers is not up to the mark and on the scale 1 to 10, I would like to rate them 5. Moreover, they only serve food on long haul routes.

But most European and Middle East carriers like Air France, Emirates, Qatar Airways etc. serve delicious food. I just traveled in Saudi Airlines business class and I had the best ever meal on an airplane.

I do agree that airlines services have changed over a couple of years but in my opinion it all depends on the cost of your ticket. You are paying them for your travel expense not for a premium meal. So, you can’t expect to receive a premium meal. Next time, when you travel then choose a business class ticket, although the ticket price is expensive but for sure your notion of airlines serve bad food will change.

 

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Rohan Chauhan
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Replying to the question above
Answered on11/10/18
Because people purchase the lowest price tickets they can get and have decided that they do not want to pay more for better food. Everything in the coach section of an airplane is as cheap as possible, including the food. If you want to have improved food at a much higher price, get a business or first class ticket, and you will find the food is very good.
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Akash Verma
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Replying to the question above
Answered on05/02/20
The low mugginess dries out our nasal sections, and the gaseous tension desensitizes our taste buds, which is the reason aircraft regularly pick salty stews or zesty curries. Aircrafts arranging another menu will frequently taste nourishment and wine on board a trip before clearing it for open utilization, on account of the variety in taste
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mudas saraziz
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Related

Why is Indian food so different?

Answered on01/22/18

The reason behind this question is that, on an average a traditional Indian dish has at least 7 ingredients that often have various flavors or spicing that are heterogeneously combined so that each bite or mouthful can revel different combinations of flavor elements that burst upon the tongue at different times in the chewing process. The main distinctive factor about Indian food is the unique amalgamation of spices across different recipes. Indian cuisine is characterised by the extensive use of these spices, each imparting a unique flavor and making the dish uniquely aromatic. Also the way the in which the ingredients of the Indian Cuisines are paired is also a major reason which makes it distinctive.In Indian food all the ingredients has its own list of flavor compounds. In a recent research it has been found that in Indian Cuisine the ingredients are tended to mix in such a way that the flavors don’t overlap at all.

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Komal Verma
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Answered on12/30/18
Aircrafts used to do their own providing food. Or then again, in any event, some of it. Accept BA for instance. They had enough flights at their Heathrow center point to manufacture and keep up a flight kitchen. Be that as it may, down course, at spots they served rarely, they contracted with a neighborhood provider. In numerous spots the neighborhood provider was really the flight kitchen of the nearby aircraft and the sustenance mirrored that reality. I can recall flying London/Bahrain/Delhi/Bangkok/hong Kong on a BA 747 out of 1978 and getting a few distinct foods on load up.

In those days providing food could be a bit hit and miss. Aircrafts needed better power over the item they were putting forth. A couple of carriers considered this to be a chance and begun either purchasing or setting up flight kitches around the globe so they could supply their very own flights as well as different aircrafts too. Lufthansa and Swiss spring to mind.

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vishal rajput
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Replying to the question above
Answered on12/01/18
Since individuals buy the least value tickets they can get and have concluded that they would prefer not to pay more for better sustenance. Everything in the mentor segment of a plane is as shabby as could be expected under the circumstances, including the sustenance. In the event that you need to have enhanced sustenance at an a lot more expensive rate, get a business or top of the line ticket, and you will discover the nourishment is great.
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Madhav Shastri
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Answered on11/29/18
The airline business is so much more competitive than you realize. Airlines have been driven for many years to reduce their catering costs. An airline with only a few flights per day from an airport could not achieve any economy of scale in their meal production, and service companies stepped forward with proposals to combine inflight meals with other catering programs. These days, the "flight kitchen" business generally is very concentrated at any given airport, and airlines will request competitive bids to provide meals for their flights, according to the airline's specification and recipes.
Khurram Shahzad
Khurram Shahzad
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Replying to the question above
Answered on11/22/18
The airline business is so much more competitive than you realize. Airlines have been driven for many years to reduce their catering costs. An airline with only a few flights per day from an airport could not achieve any economy of scale in their meal production, and service companies stepped forward with proposals to combine inflight meals with other catering programs. These days, the "flight kitchen" business generally is very concentrated at any given airport, and airlines will request competitive bids to provide meals for their flights, according to the airline's specification and recipes.
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adhish verma
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