Airlines ranked for in-flight meals, just one Canadian carrier makes top 75

It may be time for Canadian airlines to spend a little more time perfecting what’s on the plate.

A new study from Australian firm Canstar has analyzed more than 125,000 passenger reviews across specialized travel platforms to determine which airlines serve the best in-flight meals.

The firm ranked 100 airlines worldwide based on the quality of their onboard dining experience — and the results weren’t exactly a feast for Canada’s aviation industry.

Three Canadian airlines made the list, but none managed to crack the top 50.

Leading the Canadian pack was Air Transat, which landed in 65th place with a score of 6.23 out of 10. Air Canada followed in 83rd place with a 5.78, while WestJet came in near the bottom at 92nd with a score of 5.58.

There was at least one small win for Air Canada: the airline performed somewhat better when it came to business-class dining, ranking 35th out of 68 carriers for the quality of its premium cabin menu.

Meanwhile, soaring to the top of the rankings was Greek carrier AEGEAN Airlines, which earned a 7.82 out of 10.

The airline credits its culinary success to the Greek philosophy of filema — a tradition centred around showing love and generosity through food.

Travellers across all cabin classes are treated to authentic Greek dishes, while business-class flyers enjoy meals curated by acclaimed Greek chefs and paired with selections from expert sommeliers.

The rest of the top 10 is largely dominated by Middle Eastern and Asian airlines — carriers that have built reputations for turning airplane food from a punchline into something passengers genuinely look forward to.

Here’s the full top 100 list:

1. Aegean Airlines — 7.82/10
2. Qatar Airways — 7.68/10
3. Asiana Airlines — 7.61/10
4. Eva Air — 7.56/10
5. Singapore Airlines — 7.55/10
6. Korean Air — 7.51/10
7. All Nippon Airways — 7.37/10
8. Japan Air Lines — 7.36/10
9. Kuwait Airways — 7.26/10
10. Garuda Indonesia — 7.09/10
11. Oman Air — 7.09/10
12. Turkish Airlines — 7.06/10
13. Bangkok Airways — 7.04/10
14. Air Algerie — 7.02/10
15. Middle East Airlines — 6.99/10
16. Hainan Airlines — 6.97/10
17. Swiss Int Air Lines — 6.93/10
18. JetBlue — 6.92/10
19. Emirates Air — 6.91/10
20. Austrian Airlines — 6.89/10
21. Azerbaijan Airlines — 6.85/10
22. China Southern Airlines — 6.80/10
23. Etihad Airways — 6.79/10
24. JetBlue Mint — 6.78/10
25. Thai Airways International — 6.78/10
26. Air Mauritius — 6.77/10
27. Gulf Air — 6.75/10
28. Ethiopian Airlines — 6.72/10
29. Belavia — 6.70/10
30. Tarom — 6.70/10
31. Hawaiian Airlines — 6.69/10
32. Aeroflot — 6.64/10
33. Fiji Airways — 6.64/10
34. Sri Lankan — 6.64/10
35. China Airlines — 6.62/10
36. Air Dolomiti — 6.61/10
37. Air Tahiti Nui — 6.60/10
38. Air Serbia — 6.59/10
39. Virgin Australia — 6.54/10
40. Cathay Pacific — 6.49/10
41. Iberia — 6.48/10
42. Lufthansa — 6.47/10
43. Lufthansa City Line — 6.47/10
44. Malaysia Airlines — 6.45/10
45. Vietnam Airlines — 6.45/10
46. Delta — 6.44/10
47. South African Airways — 6.43/10
48. Virgin Atlantic — 6.43/10
49. SilkAir — 6.43/10
50. Jet Airways — 6.42/10
51. Qantas — 6.41/10
52. TAP Air Portugal — 6.41/10
53. LAN — 6.40/10
54. British Airways — 6.39/10
55. El Al — 6.38/10
56. Air India — 6.36/10
57. Air Asia — 6.36/10
58. Egypt Air — 6.30/10
59. Royal Jordanian — 6.30/10
60. Philippine Airlines — 6.29/10
61. KLM — 6.28/10
62. KLM Cityhopper — 6.28/10
63. Hong Kong Airlines — 6.24/10
64. AirBaltic — 6.23/10
65. Air Transat — 6.23/10
66. Air New Zealand — 6.16/10
67. Iran Air — 6.14/10
68. TAM Airlines — 6.11/10
69. Finnair — 6.10/10
70. Air France — 6.09/10
71. Nordstar Airlines — 6.02/10
72. Air Malta — 6.01/10
73. Rossiya — 6.00/10
74. Aer Lingus — 6.00/10
75. Jetstar — 5.99/10
76. American Eagle — 5.97/10
77. Alaska Airlines — 5.95/10
78. Aero Mexico — 5.94/10
79. China Eastern — 5.93/10
80. LOT — 5.90/10
81. S7 Airlines — 5.88/10
82. UTair — 5.79/10
83. Air Canada — 5.78/10
84. Copa Airlines — 5.77/10
85. Brussels Airlines — 5.76/10
86. LATAM — 5.69/10
87. SAS Scandinavian Airlines — 5.66/10
88. Condor — 5.65/10
89. Avianca — 5.63/10
90. Aerolineas Argentinas — 5.60/10
91. Saudia — 5.59/10
92. WestJet — 5.58/10
93. American Airlines — 5.57/10
94. United — 5.47/10
95. CSA Czech Airlines — 5.45/10
96. Air China — 5.39/10
97. ITA Airways — 5.29/10
98. Kenya Airways — 5.21/10
99. Icelandair — 5.16/10
100. Air Europa — 5.07/10

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.