Which Airlines Want Your Food Order Before Boarding

September 18, 2012 at 4:59 PM | by jetflyboy | Comment (1)

For those of you that are flying coach, the days of chicken or beef might finally be coming to an end. Airlines are realizing there is a market for premium meals even in the back of the plane and they're willing to take some cash and cook it up for you. But, only if you give them ample notice.

We have told you about a few airlines that have been upgrading their menus to offer coach flyers an improved flying experience, even giving a sample of the foreign land's cuisine. Here is the rundown of the pre-order meals options, by airline, but keep in mind this is really only the start.

· Air France might just be like a flying Cordon Bleu with meal options of a full Italian feast, a more refined organic meal option or traditional French fare. Prices range from $15 to $30.

· KLM gives passengers the option to taste the world while flying the world. We've told you before that the Flying Dutchman offers up some fancy meals for extra cash. It just means extra gouda for everyone!

· Scoot doesn't quite give away free food, but they do offer a pre-order meal option. We had the opportunity to sample the menu and the exotic options were tasty, but not super pretty.

· Air Asia's laundry list of on-board meals should appeal to all tastes and desires and, if pre-ordered online, it saves some rupiah with a 15% discount. Now, the hardest decision is deciding between the pad thai or tandoori chicken.

· US Airways makes economy flyers think they are in the front of the plane with fancy-schmancy fare. Gourmet options are plenty with citrus chicken skewers and refreshed dessert options. The price is a bit steep at around $20, but if the taste is nice, the price is right.

· Hawaiian Airlines announced their improved a la carte option last month, making their in-flight options the most Hawaiian this side of the volcano. Travelers looking to wiggle their toes in the black sand of Hawaii will have the option of dishes inspired by the taste of the islands. Besides the macadamia nut cookies, the best thing is the free wine option!

· TUI, a German low-cost airline, wows passengers with the option to upgrade the meal. Our friends over at InflightFeed, pre-ordered a meal (pictured above) that made other flyers pretty jealous and had them licking their lips.

NOTE: Inflight feed is sponsoring a contest with an ultimate prize of $1,000 in buy-on-board meal options. Have a look at their website for details.

With this, non-inclusive, list of airlines filling the bellies of happy passengers, we hope this trend continues to take off. It only makes traveling a whole lot more enjoyable, not to mention heaps more memorable.

[Photo: Nikos Loukas/InflightFeed]

Comment (1)

Return to » Which Airlines Want Your Food Order Before Boarding

I know people who complain about the complementary meal they get back in economy and I just feel like saying... it's free, shut up. While I usually fly business class, I'm all for pre-ordering a meal (in both classes) at the time of booking the tickets. That way the airline only needs to cater for those that want a meal and it avoids that awkward moment of being the first person that cannot choose between beef stroganoff or cold pasta salad when the dish you want runs out. Pre-ordering means you get what you want, you have an expectation of what is being served and if you want a premium meal in economy, then pay for it and sit down and shut up.

Jaunted

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