Any seasoned traveler has had some grim experiences dining in economy. We are all too often served barely edible slop from flimsy containers, and expected to eat it with near-unusable plastic cutlery. That is no surprise, given carriers’ constant desire to boost profit margins by cutting costs for their economy cabins. Skytrax’s Best Economy Class Airline Catering 2025 category in its World Airline Awards helps us understand which carriers have economy class food worth eating.

This article explores the six highest-ranking airlines based on their economy class catering. We cover Saudi Arabian Airlines, STARLUX Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, and EVA Air. These carriers stride ahead of the pack through high-quality food, often inspired by local cuisine, and complimentary beverages.

6

Saudia

Enjoy Middle Eastern hospitality and locally inspired delicacies.

Saudia’s dining experience is built around “honoring the guest”, which it says is a tradition passed through the generations. Its cuisine takes inspiration from the variety of delicacies found throughout Saudi Arabia. Simple Flying’s Chris Loh was particularly impressed in his Saudia economy class review back in 2020. “[The] Food was actually fantastic and the best part of the flight. The initial snack served was a hot piece of focaccia bread with a topping of tomato, olives, and melted cheese. This also came with a delicious yogurt complete with large whole cherries in it,” he wrote.

The table below lists the top ten Skytrax rankings for economy-class catering, comparing them with the overall economy award. We can see that catering is important, but not the be-all and end-all for the economy class experience. For example, All Nippon Airways (ANA) ranks fourth in the overall award but is not in the catering top-ten:

All food served aboard Saudi aircraft follows halal requirements. The carrier also has over 17 meal categories to accommodate different dietary requirements. Saudia can also provide celebration cakes for weddings, honeymoons, and birthdays on request.

5

STARLUX Airlines

The first carrier to give economy class passengers access to meal pre-selection.

Ranked fifth by Skytrax for economy class catering, STARLUX earns its spot by being the first airline to introduce pre-selection meal service across all classes. The carrier showed that economy class dining doesn’t have to be a matter of choosing between just a couple of options. Passengers can pre-select their meals using the “Trip Management” tool. Make sure to do this at least 24 hours before your departure for one-way flights to and from Taipei and 48 hours for round-trip flights to and from Taichung.

As with all carriers, the food in economy class is far more limited than in business and first class. These budget passengers don’t have access to some of STARLUX’s collaborations with leading restaurants. For example, for flights departing from Tokyo, STARLUX works with Ningyocho Imahan, a century-old sukiyaki restaurant in the Japanese capital.

Yet STARLUX dining is still well-reviewed by trip reporters. “It was such a good portion size and the flavors were on point. The only thing that could have made this meal better would have been a proper dessert like a piece of cake or a cup of ice cream,” writes Travel Codex. They flew from STARLUX’s hub in Taipei to Los Angeles.

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These airlines all offer restaurant-level dining at 30,000 feet.

4

Singapore Airlines

Fantastic options for short-haul passengers.

Short-haul aviation is often a blind spot for economy class catering. Carriers have extremely limited or no food options, which are often not complimentary. Singapore bucks this trend by offering complimentary alcoholic beverages, including wine and spirits, with snacks on long-haul flights and two meal choices on most services under 3.5 hours. Beverages include teas, coffee, juice, soft drinks, wine, cocktails, and beer.

Working with its catering partner SATS, the carrier has developed 40 dishes for economy class passengers, so there will be something different each time you fly. There are too many to mention, but Singapore is particularly proud of its congee with pork ball and century egg, mee siam, laksa, braised beef and mushroom ragout with mashed potato, and fried carrot cake with prawns.

Singapore falls short with limited meal pre-selection for economy class passengers. This service is reserved for first, business and premium economy class passengers. Economy class passengers also can’t access the carrier’s much-revered ‘Book the Cook’ menu.

3

Qatar Airways

World’s best airline impresses with economy food options

Museum of Wander calls Qatar’s offering “meals that satisfied even a picky eater.” “I’m convinced the rest of the airline industry followed,” they write. There are multiple meal options with sides. An appetizer option is a roasted butternut and feta salad. For the main course, economy passengers often have three choices. Examples are a chicken sauté chasseur, a braised beef vindaloo, and a penne Alfredo. All meals are halal-compliant, and there are also 19 special menus for passengers with cultural and personal food requirements. Longer sectors also have a lighter second meal or snack available.

Beyond the food, the range of beverages in Qatar’s economy class is also highly impressive. Sparkling, red, and white wines are available, alongside high-end gin, vodka, and whisky. Cocktails are also on board, including Bloody Mary, gin & tonic, mimosa, screwdriver, and shandy.

However, not all commentators are convinced by Qatar’s catering in economy class. Mr. Plane Guy has reviewed the matter and didn’t pull any punches, complaining that the rapid customer service necessary in economy class isn’t consistent with the product Qatar is attempting to create. He writes, “I ordered a gin and tonic and watched it get free-poured into oblivion. I’m talking 90% gin, 10% tonic. Undrinkable… This is economy class, after all, drinks come off a trolley at speed. It’s exactly why those little miniature bottles actually work better at 35,000 feet. Same measure every time, no surprises.”

2

Cathay Pacific

Hong Kong carrier takes inspiration from popular foods in the region.

Cathay Pacific ranks second for the quality of its economy-class food. “Whether it’s Cantonese classics crafted with Michelin-starred restaurants, wholesome vegetarian dishes, iconic Hong Kong egg tarts, or freshly brewed coffee, we’re committed to bringing you a quality onboard experience,” the carrier writes. It has produced a sample menu of what you can usually expect, divided into drinks, breakfast, snacks, and supper. The inspiration comes from traditional, healthy, and plant-forward Hong Kong dining.

Breakfasts include fresh fruit, yogurt, and more, with a mushroom omelet or Chinese dim sum. The breakfast experience is rounded off with standard coffee or tea, or Hong Kong-style milk tea. Snacks include a Hong Kong egg tart, with larger options, such as cup noodles, available on request. Supper, the main service, has options like marinated cucumber, braised duck or beef, or spiced paneer. The supper is finished with fresh fruit or ice cream and tea or coffee. The exact food available on your flight will be displayed on a printed menu in both English and Cantonese. Furthermore, the number of services you receive will be defined by the length of your flight.

“The meals themselves were tasty and well-portioned. The Häagen-Dazs ice cream served with dinner was a definite highlight. Any airline that serves ice cream in economy class earns extra points in my book,” writes Museum of Wander.

The drink options will also be enticing. Soft drinks are limited to the expected cans of soda, juices, tea, and coffee, but Cathay Pacific offers a superb range of alcoholic beverages. This includes international wines alongside a range of beers, including the carrier’s own handcrafted pale ale. Spirits-lovers can enjoy Bacardi rum, Baileys, Chivas Regal, Courvoisier, Finlandia Vodka, and Gordon’s Gin.

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1

EVA Air

World’s best economy class catering stands out with great options for different dietary requirements.

EVA is a name on the tongues of most historically-minded avgeeks because it was the first carrier to introduce premium economy. It took this bold move in the early 1990s. However, passengers in the class below this cabin are also well cared for by EVA, which has been recognized as having the world’s best economy class catering. Meals are included in your flight and are drawn from menus developed by renowned chefs. The carrier has taken inspiration from Taiwanese and Asian culinary traditions.

Passengers can pre-view the exact menu that will be available on their flight online. EVA claims that this cutback on physical menus saves 1.26 million lbs (571,526 kg) of carbon emissions each year, equivalent to the amount absorbed by a 388-acre (157-hectare) forest.

Alongside the interesting Asian menu and high-quality food, EVA also stands out for catering to a broad range of religious, cultural, and dietary needs. The carrier serves meals suitable for Hindus, Muslims, and Jewish people. If this is required, make sure to give EVA plenty of notice. Standard meals also usually don’t contain beef.