Splashing out on a first class plane ticket won’t necessarily get you a better meal, according to an expert in the know.
According to Marie Kilanis, a professional taste-tester currently working with Singapore Airlines, some of the nicest food is actually served in economy.
“For Singapore Airlines, some of the best meals I have had are from economy class - the massaman curry in particular,” she told Couriermail.
“The Wagyu beef in first class is always cooked to perfection.”
As part of her job as a senior customer services officer, Kilanis is responsible for assessing the quality of the food on board.
In a normal week she tries around three meals and grades each on their quality.
“When we score food, it’s from 0-3. When it’s a three, it’s what you would get in a restaurant. I very rarely give a three — but when I do, I’m very strict in enforcing the standards for that dish must be upheld. Two is acceptable, when the dish has met what it’s supposed to be. One is bland or salty, or undercooked/overcooked. Zero is downright unacceptable,” she explained.
Klianis‘ comments come after a former flight attendant claimed your meal choice can prevent you from being upgraded to first class.
Former Qantas cabin crew member Nik Loukas, who worked in the industry for 10 years before starting a blog about flight food, claimed that anyone will special meal requirements (such as gluten-free or vegetarian) would be overlooked when upgrades were available.
“If there’s a special meal request in your booking, the airline won’t even look at you [for an upgrade],” he claimed.
“Because you’ve got a dietary requirement, they might not be able to cater for you if they upgrade you.”
However, Qantas has since denied this is the case.