Best Airline Meal
 

There's a thread running on the Cabin Crew forum trying to find out about a dish called 'Princess Scallops' served on BA Concorde.

The thread has prompted some discussion of airline meals, so maybe we can start another: what's the best (or worst?!) airline meal you ever had?

I'll start: 1997, Sabena 737 to Berlin, flying high alongside the Alps. Lunch - 'Chicken a la King'. Sitting back as the Alps cruised alongside in glorious sunshine, glass of red in one hand, ciggie in the other (those were the days!), I thought 'It doesn't get better than this!'

Dean

Today

In the hotel prior to leaving for the airport

Many years ago we were booked with Alitalia from LGW to sicily but the week prior to departure were on holiday in england,got back to sussex the night before to find 3 msgs from travel agent on ansafone - (1) ''Alitalia on strike,we can book you on BA for 450 squid'' (2) Same msg again then (3) ''Just turn up at LGW and see the Alitalia station manager who can get you to Bologna that day and then to sicily the next morning ''

So we go to LGW and end up on a Lauda Citation,with proper crockery and metal cutlery :) out to bologna - v nice !

Unfortunately the strike finished before our return date and we flew back in a threadbare DC9 LOL.
I flew out to Zimbabwe with Swissair back in the mid 80's (DC 8) and that was also v nice with crockery and metal cutlery :)

Don't recall the menu, other than impressed, but the most memorable flight was the only time I've flown BA, Gatwick to Charlotte. Was actually a USair 767 with USA rego, US crew, painted in BA colours. Linen table cloth, china, metal eating irons, and this in economy - and the best ever quality IFE sound to this day. Did I say I was impressed?

Glugging copious champagne on an MD81 jumpseat coming back from Copenhagen to Heathrow on SAS. And eating the always-outstanding SAS Euroclass meal.

Certainly the best seat in the house, and an experience never bettered in my 15 years in the industry.

At around 400 AGL or so, 1 mile final to 27R at Heathrow, the characterful captain turned to me and said

"Do you know what the French call hand-flying?"

(funny time to ask, I thought)

"Aviation Naturelle .....LOOK OUT BELOW!"

He jabbed the A/P disconnect button and did a greaser. Happy days.

Before they dumbed down their service in April 2004, I was fortunate enough to be flying from Birmingham to Frankfurt with Lufthansa in Business Class. When the meal (hot in those days) came, it was fine - the dessert was some Black Forest gateau inspired ice cream in what I took to be a cardboard cylinder.

It wasn't - it was pure white chocolate and very yummy!

But a few days after the Apr 2004 dumb down, I paid for a quick Economy Class trip to Frankfurt - all they gave us for a meal was bread and water. Literally! The cabin crew had already expressed their outrage to the management, about serving 'prison food' (as they put it) to their passengers, so as well as the bread and water, we were given 'customer comment' forms....

The bread and water era didn't last long, but the catering on LH short haul is pretty meagre still.....:(

Breakfast on the 'Budgie' Manchester to Aberdeen was always pretty good, even more so for the anticipation as the aroma of bacon and eggs wafted around the small cabin as the nosh was prepared as the thrumming Darts lifted us high over the Lake District.

Manchester to Copenhagen business class breakfast on the BA 1-11, which I did a lot in the late '80s, always included a small bottle of champagne. Very civilised.

My one and only Concorde flight (Manchester to Paris via The Bay for mach2 and 60,000') was entirely in the jump seat (absolutely amazing experience) so I missed out on the fizz and nosh on that one. Not bothered about that, though!

I do however, remember coming back from Muscat in a BA 767 years ago and spending the first couple of hours in the jump seat, and being liberally supplied with G&Ts!

The best I can ever remember is a bibimbap flying Korean from LHR to Seoul.

I've some fond memories also of Soviet era tea on board Aeroflot, where the cabin crew would come down the cabin with an enormous teapot.

G

On my last pilgrimage to Mecca, I enjoyed a wonderful goat-knuckle freshly cooked on the primus in the aisle.
Just joking. :p

The worst perhaps?

Lunchbox as provided by civilian caterers at Khartoum c-1980.


http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...0_1066x800.jpg


A couple of ropey rolls and two dead bananas - so awful I had to photograph it for posterity.

But look at how hygienically packed and well presented it is.
That's better than Garuda economy can do.

deanm.

"1997, Sabena 737 to Berlin, flying high alongside the Alps."

Presumably from Brussels. How come you were near the Alps???

Flew Sabena several times, never anything to write home about.

SABENA - "Such a bad experience never again".

Fine dining: Swiss MD11 First Class Zurich to Bangkok, fillet steak.

Surprising dining: Singapore Airlines 777 Biz Johannesburg to Sin, breakfast with poached eggs, bacon, the real thing, baked beans and fried potatoes.

Worst by far: Air Cepati CN235 Halim to Cilacap on Java, a box of something like Warmtoasts offering above.

Courtesy of the knock on effect of the LATCC ATCAs (as they were in those days) going on strike, ended up on a very delayed PAN-AM B747 JFK-LHR, with most of the PAX being squeezed onto the preceding (less delayed) PA 1. Three of us in First Class normally with a choice of prime-rib or lobster thermidor for dinner. Offered both, the best surf n' turf I have ever tasted!

Wardair (remember them) LGW to Montreal 1989 - steak served on proper china plates / metal cutlery. Also asked how i wanted it cooked. All in economy.

Worst - any of those that have given me a case of the calcutta quickstep. (well know sand pit airline in business class - twice)

I had forgotten that there were not many pax on my Swissair flight to zimbabwe in the 1980's - result bored cabin crew keeping us supplied with copious alcohol until I zonked out - I was completely smashed LOL :)

Sorry, but our service was way better than anything you see nowadays in Europe.
Sonce 1995 or so, service improved a lot, bar the occasional old fart/goat as Purser...

Worst: I think it was AA in the early 1980s Detroit to Boston on Friday evenings. When I got on I said "If you're serving that tyre-rubber chicken again this is the last time you'll see me." On the way out: "Sorry, Northeast for me next week." Slightly less convenient timing but....

In fact Northeast's food wasn't great so I'd ask for a miniature of brandy and make it last the whole hour to Baaaaston. And then get sloshed as one did did after getting home following a week working in Detroit.

Best: Laker transatlantic of course! Bring your own food and drink, no corkage charge. Loved Laker Skytrain in the 1970s.


'a

The best - SAA first class early 70s. Chateaubriand, glorious wines (and the upper deck lounge was still available for liquors and coffee afterwards). Probably the last of the enjoyable flights.

About 25 years ago, I was flying Seattle-London on a Pan Am 747 for work. I had a business class ticket, but in those days if you worked for Boeing, Pan Am would bump you one class (space available). Yep, I got bumped to First Class. The seats were nothing special (especially compared to today's lie flat), but the service was special. They fed us a seven course meal - started with caviar (never had it before and quickly decided I wasn't missing anything :rolleyes:), came around with a salad bar on a trolley where you got to pick what you wanted. One of the main course options was prime rib - they brought the meat out on a trolley - you pointed to the cut you wanted and they sliced it and served it to you. Finished up with a made to order ice cream sundae. Fantastic way to fly :ok: