If you’re travelling via Air France La Première or in the business cabin from July to October 2022, the dishes served will be the work of Michelin-starred chefs Anne-Sophie Pic and Michel Roth. Pic will take over the business cabin, with a choice of eight delectable dishes. Feast on delights such as braised beef, potato mousseline, plum chutney and tarragon breadcrumbs or roast chicken, spelt risotto and courgettes with green cardamom.
Flying in the ultra-swish La Première cabin? Then your dinner will be courtesy of acclaimed chef Michel Roth. He's created a fine appetiser and starter, plus eight decadent dishes. Kick things off with caviar sturia with a pancake and smoked fish cream, followed by a lobster medallion starter. Mains include such treats as fillet of brill in a shellfish jus and chicken supreme with olives and black truffles.
If you’re lucky enough to be travelling by private jet with Luxaviation, you can choose whatever you want to eat. Whether you’re craving croissants, canapés or sushi – it’s no problem – the ‘in-flight dining choreographer’ will sort it out. There's even a special ‘doggie menu’ for those travelling with pets.
Qantas' First passengers are now treated to a string of dishes whipped up in partnership with Australian celebrity chef and restaurateur Neil Perry. Seasonality and artisan producers come to the fore in a menu that includes meals like pumpkin tortellini with roast chicken broth and asparagus or seared Cone Bay barramundi with herbed garlic potatoes and broccolini. Sommeliers in the Sky are on hand to help you with your wine pairings too.
Coffee is serious stuff in Austrian Airlines' business class. As well as sumptuous food there’s a selection of Viennese speciality coffees to choose from, served alongside traditional Austrian cakes. If you’re in the market for something a little stronger, the skilled crew is pleased to advise on Austrian wines and international reds and whites to accompany your appetiser and main course.
SWISS promises that you'll "dine as if you were in a gourmet restaurant" in its first class cabin. From March 2022, the airline will be running the SWISS Taste of Switzerland programme on its long-haul services, giving flying diners a sampler of some of Switzerland's best chefs. Offerings include dishes from Michelin-starred chef Patrick Mahler, of Lake Lucerne's Park Hotel Vitznau; plus vegan and vegetarian dishes created by Zurich's Hiltl restaurant, tipped as the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world.
Emirates is one of the most luxurious airlines, so it’s no surprise its first class à la carte menu is sublime. As well as a comprehensive cocktail, wine and spirits list, there’s fancy food aplenty. Feast on antipasti including Wagyu bresaola. Follow up with mains such as pan-seared salmon trout and moreish desserts like orange frangipane tart or an assortment of fine cheeses. First class passengers can also enjoy unlimited caviar – a new perk introduced in August 2022. Served on a mother of pearl spoon and paired with Dom Perignon vintage Champagne, the luxurious treat is part of Emirates' £1.6 billion ($2bn) investment to 'enhance its inflight customer experience'.
To keep things fresh and interesting, French all-business-class airline La Compagnie changes its menu every month. Onboard flights from Paris to New York passengers are served such delicious creations as roasted duckling in quince juice and pumpkin, and a seasonal cheese selection, all courtesy of chef Christophe Langrée. Feeling thirsty? The airline offers a lengthy beverage list with Champagne, wine, cognac and digestifs.
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Passengers in Philippine Airlines' business class are treated to a temping array of Western-style and Filipino- and Japanese-inspired dishes, with well-known chefs (such as Fernando Aracama) often getting involved with menus. High-flying diners can expect delicious morsels such as pan-fried halibut fillet with pesto sauce and herb-roasted carrots or black sesame and chicken soup. There's a fine selection of wine, beer and spirits to accompany your meal too.
Finnair's new 2022 menu marries Nordic culinary flair with inspiration from the destinations that the airline flies to. Thoughtfully curated strings of dishes will vary from flight to flight, but may include light cold plates like cold smoked salmon, pickled daikon and mussel mayonnaise, and warm dishes such as smoked rainbow trout or braised veal rump steak. Be sure to order a glass of the Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut too.
If you’re on travelling Business Premier with Air New Zealand, you’ll enjoy dishes developed by native chefs. On the menu is beef fillet with kumara and red onions cooked in balsamic, horseradish and beetroot chrain or chermoula-rubbed salmon with spiced cauliflower and cardamom couscous. Top-drawer desserts include a dark chocolate and hazelnut praline delice. Wine connoisseurs won't be left out as Air New Zealand also has a wine shop where you can purchase drinks you've sampled onboard after the flight.
EVA Air’s Royal Laurel cabin brings a touch of class to mealtimes in the air. As well as enjoying Champagne, cold-pressed fruit juice and fine wine, passengers dine on steak, fresh lobster, local specialities and decadent desserts.
You're promised "a restaurant setting" in the sky onboard Singapore Airlines' first class. There's a slew of international chefs on the airline's culinary panel, including three-Michelin-starred Georges Blanc, so dishes have global influences. On first class flights from New York, the menu might include grilled shrimp and scallops, seafood congee or slow-roasted beef fillet. The drinks selection is also top notch, with Krug, Dom Pérignon and more on the menu.
Michelin-starred chefs are behind the menus served at JAL BEDD, Japan Airlines’ "exclusive restaurant in the sky". In first class, flying diners might sample dishes, including Japanese-style chicken curry, soba noodles or donburi rice bowls, and sweets like macarons by chocolatier Jean-Paul Hevin. Plus, there’s Louis Roederer Cristal, one of the world’s oldest prestige Champagnes.
On Thai Airways, passengers are treated like royalty in Royal First Class. You can now pre-select your meal before you fly, with tempting options such as chu-chee lobster (a kind of spicy lobster curry) and baked Chilean seabass with lobster bisque, served with polenta cake waiting for you in the sky. All the while, Champagne, top wines and brandy are free-flowing too.
Book a seat aboard Virgin Atlantic’s upper class to indulge in delicious cocktails, a great selection of dishes and plenty of scrumptious desserts. You'll get a glass of bubbly on arrival, then main menu highlights include dishes such as garlic and ginger prawns and a breaded chicken breast with garlic truffle butter. There's a fine wine selection curated in partnership with London merchant Jeroboams too.
First class passengers aren't tied to set mealtimes on Cathay Pacific. The award-winning wines and dishes created in partnership with Michelin-starred chefs can be ordered at any time during the flight. Expect a caviar course with Krug Champagne, warmed blinis and traditional garnishes Then international and Asian main dishes follow, including grilled beef tenderloin with thyme jus and pan-fried black cod with edamame and gremolata.
In American Airlines’ Flagship First class, meals are created by top chefs. If you’re heading to Hawaii, for example, it’s James Beard Award winner Sam Choy you have to thank for the delicious dinners. Past menus have included sriracha crab, blue cheese salad, pork chop with Dijon gravy and chocolate ice cream sundaes, along with premium beer, wine and spirits.
Onboard Saudia, the food served is among the best in the world. First class customers are treated to a lavish four-course meal which might start with Iranian sevruga caviar with traditional accompaniments and appetisers such as smoked salmon, dill-marinated prawns and Arabic mezze. Decadent mains include chicken stuffed with feta and spinach, grilled steak and lobster Newburg. The grand finale might be tiramisu gateau or warm chocolate brownies with ice cream, plus Arabic tea and coffee.
On Asiana Airlines, meals have been worked on in collaboration with the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine and have both traditional Korean and Italian influences. First class guests on long-haul flights can pre-order from a range of options. Highlights include a traditional Korean dish of pan-fried beef, beans and tofu skewers, sea bream soup and roasted butterfish. It's all accompanied by the finest quality wines and eco-friendly coffee.
In first class onboard China Southern Airlines, guests can enjoy both Western and Cantonese cuisine. Main courses highlight regional Chinese specialities such as rice noodles with beef tendon and marinated egg, while Western dishes might include French-style eggs and pastries. But the highlight of the culinary offering is the In-Flight Tea Garden, a chance to experience China’s traditional tea ceremony culture.
'Farm to flight' is the mantra onboard Korean Air's first class, where you can enjoy rib-eye steak, beef ribs and chicken dishes from the Jedong pastures of the Jeju Island. Luxury Korean specialities include bibimbap (rice bowls), marinated crab, stir-fried spicy octopus, kimchi noodle soup and ginseng chicken soup. To top off the experience, there’s Perrier-Jouet Champagne and quality wines.
In Delta One, one of the most exclusive cabins in the sky, expect chef-curated menus that highlight local specialities and change with the seasons. Expect tasty offerings such as ginger-beer-braised osso bucco, wild mushroom ravioli or chicken cacciatore. Drinks-wise, Lanson Black Label Brut Champagne is the order of the day.
As well as a selection of meals from around the world, Vietnam Airlines' business class menu includes traditional Vietnamese dishes like phở bò, a restorative beef broth with fragrant herbs. There's also a selection of cocktails inspired by the country like the creatively named Hello Vietnam, Red River and Saigon Sunlight. On special occasions, such as Christmas or Oktoberfest, the airline makes the effort to include seasonal dishes.
Check out the incredible menus served on the high seas during the golden age of travel