A new study shows that today’s average first-class, round-trip ticket costs $13,000. (So basically you could buy a compact car or fly in luxury for a day.) For that amount of money you are not guaranteed a delay-free flight or one that is void of turbulence. Heck, for $13,000 the airline can’t even promise that your luggage will arrive at your final destination in one piece. However, what you are guaranteed in first class is a four-star meal.
Champagne, caviar, lobster—-you name it. These days the sky is the limit when it comes to dining on fancy food in first class. Airlines’ newest upscale menus look to make flying a luxurious experience. Carriers say they are focusing more on creating a personalized and superior quality experience for first class customers.
Forget about pre-cooked meals served on plastic, first class passengers on Gulf Air are treated to dishes such as honey glazed quail on a sweet potato cake or Arabic spiced veal ragout served on bone china. And lest you think that flying first class on Cathay Pacific comes with microwavable meals, think again. The airline recently installed skillets and toasters on board, so eggs are made to order and bread is freshly toasted.
Meanwhile, Doha’s Qatar Airways is now presenting its menus in leather-bound folders. In those leather folders sit menus that spell out the airline’s 10-course meal, which includes traditional Arabic mezze, such as tabouli and hummus, Middle Eastern breads like lavash and a main course of lobster tail and pan fried chicken stuffed with feta and tomatoes. First class flyers can then top off their lofty meals with warm chocolate cake with almond sauce, a cheese platter and freshly brewed cappuccino.
First class flyers on India’s Jet Airways dine on dishes including chicken breast in cashew cream sauce with a trio of lentils, and a selection of local breads, such as chappati and naan. But, it’s not just what you eat that makes flying in first class such a memorable experience it’s when you eat. Almost all airlines with first-class cabins allow passengers to choose when they want to eat their multi-course meals.
If all this talk of delicious dishes has you pondering life in first class consider this: studies show the estimated cost of a single first-class meal ranges between $25 and $50, a significant jump from five years ago and about as much as you would pay for the same food on the ground.
Do you fly first class? What have your dining experiences been like?
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