Cheddar:
Airline food has been the butt of jokes for decades. People just don’t seem to like what’s on the menu at 35,000 feet. Why is this the case?
I’ve never had a good meal in coach on any of the major (or even minor) North American carriers but I really enjoyed the meals I’ve had on the trips taken on Cathay Pacific. And I’ve enjoyed the few First Class cabin meals I’ve had.
Cathay Pacific had good food. I enjoyed Philippine Airlines food, too.
We flew Virgin Atlantic to the UK a couple of years ago. In Premium Economy (chosen because we both absolutely needed the legroom), the food was pretty darned good. All told, it was arguably the most pleasant flight experience I’ve ever had.
I too would say Cathay Pacific is my favorite. I liked the food. And the staff are terrific too. Kingfisher airlines, an internal airline in India, had phenomenal food, but the only airline named after a beer brand went out of business. As for the rest, the one I appreciate the most is Alaska Airlines. But their food is barely better than average.