Emirates, Qatar Airways and Virgin Atlantic top in-flight food and drink ratings among UK travellers

As airlines compete not only on routes and rewards but also on the in-flight experience, new data from YouGov Surveys: Self-serve reveals how airlines stack up when it comes to onboard snacks, drinks, and meals. The survey polled 1495 Britons who have flown with the nine most popular airlines in the country, and shows Emirates and Qatar Airways finding their way to British fliers’ hearts through their stomachs.

Emirates leads the pack on snacks and drinks, with 84% of those who’ve flown with the airline rating them “very” or “somewhat” good—including 43% who say they are “very good”. Qatar Airways follows closely, with 83% of passengers offering a positive rating. Virgin Atlantic also performs well, with 74% of passengers giving favourable reviews.

British Airways ranks highest among UK-based carriers, with 61% rating its snacks and drinks positively. Jet2.com (53%) and TUI Airways (50%) follow, while easyJet (35%) and Wizz Air (25%) see less positive feedback. Ryanair sits at the bottom, with just 21% of passengers rating its snacks and drinks as good, and more than four in ten (41%) describing them as bad.

A similar pattern emerges in ratings for in-flight meals. Emirates again comes out on top, with 85% of passengers giving a positive review, followed by Qatar Airways (82%) and Virgin Atlantic (73%). British Airways earns a 63% positive rating for its meals, placing it ahead of Jet2.com and TUI Airways (both 49%).

easyJet receives mixed reviews for its meals, with just 29% of passengers rating them positively, while 32% say they are bad. Wizz Air fares slightly worse, with only 23% describing its meals as good and 40% calling them bad. Ryanair once again receives the lowest ratings: only 17% of its passengers rate the meals positively, while half (50%) say they are poor.

Methodology

YouGov polled 1495 British adults online on March 28. The survey was carried out through YouGov Surveys: Self-serve. Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, region, and social grade. The margin of error is +/-3%  for the overall sample. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Self-serve.