Welcome to the second Fly&Dine Giveaway Interview! One lucky reader is going to win a $50 Visa gift card, so make sure to leave a comment with your answer to today’s question (below) for your chance to win.
If you’re a regular visitor to frequent flyer blogs (and if you’re reading this, you are), you certainly know Million Miles Secrets as one of the top dogs in the game. I’ve been a fan for a while now and was lucky enough to convince Daraius and his wife Emily to share the food tips they’ve picked up over countless miles of air travel. Read on to learn their secrets and you can find today’s question at the bottom of the interview with more details on how to win FREE MONEY.
It’s interview time!
What’s your favorite airport in terms of food? Why?
Daraius: I like Chicago O’Hare (ORD) for Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill.
Emily: I like Midway Airport (MDW) because of Pegasus on the Fly, which has great gyros. I also like Café Intermezzo at the Atlanta Airport (ATL) for its European food.
If you could talk directly to the airlines of the world, what advice would you give them in terms of their in-flight menus?
Daraius: Elaborate menus are great, but sometimes I just want all my food on a plate and don’t have the time for a 3-hour meal service. I’d rather go to sleep or get work done instead of waiting for the next course!
Emily: One aspect that could be improved is serving a wider variety of non-alcoholic drinks. For example, I’d like to see craft root beer or more fresh juices.
Best hotel restaurant you’ve ever eaten at? What made it so special?
Emily: My favorite hotel restaurant is La Pergola at the Rome Cavalieri hotel in Rome. This was the splurge restaurant of our anniversary trip to Italy.
Being a 3-star Michelin restaurant, there was a focus on quality, presentation, and taste.
Quality, presentation, and taste at La Pergola
I thought their signature pasta dish, the Fagottelli “La Pergolaâ€, was divine! It was very romantic because we could see all of Rome lit up.
If you could use your miles to pay for one life-changing meal, where would it be, what would it be, and how many miles would you be willing to spend
Emily: A meal which Daraius and I would like to have would be a last dinner with family who has since passed away.
It would mean so much to have one last dinner with them, enjoying all of our favorite foods together! Putting a price on that experience, whether it be with miles or cash, is difficult.
Which airline has the best overall food and beverage program in your opinion?
Daraius: Etihad served one of my favorite meals. I loved how innovative the cuisine was and how good everything tasted!
Emily: We can’t choose one airline because they all offer something unique. For example, British Airways’ High Tea can’t be beat. Their scones with clotted cream and jam are to die for!
Our last flight on Cathay Pacific also had a very good selection of freshly prepared foods!
Thanks, Daraius and Emily, for participating! Head over to Million Mile Secrets to see Fly&Dine’s answers to Daraius’s questions (we did a bit of an interview trade).
Now it’s your turn to have some fun. It’s GIVEAWAY TIME! I’m giving away a $50 Visa gift card to one lucky reader. That’s basically FREE CASH. All you have to do is answer this week’s designated question in the comments below:
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“What’s your favorite airline to fly in terms of food?â€
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Put your answer in the comments right here on this page.
If you’re a Twitter user, add your Twitter name to your comment, follow @FlyDine, and tweet this to your followers: “I just entered @FlyDine’s giveaway for FREE MONEY! RT and enter here to win: http://bit.ly/1c4Z1Csâ€
UPDATE:Â The contest is now over! Congratulations to Eric F.!
One entry per person. No purchase necessary. In fact, there’s nothing to purchase. By entering, you agree that you’re cool with the fact that Fly&Dine makes all the decisions and those decisions are final, even if you don’t like them. Contest closes at 12:01am Pacific on 2/24/2014. Winner announced on Monday!
Air Canada had very nice food options when I flew business class with them on a transpacific flight.
if beer is considered a food then it has to be virgin america as they always have at least one good craft beer available!
Singapore Airlines!
Cathay Pacific, hands down.
Delta !
JetBlue for domestic. Haven’t flown on too many international airline to tell the difference..yet.
I’d definitely pick Asiana. The food they offer in business class is even better than other airlines offer in their first class flights.
I actually like the Business Class food on United International Flights.
Southwest! I supplement their peanuts & pretzels with yummy food from home, and SW doesn’t charge change fees.
United!
Air France offered the best meal I’ve experienced while flying. Often though first class dining is so far removed from what’s served in coach. I’d love to hear best priority cabin and best coach cabin favorites.
British Airways
Alitalia! I got to fly first class and have a real meal! It was wonderful!
Swiss Air – because they always give out chocolates…
American Airlines!
My favourite is Virgin Atlantic(upper class that is!!) thanks to flying club miles I don’t know what they serve at “the back”!!,,
Thai Airlines
Southwest, because any food is good with free drink coupons.
Air France
Lufthansa for their cheese and beer!! My Twitter handle: ncsujen07
Our most memorable food experience was on Delta in the upstairs business class of the 747 !
Virgin Atlantic
Cathay Pacific was recent and great!
My husband and I loved the unique selection of food and wines on our flight from DFW to Sao Paolo on American Airlines. That being said, we will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary this October and I would really love to experience the high tea on British Airways!
I have to go with Delta as well… Their prepackaged meals are a lot better than the other airlines. I prefer to scope out restaurants on layovers though. Any time I eat on a plane I end up with something in my lap!
Virgin
While I don’t have much experience flying first class, I found Iberia to be the best of the four airlines I flew up front on a recent trip to Spain. They also definitely had the best lounge.
Air New Zealand
Japan Airline still the best
Asiana for their bibimbap 🙂
ANA!
JetBlue
I like the food on American Airlines – for airline food the choices are decent and will get you from point A to point B.
This is weird, but the best biscuit I’ve ever had was on American first class!
The former Air Jamaica. They had real dinners, not weird frozen and reheated food and they served champagne to everyone not just first class.
Cathay Pacific – best dim sum breakfast!
Congratulations, Eric! Based on the random drawing by Random.org, you just won the Fly&Dine Giveaway!
Korean Air. Love the Korean offerings.
Delta for me too! I visit relatives in Taiwan once or twice a year, and Delta’s entertainment system and food both went up in quality for sure.
When it comes to food I guess that Korean!!
In terms of food, my favorite airline is Cathay Pacific.
Favorite airline food is All Nippon .
My favorite airline food is on Turkish Airlines.
Asiana has great quality.
Love Cathay Pacific snacks
Turkish Airlines!!
i think it has got to be 1st class Lufthansa..the champagne the caviar..the wonderful filet etc it was a one in a lifetime experience i will probably never get to do again…it was wow service food etc…singapore air is a 2nd
JAL Japan Airlines has amazing business class food and a menu that you can order at any time. The lounge had such an amazing spread, too. It was our very first non economy flight last year. My mind was blown and little did we know the bar was set high for all future premium flights. We had a bento box with the freshest delights beautifully packaged, my fiance woke up mid flight and ordered Starbucks ice cream. Then for our honeymoon we went on Korean Air and that was disappointing in business class in terms of food plus their lounge was pathetic. we were definitely spoiled by JAL.
I really enjoy the food on Air China. Interesting flavors and good service.
The only meal I’ve had on a flight in the past 10 years was on United, so I guess I’d have to say United is my favorite (due to lack of competition).
Japan Airline! The food is tasty AND pretty.
Southwest. Coffee is good and I know going into the flight that I need to bring my own food so no disappointment like when the “snack pack” offered by other airlines sells out before they get to my row.
EVA air
My favorite so far is British Airways!
Asiana! Great wines + bibimbap + lemon tartlet = happy flyer! They’re one of the few airlines where I’ve been happy with the fish quality (had a fantastic red snapper a couple months back). Also, the on-demand snacks kept my husband happy & entertained for the 14 hour flight.
Gulf airlines because they keep a chef on board!
I wish I could be fancy, but still a newbie flying in coach! With that said…getting something other than a drink is nice!
Asiana!!!
Cathay Pacific. Yum…
I liked the food on British Airways! 😀
cathay pacific–but more for their food options on the ground than in the air!
It is Singapore Airline, and I also like to watch movies the whole trip. Thanks.
Southwest! Their wine and pretzels compliment each other so well.
Hmmmm………don’t have a ton of airline food experience, but since SW just added Fat Tire to their beer selection, I will go with them!
Hawaiian Airlines! Just recently flew to Maui and they served a delicious meal for free, even to us in economy. Plus everyone on the plane is so happy because we’re going to Maui!
British Airways for International flights.
Singapore Airlines
I typically on fly southwest so I guess that’s my answer. 🙂
ANA has the best in flight food. Hands down.
Aer Lingus was pretty decent.
Air France has great food! 🙂
Definitely Cathay Pacific. Not only are the main meals great, but the snacks you can order throughout the flight are fantastic, too.
I’m pretty much happy with any airline that provides food at this point (even snack). I thought the food on United international a few years back was pretty good (but I was also pretty hungry- it’s all relative)
Singapore Airlines would be my go to dining airliner! Menus even in coach!
British Airways.
The food on Virgin Atlantic wasn’t too bad.
delta….ESP with free drink passes. 3 hr flights suddenly seem like 5 minutes!
Singapore airlines for the food and cocktails! everything tastes better with a SilverKris Sling
Virgin! They DO feed you!
Working on moving to first class cabin. Can’t wait.
Actually I’d pick EL AL as their meals are pretty low calorie compared to other airlines and really make an effort of having “healthier” meals onboard.
I guess I don’t fly up front enough to have a fav airline in terms of food! I’m happy if they serve food at all! But please enter me in the contest anyway!
PS – It’s great to read a blogger who sprinkles jokes among his posts!
Virgin Atlantic Upper Class for the food (especially their afternoon tea) with a shout-out to Austrian Air Business Class for their custom-prepared hot chocolate.
I like Air India because they are the only ones that have good Indian food.
What kind of training you have to go through to be a food critic and what do you think of Indian food.
Haven’t had too many great airline meals yet, but I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve had on Jet Blue so far. Nothing special, but at least edible!
We do enjoy the meals on Cathay but being able to have a snack during the long flight is great also.
I like Singapore Book the Cook
I haven’t flown internationally much, but KLM has been fairly good for economy food.
I would say Air Canada – BA is nice with a bottle of wine (tiny bottle for flights within Europe).
Never really had an airline meal but Southwest has great snacks! =P
I’ve come to enjoy the food in Y on all of the domestic carriers as keeps me on my diet 😉
Malaysian Airlines. I like their service.
I had a great meal the last time I flew Lufthansa, though I have to admit that I am not very picky when it comes to airline food!
i like asiana food
American Airlines
I haven’t had much airline food, but I do like the free snacks and drinks on Southwest!
Southwest Airlines is my favorite for food. It’s not so much the food as it is the friendly flight attendants. I’ll never forget the time I remarked to one of them that I loved the Stacy’s Pita Chips they were giving out. Next thing I knew, she made a special trip to bring me two more bags. I’ll never forget that, so that inexpensive gesture made me loyal for life.
Cathay Pacific
Gotta go with the flow and say Cathay Pacific.
Cathay pacific so far