Flight attendant reveals how to get the best meals on a plane

Woman with tray of food on the plane, food served on board of economy class airplane.

Food can make or break a flight experience. And it turns out there is a secret sauce to getting the best meal service.

Where you sit on a plane can help you get a better inflight meal service, a flight attendant has revealed.

According to Cathay Pacific flight attendant Joyce Chan, sitting closer to the cabin can work in your favour. “Often meal service will begin at the front of the cabin and progress to the back. Choosing a seat towards the front may increase your likelihood of being served earlier,” she told Delicious.

You’re also more likely to get the meal you want, she said.

Flying tens of thousands of metres in the air can affect the taste of meals on a flight, according to Dr Karan Raj.

“This is because the low cabin pressure when you’re flying affects your taste buds meaning that sweet and salty flavours are muted,” he explained in a viral TikTok posted on April 26, which has now been viewed almost 230000 times.

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♬ original sound - Dr Karan Raj

At the same, however, “umami-rich foods are amplified” so choosing meals with meats, tomatoes and cheeses would generally taste better than they otherwise would, Raj said.

As for beverages, a popular cocktail may be the best choice. University of Oxford experimental psychologist Charles Spence suggested drinking a Bloody Mary “given the double dose of umami both from tomatoes and from the Worcestershire sauce,” he told the New York Post.

Stephanie Smith, a women’s health nutritionist for Agora Health, agreed. “If you do want to drink alcohol, opt for something like a single Bloody Mary – tomato juice is a source of electrolytes as well as being antioxidant rich.”