The six airlines serving the best Christmas in-flight meals – think roast turkey and goose, plum liqueur and, for Japanese, New Year lucky noodles
- European airlines you would expect to make a bit of a fuss about Christmas, but Gulf airlines Emirates and Etihad too will pull out the stops over the holiday
- For travellers in Asia, ANA will serve its premium customers over New Year soba noodles and other dishes that, in Japan, signify longevity
The holiday season is in full swing and, just like your neighbourhood stores, shopping malls and car dealerships, airlines are getting into the festive spirit.
Beyond the in-flight entertainment systems featuring films like Elf, the good cheer is popping up on-board in the form of food and drink offerings.
While no one appears to be serving figgy pudding, there is talk of snowmen cookies, Grittibänz, advent calendars, chestnuts and turkey.
Here are the six airlines that are going above and beyond this winter.
Lufthansa’s Christmas goose
There’s more – the festivities on Lufthansa do not end at the goose. Until December 26, passengers in economy will be served Christmas chocolate, and passengers in premium economy will have access to an assortment of Christmas cookies. In first and business class, travellers will get Lufthansa advent calendars, holiday confectionery and winter plum liqueur.
Swiss’ Christmas cookies
In addition to building reliable watches, the Swiss really know how to do Christmas. Swiss International Air Lines, or Swiss, is taking the country’s holiday traditions to the sky with edible in-flight programming. Throughout December, holiday offerings will be available on both short- and long-haul flights. The airline is swapping its normal on-board snacks with Swiss Christmas cookies and mandarins.
Swiss will serve long-haul passengers travelling from Switzerland between December 18 to 31 a special Christmas menu starring a grilled chicken breast with chestnut-potato mash and red cabbage in economy, and duck and truffles in business and first class. Business and first-class passengers can also top off meals with Etter Christmas plum liqueur, a seasonal release made with rare Löhr plums that are ripened on the tree and picked by hand before being distilled into brandy.
British Airways’ mince pie
In World Traveller (aka economy), passengers will also get a sage and onion stuffing. In premium economy, there’s an additional mince pie and fresh cream. Club World, or business, and first-class passengers will be served chestnut stuffing. First-class passengers will round out their meal with a Christmas pudding served with vanilla sauce.
Etihad’s turkey and trimmings
From December 24 to 26, a number of international Etihad flights will feature a holiday-themed menu served in all classes. Each cabin will feature a roast turkey meal with seasonal trimmings and desserts.
The cheapest days, places to fly over Christmas and new year
ANA’s traditional soba
To ring in 2020, All Nippon Airways, or ANA, will serve first and business-class passengers soba on all routes from Japan on December 31. Eating soba for New Year’s is a tradition, as the dish’s long noodles represent longevity in Japanese culture. From January 1 to 3, first-class passengers will receive sake and ozouni, another dish that represents longevity, thanks to the stretchy mochi in the soup that can be pulled long. For Lunar New Year, ANA passengers in all classes will receive matcha cookies on flights to Taiwan, Hong Kong and other cities in mainland China from January 24 to 31.
Emirates’ festive chocolate mousse
Emirates plans to serve 500,000 Christmas meals on flights this holiday season from December 9 to 31.
In economy, there’s turkey with mashed potato, vegetables and cranberry jus lié (a gravy-like sauce), followed by chocolate mousse “topped with a festive chocolate button”. Customers in first and business class can eat roasted turkey breast and apricot stuffing, roasted potatoes with creamy Brussels sprouts with turkey bacon and cranberry jus lié. For dessert, passengers will be served such confectionery as a Santa-inspired chocolate cake or a chocolate gingerbread cake.
The deal is sweeter on Emirates A380 routes, where first- and business-class passengers can head to the Onboard Lounge for treats like mince pies, gingerbread snowmen cookies and “Santa’s Spiced Amarula Cocktail”.
