Intro
Free meals to Europe, but CAD$15 breakfast boxes to other destinations?
Air Transat’s food policy means flights have completely different catering depending on your destination.
Flying within Canada on an early November morning, I tested their pre-order system with a breakfast bento box to see if their bistro concept delivers decent value.
Pre Order
Air Transat offers up to CAD$3 savings on pre-ordered meals, with exclusive options including breakfast bento boxes, kids bento boxes, and Buddha bowls.
Prices range from CAD$10.99 to $18.99, reasonable territory for airline food.
Pre-ordering guarantees your choice and saves money, two great advantages over hoping something appealing remains during onboard service.
What’s Available Onboard
You can purchase hot and cold food items from the inflight menu without pre-ordering.
Options like pizza, focaccia, breakfast sandwiches, and other items are available at reasonable prices.
But pre-ordering gives you better selection and lower prices.
The Pre Order Meal
I selected the breakfast bento for CAD$14.99. It featured fresh fruits, yoghurt granola, and a croissant with strawberry jam.
It arrived in a white plastic tray with clear lids, functional rather than fancy but practical.
The vanilla yoghurt impressed with its creamy texture and proper sweetness balance. The croissant was a little mediocre.
Like many commercial mixes, the granola provided a good crunch without being overly sweet.
Fresh fruit included apple slices, grapes, and properly ripe berries and fresh-tasting.
At CAD$14.99, this provided reasonable value for airline food.
The yoghurt quality impressed me; the fruit was fresh, and the portion size satisfied my morning hunger without feeling heavy.
The early departure offered spectacular views.
Option Plus
I also experienced Air Transat’s Option Plus service, which bundles priority perks, extra baggage, seat selection, comfort kit, wooden earphones, one alcoholic drink, and a bistro snack.
The comfort kit included a decent blue blanket that provided genuine warmth.
Option Plus inclusions
One extra checked bag up to 23kg
Exclusive check-in counter
Fast-track security in Montreal, Ottawa, and Vancouver
Priority boarding and baggage handling
Complimentary standard seat selection
Comfort kit and wooden earphones
Bistro menu snack
One alcoholic drink (beer or wine)
Option Plus offers solid value through bundled perks for travellers wanting enhanced comfort without business class pricing.
Conclusion
Air Transat’s bistro pre-order system works because it offers reasonably priced, decent quality meals with choice guarantee and cost savings.
The breakfast bento succeeded more than it failed – excellent yoghurt and fresh fruit compensated for a mediocre croissant.
This combination provides satisfying fuel for early morning departures without typical airline breakfast heaviness.
If you’re flying Air Transat routes with bistro service, pre-ordering makes sense for savings and selection.
The CAD$14.99 breakfast bento offers decent value, especially when the yoghurt and fruit quality exceed typical airline standards.
Just remember: same airline, different food rules depending on where you’re flying.
