Intro

Paying โ‚ฌ22 for airline burgers while carriers promise “fresh, high-quality options” to justify eliminating free meals?

Three years after Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines made this switch, here’s what you actually get for restaurant prices at 35,000 feet.

A tray table with a meal featuring a burger with lettuce and cheese, a side of fries in a box, small containers of sauce, and cutlery, seen inside an airplane. This could be one of the offerings from Swiss International Airline meals.
A sandwich placed on a white napkin, featuring toasted bread, lettuce, tomato, chicken, and bacon. A brown paper bag and a partial view of an airplane window are in the background.
A bowl of vegetables on an airplane seat.
A meal with breaded meat, vegetables in a white box, a cup of tomato juice, a napkin, and cutlery packet on an airplane tray table.

Lufthansa

Lufthansa’s “Onboard Delights” program offers the most straightforward approach.

Short flights get complimentary chocolate; longer flights add water, and buy-on-board kicks in after 45 minutes.

A bottle of water on a table on lufthansa irlines

The pre-order system offers 10% discounts but has an odd quirk: payment happens onboard, not online.

You commit to a meal without paying, then flag down the crew during service to receive what you ordered.

A woman is holding a cup of coffee on an airplane.

On my Athens-Munich leg, I pre-ordered the Best of Dean & David box for โ‚ฌ11.90: tomato mozzarella sandwich, small chicken teriyaki bowl, and semolina mousse with plum compote.

A box sitting on the seat of an airplane.
A box containing food and utensils on a plane.
A sandwich is sitting in a box on an airplane.
A sandwich with tomatoes and spinach on a brown paper bag.

The sandwich was forgettably adequate, but the teriyaki bowl impressed with authentic Japanese flavours.

For Munich-Paris, the larger chicken teriyaki bowl was even better.

A box of food sitting on the seat of an airplane.
A bowl of vegetables on an airplane seat.

What sets Lufthansa apart is its commitment to fresh preparation rather than reheated frozen options.

You can taste the difference immediately – ingredients maintain better texture and flavour complexity.

A row of seats in an airplane with a window.

Swiss

SWISS Saveurs is the premium option, featuring partnerships with iconic Swiss brands, such as Confiserie Sprรผngli.

Short flights include complimentary Swiss chocolate and Valser water – nice touches featuring Swiss hospitality traditions.

Swiss economy class review

An open airplane tray table features a red "SWISS" chocolate on top. Behind it, magazines and safety pamphlets are tucked into the seat pocket, reflecting the attentive service of Swiss International Airline meals. The tray table is mounted on a grey airplane seat.

The buy-on-board program offers the most ambitious menu in the group, featuring options such as salmon poke bowls and “build your own burger” experiences that sound more like restaurant offerings.

A bowl of quinoa salad with vegetables and herbs, part of the SWISS Saveurs menu for Autumn/Winter 2024/25, placed on a dark tabletop.
A menu detailing various meal deals and specials including Swiss Aperitif, All-time Classic, Swiss Hot Dog and Fries, Afterwork Deal, Cocktail Special, and Sweet Treat with prices and descriptions.
Menu featuring a chicken breast sandwich, Balik salmon brioche, Swiss hot dog, and French fries, each with detailed descriptions and pricing in CHF.

My experience revealed both the heights and depths of SWISS’s approach.

The pre-ordered oats on the morning Paris-Zurich flight were genuinely awful – loaded the previous evening, they’d achieved that mushy, oxidised texture that gives “overnight oats” a bad name.

An in-flight meal on a tray table, offered by Swiss International Airlines, includes yogurt topped with granola, a bottle of Swiss Altitude 1150 water, a spoon, and a napkin with Swiss branded materials.
An in-flight meal on a tray table, offered by Swiss International Airlines, includes yogurt topped with granola, a bottle of Swiss Altitude 1150 water, a spoon, and a napkin with Swiss branded materials.

For premium prices, serving day-old breakfast feels unacceptable.

But the Zurich-Lisbon leg showed SWISS at its best.

The burger and fries (CHF 22.30) arrived as a complete “build your own” experience with proper cutlery and fresh toppings.

A hamburger with lettuce, tomato, and cheese on a square white plate in an airplane cabin. A fork and knife are placed next to the plate, showcasing the quality of Swiss International Airline meals.

The burger itself was impressive, quality beef, cooked well, fresh vegetables, and restaurant style presentation.

Tray with a burger, fries, pickles, lettuce, red onion slices, coleslaw, and a wrapped napkin on an airplane seat tray table. This gourmet offering reflects the quality of Swiss International Airline meals.
An assembled cheeseburger with lettuce and slaw, showing the bun lifted up, placed on a rectangular white plate next to a fork and knifeโ€”reminiscent of the quality you'd expect from Swiss International Airline meals.
A burger with melted cheese on a bun, served on a tray beside a side of coleslaw, sliced red onions, pickles, and lettuce. This delicious offering is part of Swiss International Airline meals, making your flight dining experience truly enjoyable.
A tray table with a meal featuring a burger with lettuce and cheese, a side of fries in a box, small containers of sauce, and cutlery, seen inside an airplane. This could be one of the offerings from Swiss International Airline meals.

The salmon poke bowl (CHF 12.50) was the clear winner of my SWISS experience.

The crew mentioned it as their favourite, and I immediately understood why.

A meal consisting of noodles, vegetables, and various toppings served in a bowl on an airplane tray table alongside a fork and knife with a napkinโ€”a delightful example of Swiss International Airline meals.
In-flight meal setup on a Swiss International Airlines tray table featuring a packaged salmon poke bowl and a utensils packet, with airline branding visible.
Interior view of a Swiss International Air Lines plane with passengers seated in rows on both sides of the aisle. Flight attendants are standing and assisting passengers, providing exceptional service along with delightful meal options.

Marinated salmon cubes had that characteristic silky texture of cured fish, while soba noodles provided textural contrast.

Caramelised eggplant, cucumber, and pineapple created complexity you rarely find in airline dining, all tied together with spicy mayonnaise that enhanced rather than overwhelmed the delicate ingredients.

The pricing problem: I spent around โ‚ฌ45, which felt excessive when the fries were mediocre and the oats terrible.

Premium pricing demands premium consistency.

Austrian

The “Austrian Melangerie” program focuses on traditional Austrian cuisine adapted for airline service.

Austrian economy class review

Inflight menu cover showing two plates with sandwiches containing bacon, lettuce, tomato, and cheese on toasted bread, accompanied by a glass of soda.
A menu featuring a focaccia sandwich with mozzarella and tomatoes on the left, and a plate of Wiener Schnitzel with potato salad on the right. Prices and brief descriptions included.
Menu displaying three items: a club sandwich with turkey, bacon, and cheese; a pretzel roll with smoked turkey and cheese; and a falafel wrap with yogurt and vegetables. Prices listed in euros.
Screenshot

Passengers receive complimentary water on request, along with a chocolate sampler from Salzburg Schokolade.

Inside view of an airplane cabin showing rows of grey and red seats with red headrest covers, "Austrian" written on them, and seatbelts. There are multiple windows along the cabin wall.

I pre-ordered the schnitzel (โ‚ฌ13.80) because I remembered genuinely excellent pre-COVID Austrian Airlines meals.

Austrian airlines schnitzel meal economy class upgrade meal by Do&Co
The Austrian Pre Covid Schnitzel

The current version is competent but diminished with smaller portions and simpler packaging.

Airplane meal on tray table with boxed meal labeled "Henry" along with cutlery, napkin, and salt and pepper packets.
A meal with breaded meat, vegetables in a white box, a cup of tomato juice, a napkin, and cutlery packet on an airplane tray table.

The club sandwich revealed Austrian’s attention to detail: fresh ingredients, generous filling, and crusts removed.

Austrian gets cultural authenticity right.

A sandwich in a brown cardboard box is placed on an airplane tray table with a white napkin and an empty sachet labeled "Servus freshness.
A sandwich placed on a white napkin, featuring toasted bread, lettuce, tomato, chicken, and bacon. A brown paper bag and a partial view of an airplane window are in the background.
A boxed sandwich with lettuce and bacon, placed on an airplane tray table alongside a napkin and a packaged moist towel, inside an aircraft cabin.

Their menu feels Austrian rather than generically European, showcasing local brands that connect passengers to their destination culture.

Conclusion

The menus deliver on their core promises – fresh, high-quality food that justifies premium pricing.

Lufthansa’s chicken teriyaki bowls, SWISS’s salmon poke bowl, and Austrian’s cultural details demonstrate what’s possible when airlines prioritise food quality.

These aren’t traditional airline meals, they’re restaurant style offerings adapted for aircraft service.

When they work, they’re genuinely impressive. When they don’t, you’ve paid premium prices for expensive disappointment.

The key is understanding what you’re buying and managing expectations accordingly.

Choose carefully, understand you’re paying restaurant prices, and skip those overnight oats.

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