When an airline concentrates this much on the food, its service must be spectaculr
Emirates Airlines was in Valletta on 22 Dec. 2014 giving out samples of their new airline food. Free food and college student? Yes, please. Naturally, I had a seat in the lounge that the company had improvised in the square with the Jean de Vallette statue.
The two people who were doing the sampling took my relevant information, put the order in for me and we talked a bit about what they were doing and what I was doing (turns out we are all students at the University of Malta). When the food arrived, it certainly did not look like typical airline fare.
The three pieces of sushi were salmon, chicken and crab. They were exactly what sushi should be though I would have enjoyed a little wasabi and/or pickled ginger to go with them. The beef with rice was tender and provided a textural contrast without getting too gristly. The noodles were cooked a little long, but the vegetables and the sauce made them perfectly edible. The highlight of the appetizers was the chicken curry over rice. The spicy sauce and the tender chicken made this flavorful journey one worth taking. All in all, this was the best airline food I had eaten since an international Aeroflot a couple of decades ago.
This type of marketing for an airline is interesting, especially in light of the fact that most airlines are cutting corners and charging for everything from extra pillows and bags to food packages that feature healthier options. If it were just about the food, Emirates would appear to be a great choice. Of course, when an airline puts this much effort into something that most other companies consider superfluous to their operations, one could expect that the other areas of service would be excellent as well.
The two people who were doing the sampling took my relevant information, put the order in for me and we talked a bit about what they were doing and what I was doing (turns out we are all students at the University of Malta). When the food arrived, it certainly did not look like typical airline fare.
The three pieces of sushi were salmon, chicken and crab. They were exactly what sushi should be though I would have enjoyed a little wasabi and/or pickled ginger to go with them. The beef with rice was tender and provided a textural contrast without getting too gristly. The noodles were cooked a little long, but the vegetables and the sauce made them perfectly edible. The highlight of the appetizers was the chicken curry over rice. The spicy sauce and the tender chicken made this flavorful journey one worth taking. All in all, this was the best airline food I had eaten since an international Aeroflot a couple of decades ago.
This type of marketing for an airline is interesting, especially in light of the fact that most airlines are cutting corners and charging for everything from extra pillows and bags to food packages that feature healthier options. If it were just about the food, Emirates would appear to be a great choice. Of course, when an airline puts this much effort into something that most other companies consider superfluous to their operations, one could expect that the other areas of service would be excellent as well.