Is it REALLY best to eat at the airport, not on board?

Terminal or trolley? Is it REALLY best to eat at the airport, not on board? Check-in with our surprising taste test

  • Out of the airlines we compared, EasyJet and British Airways came joint top for service, price and choice
  • We were impressed with Edinburgh Airport due to its ‘great value and good mix of outlets’
  • Heathrow Terminal 5 lacked budget options – one restaurant charged £12.95 for a full English breakfast 

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Most people make a mad dash for food and drink before a flight, taking their purchases on board. 

They do so because airline food is often dismissed as bland and expensive. But is it? 

We sent Tamara Hinson to find out…

Investigation: Tamara Hinson compared four different airlines and four airports around the UK 

THE AIRLINES 

Out of the airlines we compared, EasyJet and British Airways came joint top for service, price and variety of food and drink on board. 

While Ryanair came bottom of the table due to its ‘chaotic’ service, which included cabin crew forgetting passengers’ orders.

Norwegian scored one point higher than Ryanair – there were only noodles and a chicken sandwich available and the tea (costing £2.70) was cold. 

EasyJet and British Airways came joint top for service, price and variety of food and drink on board

EasyJet and British Airways came joint top for service, price and variety of food and drink on board

THE AIRPORTS 

When it came to the airports, we were impressed with Edinburgh Airport due to its ‘great value and good mix of outlets’.

At the other end of the spectrum was Heathrow Terminal 5, which lacked any options for those travelling on a budget. A full English breakfast at Pilots Bar and Kitchen costs £12.95 – the most expensive we sampled.

Similarly, the ‘rubbery steak and eggs’ at Jamie’s Italian at Gatwick North airport was named worst value breakfast at £10.95.

Heathrow Terminal 5 lacked any options for those travelling on a budget

Heathrow Terminal 5 lacked any options for those travelling on a budget