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- In 2022, I flew business class on an Air New Zealand flight from Los Angeles to Auckland.
- A year later, I took a 12-hour flight from Denver to Tokyo, where I sat in United’s economy cabin.
- The two flights were, of course, vastly different, with meals setting the flights apart most.
I already had a glass of Champagne in my hand before economy-class passengers even got to their seats.
If this was how my first business-class flight would start, I knew I was in for a treat.
I was traveling with Air New Zealand from Los Angeles, California, to Auckland, New Zealand, and a long-haul flight meant airplane meals — something I was eager to experience in business class. From tender seafood to a chocolate tart, the meal met my wildest dreams.
Six months later, I took a long-haul economy flight from Denver to Tokyo on United Airlines, where I ate food like a veggie stir fry and a Milk Bar cookie from a tray.
While traveling on a different airline, the experience showed me how dining can vastly differ between economy and business class.
Before I even considered food, meal service in both Air New Zealand’s business cabin and United’s economy cabin kicked off with a drink.
In business class, I had what felt like unlimited choices. Options included wine, beer, Champagne, soda, and various liquors.
In United’s economy, options were limited. Wine, beer, and soda were complimentary, but a gin and tonic or any other alcoholic beverage came at a cost.
It outlined a choice between two appetizers, three main courses, and two desserts.
In economy, flight attendants shared the main course offerings as they pushed a meal cart to my seat.
The options on my Air New Zealand flight were descriptive. I could choose between “slow-cooked beef with polenta, orange, and lemon gremolata” or “Alaskan cod with saffron sauce.”
In economy, there were two options: “chicken” or “veggie stir fry.” I wondered what vegetables, what type of chicken, and what else would arrive on my plate.
But there wasn’t time to ask questions. Instead, I blindly picked the veggie stir fry and was handed a tray of food.
Meanwhile, in business class, the meal was an experience. Before delivering my first course, a flight attendant placed a cloth napkin, salt and pepper, silverware, and an individual-sized olive oil on my table.
All the food in economy arrived at once.
Meanwhile, each course in business class was served separately.
The first thing I ate was bread. A flight attendant came around offering three types: sourdough, garlic, and olive. Naturally, I tried one of each.
I also had bread on my economy tray. While the bread wasn’t nearly as fresh as the sourdough in business class, a pat of butter added flavor.
My first course in business class was a salad with stuffed grape leaves, quinoa, tomatoes, olives, and lettuce.
In economy, I had a salad with grains, raisins, and lettuce.
For my main course in business, I opted for the Alaskan cod. It was buttery, flaky, and shockingly delicious for airplane food.
For my main course in economy, a label outlined that my stir fry had seven types of vegetables. While it wasn’t nearly as good as the cod, I easily devoured the entire tray of noodles.
The best part of both meals was, arguably, the dessert. In business, I had a rich chocolate tart served with a strawberry garnish.
In economy, I had a cookie filled with icing from the famous New York City bakery Milk Bar.
Beyond the food, other details set the meal service apart. In business, the cutlery was metal, the napkins were cloth, and the plates were ceramic. It felt like fine dining.
In economy, my food came out on a plastic tray with everything wrapped in plastic.
When I was sitting in economy, the flight attendants told me the pasta dish had run out when they reached my seat in the back of the plane. Later, they ran out of Coke, too.
Of course, if I’d been sitting in business class on United heading to Tokyo, I would’ve had many of the same perks I did on Air New Zealand.
According to United’s website, meal service in business class includes a welcome glass of bubbly, liquor, a three-course meal, and snacks.
While the two meals were strikingly different, I devoured them both and was happily full — with plenty of time for a post-dinner nap.
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