Etihad Airways took first place in the first-class catering division in the 2010 Skytrax World Airline Awards. The airline's "Inspired Service" concept places on-board food and beverage managers--recruited from respected restaurants--on each long-haul flight to assist first-class customers. Etihad has award-winning chefs who create menus using only the best ingredients. First-class passengers may dine when they like, as they like, choosing from an "Anytime Kitchen" or a la carte menu. Passengers may request celebration cakes for birthdays or anniversaries when buying their tickets.
Cathay Pacific Airlines took second place in first-class catering in the 2010 Skytrax awards. The airline has installed rice cookers, toasters and skillets on its planes so it can serve freshly made rice, toast and eggs to its first-class customers. On Cathay Pacific, first-class customers may choose their own meals from an extensive menu and dine any time they wish. The airline also offers midnight snacks. Special meals may be ordered 24 hours in advance.
Number three on the Skytrax best first-class catering list for 2010 was Singapore Airlines. The airline offers its first-class passengers a personalized, flexible dining service with menus designed by an International Culinary Panel made up of eight world-acclaimed chefs. As part of the airline's World Gourmet Cuisine program, first-class passengers may order their main course 24 hours in advance with the Book the Cook service. Main courses available on flights leaving New York, for example, include lobster thermidor, baked Chilean bass and pecan-crusted veal.
The Skytrax World Airlines Awards are sponsored by Skytrax, an airline performance research firm. The 2010 awards were based on a survey of 18 million airline customers from 100 different countries during the period from July 2009 to April 2010. Airlines were judged in dozens of categories in addition to best first-class catering, including best seats, best overall first class, best overall business class and best overall airline. The World Airline Awards were established in 1999.
