A Feast Fit For A King On Aegean Airlines

Each week, my Meal of the Week  feature examines an airline meal from my travels over the years. This may be a meal from earlier in the week or it may be a meal served over a decade ago.

Today I’m going to write about the flight that made me fall in love with Aegean Airlines. My first flight. My best flight. The lunch served in business class was simply delicious. It was a feast.

I could have done a full flight review, but it wasn’t the check-in experience, lounge, seat, or service that stood out (though the check-in experience, lounge, seat, and service was all great).

While the general check-in line was crowded, the business class line was empty. Onboard, we found only one row had been designated for business class on ur A320 and my brother and I were the only two passengers. Score!

Menus were handed out prior to takeoff and I immediately fell in love with Aegean. Thessaloniki (SKG) to Frankfurt (FRA) is only a 958-mile, 2-hour, 35-minute flight. Yet the meal service was better than what some airlines serve on flights far longer.

Here’s the menu and drink list:

Service began with a warm greeting and offer of sparkling wine or orange juice pre-departure. I had the OJ and it was not freshly squeezed…no flight is perfect.

Lunch service began after takeoff with a delicious glass of Greek red wine with some peanuts.

That was followed by a meal tray including a fresh, crisp, delicious Greek salad with capers and anchovies, warm bread from the oven, and delightful olive oil.

For my main course, I chose the lamb leg stuffed with ladotyri, a traditional Greek cheese made on the island of Lesbos and preserved in extra virgin olive oil. It was served with grilled vegetables, vine leaf capers, and roasted potatoes…and simply one of the best airline meals I have ever had.

Now if the meal ended here I still would have raved about how great it was. But it wasn’t over yet. Next came dessert…traditional Greek pastries in syrup and a superb cappuccino.

I was so pleased by the fresh salad, the tender and flavorful lamb, and the real (not powdered) cappuccino, that I became an instant fan of Aegean.

CONCLUSION

My Aegean Airlines feast set the standard for what meal service should resemble on a sub three-hour flight. While Turkish Airlines often comes close, this flight on Aegean remains my favorite intra-European meal of all time. Let’s hope Aegean does not go the way of Turkish Airlines in the era of pandemic…

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Read more of my classic trip report through the Balkans

Introduction: Road Trip Through The Balkans
Review: US Airways A330-300 Business Class Philadelphia To Munich
Balkans Day 1: Sick In Belgrade
Balkans Day 2: Belgrade – Sarajevo
Balkans Day 3: Sarajevo – Dubrovnik
Balkans Day 4: Beauitful Dubrovnik
Balkans Day 5: Accused Of Espionage In Montenegro
Balkans Day 6: The Diverse Architecture Of Tirana, Albania
Balkans Day 7: Refreshment In Kosovo
Balkans Day 8: Racism In Skopje + A Pirated Hollywood Premiere
Balkans Day 9: Timeless Thessaloniki
Review: Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki
Review: Aegean Business Lounge Thessaloniki (SKG)