Business class has better meals than economy.

The Differences Between Business Class and Economy Class Meals

• Last summer, I flew business class on an Air New Zealand flight from Los Angeles to Auckland.
• This year, I had a 12-hour flight from Denver to Tokyo, where I sat in United’s economy cabin.
• The two flights were, of course, very different, with the 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 was going to 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 served with real cutlery, the meal met my wildest dreams.

Six months later, I took a long-haul economy flight from Denver, Colorado, to Tokyo, Japan, on United, where I ate food like a veggie stir fry and a Milk Bar cookie from a tray.

While I was traveling on a different airline, the experience showed me how dining can vary between economy and business class while flying. And 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.

Read on to see how the food on each flight compared.

Read more: I flew on 2 long-haul flights: one in business and another in economy. The 2 cabins couldn’t be more different — take a look.