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Home » Meal of the Week » First Class Brunch Showdown: Emirates Vs. Etihad Vs. Qatar Airways
emiratesEtihadMeal of the WeekQatar Airways

First Class Brunch Showdown: Emirates Vs. Etihad Vs. Qatar Airways

Matthew Klint Posted onApril 11, 2020November 14, 2023 4 Comments

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.

How about a break from the news and focus on airline meals this morning, specifically brunch on the top three Gulf carriers? Below, I’ll compare brunch on Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways.

All three carriers offer an a la carte menu in first class, meaning you can mix and match breakfast and lunch/dinner items at any time on most flights. While breakfast on airlines tends to be the least creative meal, there’s nothing like a warn and flaky croissant, cappuccino, and glass of champagne at 40,000 feet.

Emirates

When I flew from Dubai to Brussels on Emirates, our flight left at 8:20AM, perfect for brunch. While I saved my appetite for a beautiful steak and white asparagus lunch prior to landing, I did partake in a light brunch after takeoff.

That started with champagne, something I never drink at home but always enjoy a glass when flying in first class. The Dom 2008 vintage was served with salted mixed nuts.

a person pouring a wine into a glass

Next I had some fresh fruit, yogurt, breakfast breads, fresh squeezed orange juice, and cappuccino.

a table with a plate of fruit and a bowl of coffee

The warmed almond croissant was delightful.

a bowl of bread and rolls

I love how Emirates uses a stencil to create its logo in the cappuccino.

a coffee cup with a drawing on the foam

The Irish yogurt was also tasty.

a bowl of food with a spoon

a glass of orange juice and a towel on a tray

> Read More: Emirates 777-300ER NEW First Class

Etihad Airways

Our Etihad first class flight from Abu Dhabi to Los Angeles took off from Abu Dhabi in the morning and landed in Los Angeles in the early afternoon. We had brunch prior to landing.

I enjoyed eggs served over bacon on an English muffin with asparagus while my wife had salmon. Once again, the cinnamon roll and sesame-seed covered roll were delightfully flaky and buttery.

Cappuccino was tasty and we shared some fresh fruit and cookies for dessert.

a plate of food on a table

a plate of food with eggs and asparagus

a plate of pastries on a table

a cup of coffee and a bowl of sugar

a plate of food with lemons and greens

a plate of fruit on a table

a plate of cookies and cups of coffee

> Read More: Etihad 777-300ER First Class Review

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways only offers first class on its A380, serving a limited number of routes. My Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Paris in first class left at 7:25AM, another perfect opportunity for brunch.

About an hour after takeoff, I enjoyed a delicious brunch which included a hot croissant, bircher muesli, cappuccino, omelet, and a glass of Krug.

a table with food on it

a bowl of oatmeal with berries

a plate of food on a table

a cup of coffee with a spoon and a packet on a tray

a table with food and a bottle of champagne on it

a plate of food on a table

> Read More: Qatar Airways A380 First Class Review

So Which One Was Best?

I guess if I had to pick a winner I’d say my meal on Etihad was best. That said, putting this comparison together just reminded me of how much I appreciate the approach to in-flight dining taken by Gulf carriers (and also how much I cannot wait to get in the air again after a month of being grounded).

If you’ve flown any of these carriers, did you enjoy brunch?

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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4 Comments

  1. John F Reply
    April 11, 2020 at 1:00 pm

    Been reading a lot about how Etihad has significantly cut back its food budget and catering is much worse today….maybe that’s only for Y?

    • Matthew Reply
      April 11, 2020 at 1:25 pm

      From all I have heard, it has not happened in first class yet.

  2. Stephen Cimore Reply
    April 11, 2020 at 5:05 pm

    Does distance factor into the quality of the brunch e.g. the Etihad was from LAX to hub versus the other two were from Europe to their hubs? Also I wonder if leaving from the hub makes any difference. I’ve not flown any of the M.E. airlines, but as a point of comparison, JAL departing from Japan has a bit of an edge in catering quality. In any case, based on those photos, Etihad does look like a more thought-out meal.

    • Matthew Reply
      April 11, 2020 at 5:31 pm

      Part of it was based on my selections, not the menu itself. For whatever reason, I don’t have the complete Etihad menu or I would have posted all three (you can review the Qatar and Emirates menus by clicking on the full flight reviews above). I do like to review airlines from their hubs, where catering tends to be best.

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