From vegan meatballs to ice cream sundaes, airlines are revamping their in-flight menus

Once again, the food flavors by plane are back in the cabins at 35,000 feet.

From vegan meatballs to ice cream, airlines offer new options and old favorites to lure returning travelers. With peak travel season waning and inflation weighing on family and corporate budgets, it’s more important than usual for airlines to court passengers.

Plane food, the favorite travel group of comedians, isn’t the main reason travelers choose an airline—price and schedule are much stronger factors. Analysts say it could be a comfortable creature on board and could go a long way toward winning over passengers, especially those willing to pay for premium seats.

“Food is one of the most tangible signals of what an airline thinks of its customers,” said Henry Hartfeldt, founder of travel consultancy Atmosphere Research Group and former CEO of the airline.

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has brought nearly all food and beverage services on board flights to a halt as travel has collapsed and airlines have restricted crew contact with passengers to avoid the spread of the virus. The pandemic has prompted airlines to post losses and have them look to cut costs whenever possible, such as on board food.

As travel returns, airlines around the world are introducing new menu options. Alcohol sales, with some new ready-to-drink options, are back in the cabins of US buses. Face masks are now mostly optional, removing an obstacle to serving food and drinks on board.

As tastes change and airlines face supply chain challenges, the meal is back at the back seat table — with a few tweaks.

Better in-flight listings can boost a carrier’s image and help them bring more high-paying passengers on board. First and business class customers are becoming more than just a prize as airlines try to recover from the financial impact of the pandemic.

Because “the incentive to earn these premium-class passengers, the incentive to spend more money [on food] Steve Walsh, partner at management consulting firm Oliver Wyman in its transportation and services business, said:

However, it has been estimated that food and beverage costs represent only about 3% of the expenses of a full-service airline.

While food is for sale in many local bus cabins and is generally free on long international flights, many of the new offerings target premium categories, where there are fewer passengers and service is more detailed.

Numerous videos have been posted online by airline passengers reviewing the meals, coatings and service in detail. Popular staples like Biscoff cookies and Stroopwaffel have a loyal following and are expected by many travelers. Mistakes in the menu or service are amplified on social media by frustrated travelers.

Show one: Delta serves passengers on long-haul international flights a fresh sundae in a cup premixed with chocolate, cherries and spiced Belgian cookies called speculoos, which are known in North America as Biscoff cookies.

“It’s clearly a tribute to Peskov,” said Mike Heaney, managing director of onboard service operations at Delta.

In more luxurious cabins, such as the Delta One on international flights, passengers can build their own sundaes with a selection of toppings, including Morello cherry compote, chocolate sauce and speculoos cookie.

Delta said in July that the revenue recovery in premium products and extra legroom outpaced sales from the standard trainer — an added drive to introduce exciting new food items.

Last week, the airline said it was teaming up with James Beard Award-winning Machama Bailey, executive chef of The Gray in Savannah, Georgia, to eat “Southern-inspired” meals on flights from Atlanta for first-class domestic travelers. Delta One passengers traveling internationally from the center can also order menu items that are pre-curated by Bailey.

Airlines have collaborated for years with celebrity chefs to design their menus, and more recently have worked with local businesses. In February, American Airlines brought Tamara Turner Silver Spoon Desserts cakes aboard a local luxury cabin.

Even before the pandemic, airlines were expanding their options for travelers who prefer vegetarian meals. Now, take a closer look at those types of alternative dishes.

“Pasta isn’t always the answer,” Delta Heaney said.

Singapore Airlines, an airline that operates some of the world’s longest flights, has brought in the luxurious Golden Door resort in Southern California to develop dozens of recipes for its flight menu. Golden Door Executive Chef Greg Fry Jr. focuses on vegetable dishes that he says are among the best to digest on flights.

“I think people are, rightly, worried that they won’t feel full with this vegetarian meal and [think] I just need this piece of meat. And in the end.. you don’t really need that much protein when you’re sitting on a plane and resting. It’s not like you’re carrying heavy things.

Portobello mushroom fry “Meatballs “A dish served with dairy-free risotto made with vegetable broth. Mushroom balls are steamed and served with our heirloom tomato sauce: ‘There’s not a shred of meat,’” he said.

“It’s very satisfying and you get all the flavors of umami,” he said. “The best part is an hour later, you won’t show up, ‘Uh, I wish I didn’t have meatballs. “

Vegetables and salads are among the most difficult dishes to serve on a plane.

Airlines chefs have to make sure ingredients are solid enough to withstand transportation and refrigeration, which makes tough vegetables like kale a better choice than some of the more delicate varieties.

“We have to be very meticulous about the type of greens we serve,” American Airlines spokeswoman Lea Robertino said. Watercress, for example, is not our friend.

Robertino said the airline is offering authorities more flights than it was before the pandemic.

The airline is now also offering a “Eid Cereal Platter” with rice, quinoa, black beans, cauliflower, corn and zucchini as a vegetarian option in many of its first class cabins for domestic flights.

Airlines try to source vegetables more locally, which gives catering companies fresh ingredients and reduces transportation time and costs.

Singapore Airlines has been using greens since 2019 from AeroFarms, a vertical farm near Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Spokesman James Boyd said the airline has plans to take advantage of other vertical farms close to the major airports it serves in the coming years.

Once the ingredients are sourced, there is the challenge of serving meals to thousands of passengers – something that has added to the difficulty of an extensive supply chain and a shortage of labor and sensitive ingredients.

Airlines have struggled to hire staff in a tight job market, as have catering kitchens at airports and other suppliers.

“Not a day goes by when we don’t have problems providing our planes with pillows, blankets, plastic cups and food,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said on a quarterly call in July.

Delta Heaney said the carrier was gradually returning food to ease pressure on service.

“We knew we couldn’t just flip the switch,” he said. “We had to be very creative at the height of the pandemic.”

As food service expands, airlines are encouraging travelers to order their meals ahead of time so carriers know what to carry on board, whether it’s a special meal for religious or other dietary restrictions or just their favorite first-class dishes.

Meanwhile, some flight attendants still have to do what’s on board.

Susanna Carr, a flight attendant at a major airline and a member of the Air Hostesses Association, told CNBC that if the crew didn’t have a vegan meal on board for a premium passenger, “we might get some extra salad and make it a bigger salad” and incorporate a cheese plate.

“We definitely worked at McGyvering,” she said.