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TRAVEL

Airlines boosting premium cabin menus

Charisse Jones
USATODAY
United Airlines' spinach cannelloni
  • U.S. carriers are playing catch-up to overseas airlines known for food service
  • Food service wasn%27t a priority after 9/11%2C but now it is
  • Airlines see food service as a way to stand out from competitors

SOMEWHERE OVER THE ATLANTIC — On a United flight from Newark to Milan, Italy, osso buco-style chicken breast emerges from a narrow galley, plated on china.

That was one of four entrees offered to premium-class passengers during the overnight flight in November. And on board to oversee their preparation, was Cleveland restaurateur Paul Minnillo, a member of United's "congress of chefs."

"There's a lot of things that they can do up there that are really good,'' Minnillo said of the service at 30,000 feet.

"Airline food" and "good" don't often follow in the same sentence. And if you're flying coach on a domestic flight, a complimentary meal has mostly gone the way of free checked bags, with passengers having to purchase a snack box on board or pick up food in the airport terminal to get through the flight.

But in premium cabins, both domestic and international, a free, multicourse meal is still the norm. And while international carriers are usually considered the standard bearers when it comes to the most opulent food service, U.S. airlines are stepping up their game in the race to woo fliers who pay top dollar, from the wines selected by their very own sommeliers to the amuse-bouche and cappuccinos that book-end a lengthy meal.

"Once everyone has lie flat (seats) it's kind of a level playing field, so your opportunities to one-up your competitor are fairly limited,'' says Jami Counter, senior director of TripAdvisor Flights, of the seats now available in premium cabins on many long-haul flights. "Food is one way you can do that. So most major U.S. airlines ... (are) trying to use that as a differentiating factor.''

United isn't alone in enhancing its meal service. Many airlines work with well-known chefs. One American Airlines menu offers first-class passengers flying from the U.S. to Europe the choice of San Marzano tomato or ginger coconut sauce to drizzle on their brie and leek ravioli. And in the last year, Delta has enlisted well-known chefs to each design BusinessElite menus for a particular region, such as Miami-based Michelle Bernstein crafting meal options for flights to Latin America and Mexico City.

On United Flight 19 to Milan, Minnillo was taking one of his twice-a-year trips as part of the carrier's "chef on board'' program, which allows United's corporate and consulting celebrity chefs to experience first hand what it's like to serve a premium-class meal during a long-haul international flight. During the trip, the chef gets feedback about the food and service from passengers as well as the crew.

"It's important for us to offer food that adds to the customer experience and helps build customer loyalty," says Lynda Coffman, United's vice president of food services.

On the overnight flight, passengers in the BusinessFirst cabin were offered ramekins filled with warm nuts, followed by an array of breads, to start. Then, along with the chicken breast, their entrée options included a grilled pork chop with shitake mushroom bread pudding, cioppino, and spinach cannelloni with roasted tomatoes. The dinner ended with an assortment of cheeses, served with grapes and crackers, and an ice cream sundae that flight attendants dressed up seat-side with caramel, fruit and nuts.

Marie Orsini, a flier on United's Newark to Milan flight, had the osso buco-style chicken breast. She was pleased, and maybe even a little surprised.

"It was very good,'' says Orsini, who passed her praise onto Minnillo. Normally, Orsini says, she doesn't find airline food all that tasty. "Usually I eat before I come aboard. ... I think (this) was a lot better.''

George Fleck, who crisscrosses the globe as the vice president, global brand management for Le Meridien and Westin hotels, said he's also noticed an improvement in United's meals, from the taste to the variety. It's a welcome change, he says, because food is a key part of his journey.

"It's really important I get a good meal and rest,'' says Fleck, who was rushing to a meeting as soon as the flight landed in Italy the following morning. "I came straight from my office in Manhattan. ... If the meal is bad, it's really a bad deal for me.''

United Airlines' grilled pork chop

Counter says that in the wake of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a reeling airline industry was struggling to survive, making food offerings on U.S. carriers, even in premium cabins, less of a priority. "But that's definitely changing now,'' he says. "I would not say they're on par with the European or Asian or Middle Eastern carriers. ... But they're certainly at least trying to get there.''

But serving food above 30,000 feet is no easy feat. Taste can be reduced by as much as 30% while up in the air, according to British Airways. And the food served on board must be pre-cooked, loaded into pans, and chilled so that it can then be re-heated on board in convection ovens.

Minnillo says that means it makes sense to prepare braised foods, like lamb shanks or short ribs.

Then there's the heating, plating and serving that takes place in a narrow galley. "It's really tough,'' he acknowledges. "There's no room.''

The whole service is done with an almost military precision. The galley crew preps one course, while another is being served. There's even a chef's tip sheet that tells flight attendants how long to heat the food, and features pictures suggesting how to plate it.

Diane Blair, a flight attendant for 32 years, has come up with some tips of her own.

For instance, when serving baby potatoes to passengers sitting side by side, she makes sure to count the number going to each. "I want to make it is as even as possible so they don't say, 'why'd he get more than me.' They notice.''

For the passenger who wants a piece of beef that's more rare, for instance, she pulls from the bottom of the oven to get a cut that is not as done.

Little things like that count, Fleck says.

"The journey,'' he says, "matters as much as the destination.''

Members of United Airlines' "congress of chefs" include, from left, Robin Carr, Gerry Gulli, Michael Cordúa, Gerry McLoughlin, Paul Minnillo, Shashi Sanamvenkata, Bryan Caswell and James Canora.
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