How Airlines Are Elevating In-Flight Dining with Restaurant Partnerships

Airlines collaborating with big brands is nothing new. From amenity kits stocked with trending skincare products and serviceware featuring iconic prints to bedding created by sleep experts, carriers have long been leveraging household names to add a bit of wow-factor to the passenger experience.

Brand partnerships are also the lynchpin of premium food and beverage offerings onboard. It is customary for first- and business-class menus, particularly on international flights operated by full service carriers, to have been designed in collaboration with Michelin-starred chefs. This is a trend going nowhere soon, with Air Canada, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines among those with recent announcements in that regard.

However, there is seemingly now a new wave of partnerships between airlines and more well-known popular restaurant chains that cater to the desire for comfort and convenience over haute cuisine. Nowhere is this more noticeable in the US, where a slew of news from Delta, JetBlue and United sees beloved brands taking to the skies.

Delta Serves Up a First-Class Cheeseburger

Delta Air Lines first announced a partnership with Shake Shack last November for first-class passengers on flights out of Boston, and recently said it will expand the availability of Shake Shack’s infamous burgers to flights over 900 miles out of Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia and Seattle.

The Shake Shack Cheeseburger, which features a 100% Angus beef patty topped with cheese and served on a toasted potato bun, can be customized with toppings like tomato, lettuce and Shake Shack’s ShackSauce. Delta’s Shake Shack meal also features chips, a Caesar salad and a dark chocolate brownie.

The carrier’s Managing Director of Onboard Service Stephanie Laster said it has already served more than 10,000 burgers out of Boston since December to rave reviews. “This is part of our work to partner with brands our customers already know and love while continuing to raise the bar for the in-flight experience,” she continued.

While fast food may conjure images of meals being thrown together, dishing up a Shake Shack Cheeseburger at 30,000 feet requires a considerable amount of effort. According to an article from Time Out, “Shake Shack train[ed] Delta’s kitchen staff and shar[ed] cooking instructions – down to detailed preparation procedures for each of the burger components, and the types of cooking tools that should be used when preparing the food.”

United Passengers Enjoy an Insta-Worthy Dessert

As of last December, United’s first-class travelers on flights over 901 miles are being treated to three-ounce cups of New York City-based Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding Wafer Cookie Bits, a frozen to thaw version of its famous Banana Pudding.

Magnolia Bakery’s CEO and Chief Baking Officer Bobbie Lloyd said, “Our team worked for three years to develop this new Banana Pudding and we’re delighted for guests to get a sweet taste of this beloved dessert in the skies.”

While Magnolia Bakery first became popular after featuring in an episode of Sex and the City, it is now famous on TikTok, with many users sharing both their experiences of the original product and recipes inspired by it.

As a result, when the announcement about the United partnership was made, the social media response was overwhelmingly positive. One user commented, “Just had this on my flight Sunday and I almost cried from being so happy!! @magnoliabakery is my FAVORITE!”

JetBlue’s DIG Partnership is Still Going Strong

JetBlue first partnered with fast-casual restaurant DIG Inn on “vegetable-forward menus” in 2021, and both its Mint business class and Core economy-class meals on transatlantic flights are still provided by the brand, which is a clear sign of the tie-up’s success.

Mint passengers can select from curated combinations of seasonal vegetables, whole grains, and proteins like grilled chicken or roasted tofu. Economy passengers receive a simplified version, with pre-order options of a main and a side available through the airline’s digital meal platform.

Catering to Passengers’ Evolving Tastes

For airlines, the collaborations act as strategic tools to enhance brand loyalty and passenger differentiation, and whether the food is clean or calorific, airlines choosing to partner with a renowned restaurant brand appears to be a move lauded by passengers.

IFSA CEO Dr. Joe Leader commented, “Elevating the in-flight dining experience with restaurant-quality meals transforms a flight from a journey into a memorable event. Passengers recognize the effort, and it becomes a point of pride for the airline brand.”