- Delta Airlines is testing out new plans to serve three-course meals and sparkling wine to Economy customers.
- Passengers on flights from Portland, Oregon to Tokyo, Japan will be given the new restaurant-style meal options.
- If everything goes well, Delta will expand this service to other long-haul international flights.
Between cramped seating and disappearing amenities, it feels like you have to claw your way to the smallest victories in economy air travel. But sometimes, major airlines can surprise you.
Passengers flying Delta between Portland, Oregon and Tokyo, Japan will be part of the airline’s new test to bring three-course meals to economy passengers, according to Chicago Business Journal.
Attempting to make a long-haul flight feel a bit more luxurious, the airline is testing out a new restaurant experience in the main cabin.
Upon takeoff, economy passengers will receive “Welcome Bubbles,” their choice of three Bellinis or sparkling waters.
When it comes time for meal service, passengers receive a printed menu detailing choices. Appetizers could include quinoa salad or roasted grapes and pine nuts. Entree options include pasta with cauliflower and walnuts in a cream sauce. For dessert, there could be something like Haagen-Dazs ice cream.
Each course is served separately. Instead of small, microwaved metal tins, meals are served on white dishes with white cloth napkins. There is still plastic cutlery, but it’s nicer than the flimsy tools that usually come wrapped in a plastic bag.
“Delta constantly listens to customer feedback and is now testing innovative ways to make our culinary experience onboard feel more like dining at a favorite restaurant,” an airline spokesperson said in a statement. “As part of that we are conducting a test on select international flights where flight attendants will deliver an enhanced main cabin dining experience that we’ll use to gather customer feedback.”
If the tests are successful, Delta could roll out the meal service to other long-haul international flights by the end of the year.
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