Airlines have always been paying attention to passengers’ flying behavior and appetites, and in-flight service teams are constantly working to satisfy passengers’ taste buds. Based on surveys conducted by major airlines, what kind of foods do passengers enjoy eating at an altitude of 30,000 feet?
Stephanie Laster, the In-Flight Service General Manager of Delta Air Lines, revealed to Travel + Leisure, “According to our pre-selection plan, beef is the top choice.” She cited passenger data from Delta flights.
Delta Air Lines started serving Shake Shack’s iconic cheeseburgers in December 2024, which has garnered attention. Currently, domestic flights departing from airports in Boston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York LaGuardia that exceed 900 miles in distance serve this burger in the first class cabin. Starting from June 3rd, Shake Shack burgers will appear on more Delta flights nationwide.
Laster additionally mentioned that passengers also enjoy beef tenderloin and Jon & Vinny meatballs in tomato sauce.
“Convenient and takeout foods are popular in the air, which should come as no surprise,” said airline expert and Travel + Leisure consultant Paul Tumpowsky.
Tumpowsky and Laster believe that what truly attracts passengers in the air is not meticulously prepared gourmet dishes but well-made comfort food. “Some airlines put in tremendous effort to earn a Michelin star at 35,000 feet, but they never succeed,” Tumpowsky remarked.
What was the most memorable meal he had during a flight? “It was the burger from Cathay Pacific. It looked good in photos, was visually appealing, and tasted delicious at 35,000 feet,” Tumpowsky shared.
Low-altitude cooking combined with exquisite plating seems to have the greatest impact on passengers. The Shake Shack burger on Delta Air Lines is heated in the first-class oven along with the cheese, and the bun is also warmed; then, passengers add pre-packaged lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pickles, and Shake Shack brand sauce.
Chris Dong, a Travel + Leisure aviation reporter, tasted the Shake Shack burger on Delta Air Lines during two flights. In a recent video, he expressed, “It tastes surprisingly good, very close to what you would have on the ground.” He noted that it’s more like a “DIY” burger, while Cathay Pacific’s burger comes pre-made and is served with fries. Delta Air Lines’ burger comes with Shake Shack brownie and fries.
Delta Air Lines and Cathay Pacific are not the only airlines incorporating restaurant takeout foods into their inflight meals. EVA Air has been serving Din Tai Fung xiao long bao to business class passengers for many years and introduced the xiao long bao on flights between Taipei and Tokyo Haneda Airport in 2002.
Recently, EVA Air expanded the xiao long bao service to business class passengers flying from Taipei to five North American destinations, including Vancouver and Los Angeles. The presentation of the xiao long bao is also crucial to the inflight experience; “We specially designed how the xiao long bao is presented onboard, using traditional bamboo steamers to recreate the authentic dining experience of the restaurant,” a spokesperson for EVA Air told Travel + Leisure.
EVA Air and Din Tai Fung are both Taiwanese companies, and their partnership has spanned over 20 years, with the first Din Tai Fung meal being served on an EVA Air flight on February 10, 2002. Currently, passengers in some EVA Air business class routes can enjoy Din Tai Fung’s signature dishes. These routes include long-haul flights from Taipei to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Vancouver (YVR), and the BR16 flight to Los Angeles (LAX) and BR28 flight to San Francisco.
In addition to the BR189 flight, regional flights between Taipei Taoyuan and Japan’s Narita International Airport (NRT), New Chitose Airport (CTS), Kansai International Airport (KIX), and Fukuoka Airport (FUK), as well as regional flights from Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA) to Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) offer this meal.
Business class passengers onboard can choose from signature broths, including the signature steamed chicken soup or the signature steamed beef soup. A variety of signature dishes are offered as main courses, such as juicy pork xiao long bao soup dumplings, braised beef noodle soup, and spicy shrimp and pork wonton noodle soup. Each main course comes with traditional side dishes like spicy beef tripe or Shaoxing wine marinade chicken.
Although flight attendants only need to heat up the burger, cheese, and bun, serving burgers at 35,000 feet requires more effort compared to preparing takeout meals in a restaurant on the ground. As Tumpowsky mentioned, what excites passengers the most are the simple dishes that are easily replicated in the air.
Laster mentioned that over a third of passengers who pre-selected the Shake Shack burger would order it again on their next flight.
(This article references reports from Travel + Leisure)