A three-course meal in economy – with wine – will be tested on Delta Air Lines, a departure from past airline changes that have been marked by shrinking seat sizes and dwindling amenities, the Chicago Business Journal wrote recently.
For now, the new test bistro service will be given on international flights between Portland, Oregon, and Tokyo, where economy passengers have often settled for bare bones service, the publication said.
The Business Journal said there have been moves to improve service, but that has come in the "high-margin premium cabins," where airlines make a sizable chunks of their profits.
The bistro service will include a "Welcome Bubbles" cocktail service with bellinis and three brands of sparkling water along with other cocktails from the beverage cart, the Business Journal said.
The publication said Delta had been serving a three-course dinner in a previous test that allowed passengers to select from choices on a printed menu with appetizers such as salad with quinoa, roasted grapes and pine nuts. Entrees included pasta with cauliflower and walnuts in a cream sauce and Haagen-Dazs ice cream for dessert.
Delta could expand the service across its entire international route system by year's end if the Portland-to-Tokyo test proves popular, but an airline representative declined to give a timetable.
"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," the Delta representative said, according to the Business Journal.
"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," the representative continued.
Southwest Airlines became known for offering passengers peanuts instead of in-flight meals in exchange for low fares starting in 1977, according to the Food Network. Air travel tumbled after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists attack, leading to nearly every major airline to eliminate meal service on domestic flights to cut costs, the network said.
The announcement of Delta's experiment brought a cheer from some on social media.
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