Delta Air Lines testing (majorly) enhanced international economy meals

[brooklynite]

Chicago Business journal

The economy cabin bistro dinner service features a “Welcome Bubbles” cocktail service with bellinis and three brands of sparkling water on offer along with an array of other cocktails from the beverage cart. In test, Delta has been serving a three-course dinner selected from choices on a printed menu with appetizers such as salad with quinoa, roasted grapes and pine nuts. Entrees include pasta with cauliflower and walnuts in a cream sauce and Haagen-Dazs ice cream for dessert.

All appetizers and entrees are being served in white dishes that look far more pleasing than what economy passengers are used to seeing in economy cabins. Larger dinner napkins and sleekly-designed tableware (plastic but sleek) are part of the service too.

What’s more, in test, Delta has been serving each course separately, as you would expect in a fine dining restaurant. But remember this is the long-haul economy cabin we’re talking about.

If all goes well on test flights from Portland to Tokyo, Delta could roll out the new beverage and meal service across its international route system by year’s end, But a Delta spokeswoman would not confirm a specific time frame.

[C_U_L8R]

1. Taking care of the customer... what a novel concept!

[brooklynite]

2. Part of the argument might be...

...that the FA are on the plane anyway, so there's no additional cost serving a meal over an hour's time, rather than on a single tray.

[DFW]

3. Probably trying not to lose customers to airlines with better service.

Their Sky Team partners here in Europe include Air France-KLM, either of which I'd take in a heartbeat over Delta. But Delta has a monopoly on the only nonstop route from here (Düsseldorf) to the southern USA (Atlanta) except Florida, and their airports are all versions of a crowded madhouse.

I still take the Delta flight whenever I can from North America back to Düsseldorf, because there is nothing more stressful when flying overseas on an overnight flight, losing the night due to the time change, and then having to go through immigration and security again while half conscious, and then having to change terminals and wait three hours for a 50 minute connecting flight. When I can, on the way back from North America, if I can book a nonstop to Düsseldorf, you bet I'll take it, even if it's Delta. Not United or American, though. I draw the line at those two.