• Alaska Airlines recently updated its First Class and Main Cabin menus.
• For economy passengers, a healthy new grain bowl will be available for pre-order on most flights.
• First Class passengers are treated to new menu items from a chef that has won awards from both Michelin and James Beard. 

Travelers may want to skip a pre-flight meal inside the airport before a future Alaska Airlines flight.

The Seattle-based airline recently announced an upgrade of both its First Class and Main Cabin dining menus. The Michelin and James Beard award-winning chef-designed meals prioritize health, wellness, and bold tastes at 30,000 feet, which can often be a challenge for airlines due to catering restrictions and the quick-turn of aircraft.

Designed by San Francisco-based chef Brandon Jew, from Mister Jiu’s, the new menu in First Class sources local ingredients including meats and vegetables from regional ranches. 

Passengers in First Class on select routes from San Francisco (SFO) to Boston (BOS), New York (JFK), Orlando (MCO), and Washington, D.C. (DCA/IAD), will enjoy the new menu from Mister Jiu’s featuring Tea-Smoked Soy Chicken and other Chinese entrees, which are available now. 

“I learned to rely on sauces that are delicious on their own and to create dishes that evoke a sense of place—whether that’s reminding guests of home or getting them excited to visit San Francisco’s Chinatown where my restaurant is located,” Jew said in a release about the new menu shared with Travel + Leisure. 

For passengers in Main Cabin, the airline will debut a plant-based and gluten-free dish from Seattle-based Evergreens. The new addition will be a grain bowl with avocado, tofu, quinoa, and other healthy ingredients. 

Best of all, the grain bowl and other options will be available for pre-order on most Alaska Airlines flights over 1,100 miles. Travelers can pre-order their meal within the Alaska Airlines app, and MVP Gold 100k loyalty members earn a complimentary meal, which can also be pre-ordered. 

Airlines frequently innovate and change in-flight menus to evolve with consumer demand and to keep things fresh. 

In March, Delta Air Lines announced an expansion of its partnership with Shake Shack to provide the famed Shack Burger to flights that are over 900 miles out of Atlanta (ATL), New York (LGA), Seattle (SEA), and Los Angeles (LAX). The airline also upgraded its on-the-ground catering with the launch of Delta One Lounges, at both New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX). EVA Air also recently expanded its specialty culinary offerings with dumplings from the famed Din Tai Fung on select flight routes.