Air France Launches New A La Carte Menu By Jean Imbert

Available on board long-haul flights in Economy and Premium Economy starting April 1, 2016

Air France has partnered with Jean Imbert – a rising star in French cuisine and the 2012 winner of the French TV show Top Chef – to create new dishes for one of the airline’s  “A la Carte” menus offered on flights from Paris in Economy and Premium Economy. The chef has created Le marché de Jean Imbert, a full meal which can be enjoyed as an alternative to the standard inflight menu offered. His meals are now available for passengers to order to be enjoyed on board long-haul flights departing from Paris starting April 1, 2016.

In working on this new offering, the chef revisited his creations that were a success on Top Chef as well as other original culinary delights. Jean Imbert’s dishes feature innovative flavors for a new gourmet experience in the sky including: a cold starter with organic quinoa, poached egg and tarragon; hot stew; and a fruity pastry for dessert.

Air France Economy and Premium Economy passengers can purchase Imbert’s new creation to enjoy on flights departing from Paris for $23 or 7,000 Flying Blue Miles. Like each of Air France’s A la Carte meals (with other menu options available from Paris and other destinations including five U.S. gateways), passengers can order them as far as 90 days in advance of their trip and up to 24 hours before their travel by adding it to their booking on airfrance.us.

This new dish is part of Air France’s upmarket move to upgrade its long-haul products and services. As Air France’s fleet of Boeing 777s are being gradually equipped with new Economy, Premium Economy, Business, and La Premiere cabins, customers enjoy optimum travel comfort. Additionally, with new services such as A la Carte menus, passengers have more choices and ways to enhance their journey.

 About Air France’s “A la Carte” Menus

Air France offers “A la Carte” menus as a paid alternative to the standard meal offered on board long-haul Economy and Premium Economy flights and currently features four menu options: Une Sélection LeNôtre, Océan, Tradition or Italia menus. Le marché de Jean Imbert meals will replace the Italia menu for flights departing Paris* starting April 1, 2015. Other A La Carte Menus are available on departure from other locations including five U.S. gateways. The Italia, Océan and Tradition menus are available from each of the following U.S. gateways: New York (JFK), Los Angeles LAX, San Francisco (SFO), Houston (IAH), and Washington Dulles (IAD).

A la Carte meals may be ordered for an added price ranging between $14.00 and $31.00, or 4,000 to 8,500 Flying Blue Miles. They can be ordered as far as 90 days in advance of travel and up to 24 hours before flight departure. Passengers can purchase these meals at airfrance.fr during ticket purchase or in the “View/modify your bookings” section, at check in online, or through an Air France call center or ticket office.

Air France launched paid A la Carte Menus in Economy and Premium Economy on long-haul flights departing from Paris in 2012. In November 2015, the airline expanded the scope of the program, making them available on departure from five U.S. gateways, French Overseas Departments (Cayenne, Fort de France, La Réunion and Pointe à Pitre), and Canada (Montreal and Toronto) and Africa (Douala, Libreville, Abidjan and Dakar).

*Offer available on all long-haul flights on departure from Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly which offer a hot meal, except flights to Amman, Bangalore, Bombay, Damascus and Delhi and long-haul flights that do not serve dinner or hot breakfast.

About Jean Imbert

Jean Imbert grew up in L’Hay-les-Roses near Paris and Sables d’Or les Pins in Brittany. When he was a child he developed a passion for cooking and prepared meals for his family and friends. When he was 14, Jean was an intern at Jean-Pierre Crouzil’s restaurant in Plancoët, Brittany. This experience gave him the desire to open his own restaurant. In 2001 he graduated from the Institut Paul Bocuse and went to work for the chef Eric Briffard. At the age of 22, Jean decided to open his first restaurant, his childhood dream. He opened L’Acajou in the sixteenth arrondissement of Paris, awarded the Label Bocuse & Co in 2009.

In 2012, Jean won Season 3 of Top Chef on M6 with his emblematic dishes such as his fruit salad carpaccio and vegetable bouquet. After this media hype, Jean became one of France’s favorite chefs, well-liked by personalities who appreciate his unique cuisine and use of local products, who advocates sustainable fishing and spotlights local French producers. Jean still has close ties with Brittany, where he purchases his fresh produce.

Inspired by his travels and constantly on the look-out for unique and unusual concepts, late 2015 Jean opened Les Bols de Jeanwith Eric Kayser, a chic eco-canteen concept offering seasonal dishes in small round loaves of bread where nothing goes to waste. A concept in line with Jean’s values, committed to preventing food waste and malnutrition. Together with MK2 Jean also opened a pop-up cinema where his culinary creations matched the subject of the movie, offering spectators a complete sensory experience. He has also criss-crossed the globe, exploring markets in New Zealand, Polynesia and Iceland and organizing dinners in New York, San Francisco and Sydney. In Egypt, he supervised the menu on the Steam Ship Sudan, the boat which inspired Agatha Christie to write Death on the Nile. In 2016, Jean will offer Air France customers Le marché de Jean Imbert, a menu to enjoy on board the Company’s long-haul flights from Paris to the rest of the world!

About Air France

Air France, a global airline of French inspiration, with high standards and a caring attitude, turns the flight into a moment of real pleasure on all its daily operations in France, Europe and worldwide.

Since 2004, Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have formed a global air transport giant with a strong European base. The Group also offers cargo transport and aeronautical maintenance solutions.

Air France-KLM is the leading Group in terms of international traffic on departure from Europe. In 2015, it offers its customers access to a network covering 316 destinations in 115 countries thanks to its four brands Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Transavia and HOP! Air France. With a fleet of 546 aircraft in operation and 87.4 million passengers carried in 2014, Air France-KLM operates up to 2,200 daily flights from its hubs at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol.

Its Flying Blue frequent flyer programme is one of the leaders in Europe with over 25 million members.

Air France-KLM and its partners Delta Air Lines and Alitalia operate the biggest trans-Atlantic joint-venture with over 250 daily flights.

Air France-KLM is also a member of the SkyTeam alliance which has 20 member airlines, offering customers access to a global network of over 16,320 daily flights to 1,052 destinations in 177 countries.

5 Airlines Serving World Class Meals.

Thousand feet above the ground between the clouds, today the airline bringing top service and luxurious meals equivalent of comfort food served by five star chefs.

5. Singapore Airlines

Passengers will be greeted by Dom Perignon or Krug wine depending on your preferences.

Wine, snacks, appetizers, main dishes and desserts with lots of options and are presented in a very unique style.

You can also put a meal 24 hours before takeoff if you want to organize a special occasion.

On flights from Singapore to China, Vip passengers will enjoy a Chinese meal is extremely delicate.

On the Japanese flight, the airline will serve traditional tea and a meal Japanese style.

Passengers to New Delhi and Mumbai may be experienced Shahi Thali - a dish used to serve for kings in India.

4. Delta Airlines

Menus of Delta Airlines serves seasonal dishes and local specialties. The trans-Pacific flight to bring the diverse cuisines of Japan, while flights to South America and Mexico serving the Latin American dishes.

Collection of wine on the flight was specially selected by Andrea Robinson who is one of 19 female professional sommeliers in the world.

3. Etihad Airlines

The chefs are selected from the best restaurants in the world, then must undergo extensive training to understand the taste of wine and create dishes fit wines onboard.

Etihad will meet all the requirements of your diet on a plane. You just need to inform them and can rest assured that the meal will be exactly as you want.

Not only serves great quality but also Etihad Airlines has a lecture on the art elite chefs appear on every dish and sure to bring a world-class meal for you.

2. Oman Air​

The menu will depend on the duration of the flight. In the cabin, you will enjoy the dish is set on discs from China sophistication with an elegant set of cutlery.

Dinner started with champagne and caviar. Dessert was chocolate mousse cake Gâteaux, bakhlava or cheese served with wine.

1. Emirates Airlines

 

The dish is served with wine stock makes you feel like you are sitting in a five star hotel and enjoy dishes from world-class chefs.

Passengers are served dishes like Iranian caviar blinis with sour cream and cake buffet.

United Lures Frequent Fliers With Hot Meals On Some Of Its Shortest Fights

Contributed by Scott Mayerowitz, AP

This product image provided by United Airlines shows a Caprese on Asiago Baguette sandwich, one of a variety of the airline's new first class food options. The Chicago-based airline on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2014 announced that it’s upgrading first class food options and replacing snacks with full meals on some of its shortest flights. (AP Photo/United Airlines)

 To win the hearts of frequent business travelers, United Airlines is going through their stomachs.

The carrier has been looking for ways to woo back some of its top fliers who defected to other carriers following a rocky merger with Continental Airlines. So, it's upgrading first class food options and replacing snacks with full meals on some of its shortest flights.

The changes, announced Thursday, mean that instead of potato chips, chocolate chip cookies and bananas, passengers on flights of at least 800 miles will get meals such as chicken and mozzarella on a tomato focaccia roll and turkey and Swiss cheese on a cranberry baguette. Currently, meals are only served on flights of 900 miles or more - trips that usually last close to two hours.

Passengers on 13 extra routes, such as Houston-to-Des Moines, Iowa, will be getting full meal service starting in February.

The move comes as American Airlines goes the other way, eliminating hot meals on most flights less than 1,000 miles starting Sept. 1. The change - which upset many frequent fliers - is part of American's merger with US Airways and does expand meals to some US Airways flights that previously only had snacks. Delta Air Lines serves first class meals only on flights of more than 900 miles.

That means United will offer full meals on more short flights than its competitors, although each airline makes exceptions for some key shorter business routes like the 731-mile trip between New York and Chicago.

United already this month replaced two bland salad options with four heartier choices. Starting Sept. 1, three frozen and reheated sandwiches currently served will be replaced by eight sandwich and wrap choices made daily. In the fall, it will add Prosecco sparkling wine to its beverage menu.

"Customers shouldn't have to make sacrifices just because they are onboard an aircraft," says Todd Traynor-Corey, the airline's managing director of food design.

That might be true, but in an industry known for its razor-thin profit margins, food has always been a target of cost-cutting. With U.S. airlines each year carrying 645 million passengers domestically, every little food decision had big implications. In the 1980s, then American Airlines CEO Robert Crandall famously decided to remove a single olive from every salad. The thought was: passengers wouldn't notice and American would save $40,000 a year.

It's been a decade since most airlines stopped serving free meals in coach on domestic flights.

Dennis Cary, an airline consultant with ICF International, says meals alone won't drive passengers to one airline over another, but can help leave a better impression of a flight.

"It's on the margin," Cary says, "but it's one of the things people like to talk about."

United has been struggling since its 2010 merger with Continental. It lags behind American and Delta in the number of planes with Wi-Fi, its on-time performance slipped and a series of computer glitches have left passengers angry. Business travelers who fly weekly got fed up with the repeated problems; other airlines were successful in luring some away.

CEO Jeff Smisek has struggled to collect the same high airfares from business customers that other airline do, leading to pressure from Wall Street analysts. Improving food could be a start to winning back some passengers.

A hot meal on a two-hour flight might not sound like a necessity, but for busy frequent fliers it might be the only chance to grab a bite.

"Business travelers, running from a meeting to catch an earlier flight, don't have the time stop and pick up food along the way," says Gary Leff, co-founder of online frequent flier discussion site MilePoint.