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Dave

Air India introduces new inflight menus and bar offerings for international flights

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Air India has announced the introduction of new inflight menus for all international flights (ex-India), aiming to enhance the customer experience by providing a range of gourmet meals, appetisers and desserts, while showcasing India’s locally sourced culinary influence.

The menus have been refreshed based on customer feedback, with a particular focus on including nutritious and delicious meal options, as well as incorporating contemporary and sustainable practices.

Sandeep Verma, Head of Inflight Services at Air India, commented on the introduction of the new menus,

As part of our ongoing effort of transforming the Air India experience for guests, we have brought great thought and energy into our new menus. We want our guests to enjoy their food and beverage on board Air India flights much like they would at their favourite restaurants.

Air India has assembled a team of in-house experts, catering partners and multiple suppliers to design an elevated dining experience.

The airline’s bar menu now features a range of premium brands of spirits as well as a thoughtfully put-together wine list that includes fine French and Italian wines.

Air India’s First and Business Class customers who follow the vegan lifestyle will now have access to a selection of delicious, plant-based meal options such as Subz Seekh Kebab, Thai Red Curry with Tofu and Vegetables, Broccoli and Millet Steak, and Lemon Sevaiyan Upma, Medu Wada and Masala Uttapam. This inclusion of vegan options demonstrates Air India’s commitment to accommodating a diverse range of dietary requirements.

The new menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner across all classes, feature a mix of fusion dishes and classics such as Mushroom Scrambled Egg, Turmeric Chilli Omelette, Mixed Vegetable Paratha, Achari Paneer and Emmenthal Sandwich in Multigrain Bread, Grilled Prawns in a Fennel Cream Sauce, Murgh Rezala Kofta, Murgh Elaichi Korma, Classic Chilli Chicken, Chicken Chettinad Kathi Roll, Baked Fillet of Fish with a Herb Almond and Garlic Crust, Masala Dal and Brown Rice Khichdi with Sprouts, Roast Tomato and Bocconcini Caprese with Kalamata Olives and Pesto, and Classic Tomato and Coriander Shorba with Crisp Namakpara, among others.

For those with a sweet tooth, Air India has introduced a range of dessert offerings such as Mango Passionfruit Delight, Quinoa Orange Kheer, Espresso Almond Crumble Mousse Cake, Khajur Tukda with Kesar Phirni, Single Origin Chocolate Slice, Chum-Chum Sandwich with Blueberry Sauce, and a seasonal fruit selection.

The airline’s bar menu offers a fine wine list, including Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Brut champagne, wines from the renowned vineyards of Château de l’Hestrange, Les Oliviers, Chateau Milon, and Piedmont region of Northern Italy. In addition, the new beverages menu features a range of premium brands of whiskeys, gin, vodka, and beers.

Air India’s selection of mocktails such as Virgin Mary, California Orange, Apple Spritzer, and juices offers an array of flavours to fulfil the fine dining experience. For customers who like to unwind with a hot beverage, a freshly brewed cup of coffee (Classic Coffee Blend and Cappuccino) or tea (Assam, Green, Earl Grey, and Masala) is also available.

Air India has a rich history, having been founded by the legendary JRD Tata and pioneering India’s aviation sector.

Dave

British Airways introduces plant-based meals in its lounges

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As part of its commitment to create a more premium experience for its customers, British Airways is set to offer a range of improvements, both on the ground and in the air.

The airline has worked with its expert catering providers to introduce new plant-based menus, including a burger.

British Airways is introducing new plant-based menus across its lounges

The new menus will initially roll out across the airline’s Heathrow lounges, before appearing on its US lounge menus. The airline says it is committed to improving choice, to offer something for everyone whilst championing local producers and businesses.

As part of its commitment to sustainability, across the airline’s Heathrow lounges customers will notice new water stations. Work also continues to remove single-use plastic across the airline, and all plastic water bottles in Heathrow lounges are being replaced with glass, which will be rolled out across the airline’s UK lounges over the next month.

Customers in lounges can also continue to order food using their mobile device directly to their table, an initiative introduced by British Airways during the Covid pandemic which it has decided to keep.

From next month the airline is set to move to the next phase of its dining experience; a service more akin to one that customers would have experienced pre-pandemic. Customers travelling in the airline’s Club Europe cabin can expect a more premium service with new menus with more options as it welcomes back its customers.

The airline is also working on the next phase of its long-haul catering proposition, with exciting changes afoot.

British Airways passengers will continue to be able to order food directly to their table in lounges

Elsewhere, British Airways will continue to explore how technology can enhance the customer journey. The airline will be introducing a new baggage tracing system, allowing customers to track their bag via their phone throughout their journey. From automated lounge entry to new digital signage across the airport, British Airways is focused on making the customer journey even more seamless and stress-free. 

Customers can also expect a few changes at check in with dedicated desks for World Traveller Plus customers and a reimagined Skyflyers programme for children travelling with the airline.

Tom Stevens, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said:

We’re committed to ensuring we deliver a premium proposition for our customers throughout their journey with us and when we do so, we need to ensure that sustainability is at the heart of it.

We want to create an even better British Airways and know that we need to keep making changes to the customer experience with things like alternative menus, reducing plastics and introducing new technology to get us to where we want to be. In addition to these improvements, we are also moving ahead at speed with some of the larger initiatives that we promised to our customers, such as the roll out of our award-winning business class seat, Club Suite.