Delta In-flight meal/food service: The definitive thread — Archive

NOTE: Posts from 1 Jan 2016 onward are in the new thread for 2016: Delta In-Flight Meal/Food Service: The Definitive Thread — 2016 Edition

DELTA IN-FLIGHT MEAL AND FOOD SERVICES WIKI

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
If anchors are ever implemented in WikiPosts this would be a good place to use them. For now scroll and look for the Orange text.

1. Beverages
2. Delta One – Intercontinental Flights
3. Delta One – Transcontinental Flights
4. First Class – Domestic Flights
5. Economy Class – Intercontinental Flights
6. Economy Class – Domestic Flights
7. Special Meals – All Cabins

Here is the DL.com link with current meal and drink information, for all flights (Domestic or International) as well as DeltaOne, First/Business, Comfort+, and Economy.


1. Beverages:

Soft drinks:
Complimentary in all cabins.
Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Diet Coke, Fresca, Sprite, KUAT (flights to/from Brazil only).

Mixers:
Complimentary in all cabins.
Mr. & Mrs. "T" Bloody Mary Mix, Seagram's Ginger Ale, Seagram's Sparkling Seltzer Water, Seagram's Tonic Water

Juices and Bottled Water:
Complimentary in all cabins.
Minute Maid Apple Juice, Minute Maid Cranberry Apple Cocktail, Minute Maid Orange Juice, tomato juice, bottled water, LaCroix Sparkling Water (on some international flights), San Pellegrino Sparkling Mineral Water (BusinessElite only), Glacéau Smartwater (BusinessElite only), Milk

Hot Drinks:
Complimentary in all cabins.
Starbucks coffee, Starbucks VIA decaffeinated instant coffee, Bigelow Tea, Harney & Sons Tea (BusinessElite only)

Beer:
Complimentary in Delta One, First Class and Comfort+.
$6 in Main Cabin on domestic and short-haul international flights; complimentary on international flights with Main Cabin meal service.

Heineken, Miller Lite, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, and Blue Moon are available on most US flights. Beyond this, beers vary widely by region:

Blue Moon (North America only), Sweetwater 420 (ATL-DCA/FLL/IAD/LGA/MCO/MIA/MSY/TPA only), Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Lagunitas IPA (LAX-SFO only), Stella Artois, Ballast Point, Brooklyn Brewery (Transcon markets only)

Wines:
Complimentary in Delta One, First Class and Comfort+.
$8 in Main Cabin on domestic and short-haul international flights; complimentary on international flights with Main Cabin meal service.

Economy: red or white available. No sparkling. Typically Wente Vineyards California cabernet and chardonnay or similar.

Only on flights JFK-LAX/SFO in the economy cabin: Delta Winemaker Series, "A unique offering of half bottle (375 ML) California Wines selected by Delta’s Master Sommelier, Andrea Robinson." ($14.99)

Domestic First: Wente Vineyards Cabernet or Chardonnay

Business Class (US-Canada/Mexico/Caribbean): Domestic first service + Sparkling Wine offered pre-departure (and pre-departure only) .

Delta One Fine Wines– selected by Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson

NOTE: Changes are frequent and may not match what is listed on delta.com, or even on the printed onboard menu.

Expect the following:

• Two whites, one “Light Bodied” and one “Medium Bodied”
• Two reds, one “Medium Bodied” and one “Full Bodied”
• Port and possibly one additional dessert wine
• Champagne

Delta.com link to “current” wine list

Spirits:
Complimentary in Delta One, First Class and Comfort+.
$8 in Main Cabin on domestic and short-haul international flights; complimentary on international flights with Main Cabin meal service.

Avión Tequila, Bacardi Rum, Bailey’s Irish Cream Cordial, Bombay Sapphire Dry Gin, Canadian Club Reserve Whisky, Dewar’s Scotch, Finlandia Vodka, Grey Goose Vodka (Delta One only), Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey Whiskey, Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Whiskey (Delta One only), Woodford Reserve Small Batch Bourbon

Mixed Drinks (aka “Featured Beverages”)
Complimentary in Delta One, First Class and Comfort+.
$8 in Main Cabin on domestic and short-haul international flights.
Selections rotate frequently; see Sky Magazine or onboard Flight Fuel menu for current offerings.

All of the below are $8

Southern Lemonade - Featuring Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and Minute Maid® Lemonade—sure to cool you off during the warm summer months.

Sky Breeze - Featuring Finlandia Vodka, Fresca and a splash of Cranberry-Apple juice.

Margarita - Featuring Avión Tequila and Stirrings Margarita.

Mai Tai - A Hawaiian favorite, Bacardi® Select Rum infused with exotic fruit flavors. (Hawaii Flight Fuel only)


2. DELTA ONE - INTERCONTINENTAL FLIGHTS

Note: international flights within North America do not offer Delta One service except JFK-LAX/SFO. See domestic first/business class service.

The meals that you will see on Delta One will vary by destination.

Delta One International Meals feature the following Chefs:

Transpacific Flights: Chef Masatoshi Ishimoto
South America and Mexico Flights: Chef Michelle Bernstein
Atlanta to Europe Flights: Chef Linton Hopkins
NYC to Europe Flights: Chef Danny Meyer, from his restaurant "Blue Smoke"

Asian meals may be pre-ordered in Delta One on flights to/from Japan, China and Korea, using the normal Special Meals request process. See Transpacific Flights below. Pre-ordering recommended to guarantee availability.

This is the typical order of D1 service but can vary based on route/destination (note this does not apply to JFK-LAX/SFO):

-Cold appetizer (only one option)
-Soup and salad with choice of dressing, along with bread and butter (one option for soup or salad, but for bread there are usually three options to choose from)
-Main entrée: Beef, Chicken, Seafood, Pasta, Cold Plate, Regional Dish (typically four options)
-Dessert: Ice Cream with choice of toppings, Cheese Plate, or Sweets
-Self-service snack basket in galley, or Mid-flight light meal (Ultra-long haul only): Western and Asian cold plates. On TATL westbound flights there may be a warm chocolate chip cookie service.
-Pre-Arrival Breakfast: (eastbound flights) Egg dish with meat or Granola cereal with milk
-Pre-Arrival Lunch: (westbound flights) Hot sandwich or cold salad

LINKS to recent Delta One intercontinental menu/meal posts (current menus only):
Please add links to your posts to the list below
BOS-AMS June 2016
LHR-BOS June 2016
NRT-ATL June 2016 Part 1
NRT-ATL June 2016 Part 2

Click on this link to see an archive of older D1 menus.

ADDITIONAL region-specific Delta One meal details:

TRANSPACIFIC FLIGHTS - CHEF MASATOSHI ISHIMOTO
Flights to/from Japan and the United States
• “Kaiseki” style Japanese meals are offered as an option to customers in the BusinessElite cabin
• Customers flying in the Delta One cabin to/from Japan may pre-order a Japanese meal up to 24 hours prior to scheduled flight departure through My Trips or by calling Delta Reservations. Once you check in, let the gate agent and a flight attendant know that you ordered a special meal.
• Entrées with a Japanese flair are offered as an option to customers in the Economy cabin
• All customers can choose from a selection of Japanese beverages including Asahi, Suntory Premium Malt and Kirin Ichiban beers, and Sake
• Asahi, Suntory Premium Malt and Kirin Ichiban as well as sake are available in both cabins

FLIGHTS TO/FROM JAPAN AND HONOLULU
• Menu selections for the Delta One cabin and Economy cabin feature meals with both Japanese and Hawaiian flavors
• All customers can choose from a selection of Japanese beverages including; Asahi, Suntory Premium Malt and Kirin Ichiban beers, Sake and a choice of Hawaiian juices

FLIGHTS TO/FROM KOREA AND THE UNITED STATES
DTW-ICN Korean meals are catered by local Korean restaurant Bi Bim Bab in Novi.
• Korean Meals and Beverages
• Korean meals are available as an option to customers in the Delta One and Economy cabins
• OB beer is available in both cabins

FLIGHTS TO/FROM CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES
• Chinese Meals and Beverages
• Asian entrees are available as an option to customers seated in the Delta One and Economy cabins
• Tsingtao beer is available in both cabins

INTER-ASIA FLIGHTS
• All flights flying within Delta’s Intra-Asia markets feature menu options with both western and regional flavors in the Business and Economy cabins


3. DELTA ONE for JFK-LAX/SFO – Chef Michael Chiarello

This is a signature service for routes between JFK and LAX/SFO. It includes a three course meal, except on red-eye flights which have a lighter one course offering. Delta does not specify specific meals.

Breakfast flights:
-Choice of appetizer
-Main course (four choices)

Lunch/Dinner flights:
-Appetizer and salad
-Main course (three choices)
-Dessert (two choices)

LINKS to recent Delta One domestic transcon menu/meal posts (current menus only):
Please add links to your posts to the list below
JFK-LAX June 2016 menu and actual meal service
LAX-JFK June 2016 - Breakfast
LAX-JFK June 2016 Lunch
SFO-JFK June 2016 Dinner

Click on this link to see an archive of older D1 menus.

4. MEALS IN DOMESTIC FIRST CLASS (WITHIN THE US) OR IN BUSINESS CLASS (TO CANADA, MEXICO, CARRIBEAN, ETC.)

First Class meal service is provided on flights to all 50 states that are 900 miles or greater. "Business Class" is the same service as domestic first but for trans-border North American flights that do not offer Delta One service, typically found on routes between the USA and Caribbean, Canada, Mexico, and Central America. One differentiation for Business Class flights is that sparkling wine is offered pre-departure as with all Delta international flights.
Please note:
-The content in this section DOES NOT apply to anything Transatlantic, Transpacific, or to South America where there is Delta One service.
-The content in this section also DOES NOT apply to the JFK-LAX/SFO routes where there is Delta One service.
-There are a few flights under 900 miles where Delta does provide First Class meal service because other airlines offer meal service on the same route. They will be catered as if they were in the 900-1399 mile category. Examples are ATL-NYC and certain West coast ex-Seattle flights.
-West Coast flights between LAX-SFO are served LUVO light snack trays (with items such as carrots, hummus and crackers, etc). These flights also offer free beer (including a local selection) and wine in the coach cabin.


Meal service is determined by distance flown and time of departure:

0-250 miles
Limited snack box: Biscoff cookies, peanuts, and pretzels

251-899 miles
Full snack basket is offered

900-1399 miles
Meals are served for flights departing 5am-1:30pm and 4pm to 8pm. This can vary slightly by flight, so it is best to check the reservation notes on delta.com. At other times a snack basket is passed around the cabin (see above).

1400+ miles
Full meal service will be offered between 5am-8pm. Breakfast is served for flights departing up to 9:45AM, and full lunch/dinner service after that.

Examples of snacks offered:
Morning flights (departures 05:00-09:45) offer peanuts, pretzels, Biscoff cookies, biscotti, bananas, Otis Spunkmeyer muffins and Quaker Oats chewy granola bars.

Afternoon/evening: peanuts, pretzels, apples, Twix, Toblerone, Sun Chips and Walkers shortbread cookies.

NOTE: For flights departing between 8pm and 9pm a light meal service, referred to as "snack" on delta.com, will be offered. This is often a source of confusion because delta.com lists full meal service for 1400+ mile flights as going until 9pm, but the reservation online will list "snack" and not "dinner." Also, there have been recent reports of longer redeye flights being served a pre-arrival breakfast, but there is not great information available about this. If your flight lists "snack" instead of "none" for meal service, this is a good sign that you will have some food service. If departure is after 9pm and before 5am, it will probably be a pre-arrival breakfast. See sample menu below.

SAMPLE MENUS

The meals you may see listed here are general examples and your flight may not have the option(s) listed here. These are solely from the words of fellow FTers (and please remember the times are based upon the flight's departure time):

Note: If you are flying a DELTA CONNECTION® flight (on regional jets such as a CRJ or Embraer) most meal service is cold as the majority of these planes are not equipped with ovens. There are reports that certain CRJ-900's are equipped with "warmers" but there is no way to know this in advance.

All domestic first class meals are served on Delta signature dishes with real flatware, glasses, etc.

Breakfast: (served for departure times 5:45am-9:45am)

Cold breakfast options:
-cereal, yogurt, muffin, fruit
-oatmeal with fruit and a bagel

Hot breakfast options:
-Omelette with potatoes, bagel, and fruit
-Bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich
-Breakfast burrito

Lunch: (9:46am-3:59pm)
NOTE: No meal service on flights departing 1:30pm-3:59pm for flights under 1400 miles.

Typically served with fresh fruit (or another side). This is typically a lighter meal.

-Pizza with feta cheese
-Burger with pickle, tomato, and onion on the side
-Turkey sandwich with chips
-Hot pastrami sandwich
-Chilled grilled shrimp skewers with chili glaze and a side of noodles.
-Pepperoni and sausage calzone

Dinner: (4pm-8pm)

All meals are typically served with bread, salad, and a dessert item such as a cookie.

-Cold grilled chicken with risotto
-Chicken-orzo salad (cold)
-Spinach ricotta ravioli
-Chicken teriyaki with white rice

1400+ mile flights departing 8pm-9pm

Typically there is only one option offered such as a hot sandwich served with chips and a cookie. Full snack basket will also be offered.

Long-Haul Hawaii Routes (ATL/MSP-HNL and seasonal JFK to HNL)
Note that Western US departures to Hawaii receive standard domestic service.

After departure a standard domestic F meal for 1400 mile + flights will be served. Prior to landing, there will be a lighter meal served. For afternoon/evening arrivals this will be sandwich or salad, for morning arrivals, a continental breakfast.

LINKS to recent First Class menu/meal posts:
Please add links to your posts to the list below
Breakfast:
RDU-MSP, November 2015
MSP-JFK, November 2015
MSP-LAX, June 2016
MSP-BOS, July 2016


Lunch:
SJC-SEA, July 2015
ATL-PHX, October 2015
IAH-MSP, October 2015
MSP-SAN, November 2015
MSP-SFO, March 2016

Dinner:
JFK-MCO, October 2015
JFK-MCO, October 2015
MCO-DTW, October 2015
MSP-MCO, October 2015
BOS-MSP, December 2015
SEA-KOA, May 2016
BOS-ATL, June 2016
ATL-MSP, June 2016


5. MEALS ON INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS - Main Cabin and Comfort +

Only certain routes offer complimentary meal service in Economy. All transatlantic and transpacific flights include complimentary meals in the economy cabin. Most flights to South America also include meal service. Flights to Canada, Mexico & Central America generally do not. A good rule of thumb is that if the flight offers DeltaOne service (NOT "business class" or "first class") then there are probably complimentary meals in the economy cabin. Note that no flights from the US mainland to Hawaii offer complimentary meals, including ATL-HNL. Meal service details can be found in your reservation on delta.com or in the service details when booking the flight.

Breakfast:

Need info here about international economy breakfast.

Lunch/Dinner:

Choice of entree:

1) A vegetarian pasta dish (such as ravioli)
2) A chicken dish (such as chicken & mushrooms with rice)
3) A salad with cold chicken (such as greek salad)

Meals are typically served with:
- A main side dish to go with the entrée
- A small bowl of salad
- Bread/roll with butter
- A dessert item

Additionally there will be a pre-arrival snack served:
-Morning arrivals: light breakfast (might include things like fruit, hot egg wrap, pastry, yogurt, etc.)
-Afternoon/evening arrivals: light meal (such as small turkey sandwich, small pizza, etc.)

On longer flights a mid-flight snack may be served such as ice cream or a light sandwich.

A choice of Biscoff cookies, peanuts or pretzels is offered during beverage service.

On flights that offer complimentary economy class meal service, special meals may be ordered through delta.com or by calling customer service. See the bottom of the wiki for more information on special meals.

LINKS to recent international Main Cabin menu/meal posts:
Please add links to your posts to the list below
MSP-NRT and NRT-SIN, August 2015


6. DOMESTIC ECONOMY SNACKS, MEALS, AND FLIGHT FUEL MENUS

For passengers seated in Comfort+ all drinks are complimentary, and on medium and longer flights, a basket of complimentary snacks will be passed around, with offerings such as chips, chocolate, crackers and other packaged snacks.

0-249 miles: No service except water/coffee by request when time permits.

250-899 miles: Complimentary peanuts, pretzels and Biscoff cookies.

900-1,399 miles: Complimentary peanuts, pretzels and Biscoff cookies plus limited premium snacks for purchase from the Flight Fuel menu.

1,400+ mies: Between 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., all of the Flight Fuel menu selections are available for purchase on domestic (U.S. and Canada), Latin America and Caribbean flights.

Links to Current Economy - Flight Fuel Menus:

Delta (as of June 2016) re-invented its economy buy-on-board program and re-named it Flight Fuel (formerly EATS). These new menus feature newer items. These menus can change, so it is best to check these links prior to flying for the most up to date menu. Click here to see more on the food/drink page from delta.com and at the bottom on the left are the current Flight Fuel menus.

Note: certain items are offered only on eastbound or westbound flights, please review the menus carefully. Inventory is limited and not all options are always available.

US, Caribbean, and Latin America Flight Fuel

JFK-LAX/SFO and VV Flight Fuel

Hawaii Flight Fuel - to/from HNL only


7. SPECIAL MEALS:

Delta offers special meals for a variety of dietary restrictions on all flights with complimentary meal service. For flights within North America & the Caribbean, this means first class only. For transpacific/transatlantic and flights to South America, this would include all cabins.

No special meals are available on flights departing ABQ, ELP, or TUS.

Here are the special meals that are offered. You can select special meals by viewing your reservation online or by calling Delta.

The same meal may be served across multiple categories (i.e. the same physical meal may be served for Bland/Diabetic/Low Fat/Low Sodium/Vegetarian).

Please note that mistakes are widely reported. Confirm your meal request with a gate agent and flight attendant. Passengers with special dietary needs are strongly advised to bring their own snacks in case a catering error occurs.

Meal descriptions are Delta's words. Your Meals May Vary.

• Asian Vegetarian Meal (code AVML) - This is a non‐strict vegetarian meal which is prepared in an Indian style and is usually spicy. No meat, seafood or egg is allowed. This meal may include dairy products.

• Baby Meal (code BBML) - Baby food usually boarded in portion jars. (May contain strained fruit, vegetables, meats, desserts, milk & juices.)

• Bland Meal (code BLML) - For those with digestive tract and stomach disorders. Excludes mustard, pickles, garlic, fried and fatty foods.

• Child Meal (code CHML) - Available for children from 2 to 12 years of age, and includes food offerings which appeal to children. The meals planned follow Recommended Dietary Allowances for children.

• Diabetic Meal (code DBML) - For those who need to manage blood sugar levels. Foods excluded are high in sugars. ( Avoid syrups, jams, cakes and chocolate, unless specifically designed for diabetics.)

• Gluten Free Meal (code GFML) - Foods excluded are wheat or wheat flour, barley oats and rye, bread, cakes (unless wheat free), pastry, sausages or any flour based products. (Allergy related)

• Hindu Meal (code HNML) - Spicy vegetarian combinations with limited use of dairy products. While our meals are meat‐free, some individuals with this diet consume meats of non‐beef/veal/pork origin.

• Japanese Meal (code JPML) - Traditional Multi Course Kaiseki Style Japanese Meal accompanied by steamed rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles and green tea. Available only to Delta One customers flying between the USA/Hawaii and Japan.

• Kosher (code KSML) - Kosher meals are prepared by Kosher caterers under Rabbinical supervision and may also incorporate fresh fruit or sealed items, such as individually packaged bagels that meet Kosher laws. Special Kosher for Passover meals are supplied during Passover.

• Regal Kosher (code KSML) - Strict Kosher meals prepared by "Regal" kashrut supervision and may also incorporate fresh fruit or sealed items, such as individually packaged bagels that meet Kosher laws. Special Kosher for Passover meals are supplied during Passover. Only served on JFK-TLV in all cabins.

• Low Fat/Low Cholesterol/Low Calorie Meal (code LFML) - High fiber meal with reduced amounts of fat and sugar.

• Low Sodium Meal (code LSML) - Excludes use of salt, MSG and baking soda/powder, instead herbs and spices are used to flavor the meal.

• Muslim Meal (code MOML) - Does not contain pork, by‐products of pork or foodstuffs containing alcohol. All meats come from ritually slaughtered animals.

• Toddler Meal (code TDML) - Available for children who have begun consuming solid food who need little assistance from the parent, soft, easy‐to‐eat finger foods.

• Vegetarian (Vegan) Meal (code VGML) - Typically cooked in Western style, this meal does not contain meat, seafood, egg and dairy products.

• Vegetarian (Lacto-Ovo) Meal (code VLML) - Prepared in Western style, this is a non‐strict vegetarian meal which can include eggs and dairy products but eliminates all meats and seafood.

• Korean Meal (code KRML) - Korean style Bibimbap with steamed rice, gochujang sauce and sesame oil accompanied by soup, salad and banchan. Available only to Delta One customers flying between the USA and Korea.

• Chinese Meal (code CNML) - Components include soup, salad and entrée and feature regional flavors on flights departing China. Available only to Delta One customers flying between the USA and China.