The Program
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have rolled out refreshed chef-curated menus across their international Suites cabins this month, enlisting five culinary partners from Seattle and Honolulu to overhaul inflight dining on routes to Asia, Europe and Oceania. The move signals a deliberate premium-experience push from Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK) as consolidated operations between the two carriers mature and the group competes for high-yield international traffic.
The updated program features multi-course, seasonally refreshed menus built around locally sourced ingredients, paired with an overhauled international Business Class wine list. Standout pours include Paul Hobbs West Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and Viña Cobos Cocodrilo Corte Red Blend from Argentina — selections positioned to reinforce the restaurant-quality positioning the carriers are targeting at the premium end of the cabin.
The Chef Roster
James Beard Award-winning Chef Brady Ishiwata Williams, a Seattle-based collaborator since 2025, is the anchor of Alaska's international program. His new additions include Miso Glazed Black Cod with kimchi fried rice and traditional banchan on Tokyo-Narita flights, and Galbi-Glazed Chicken with fried rice and banchan on Seoul-Incheon service — dishes that lean into Pacific Rim flavor profiles increasingly familiar to premium travelers on transpacific routes. Looking ahead, James Beard Award-winner Chef Renee Erickson will bring Pacific Northwest sourcing and technique to Alaska's London, Athens and Paris routes when the latter two launch in May 2027, extending the chef-collaboration model into new European dayparts.
On the Hawaiian side, Chef Dell Valdez — the culinary operator behind Vein in Kakaʻako, Dell's Kitchen & Bakery and Mio PASTALOGY — is introducing international Suites menus beginning Oct. 21. His lineup includes Ahi au Poivre with celery root purée, Huli Huli BBQ Chicken with kimchee fried rice and Blackened Tofu with Brussels sprouts and orzo. Chef Keaka Lee of Honolulu's Kapa Hale joins the program on outbound Hawaiʻi departures starting the same date, offering a Loco Moco at breakfast and Braised Beef with Roasted ʻUlu at dinner. Chef Sheldon Simeon rounds out the roster, crafting pre-order meals exclusively for Main Cabin guests — a relatively rare move that pushes chef-branded product below premium cabins.
Operator Implications
The operational mechanics matter as much as the menu names. Starting next week, Hawaiian Airlines international Business Class guests gain the same expanded pre-select meal functionality Alaska has offered — up to five entrée options available for pre-order from two weeks out to 20 hours before departure via the carriers' mobile apps. For foodservice and food and beverage supply partners, that pre-order volume creates more predictable demand signals and reduces mid-flight waste, a meaningful unit-economics benefit at the galley level.
"Exceptional dining is an essential part of the premium travel experience," said Mark Krolick, Managing Director of Inflight Product and Experience at Alaska Airlines, framing the seasonal refresh as a reflection of the carriers' home-market culinary identity rather than a generic upgrade cycle.
The broader context is a competitive one: legacy and hybrid carriers across the airline foodservice segment have accelerated culinary investment in premium cabins as corporate and leisure travelers return to international routes and show willingness to pay for differentiated onboard experiences. Alaska Air Group's dual-brand approach — maintaining distinct culinary identities for Alaska and Hawaiian while harmonizing operational features like pre-ordering — offers a template for how merged airline groups can preserve brand equity while capturing back-of-house efficiencies.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
