Alaska Airlines wins 2024 Business Traveler Award for Best Inflight Food & Beverage

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Alaska Airlines (ALK) has won the 2024 Business Traveler North America Award for Best Inflight Food & Beverage. The award, determined through expert nomination and public voting, recognizes the airline's significant investments in its culinary experience. Key innovations include the introduction of 'Cloud Cruiser', a custom craft beer collaboration with Fremont Brewing, the reintroduction of hot meals in Premium Class and Main Cabin on flights over 1,100 miles, and a partnership with Michelin-starred Chef Brandon Jew for First Class dining between SFO and JFK. The airline also added Lagunitas Hoppy Refresher, becoming the first major U.S. airline to offer hoppy water onboard.

The honor recognizes recent significant investments in our inflight culinary experience

SEATTLE, Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines is proud to be named the winner of the 2024 Business Traveler North America Award for Best Inflight Food & Beverage. This recognition celebrates our commitment to elevating the culinary experience with an innovative and thoughtful approach to crafting premium meal and beverage offerings for every guest, regardless of where they sit.

"We are incredibly honored to receive this award, which reflects our team's passion for delivering a remarkable travel experience and dedication to offering curated food and beverage products that represent the best of the West Coast," said Todd Traynor-Corey, vice president of guest products and experience at Alaska Airlines. "This recognition inspires us to continue creating memorable inflight moments with our menus that combine quality, creativity and sustainability. I want to thank our incredible food and beverage team and flight attendants for their dedication and hard work each day, ensuring our guests experience exceptional service and care."

The awards were determined through a two-step process. A panel of distinguished aviation experts, hospitality leaders and industry editors carefully selected the nominees. The public then cast their votes to determine the winners, highlighting the brands that resonate most with travelers.

"Congratulations to Alaska Airlines for winning this year's best food and drink award in North America. Their commitment to elevating the inflight dining experience has been truly impressive. By collaborating with rising star Chef Brandon Jew, they've brought West Coast flavors to life with Asian-inspired dishes that reflect thoughtful innovation and quality," said Enrique Perrella, aviation director at Business Traveler. "Complementing these culinary offerings, Alaska's impressive beverage selection, including the exclusive 'Cloud Cruiser' IPA and Best Day Brewing's non-alcoholic Kölsch, showcases a passion for unique partnerships and fresh ingredients. Alaska Airlines has set a new bar for inflight dining, delivering a memorable experience worthy of this recognition."

Excellence in On Board Dining 35k feet in the Air

This year, we proudly elevated our inflight dining experience, continuing to set the standard for excellence while staying true to our roots by supporting iconic local West Coast brands. By embracing innovation and pushing boundaries, we introduced bold new offerings that reflect the creativity and quality our guests have come to expect.

• A Toast to Innovation: 'Cloud Cruiser' Custom Craft Beer: Earlier this year, we unveiled 'Cloud Cruiser,' the first-ever custom craft beer brewed for Alaska Airlines by Seattle-based Fremont Brewing. This collaboration brought together two beloved Pacific Northwest brands to craft a refreshingly unique beer. Designed by artists from both Alaska and Fremont Brewing, the distinctive can is only available on board our flights and select Alaska Lounges, offering a true taste of the West Coast.
  
  
• Hot Meals Make a Comeback in the Main Cabin: Our inflight menu continues to outshine the competition by offering more variety than any other U.S. airline. In May, we reintroduced hot meals to Premium Class and the Main Cabin on most flights more than 1,100 miles*. These chef-curated dishes feature premium ingredients, including guest favorites like the Pretzel Roll Sliders with Chips and the flavorful Carnitas Breakfast Bowl.
  
  
• Refreshing Non-Alcoholic Options Take Flight: Expanding on last year's exciting partnership with Best Day Brewing to offer craft non-alcoholic beer to our onboard menu, we added another innovative choice to our lineup. Starting Nov. 20, we began serving Lagunitas Hoppy Refresher, a non-alcoholic sparkling water brewed with hops for a crisp, citrusy taste. Available complimentary in First Class and Premium Class, and for purchase in the Main Cabin, this refreshing beverage is the first hoppy water ever offered by a major U.S. airline!
  
  
• Michelin Star Inspired Meals in the Sky: This summer, we redefined the First Class dining experience with an exciting partnership with Brandon Jew, the acclaimed chef and owner of San Francisco's Michelin-starred Mister Jiu's restaurant. Guests traveling between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) can savor a menu inspired by Chef Jew's mastery of modern Chinese-American cuisines. With Mister Jiu's maintaining its Michelin star for a seventh consecutive year, this collaboration delivers a world-class dining experience in the sky.

Whether through West Coast-inspired flavors, premium ingredient choices or creative partnerships, we continue to redefine what it means to dine at 35,000 feet. Remember that all our guests, no matter where they sit, can enjoy a premium culinary experience when traveling on Alaska. Along with our freshly prepared food offerings like our Signature Fruit & Cheese Platter, our hot meals are only available for pre-order purchase two weeks to 20 hours before your flight. With Alaska Airlines, you can purchase food on most flights over 1,100 miles. You can pre-order hot and fresh meals via the Alaska App or alaskaair.com.

*Hot meal options may not be available on some flights, including redeye flights or where catering is not available   

About Alaska Air Group
Alaska Air Group, Inc. is based in Seattle and comprised of subsidiaries Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Holdings, Inc., Horizon Air and McGee Air Services. With our recent acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, we now serve more than 140 destinations throughout North America, Central America, Asia and across the Pacific. We are committed to safety, remarkable customer care, operational excellence, financial performance and sustainability. Alaska Airlines is a member of the oneworld Alliance. With oneworld and our additional global partners, our guests have more choices than ever to purchase, earn or redeem on alaskaair.com across 30 airlines and more than 1,000 worldwide destinations. Book travel throughout the Pacific on Hawaiian Airlines at hawaiianairlines.com. Learn more about Alaska Airlines at news.alaskaair.com and Hawaiian Airlines at newsroom.hawaiianairlines.com/blog. Alaska Air Group is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as "ALK."

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SOURCE ALASKA AIRLINES

FAQ

What award did Alaska Airlines (ALK) win for its inflight dining in 2024?

Alaska Airlines won the 2024 Business Traveler North America Award for Best Inflight Food & Beverage.

What new craft beer did Alaska Airlines (ALK) introduce in 2024?

Alaska Airlines introduced 'Cloud Cruiser', a custom craft beer exclusively brewed by Seattle-based Fremont Brewing for the airline.

When did Alaska Airlines (ALK) reintroduce hot meals in Premium Class and Main Cabin?

Alaska Airlines reintroduced hot meals in May 2024 for Premium Class and Main Cabin on most flights over 1,100 miles.

Which Michelin-starred chef partnered with Alaska Airlines (ALK) for First Class dining in 2024?

Chef Brandon Jew, owner of San Francisco's Michelin-starred Mister Jiu's restaurant, partnered with Alaska Airlines for First Class dining between SFO and JFK.