Some folks flying on the Delta airlines from New York to London will get an all-American meal as they cross the pond.
According to Crain's New York Business, the airline announced a partnership with barbecue eatery, Blue Smoke. Delta Air Lines struck the deal with restaurateur Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group.
"Starting in February, passengers seated in the front of the plane will be able to order a meal designed by the culinary team at Blue Smoke restaurant," Crain's reported.
Passengers can order the BusinessElite Express Meal during any time during the flight. The meal is served with several courses all at once. According to it's Union Square Hospitality's first venture into in-flight meals.
According to a Delta spokeswoman, business class travelers are shying away from the traditional multi-course meal service and are leaning more towards a shorter dining experience.
"[Travelers] want to eat their meal and go to sleep in our flat-bed seats," the spokeswoman said. "They want their food in an abbreviated format."
Compared to the typical business class experience that often has several courses, the Blue Smoke meals come as one package. Meals will be severed on the three daily flights between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and London-Heathrow, according to Crain's.
About 4,500 Delta flight attendants serving the New York to London route will take part in the training, said Kerry Held, director of client relations for Hospitality Quotient.
"We are looking at how people are feeling when they come onto the plane," said Held, who added that she has not yet developed the curriculum for the program. "Hospitality is the emotional piece and the area we focus on."
Delta recently took a 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic Airways to better handle the number of passengers, including many business traveler, who fly to London often.
Over the past few years, several other airlines have hired famous chefs to design their menus. The Michelin-starred Heston Blumenthal partnered with British Airways. The American Airlines partnered with Richard Sandoval, Michelle Bernstein, and Marcus Samuelsson.
