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by Rod Kurtz When you board a Virgin America plane, distinct aesthetics—purple ambient lights, black leather seats and a flight crew smartly clad in Banana Republic uniforms—make it immediately clear this airline is different. Like the rest of Sir Richard Branson’s properties, Virgin America launched in 2007 as a brash…
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British Airways caters to the tastes of their smallest passengers
Parents flying with children of any age face the sometimes harrowing dilemma of keeping everyone happy. Best-case scenario, kids spend the entire time quietly occupied by in-flight entertainment, games or books—or even take a nap. At mealtime, the food an airline serves can greatly influence a child’s experience. Plopping down a plate of gooey mystery meat in front of a hungry five-year-old can turn the flight into a warzone for not only the parents, but, potentially, anyone else within earshot.
Knowing that keeping kids happy during the flight goes a long way toward enhancing the experience for the entire plane, British Airways has established some clear guidelines for their kid-friendly amenities as part of their Height Cuisine program. Children have the option to order special, age-appropriate, healthy and satisfying menu items ahead of time. The policy to “feed families first” helps hungry children keep their cool in situations where they may otherwise have to wait longer than usual for their food, especially on long-haul flights.
“Caterers design kids meals around our child meal style guide,” says menu design manager Sinead Ferguson. “We incorporate healthy and nutritious ingredients along with some fun things to achieve a balance so that both child and parent are happy with the offerings.” The British Airways culinary team gathered information about what their youngest passengers would like to eat by assembling a group of regular child travelers and their parents as the official “British Airways Kids Council.” Council meetings helped establish a proven strategy to providing the best options approved by every member of the family.
“When we carried out our research, the parents told us they wanted the children to recognize the food they were eating,” says Ferguson. “There had to be an element of fun, and above all it had to be nutritious.” Not surprisingly, chicken nuggets were revealed to be a consistent favorite among kids, and a go-to meal for parents to serve. On British Airways, however, tenders are homemade from fresh chicken breast. Another perennial favorite, spaghetti, hides vegetables in the bolognese. Plus, points out Ferguson, all children’s meals include yogurt or cheese and a portion of fresh fruit.
Another secret BA learned from talking to parents and kids about how they survive air travel—it’s all about the treats. Cool Hunting contributor, frequent traveler and mother of two Julie Wolfson lets her girls order ginger ale when they fly, and, she says, “I pull out a candy surprise just at the moment when the flight begins to seem a bit long.” On BA, kids’ meals come with a small candy bar or chocolate-dipped strawberry for a little sweet reward for patient sitting still. Another frequent-traveler parent, Matt Anaya, points out that his daughter, Zoe, loves to fly. With decent meal options that justify the all-important small treats, not to mention her own tray table, she sees the experience as it should be—her own personal adventure in the air.
Why flavor goes flying at 30,000 feet
Airline food has suffered for years as the butt of the joke, commonly characterized as bland and passable at best. There’s a scientific explanation for why sky-high meals feel so lacking, however,and illuminates the special challenge airlines face in combatting the problem. From the time you take off, you’re settling into a low-humidity environment that dries out the nasal passage and significantly reduces the power of your taste buds.
Blame these tiny taste receptors and their dependence on your sense of smell, coupled with the depletion of saliva for the lack of wow factor in high-altitude food. “What most people consider taste is really more flavor, of which the vast majority is really from olfaction—or the sense of smell,” says Doctor Gene Liu, an Otolaryngologist at Cedars Sinai Medical Group. “Our taste buds are little chemical receptors in the mouth and throat and predominantly on the tongue that sense sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami when partially broken down foods within the saliva come into contact with the receptor cells. An electrical signal is then transmitted to the taste centers within the brain along specialized nerves.”
There are several factors that affect the conditions inside an airplane and render it so dry—recirculated air and dust particles primarily—and therefore, the congestion this causes, says Liu, “decreases our ability to appreciate the flavor of the food.”
Each flavor type has its own section on the surface of the tongue: Salt and sweet at the front, sour at the sides, and bitter at the back. Eating in a plane at high altitudes, coupled with the low humidity in the cabin significantly reduces the ability to taste the more subtle components of a meal. A dryer mouth can’t experience the flavors as well due to the reduction in the saliva needed to taste flavors. “When we bite into a steak, if we have a diminished sense of smell, we would still be able to taste the salt, but there would be less ‘steak-ness’ to the steak,” adds Liu.
Knowing how to master ingredient combinations helps combat the challenges of creating flavorful inflight meals. In their book, “The Flavor Bible” Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg describe how each taste affects the other—”…bitterness suppresses sweetness…Saltiness stimulates the appetite, while sweetness satiates it…” in a way that may enlighten the average flyer looking for a tastier meal in flight. Understanding how to combine these tastes for this unique eating environment contributes to creating a balanced, flavorful dish.
British Airways menus powered with the fifth taste serve food high in flavor and lower in salt and sugar
With the goal of making bland airline meals a thing of the past, the culinary team at British Airways Height Cuisine turned to Chef Heston Blumenthal to help them tackle the challenge of serving great-tasting food at 35,000 feet. In his show “Heston’s Mission Impossible” Blumentahl explored why so many foods loose flavor at altitude. He then set about developing techniques to solve the problem. Blumenthal suggests that the key to creating flavorful airline menus can be found in the ability to harness the powers of umami-rich ingredients.
The word umami may seem to have popped up recently, but according to Tim Hanni of the Napa Seasoning Company, this particular taste “was dubbed umami, a vernacular word for ‘good’ in Japanese, by Dr. Ikeda in the early 20th century, who formally presented research in 1908 that umami was a separate, primary taste.” Hanni, also known as the Swami of Umami explains, “The umami taste sensation is triggered by natural glutamate that is found in a vast array of foods: meats, poultry, seafood, dairy/cheeses, vegetables and fruits. Umami is amplified significantly when compounds called nucleotides, associated with fermentation and ripening, are added to the mix.” After much research and exploration of the power of umami, Hanni created his own product, Vignon, an all-natural, all-purpose seasoning made with sea salt and over 20 ‘micro ingredients’ that makes everything taste more flavorful and rich.
Umami flavors now power British Airways’ Height Cuisine menus. Mushrooms, shellfish, truffles, tomatoes and other umami-rich foods can be found in the Gate Gourmet kitchen. These techniques add power to the overall flavor profile of the food without needing to increase the amounts of salt and sugar. They are carefully prepared and sent up in the air to help make the experience of flying more enjoyable and delicious.
Sitting in Club World or World Traveler Plus class, looking down at a colorful plate of Caledonia blue shrimp with grilled artichoke, tomato petals and sherry truffle vinaigrette, or a Provencale vegetable lasagna with basil ricotta and creamy yellow tomato sauce, passengers now have a much better chance to taste the intended flavor of the food that has been carefully prepared and served with pride by the British Airways’ cabin crew.
British Airways dedicates itself to great cheese from the UK and beyond
The great cheeses of the world are made by passionate artisans who have learned the craft of transforming milk and cream into one of the most sought-after delicacies. Marking an important component to their recently launched Height Cuisine program, British Airways has made a clear commitment to offering a carefully selected assortment of cheese on their flights. The British Airways chefs that create Height Cuisine in-flight menus work with Tom Badcock of the Cheese Cellar, who directs the cheese program for British Airways. Tom provides access to some of the best cheese available—from local, UK-made products to international imports.
Badcock grew up on a farm in Warwickshire, England where, he says, “My mother taught me to milk goats and to make cheese.” Later Badcock earned a degree in food technology and dairy technology from Seale Hayne agricultural college in Dartmoor, and his technical expertise is matched only by his deep-seated passion for the craft.”I get quite keen on trying to support cheese makers, to keep this very small and fragile industry going,” he says. “Often you find cheese-makers just with one or two people making the cheese, and they need all our support. I make sure that people like British Airways are aware of their existence. They are dealing with something utterly unique. It almost takes food into an art form. I deal with something very precious, very rare, and rather wonderful.”
British Airways has been working with Cheese Cellar for more than 20 years. When it comes to the airline’s dedication to cheese as an important part of their culinary program, Badcock suggests, “I think they have caught this provenance bug, just like I have. It endears you to the product. You see the people behind the food. We try to put in artisan cheeses that have got the highest provenance.”
Among the current cheese offering on British Airways flights is Barber’s 1833 Vintage Reserve, a cheese with a rich history from the UK. “Giles Barber’s work is making cheddar and he is the guardian of British cheddar bacteria,” says Badcock, enthusiastically describing the Barber legacy. “That might sound a bit odd, but he has the starter culture of the definitive English cheddar. How does a cheese-maker tell the world that his bacteria is best? Taste the cheese. Barber’s 1833 is a fantastic two-year-old vintage cheddar.”
The altitude and special environment on an airplane affects your ability to taste the cheese, and it affects the cheese itself. All of these factors must be taken into account when curating the selection. “When you are up in the air, you can’t really serve mild cheeses because the flavor disappears,” explains Badcock. “Your hand is kind of forced to select stronger cheese.” At the same time, strongly scented cheeses aren’t always a welcome addition in closed quarters, so careful consideration must be made to strike the right balance.
Serving cheese in-flight presents certain challenges, and Badcock supervises the proper packing and portioning of cheese. “We have the dubious pleasure of cutting cheeses that were never designed to be portioned into little 25-gram servings,” he says. Cheeses are fed into ultrasonic cutters to cut servings with minimal waste, and his team needs to prepare them in perfect condition often at very short notice. Cheeses being prepared for flight are stored under a gas that stops fungus from growing. “In another world they might have frozen the product, Badcock adds. “In my world the gas is used to keep the cheese fresh and beautiful, just as the day that it left the dairy to get to British Airways.”
To learn more about British Airway’s Height Cuisine program visit their Facebook page
British Airways imbibes
Good news for British Airways flyers looking to unwind in the sky: wine is complimentary in every class of all flights.
Andrew Sparrow of Bibendum Wine runs the department after cutting his teeth for 30 years on the British Airways team. “While working cabin crew on long-haul flights,” he says,” people would always make comments about the wine.” During numerous layovers around the world, Sparrow often found himself visiting wine regions from Napa Valley, California to Stellenbosch, South Africa. After years of field experience across the globe, he went on to get a diploma from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.
When it comes to choosing wines for British Airways’ First Class cabin, Sparrow considers several factors from trends in the marketplace to the effects of high altitude on taste. “In a pressurized airline cabin you don’t taste as effectively as you do at ground level,” he says. “There are a number of conditions that affect the way you taste. The most important one is the way that you dehydrate. I think anyone on a long haul flight will notice that at the beginning of the flight they are tasting a lot more efficiently that they are towards the end.” Thus wines are carefully chosen to work with body chemistry in changing environments. That said, Sparrow keeps three styles on every British Airways wine list—the prestige Champagne, a claret or red Bordeaux and a white Burgundy. “The Champagne at the moment is Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle,” he says. When it comes to the carefully selected Claret, Sparrow has taken an unconventional tack by advance-purchasing. “We buy the wines four to six years ahead of their being used,” he says, “so the wine can mature in the bottle and be drinking beautifully by the time we serve it.”
Sparrow’s selections are naturally destination-driven. “If you were on a North American flight,” he points out, “the wine you would have right now is the Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc, and the red is a Freestone Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.” Working with the intuition gained from such close study of the drinking public, Sparrow also lets us in on somewhat of a secret when it comes to rounding out the list—what Sparrow and his team call the ABC, or “anything but Chardonnay or Cabernet.” The intuitive precaution, says Sparrow, presents the “opportunity to look for wines that are slightly unusual.” Popular varietals range from Sancerre and Sauvignon Blanc to Fume and Riesling. Complimentary wine is also served in the Economy class. In the Economy cabin complimentary Sauvignon Blanc is served in quart bottles. On British Airways, wine plays an important role in the Height Cuisine program and Sparrow notes that they spend significantly more than other airlines with this general-cabin amenity.
Working on a wine list that’s as dynamic as the travelers it serves has made Sparrow an expert when it comes to international imbibing habits and inspired him to seek out some of the world’s most satisfying, exciting and trend-setting wines. Put simply, says Sparrow, “It’s a fabulous job.”
British Airways sets its culinary program flying
Maintaining an unwavering commitment to excellence, British Airways has gone to great lengths to develop a culinary program that serves delicious meals to passengers in all flight classes. To this end the airline has launched Height Cuisine, a program that takes into account the environmental factors of altitude, air pressure and humidity into the menu creation process. Chefs helm recipe development, working with experts from wine advisors to cheesemongers to develop delicious, well-balanced in-flight meals.
“At British Airways, we know that dining at altitude can have a dramatic impact on our senses,” says menu design manager Sinead Ferguson, describing the company’s culinary mission. “With the atmosphere being so dry in the pressurized cabin, the ability to smell and taste can be reduced by up to 30%. So Height Cuisine is basically the approach British Airways is taking to understand how we can provide great-tasting food and drink on board our flights.”
In order to develop the scientifically proven tastiest high-altitude menu, British Airways brought in UK company Leatherhead Food Research, and their team of 13 scientists. The team conducted a rigorous series of taste tests on board, assessing sweet, sour, bitter and savory flavors at various times throughout the flight. “Overall the sense of bitterness is heightened and it tends to be the more delicate foods that lose an amount of taste at altitudes,” says Ferguson about their findings. The scientists’ responses helped the Height Cuisine culinary team make informed decisions about new ways to approach creating in-flight menus.
Currently the summer offerings on British Airways World Traveler cabin include two choices that fly well. The citrus juices and spices in the Indian chicken tikka and the rich umami of tortellacci with tomato and olive have been chosen for their ability to stand up to flavor-inhibiting altitude. On the First Class flight from JFK a slow roasted veal loin is served with a Périgueux sauce made with Madeira and truffles, capitalizing on umami to boost flavor.
British Airways shares an at-home experiment on their Facebook page to recreate the loss of flavor levels in flight. “Pat your tongue as dry as possible with a clean paper towel. Now dab some salt or sugar on to your tongue.” Moisture and saliva contribute to the ability to experience flavor and because the loss of humidity in-flight dries out the mouth, one’s sense of taste—and smell—are affected. Developing recipes that compensate for such factors provide the backbone of the Height Cuisine program.
The lackluster quality of airline food has become a common party joke, so it’s reassuring to know that a team of experts is working diligently to get to the scientific root of the problem. Plus, with 18 special meal options for dietary restrictions from gluten-intolerant to vegan, vegetarian and Kosher, the chefs at British Airways also work to created flavorful menus for passengers with special food requests. The achievement of excellent service lies at the core of the British Airways mission, and if the culinary team has its way, delicious food won’t be a mission impossible.
Test-driving the airline’s new Premium Economy hybrid flight experience
by Joanna Prisco
Aiming to bridge the gap between the sophistication of business class and the cramped quarters of coach, Cathay Pacific recently launched Premium Economy class in its 747 and 777 aircraft, available on flights between New York and Hong Kong from April 2012.
I had the opportunity to test drive the new seats and amenities on a delivery flight out of Seattle last month, and at a 60% increase in fare—or approximately $1,600 versus $1,000 from JFK to HKG—the upgrade is worth the perks.
To start, there is priority check-in at dedicated counters and priority boarding before regular economy passengers, which means less waiting in line and more time for duty-free shopping. Speaking of shopping—one of the great Hong Kong pastimes—Premium Economy passengers also receive an increased baggage allowance from 20kg to 25kg, so there’s no need to leave behind that extra pair of shoes.
Onboard the plane, Premium Economy is housed in its own private cabin behind Business Class. With just 26-34 seats depending on the plane, the section automatically feels more intimate than Economy—a pleasant plus for me, and many other travelers. To add to the upscale ambience, flight attendants stand ready and waiting with complimentary champagne or juice that rests on its own retractable cocktail table from the armrest. Even more crucial was the pair of noise-canceling headphones, which allowed me to sip in silence while the rest walked past me toward Economy.
While the seats themselves will never achieve the luxury and comfort of the flatbeds available in every Cathay Business Class pod, customers will be pleased to find that the Premium Economy seat pitch is 38 inches—a full six inches more than Economy. The seats are wider and cozier, and come outfitted with plush pillows and blankets. Add to that an amenity kit filled with soft grey socks, an eye mask, a tiny tube of toothpaste and a travel toothbrush, and you’re ready for bed.
Some may find themselves too excited by the entertainment options to fall asleep right away, however. Each Premium Economy seat is equipped with a 10.6-inch personal TV screen featuring more than 200 movie options and other entertainment. If you’re somehow dissatisfied with the selection in the viewing catalog, you can also connect your iPod or iPhone to the seat’s port and stream personal videos from that device. Plus, if you need to write an article about the flight while you’re on said flight, there’s also an in-seat power source for your devices.
If you’re less of a technophile than a food lover, you’ll be more than pleased with the added menu options offered to you in Premium. From a seasonal salad with grilled prawns to braised e-fu noodles with assorted dim sum, har gow and siu mai or century egg and salted pork congee, you can start your overseas experience before you even arrive. And though the service details in Business—warmed nuts, post-dinner gourmet chocolates—were slightly more over-the-top, the snack offerings in our cabin still abounded.
Maintaining its proven track record of signature service at this in-between price point, Cathay opens up a new level of comfortable travel to a segment of the population we imagine has been waiting for such an option, and won’t be disappointed.
Over 100k miles flown, 90 hotel nights, 35 destinations and more travel data tracked and visualized with Feltron’s iPhone app
One year ago we posted about Daytum, Nicholas Felton‘s iPhone app and website for tracking and visualizing personal data. While I started off 2011 noting everything from eggs eaten to taxi rides, my range of usage narrowed quickly to capturing travel-related statistics.
I fly a lot, but the destinations and airlines vary—Daytum has proven to be a great way to aggregate all of this data in one place. I’m entertained to know that I flew over 100,000 miles on 62 different flights and I passed thru 27 different airports, the top being JFK with 31 visits. I spent one-in-four nights in hotel rooms across 35 different destinations. I do regret not tracking the types of planes I flew on and am definitely adding that metric to my list for 2012.
All of my travel data is visualized on my Daytum page where you can also create your own account to start tracking anything you want.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
