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Delta (DAL+1.98%), American (AAL+2.72%), and other airlines are in a fierce race to bring fast food to the skies — but sticking the landing is proving to be tough.
Delta set the bar for in-flight dining with its Shake Shake burgers, which it offers to first-class flyers. American followed suit with a pilot program offering mini burgers and fries earlier this year.
Fries, however, seem to be the big hurdle airlines are trying to conquer. Though carriers like Alaska (ALK+3.73%) and United (UAL+3.87%) have dabbled with fries, none have yet committed to serving them consistently.
American, however, is betting it can gain the upper hand in the battle for potato perfection. Keeping fries crispy is one of the trickier parts of in-flight dining. Since they can’t be made fresh and lose their texture when reheated, American is experimenting with a custom canister designed to keep them crunchy.
Sheri Whiteley, American’s senior manager of onboard dining and development, told Bloomberg that the airline developed a unique cardboard container with a “waxy interior” and air vents to help preserve crispiness during reheating. The choice of higher-starch potatoes and crinkle-cut fries is also key to maintaining their bite.
While Delta isn’t offering fries to flyers just yet, it’s looking to tackle another food item: avocado toast. Ash Dhokte, Delta’s vice president of onboard services, told the publication that the dish is the next goal for the airline.
Fast food on planes isn’t exactly new, but airlines are increasingly competing to get it right. It’s a delicate balance of taste, quality, and practicality, with burgers and fries posing unique hurdles.
The stakes are high as more carriers join the race, with United and Alaska jumping into the fray with offerings like banana pudding and ice cream. The fast food frenzy in the sky is clearly just getting started, and fries could end up determining which airline takes off.