While the stereotype of bad plane food is now woefully outdated, there is still something very special about being able to enjoy one’s favorite fast-food treat up in the air.
A year and a half after it happened, the viral story of the British Airways flight on which passengers were treated to fried chicken from large buckets of the Yum! Brands (YUM) -owned KFC on a 12-hour flight back to London from Turks and Caicos still has legs. The surprise KFC meal was served after a catering mishap and continues to be brought up as an example of airlines doing something right when it comes to food.
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Delta Air Lines is partnering with Shake Shack on select flights.
Shake Shack and Delta Air Lines
‘Ensuring you have a variety of fresh meals to choose from’
Tapping into the delight which many travelers experience around fast food, Delta Air Lines (DAL) partnered with iconic New York burger chain Shake Shack (SHAK) in December to serve the chain’s smashburgers on First Class routes of longer than 900 miles originating from Boston.
While the airline simply made it possible for a very small group of passengers to pre-select a meal, the pilot project still went extremely well — Delta received a lot of positive coverage both from the media and travelers who expressed excitement and posted photos of their burgers on social media.
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As a result, the Atlanta-based airline is now expanding the Shake Shack partnership to flights leaving out of Atlanta, Los Angeles, Seattle and New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
“This is part of our work to partner with brands our customers already know and love while continuing to raise the bar for the in-flight experience – whether that’s making your favorite cheeseburger available at 35,000 feet, or ensuring you have a variety of fresh meals to choose from that fuel you on your adventure,” Stephanie Laster, Delta’s managing director of onboard service, said in a statement.
Not traveling in first class? There is one other way to get a free Shake Shack burger
Starting on March 4, first class travelers on flights of over 900 miles out of those select cities will now also be able to choose a custom Shake Shack meal as their in-flight meal. This includes a 100% Angus beef burger on a toasted potato bun that can be customized with toppings like tomato, lettuce and ShackSauce as well as three sides: a Caesar salad, a bag of chips and a chocolate brownie.
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For those who are not planning to travel in first class any time soon, there is another way to enjoy a Shake Shack burger courtesy of Delta. The airline recently collaborated with Uber (UBER) to allow its SkyMiles loyalty members to earn points from spending on the platform; Delta is promoting the plan with a “buy one ShackBurger and get one free” deal. People who sign up for the Delta x Uber waitlist by March 6 will get the Shake Shack promotion added to their Uber Eats account.
“Our partnership with Delta has been a truly fantastic way to bring Shake Shack to even more guests in a setting where hospitality truly matters – while traveling,” Michael Kark, president of global licensing at Shake Shack, also said in a statement.
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