With the average business class flight costing between five and 10 times more than an economy fare with the same airline, travelers expect a number of features aimed at making the flying experience more comfortable and luxurious.
On flights that are not long enough to use the lie-flat seats commonly associated with business class, this means everything from early boarding and extra legroom to a premium selection of snacks and drinks.
In this regard, carriers will constantly work to outdo each other on the kinds of local, seasonal, and hard-to-find options they can offer travelers. The latest airline to unveil a new springtime menu is the New York-based JetBlue Airways (JBLU) .
Don’t miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet’s free daily newsletter
New wine with ‘cool breezes of the Pacific Ocean’ added to roster
While a selection of entrees from the SoHo Italian restaurant Charlie Bird became available to Mint travelers at the start of May, JetBlue is bringing back the Scribe Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir 2023 wine, which earned the Cellars in the Sky silver medal for best business class rosé in 2024.
“Fourth-generation California winemakers and brothers Andrew and Adam Mariani harvest pinot noir grapes earlier than others,” JetBlue writes of the Sonoma Valley addition to its wine portfolio. “Coupled with cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean, these grapes yield a particularly fresh and vibrant expression of rosé.”
The rollout is meant to mark this year’s National Rosé Day on June 14.
Related: JetBlue president says its new premium feature won’t be called Junior Mint
Economy travelers on JetBlue’s transatlantic flights will also be able to get a can of Archer Roose rosé blend made with grapes from France’s Pays d’Oc wine region. Since 2010, the airline has partnered with the Boston-based winemaker on wines that are easy to serve in its main cabin.
JetBlue’s transatlantic routes include flights to London, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Dublin, and Paris from the East Coast of the U.S. As part of its spring menu overhaul for those longer international flights, JetBlue has also launched a series of main cabin entrees from the fast-casual chain DIG with which it partners.
These include a smoked turkey croissant with brie, fennel, and arugula for breakfast. For lunch, options include a chicken-quinoa grain bowl and a pasta, olive, and salami antipasto mix for lunch.
Spirit adds 12 new menu items in wider effort at overhaul
Another airline that has recently revamped its food and drink menu is fellow low-cost competitor Spirit Airlines (SAVE) .
Available in the carrier’s Go Big and Go Comfy fare classes in which snacks are included, new items include Quaker maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal, Twisted Noodles Veggie Ramen, Grandma’s mini sandwich creme vanilla cookies, and Samuel Adams American Light beer.
More Food and Dining:
Taco Bell menu tries new take on an American classicMcDonald’s menu goes big, brings back fan favorites (with a catch)The 10 best food stocks to buy now
Those traveling in lower fare classes will also be able to purchase these items from the in-flight menu.
The food brand partnerships are part of Spirit’s More Fly campaign and wider effort to rebrand from a low-cost airline to one offering more premium features after emerging from bankruptcy and securing new investments on condition of a business model overhaul earlier this year.
An earlier and even more drastic move in July 2024 scrapped Spirit’s longstanding base fare model, replacing it with fare bundles that offer more added features.
Related: Veteran fund manager issues dire S&P 500 warning for 2025
