The Airlines Serving Michelin-Starred Food To Travelers At 35,000 Feet

In a day and age when diminishing in-flight service seems to be the norm in air travel, it's heartening to recognize that some carriers are actually taking steps to upgrade the passenger experience, doing things like partnering with Michelin-star chefs to develop creative in-flight menus. By and large, the improved dining experience is reserved for passengers flying in premium cabins, but a few airlines are going the extra mile for economy meal service, too — at least on long-haul flights. In December 2023, Air France announced a collaboration with Frédéric Simonin. Although the carrier has routinely partnered with well-regarded chefs in the past, the move marked its first food-centric alliance created specifically for the main cabin.

Created for premium-economy passengers flying on select long-haul routes originating in Paris, Simonin's menu features à la carte offerings like salmon risotto with orzo pasta, wild dill, and lemon sauce, and pasta bake with porcini mushrooms and hazelnuts. Simonin, who earned his first Michelin star in 2002 at the age of 27, owns one-Michelin-star restaurant Frederic Simonin in Paris. 

Earlier this year, Air France debuted its latest culinary collaboration, a partnership with three-Michelin-star French chef Olivier Chaignon. The new menus for passengers in La Première on flights between Paris (CDG) and Tokyo (HAN) or Osaka (ITM) — home to more Michelin-star restaurants than any other city worldwide — feature dishes like maki-style sea bass with champagne sauce, potatoes with shiso flowers, and fresh cheese gnocchi. Passengers in the business-class cabin select from offerings like potato gnocchi with aubergine caviar and stuffed grilled courgettes. Other Michelin-rated chefs currently collaborating with Air France in one form or another include chef Jérôme Banctel of Le Gabriel, Josselin Marie of La Table de Colette, World's Best Pastry Chef winner Nina Métayer, culinary icon Alain Ducasse, and Glenn Viel of L'Oustau de Baumanière..

British Airways enlisted Tom Kerridge to create menus for its in-flight High Life Café, a pre-purchase food and beverage service offered to passengers in the Euro Traveller cabin (the airline's branded name for its short-haul economy cabin). Kerridge owns two-Michelin-star gastropub, The Hand and Flowers, in Marlow, England — a town along the River Thames that makes a perfect day trip from London. The acclaimed chef developed a rustic menu including steak and ale pie made with beer from local breweries, a pub-style sandwich inspired by a classic ploughman's lunch, another sandwich made with smoked cheese and flaked ham hock, and a chicken and bacon sub served on brioche. Kerridge's menu also includes a few vegetarian options.

With an eye toward enhancing the in-flight experience for first-class passengers flying between San Francisco (SFO) and New York (JFK), Alaska Airlines recently partnered with Brandon Jew. Michelin Guide followers may recognize the executive chef from Michelin-starred Mister Jiu's in San Francisco. With Jew's new menu in place, first-class passengers can now order from a selection of meals. Featured items include Jew's interpretation of congee, a classic Chinese breakfast porridge made with brown rice, soy-cured eggs, and braised pork belly served with a turnip cake, pickled cauliflower, hoisin, and hot chili sauce. Main course entrées include braised duck leg, sesame egg noodles, and gai lan (Chinese broccoli) served with wood ear mushrooms, tofu skin, and cucumbers. Roasted black cod topped with ginger-scallion sauce, silken tofu, and mapo sauce presented atop a base of quinoa, farro, and roasted shiitake mushrooms is another menu feature. Although Alaska Airlines doesn't maintain a Michelin-chef collaboration for its main-cabin menu, the carrier offers pre-order hot meals on flights longer than 1,100 miles.

Another U.S.-based carrier with a Michelin-star collaboration, Delta Air Lines goes the extra mile Delta One (the airline's brand name for business class) on transcontinental flights originating in Los Angeles (LAX). The Atlanta-based carrier partners with Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, owners of Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognized Jon & Vinny's Italian. Recent in-flight offerings from the brand known for its classic Italian food include cacio e pepe lasagne with Béchamel, and braised meatballs with marinara made with Bianco DiNapoli tomatoes. Delta One passengers flying to and from China enjoy a menu from Jereme Leung of Singapore's Yì By Jereme Leung. Customers traveling first class from Atlanta (home to the top-rated airport restaurant in the world) on flights exceeding 900 miles tuck into down-home Southern classics like James Beard Award-winning chef Mashama Bailey's curried chicken salad followed by chess pie bar served with Chantilly cream and pie crust crumble for dessert.

In an interesting take on airline-Michelin collaborations, China's Xiamen Airlines recently partnered with Michelin Guide to showcase the culinary highlights of Fujian Province. Located on China's southeastern coast, Fujian has a long and storied history. It was the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, an ancient trade route connecting China to the Roman Empire, and home to five UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The collaboration stems from the 2025 Michelin Guide's inclusion of more than 50 restaurants located in Fujian Province, including five that earned one Michelin star, 47 with a Bib Gourmand rating, and 17 Michelin-selected venues.

Other airlines around the world with past or current Michelin-star connections include Cathay Pacific's 2023 collaboration with Hong Kong's one-star Duddell's, and China Airlines' alliance with three-Michelin-starred Le Palais in Taiwan. The alliance brings an award-winning menu to passengers flying in all classes of service on long-haul flights connecting Taiwan to destinations in Europe and North America.