Working with airline caterers can involve a wide variety of quality of food items. From vegetarian menus to special dietary considerations (like Jewish) and more, airline catering companies prepare meals for the masses as well as prepare premium meals for their high end customers. Quality food stock and clean food preparation conditions will give you the best end product, and working with airline catering operations that offer you the top of the line will ensure happy passengers.

Airline catering services can offer you creative, cost effective solutions for your business. Let them help you work with your desired budget to create a menu that is right for your airline. Airline catering can include low-cost off-the-shelf meals, hot or cold snacks, complete meal boxes and/or beverages, and you want to be able to provide your passengers the best that you can within your means.

To find out more about airline catering basics:

1. Check out the many options from airline catering companies. See the variety of food options offered at the different catering companies.

2. Check out premium airline catering information. Consider offering more than just a standard fare.

3. Stay informed on the latest information on airline food catering.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Examine your airline catering variety of options

Check out the variety of airline catering options that you have available to your business. Start with your budget and work backwards from there.

I recommend: Learn about meal solutions from Flying Food Group. Check out cuisine options from providers like Air Gourmet. Look at the breakfast options from Tastefully Yours Catering. Find out about menu items offered from Chef Allan's.

Expand into premium airline catering services

Consider offering airline catering options that are either high end or specialty. Gourmet meals make wonderful additions for your first class passengers as well as chartered flights.

I recommend: Learn about distinctive premium airline travel food from Gate Gourmet. Look at the menu options from companies like Premier Inflight Catering. Air Concierge also offers high quality catering and private aircraft services to all the south Florida area airports. Executive Aircraft Catering focuses on a unique aircraft dining experience for executive, personal and high end flights.

Stay informed as to the latest airline catering industry news

Keep up with the latest airline catering industry news and information. Find out where the trends are heading to keep your passengers happy.

I recommend: AirlineMeals.net gives you the latest news related to in-flight catering. Check out Aircraft Catering News from Airline Industry Today.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Private airline catering services are also an option for chartered flights. Talk to your airline catering service to see if they offer this additional service. The cost may come at a premium, but you can work it into the price of your ticket.

Airline caterers are professional services that will help you stock your flights with snacks or meals. Flights can be long and tiresome, and keeping your passengers happy is the main customer service goal in running an airline. In-flight snacks or meals help pass the time and make a trip more enjoyable, and can be a great improvement to your airline services.

There are many businesses in the airline catering industry, serving every geographic area. When looking for airline catering companies, here are some things to keep in mind:

1. If your airline operates internationally, find an airline catering company that operates at all of your destinations.
2. For regional airline services, local airline caterers may offer higher quality meals at a lower price, and offer personalized care.
   
3. Larger airline catering companies will have a wider standard selection of meals to choose from—anything from pretzels and snacks to gourmet meals.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find airline caterers that offer a range of services

In a big business like airline catering, the largest companies may often have the most experience or offer the widest variety of services, not to mention operate in the airports you serve.

I recommend: Gate Gourmet is one of the largest airline catering companies in the world, and an industry leader, offering a variety of culinary services. See their offerings for first class catering, or convenience meals marketed to economy class passengers. Also see them for help designing menus for charter flights.

Find an international airline catering business

Airplanes fly to every corner of the globe, so the airline catering industry must be equipped to provide food services in myriad locations as well. If you operate an international airline, find an airline catering service that is staffed and ready to go wherever your planes may land.

I recommend: LSG Sky Chefs operates around the globe. See a map of their worldwide locations to get more information about specific facilities. Alpha is based in the United Kingdom, offering airline food catering to over 100 airlines on 4 continents. For catering operations in Southeast Asia, check out the Ambassador Group's Sky Chef operations, the largest caterer in the region.

Go for gourmet airline meals

Airline meals are stereotyped as being bland and unexciting, but this doesn't have to be the case with the food on your flights. Many airline catering services produce high quality gourmet meals. If you want to serve your passengers food that they would normally see in a fancy restaurant, go with a gourmet meal service.

I recommend: Air Gourmet prides itself in offering a fine dining experience through gourmet meals. They serve a number of airports in the western United States. See a full list of the cuisine they offer.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If an airline catering service does not appear to serve a menu to your liking, contact a representative to see if you can work with them to design a customized meal for your flights.

Airline caterers are an important part of the airline industry. Although your actual business takes place on the ground, the manner in which you conduct this business can have a positive or a negative effect on those that do travel in air. Thus, airline catering education and training is a worthy endeavor. Your staff must understand and meet the needs of in-flight catering. Good airline catering services ensure that customers will return to the airline company.

Students in the food catering business must learn food preparation, menu planning, budgeting and how to attend to the dining space. Students must also understand hotel and restaurant sanitation regulations and public health rules. The airline catering business takes this same knowledge and fine-tunes it to the airline industry. Training programs do exist to help with this endeavor. Choosing an appropriate training program depends on your budget and company goals. Consider the following:

1. Length of program: How much time do you have to complete the training?

2. Type of program: Airline catering information can be general or specialized.

3. Affordability: Tuition can range from a few hundred dollars to over $10,000.

4. Flexibility: Will the program fit into your work schedule?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Locate training programs that benefit the airline catering industry

Many catering and culinary schools have a variety of training programs. Choosing a program that highlights airline food catering can help your staff fine-tune skills and work more effectively.

I recommend: Monroe College offers specialized training in the culinary arts. Penn Foster Career School offers a home study course. Businesses wishing to cut bottom line catering training costs may be interested in The Caterer's Office by In-Flite Manager. This innovative software covers the entire scope of the airline catering service.

Locate companies with specialty training programs that you can apply to airline catering operations

Airline catering companies can garner training from sources other than catering and culinary schools. Many companies have specialized training programs that also apply to the airline services.

I recommend: E-gate Matrix provides catering companies with a plan for streamlining operations, including training to reduce business expenses. SCIS Air Security helps companies to comply with Catering Security regulations.

Get information on programs catering to specialized airline meals

With the emphasis today on a healthier lifestyle, many are looking for meals that incorporate fresh ingredients, nutrition and international cuisines. Catering to the health conscious or those with dietetic needs can put your business in the limelight.

I recommend: GlutenFree Passport offers a global report outlining dietary requirements of special groups, including those on a gluten-free diet. Use this report to tailor your services to specialized groups, creating new business opportunities. Some airlines, such as Continental Airlines, have detailed descriptions of special meals they would like to have available for their clients. Become familiar with these descriptions and work towards the production of these foods.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When choosing an airline catering school, check out staff credentials. Faculty of a qualified school should be certified by the American Culinary Federation and have a college degree and/or industry experience.
• •  Is the cost of airline catering training an obstacle? Inquire about scholarships, grants or loans offered by many schools and some culinary organizations.

Airline catering is a big business in the United States and world over. With airline travelers looking for higher quality and airlines looking to provide consumers with that quality at a reasonable cost, airline catering companies bear the responsibility of meeting that challenge.

Because airline catering is so specific, there are a whole host of terms that relate just to that industry. Take the time to familiarize yourself with those terms so you'll know what to expect when dealing with airline catering companies for your business. Here are some of those terms along with some quality resources to help get you started.

Action Steps
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Deep frozen meals

Deep frozen meals refer to meals that are frozen at an exceedingly low temperature in a short amount of time. This freezing process expands the types of food that can be served for airline catering and also locks in the flavor and nutritional values that were otherwise lost with other freezing methods.

I recommend: Visit the website for LSG Sky Chefs for additional information on deep frozen meals and how they are used in the airline catering industry.

Boxed meals

Boxed meals refer to meals which are served by the airline crew to the passenger in a box. They usually have several components and can be stored at room temperature. Boxed meals usually consist of fruit, packaged crackers, nuts, spreadable cheese, fruit bars and other pantry items. Boxed meals are served for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks by airline crews.

I recommend: Visit the website for Air Gourmet for examples of boxed meals that are served for the purposes of airline catering.

Pre-departure loading

Pre-departure loading refers to the process of stocking the airplane for catering service during the flight. Special vehicles called 'high-loader' vehicles rise up to cabin level where the food and beverages are then loaded onto the plane.

I recommend: Gate Gourmet, an airline catering company, provides further information on pre-departure loading and other facets of airline catering.

RFID, radio frequency identification

RFID or radio frequency identification is a method which many airline catering services use to track the quantities of food moving between flights. Each box or container of food can be tracked by utilizing electro-magnetic waves.

I recommend: Airbus has an informative article on RFID and how it is being incorporated to the airline catering industry.

Buy on board meals

Buy on board meals refer to packaged meals which are available for purchase on major airline carriers. Airline catering companies package these meals fresh and then sell them to the airline who then sells them to the passenger during the trip. Buy on board meals are typically cold meals that have a shelf life of a few days.

I recommend: Visit the website for Northwest Airlines for examples of their buy on board meals and snacks.

Beverage cart

The beverage cart refers to the cart that flight attendants move through the aisles on an airline. These carts, stocked by airline catering companies, carry everything from alcohol to mixers to juices, water and more. New beverage carts are also emerging which provide soda fountain service as well.

I recommend: Visit the website for Mobile Beverage for additional information on the operation of their mobile beverage cart.