For years, airline food has been a consistent disappointment, rarely exceeding the quality of basic family restaurants. In contrast, private jet catering offered a luxurious experience, with exquisite entrees, appetizers, and desserts rivaling five-star restaurants.
However, this disparity is fading. The rise of fractional jet ownership has led to demands for simplified menus and reduced portion sizes, causing a decline in the quality of in-flight catering services. Air Chef, the world’s largest provider of in-flight catering to business jets, has acquired underperforming caterers across the US. Corporate flight attendants now face the frustration of placing orders through impersonal 1-800 numbers, dealing with inexperienced clerks, and sacrificing customer service and special requests.
Air Chef’s reputation has suffered, prompting a rebranding effort. Air Culinaire, a caterer with operations in several cities, has joined the Air Chef network, and rumors suggest that Air Chef will adopt the Air Culinaire name to improve its image and appease dissatisfied corporate flight attendants.
Corporate flight attendants have voiced their discontent with Air Chef on platforms like Corporate Jet Catering and Cabin Managers. Rita’s Catering of Boston is also an Air Chef company, causing business flight attendants to seek alternatives.