German carrier Lufthansa has announced it will begin collaboration with restaurant dean&david on its economy catering menu for the airline’s summer schedule. The company confirmed the deal and gave an outline of the forthcoming menu on 25 January.
Customers offered a new brand – and new costs
The new deal promises the Munich-based restaurant will provide recipes for the airline’s short- and medium-haul routes. Airline catering company Gate Gourmet will be preparing the menu items. The food will be available in economy class on flights of at least 60 minutes in duration.
Highlighted options for flyers include a salmon avocado bowl, falafel tahini salad, Bircher muesli and a ‘Best of dean&david’ box. The airline will update the menu every three months.
While customers may be look forward to the menu, the new selection is not free of charge. The Lufthansa Group announced in November that it was cancelling free economy meal services from spring for all but long-haul flights. The move affected Lufthansa as well as Swiss and Austrian Airlines.
Two other Lufthansa airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, already charge for drinks and snacks.
In its announcement of the new deal, Lufthansa said the dean&david meals would cost between €2 and €12.
Dallmayr deal expanded
Lufthansa also announced that it would be expanding its cooperation with another Munich company, Dallmayr, which is responsible for providing passengers’ hot drinks plus patisserie and confectionery snacks.
The airline said the new selection from the delicatessen giant will include organic teas, chocolate milk and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Juice, tea, coffee and hot chocolate would all cost €3, while passengers will receive a free bottle of water and a chocolate surprise.
As with the dean&david deal, Gate Gourmet will be producing the cakes on the Dallmayr menu. Gate Group, which owns Gate Gourmet, completed a year-long purchase process for Lufthansa’s LSG catering arm in December.
Describing Lufthansa’s new partnerships, Christina Foerster, responsible for the airline’s Customer and Corporate Responsibility, said:
Our partners dean&david and Dallmayr represent outstanding quality and responsible action. In addition to the satisfaction of our guests, the topic of responsibility for the environment is also very important to us. We use almost exclusively sustainable materials for our packaging.
Furthermore, we ensure that less food is wasted through more accurate production. We are pleased to be able to offer our passengers fresh products on European flights that taste delicious.
