Air France Just Added Another Celebrity Chef to Its In-Flight Dining Program

13.02.2024 - 16:07 / afar.com / Dominique Crenn / Air France

Air France has given certain passengers a new reason to say “Oooh la la”when it comes to in-flight dining.

The French carrier continues to elevate its top-tier dining program with the addition of its newest signature chef: Dominique Crenn, who became the first woman in the United States to earn three Michelin stars, for Atelier Crenn, one of her three San Francisco restaurants.

Now she’s bringing her culinary talent to (literal) new heights with 12 signature dishes that are available in Air France’s first-class cabins, called La Première, and business cabins on certain flights departing from the U.S.

Every month, two signature dishes will be offered in each cabin, including a vegetarian option and a seafood-based dish, alongside the rest of the menu, which is complemented by a selection of French wine and champagne, bien sûr. The new selections showcase the “inventive and poetic French cuisine” that Crenn has become renowned for, Air France said in a statement.

In the first-class cabin, passengers can expect to choose from dishes like lobster with pico de gallo and tea sauce, or root vegetable mille-feuille with truffle sauce. In business cabins, selections include Californian black cod with quinoa and marinière sauce, or ravioli with zucchini, tomato, hazelnut, and parmesan sauce.

Selections will rotate throughout the year, with six dishes each in business and first class alternating months “to keep the element of surprise,” an Air France spokesperson confirmed to AFAR via email.

The new signature dishes rolled out on February 1, 2024, on Paris-bound flights departing from Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York-Newark, San Francisco, and Seattle. They will gradually be available during the spring and summer on flights departing from all 17 of Air France’s U.S. destinations, with New York’s JFK starting in April. Business- and first-class passengers will have the option to preorder their meals before departure to ensure their selection is available and to help reduce food waste on board.

Air France’s partnership with Crenn is yet another enhancement the carrier has recently made to the passenger experience in the front of the plane. In 2023, Air France unveiled some notable upgrades to its business-class cabins on long-haul routes, including a retractable door for each spacious pod as well as Bluetooth connectivity for the personal entertainment system.

Crenn adds more star power to a culinary program already regarded as one of the best in commercial aviation. Air France has now partnered with 18 chefs whose restaurants have earned at least one Michelin star, and for years, it has tapped prominent chefs for collaborations that reflect their heritage, including Julien Royer, whose Singapore-based Odette