More choices, all-natural ingredients, recyclable packaging, and a new Premium Meal option are all part of a new program that expands on Hawaiian’s continuing policy of offering complimentary meals to its customers in Coach Class. Hawaiian Airlines has introduced its new 'Ono Bistro meal service on all transpacific flights in recognition of the growing interest among travelers to eat healthier and reduce their impact on the environment.
Notably, Hawaiian is continuing to offer complimentary meals to customers flying coach with its 'Ono Bistro service, featuring an entrée made with no preservatives, dessert, and soft drink. But customers now also have the option to purchase a new Premium Meal for $10, which offers a variety of hearty, healthy entrées, dessert, and bottled water. Examples of the Premium Meals include the following.
-- Sushi Bento Box with California rolls, edamame, teriyaki chicken, ginger, wasabi, and a side salad
-- Taco Salad with grilled chicken breast, diced tomatoes and onions, guacamole, salsa, sour cream and tortilla chips
-- Chicken Caesar salad with grilled chicken breast, romaine lettuce and parmesan cheese
-- Satay chicken on vermicelli noodles with snow peas, cabbage, and carrots
Louis Saint-Cyr, Hawaiian’s vice president of inflight services, said customer response to the new meal service during a three-month trial period has been overwhelmingly favorable.
“Although our previous meal program was popular, we felt customers would appreciate having a wider and better selection of entrées to choose from, especially if it meant they could eat healthier at the same time,” said Saint-Cyr. “Our objective was to adopt a more natural approach to our onboard dining for customers, while maintaining our longstanding policy of offering free meals in coach.”
The ‘Ono Bistro meals are being presented in serving containers made entirely from recyclable materials that are 100 percent biodegradable, including the cutlery and water bottle.
Saint-Cyr noted another key improvement of the new meal service is that Hawaiian is now investing most of its money on the quality of food and ingredients instead of the delivery and packaging, as was the case with the previous program. “More money is going into the quality of the food, which is what our customers value most in a meal,” said Saint-Cyr.
First Class customers will continue to enjoy Hawaiian’s popular tapas-style menu designed by Executive Chef Beverly Gannon, the award-winning Maui restaurateur. Customers create their own meal by selecting three of five entrées offered on each flight.
About Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian is the nation’s highest-ranked carrier for service quality and performance in 2008 in the 19th annual Airline Quality Rating study. Hawaiian has also led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past five years (2004-2008) and has been an industry leader in fewest misplaced bags during that same period (#1 from 2005-2007, #2 in 2008) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer surveys by Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Zagat have all ranked Hawaiian as the top domestic airline serving Hawaii.
Now in its 80th year of continuous service in Hawaii, Hawaiian is the state’s biggest and longestserving airline, as well as the largest provider of passenger air service to Hawaii from the state’s primary visitor markets on the U.S. mainland. Hawaiian offers nonstop service to Hawaii from more U.S. gateway cities (10) than any other airline, as well as service to the Philippines, Australia, American Samoa, and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides more than 160 daily jet flights within the Hawaiian Islands.
