I recently flew Alaska Airlines’ new nonstop service from Seattle (SEA) to Rome (FCO) in business class. As an Alaska loyalist and frequent traveler, I was excited to experience one of the carrier’s newest long-haul routes. It was my first time on Alaska’s 787 and our upgrade cleared from economy to business class! A great day perk of the Atmos program for Titanium elites. Unfortunately, while the seat and overall hard product impressed, the catering was among the worst business class meals I’ve ever been served. I cannot believe this was Alaska Airlines. The catering was abhorrent!
Alaska Airlines 787 is A Competitive Long-Haul Business Class Product
Let’s start with what Alaska got right. The business class seat is comfortable, spacious, and perfectly suited for the nearly 11-hour journey across the Atlantic. The bedding was soft and inviting, making it easy to get several hours of sleep. The partnership with Filson brings high quality bedding including two pillows, a matrass pad, and a very comfortable blanket. Even the slippers were among the highest quality I’ve been given in the air. To the point I thought about keeping them!
The Filson amenity kit was thoughtfully stocked as well with everything needed to stay comfortable. A dental kit, ear plugs, eye mask, socks, facial mist, lotion and lip balm. All by the local parter Salt and Stone. Overall the quality of the items and kit is great and the amenity kit shape and size is actually something I would keep and use again.
If you judge a premium cabin solely by the seat, bedding, and onboard comfort, Alaska has built a product that can compete with other airlines crossing the Atlantic. Unfortunately, an international business class experience is more than just a comfortable seat.
A Menu That Didn’t Match the Meal
Things started going downhill at dinner service. Just shortly after take off. Meal orders were taken on the ground, with those who had pre-order had their meals confirmed first.
The first sign of trouble came when flight attendants informed passengers that the menus on board were incorrect. Yet this wasn’t until the main course was brought to us and I questioned what was in front of me. Honestly, I only notice this when the meal was delivered. The second course of soup and salad did not match the description. Odd, but this happens. AYet the soup tasted better than I was expecting (despite being cold) and I as happy it wasn’t corn soup!
Then dinner came out and what we ordered and what we were ultimately served did not match. That’s disappointing on any flight, but particularly on a flagship international route where expectations are understandably higher. Yet the chicken provided very different.
The flight attendant apologize and then brought us the correct menus. It was a big odd, and after reviewing the menu’s no where was it obvious which menu was for which direction. Most at least have the flight number or route on the bottom of the menu or on a certain page. I could not find this one either menu.
The Worst Business Class Food I’ve Had
I’ve eaten airline food all over the world. I generally keep my expectations realistic. Airline catering has limitations. But this meal was shockingly bad. The dominant flavor wasn’t beef, chicken, vegetables, or sauce. It was salt. Just Salt.
For the main course, everything seemed excessively seasoned to the point where it overwhelmed any other flavor. The main entree tasted like someone had dumped a container of salt on it and called it a recipe. After a few bites, neither my partner nor I could continue eating it. Simply put, the dish was inedible. Overall this was quite sad, as Alaska partner with TOMO, one of my favorite restaurants for the beef dish. The chicken that I order was just terrible. Both were sent back, we opted out.
Although the issue started even before the main dish was brought out. The soup arrived cold. Not lukewarm, hardly even room temperature. This is a service issue that needs to be resolved and should be an easy fix. Soup should never be cold unless it’s a gazpacho
The bread wasn’t much better. It was served cold and had the texture and taste of something that had been sitting around for several days before being loaded onto the aircraft. The butter, rock hard as well. Needless to say, we did not eat the bread.
For an airline launching a premium long-haul service, this felt less like business class dining and more like an afterthought. I think food is better on a domestic flight on Alaska Airlines than this route to Rome. The cheese plate/charcuterie board starter and arugula salad was by far the best part of dinner.
Dessert was good. Salt & Straw Ice cream never disappoints and the ice cream and dessert cart was cute. I do wish they didn’t just drizzle the chocolate or salted carmen on top. A more heavy serving of sauce would be better. And this is where American Airlines or United Ice Cream sundae is done right and Alaska is skimping.
We Skipped Breakfast Entirely
The dinner service left such a poor impression that we made a decision that would have seemed crazy before boarding. We skipped breakfast. Sorry all, no reviews or photos for you.
Normally, breakfast on planes is not that great and after dinner, I opted to sleep vs eat anything else. The catering wasn’t good and I did opt for a very salty midflight sandwich. Which was a pesto caprese sandwich. It was decent, but not great. Better than the main course, I can attest to that!
The surprising part is that Alaska’s domestic first class catering is often quite good. I’ve had enjoyable meals on shorter Alaska flights within the United States that were significantly better than what was served on this transatlantic flight. That’s not the comparison Alaska should want customers to make.
When an airline asks passengers to pay business class fares for an international flight, the onboard dining should represent a step up from domestic service, not a step backward. I don’t know who is making the catering decisions for this flight, but they need to rethink them!
Final Thoughts
Alaska deserves credit for launching new international routes and for delivering a genuinely comfortable business class seat. The bedding, amenity kit, and overall cabin experience were excellent. But premium travelers notice every aspect of the experience, and catering is a major part of international business class.
On my Seattle to Rome flight, the food was the weakest part of the journey by a wide margin. Incorrect menus, cold soup, stale bread, and an excessively salty entree combined to create one of the most disappointing airline meals I’ve had in years.
The good news is that catering is fixable. Seats take years to redesign and install. Food can be improved far more quickly. Because travelers flying between Seattle and Rome deserve a meal that matches the quality of the seat they’re sitting in.
