Starting from 1 August 2026, passengers travelling with United Airlines’ United Polaris international business class will be able to indulge in a special in-flight menu. Featuring exclusive meal experiences, the menu will be developed by famous cooks from Chef’s Table, the brand behind Netflix’s award-winning series.
Overall, the United Polaris international business class will include 10 new meal experiences, put together by 11 world-renowned chefs from four continents. The dishes will be a representation of United’s seven U.S. hub cities, as well as international gateways London, Tokyo, and São Paulo.
“United’s network spans many of the culinary capitals of the world, allowing us to authentically bring together acclaimed chefs from around the globe. Our collaboration with Chef’s Table shows how we’re leveraging our unique position as the world’s largest airline to deliver restaurant-quality moments in the sky. Our United Polaris international business class travellers are going to love the new dishes coming later this year,” said Andrew Nocella, Chief Commercial Officer at United Airlines.
Fancy food aboard
The chefs participating in the scheme include Nancy Silverton from Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles, Manu Buffara from Manu in São Paulo, and Justin Yu from Theodore Rex in Houston. The meal experiences will include an appetiser, salad, and entrée, all inspired by the chefs’ home cities and served on flights departing from those cities. The approach is meant to make travellers feel more connected to those places, even while in the air.
“This collaboration represents an unprecedented look at how we can elevate the in-flight dining experience, bringing the culinary brilliance featured on Chef’s Table to the skies. By partnering with United, we are turning a global culinary journey into a reality for millions of passengers. Many travellers around the world will be able to experience firsthand the artistry of these 11 world-renowned chefs on their plates at 35,000 feet. Together we’ll create incredible, regionally-inspired meals and unforgettable experiences for travellers from takeoff to landing,” said Justin Connor, President of Chef’s Table Projects.
The new collaboration is not United Airlines’ first culinary partnership. Over the past few years, it has brought Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding to a selection of domestic flights and expanded its wine program with labels including Heitz Cellar and Shafer. According to the airline, it spent some $150 million in food and beverage upgrades throughout 2025, leading to a 12% rise in customer satisfaction scores regarding the offering in the first quarter.
It’s not the first airline to elevate its onboard dining experience. Alaska Airlines recently introduced its Chef’s “tray” Table concept, a rotating First Class dining programme featuring seasonal menus by chefs such as Brady Ishiwata Williams and Brandon Jew. Rolled out on select routes from Seattle to major East Coast hubs, including John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the initiative lets passengers pre-order chef-curated dishes while reducing food waste.
