I’m here to put all of your minds at cheese—Alaska’s signature fruit and cheese platters are back!As an Alaska employee and avid flyer, I love to see it.
As more of you prepare to fly again—and it being National Cheese Day—it seems only fitting to remind you that we’re gradually, thoughtfully and safely bringing back some of your favorite items onboard, including hot meals, drinks and our signature staple 🧀.
Why is cheese so grate 😉 from 30,000 feet?
I can think of a few reasons.
Alaska’s been serving cheese onboard for over a decade.
Since 2010, our food & beverage team has finessed the perfect charcuterie board onboard. Today, our signature fruit & cheese platter features five pieces of cheesy goodness, five large crackers, three to four apple slices and a handful of green/purple grapes, topped off by a chocolate truffle.
The cheese platter was originally part of a series of different ‘appetizer’ type platters that rotated in 2010—it quickly became the fan-favorite,” said David Rodriguez, manager of Alaska’s food and beverage program. “Cheese is something that keeps well in a catering environment and can be served with consistent quality.”
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Each piece has been thoughtfully picked and produced.
Every platter has three types of cheeses:
- Two triangular slices of Tillamook’s Sharp Cheddar
- A wedge of brie
- Two triangular slices of Beecher’s Flagship Handmade Cheese
The cheese is made mainly in Oregon and Washington using simple and traditional methods, no shortcuts, no preservatives and is naturally aged, ensuring every bite has depth and robust flavor.
We are committed to quality, satisfying our guests’ desire for handmade products and partnering with businesses tied to the locations we serve,” says Rodriguez.
Getting the right ratio of cracker to cheese is key.
Unless you’re lactose intolerant, you really can’t go wrong when ordering a fruit & cheese platter—especially if you pair it with a good wine (or sparkling water) / onboard movie (Bohemian Rhapsody is my go-to).
I like to start with the mildest cheese (sharp cheddar) on one cracker and work my way up to the most intense (white cheddar). Getting a good ratio of cracker to cheese is key. If you need a refreshing break in between, a grape or two should do the trick. After this, I usually enjoy the apple slices all at once and top if off with the Seattle Chocolate dark chocolate truffle. (Note: I’m not a brie fan—IKIK—so I usually offer it to my travel partner).
Platters are the people’s choice.
You feta believe the cheese platter is the most popular pick among guests! Prior to the pandemic, we offered six fresh food options (depending on distance and time of day), of which 60% of all fresh food sales were cheese platters!
The packaging is sustainable.
At Alaska, we are very conscious of plastics. All of our plastic cups are made with PET #1 plastics, a more recyclable plastic made from polyester (it stays in the recycle stream longer than other types). This is also used for our fruit and cheese platter lids and First Class lids. Our fruit and cheese platters also have recyclable cardboard bottoms and come with cutlery made from sugar cane.We’re also offering Boxed Water, a fully recyclablebox-shaped carton ofwater, sealed with a plant-based cap, in First Class to replace plastic water bottles.
Something you probably didn’t know about our cheese platter:
At one point, we tried to go for a “Hawaii” vibe by using different fruit options, including pineapple and oranges—but it didn’t work out so well. “The grapes and apples proved to be the most consistent and speak to the produce that we enjoy in the pacific northwest,” says Rodriguez.
Want some cheese with that w(h)ine? More food/drinks are now available.
Last month, we began to offer more choices in all cabins on select flights, including hot meals in First Class on transcontinental flights in addition to recently expanded service to and from Hawaii and qa full selection of soft drinks and complimentary alcohol in First/Premium Class, and it is now available for purchase in Main Cabin.
Other additions include:
- In the Main Cabin on flights over 670 miles, a variety of food items are once again available via pre-order, including the return of fan-favorite Mediterranean Tapas and Kids Picnic Packs.
- And in the Main Cabin on flights 1,100+ miles, guests can also pre-order from an expanded fresh menu, which will now include both a wrap or a sandwich and the fruit & cheese platter.
- Credit card payments are accepted onboard and we’re expanding touchless payment options with a stored card on your account.
- To see a complete list of ourFood & Beverage options on Alaska and Horizon flights, visitalaskaair.com.
We’re excited to welcome our guests back on board and want them to have a great experience with us,” said Todd Traynor-Corey, MD of guest products. “We’ve put a lot of thought and planning into safely increasing additional food and beverage service on our flights while getting back to fresh and local menu items that our guests love.”
Pre-order your platter today!
Pre-ordering our Signature Fruit & Cheese Platter is as gouda as it gets.From Main Cabin to First Class, you can pre-order your plate two weeks to 20 hours in advance of your flight on the Alaska mobile app or alaskaair.com—trips must be at least 1,100+ miles.
Here’s how:
Friendly reminder: Our mask policies still apply. We encourage guests to briefly lift their masks for eating and drinking & remember,“after you sip or snack, put your mask back.”
Related:
- The art of an artisan cheese plate
- Seattle Chocolate: “A culinary journey around the world”
- Boxed Water is helping Alaska Airlines reduce plastic waste onboard
- Start off the new year fresh and fly with Evergreens salads
