Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines have refreshed their international Suites menus, according to Future Travel Experience, with new chef partnerships covering flights to Asia, Europe and Oceania. The changes touch both the food and the wine programme, and bring additional pre-order flexibility to premium and business cabin guests.
For passengers weighing up which airline to fly in premium class on a transpacific or transatlantic route, the breadth of these updates is worth noting. Use our Airline Search to compare routes and carriers before you book.
The Chefs Behind the New Menus
The refresh builds on existing collaborations rather than replacing them entirely. Chef Brady Ishiwata Williams, a James Beard Award winner based in Seattle and known for Japanese American-inspired dishes, has been working with Alaska Airlines on inflight dining since 2025. Chef Dell Valdez, the Honolulu restaurateur behind Vein in Kakaʻako, Dell's Kitchen and Bakery, and Mio PASTALOGY, continues as a partner on Hawaiian's side of the programme.
The headline addition for Alaska Airlines is Seattle chef Renee Erickson, also a James Beard Award winner, who will create seasonal Suites menus going forward. Her work will cover the Seattle to London route as well as Athens and Paris services when those launch in May 2027, per Future Travel Experience.
On the Hawaiian Airlines side, Chef Keaka Lee of Honolulu's Kapa Hale is responsible for First Class dining on flights departing Hawaiʻi. For Main Cabin guests, Chef Sheldon Simeon has been brought on board to develop dedicated pre-order meals, taking the chef-collaboration approach beyond the premium cabin for the first time.
What Changes in the Cabin
Travellers booked in Suites on eligible domestic and international flights can now choose from as many as five entrée options ahead of boarding, putting meaningful control over the meal experience in their hands before they fly. The update also brings Hawaiian Airlines international Business Class guests in line with the expanded pre-select meal choices that have already been available to Alaska guests.
The wine list has been revised to complement the new food offering. Future Travel Experience reports that two notable additions feature among the updated selections: the Paul Hobbs West Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and the Viña Cobos Cocodrilo Corte Red Blend from Argentina. Both choices reflect the premium positioning that the two carriers are clearly pursuing across their top cabins.
Mark Krolick, Managing Director of Inflight Product and Experience at Alaska Airlines, oversees the programme on the Alaska side, reflecting the seniority of investment behind these changes.
How Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines Are Pushing for Premium Relevance
The scale of this update reflects a wider pattern across network carriers: premium cabin food and drink have become a genuine competitive battleground, particularly on long-haul routes where passengers have real alternatives. Bringing in chefs with public profiles and award recognition is one way to give that cabin a story passengers can identify with before they board.
The Hawaiian Airlines element is notable given the carrier's integration into the Alaska Airlines group. Running parallel but distinct culinary programmes, each rooted in a specific sense of place, whether Pacific Northwest or Hawaiʻi, suggests the two brands intend to preserve their individual identities in the cabin even as they align operationally.
Erickson's involvement is particularly forward-looking. Tying her name to routes that do not yet exist, specifically the Athens and Paris services due in May 2027, sets an expectation for those launches and gives the dining offer a role in building early interest.
The Bottom Line
These are substantive changes, not cosmetic ones. The combination of new chef names, a refreshed wine list, and greater pre-order flexibility addresses three of the most common premium cabin complaints: food quality, drink choice, and the inability to guarantee your preference before boarding.
For frequent flyers on Alaska or Hawaiian's long-haul routes, the expansion of pre-order options to up to five entrées is probably the most practical improvement. The chef collaborations matter too, but it is the pre-order depth that will change the day-to-day experience for most Suites passengers.
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