• by Tanya Gazdik , November 24, 2024

Delta Airlines is teaming up with Shake Shack to serve burgers to first-class customers.  

The first-of-its-kind partnership will begin on flights out of Boston on Dec. 1, with plans for expansion to other U.S. markets throughout 2025. 

“There’s an interesting lesson here, which is that sometimes the easiest way to elevate the experience you provide your customers is to find the right partner,” according to Inc. “If you want to offer comfort food—like a cheeseburger—it makes sense to partner with a popular brand like Shake Shack. For your customers, it’s not just about the food, but about the overall experience.”

Customers sitting in first class on routes over 900 miles will be able to preselect a Shake Shack Cheeseburger as their meal option.

“One reason Delta Air Lines rolled out this edible amenity is because they noticed burgers are among the top-ordered menu items while traveling,” according to Travel + Leisure. 

The deal is an extension of Delta's long-term partnership with Union Square Hospitality Group and Danny Meyer, the founder of Shake Shack, according to CBS News. “Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer, also the founder and executive chairman of Union Square Hospitality Group, has previously partnered with Delta, offering meals from USHG’s catering arm on select Delta flights out of New York City’s John F. Kennedy airport,” notes Food & Wine. 

Shake Shack was founded in New York in 2004, also the site of USHG’s headquarters.

“Shake Shack cheeseburgers feature a 100% Angus beef patty, topped with cheese and served on a toasted potato bun,” according to CBS News.”Customers can also select toppings including tomato, lettuce, and ShackSauce to create a signature ShackBurger on menus at Shake Shack locations nationwide. The meal also comes with chips, a Caesar salad, and a dark chocolate brownie.”

Delta is also rolling out other new items.

“Delta customers will soon be able to enjoy a broader array of nutritious, chef-curated dishes such as cocoa-braised short ribs with accompanying broccoli and carrots, butternut squash ravioli with pumpkin seeds and mild chilies, and apple-cranberry compote—with the compote being available on select morning flights only,” according to Forbes.