• by Teresa Buyikian , March 13, 2025

Late last year, Shake Shack began serving its DIY ShackBurger and Shake Shack Cheeseburger to Delta’s first-class passengers flying out of Boston. Now the airline has expanded to offer Shake Shack to first-class passengers on flights of over 900 miles from four new cities/airports: Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia and Seattle, with plans to continue expansion into new locals serviced by Delta.

“Customers are raving about the Shake Shack experience onboard our flights,” says Stephanie Laster, managing director of onboard service for Delta.  “This is part of our work to partner with brands our customers already know and love while continuing to raise the bar for the in-flight experience.”

Shake Shack’s Michael Kark, president of global licensing, discussed the expansion with QSR Insider.

QSR Insider:What metrics/methods did you use to determine the Delta pilot was working, and thus roll out to more cities?

Kark: Customers had real passion for this meal off the bat. We received overwhelming positive feedback from the start, and served over 10,000 Shake Shack Cheeseburgers out of Boston. It was clear it was time to bring this to more cities, so we did just that.

QSR Insider: Why only first-class? Any plans to expand to the rest of the plane?

Kark: First-class passengers have been pre-selecting the Shake Shack Cheeseburger at an exciting rate, and it’s an honor to be part of their travel experience.  As for our expansion strategy, our approach is simple ---we go where we are wanted.

It was clear customers wanted more, so we recently expanded to Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia, and Seattle. It’s exciting to see more guests get the opportunity to experience the Shake Shack Cheeseburger in a totally unexpected way.

QSR Insider: Why do you think this partnership with Delta has been successful?

Kark: Burgers have always been one of Delta’s most ordered meals. This partnership plays on that consumer insight and lets Shake Shack put its spin on it, with signature premium ingredients and Shack hospitality. The final product is a premium comfort meal. Seeing how much guests appreciate an elevated burger in-flight has been the biggest sign of success for us.

QSR Insider:What about Delta makes them a good airline partner for Shake Shack?

Kark:. Both Shake Shack and Delta are premium brands, and we had a shared vision for how we could reimagine the in-flight burger experience from the start. Besides, the global licensing team at Shake Shack travels nonstop, so the team who brought Shake Shack’s signature flavors to 35,000 feet understands what customers are looking for and has a real passion for elevating the in-flight experience.

QSR Insider: How are you marketing the fact that Shake Shack is available on Delta First Class?

Kark: Following our initial announcement, we decided to let our fans be our own brand ambassadors. That launch announcement took on a life of its own, and months later our customers continue to take to social media to express their excitement about the partnership. We look forward to continuing to build on this momentum.