Pan Am revamps sky food; will streamline in-flight service

Nation's Restaurant News, Nov 18, 1985

MIAMI -- Pan American World Airways has restructured its in-flight services department and set in motion a series of new programs designed to lift its food and beverage service to a level comparable with "the best international carriers, like Air France, SwissAir and Lufthansa," according to Carlos Bragado, director of in-fligh services planning.

By merging dining and in-flight services into a single department under general manager Gunther Beck, Pan Am now has its food and beverage planners reporting to the same individual, who oversees hiring and training of flight attendants.

The result, Bragado said, is a thoroughly coordinated program that adds up to better product deliveryin the air and the ability to make quick decisions "without having to go too high up in the organization."

At the same time, Pan Am has begun to introduce a host of new menu ideas that will eventually lead to a complete overhaul of the airline's food and beverage offerings. Targeting the sophisticated longhaul traveler--"who is going to spend eight or more hours in the air," according to Bragado--the company recently unveiled "the Lighter Side" meal package for eastbound routes and a "Meal of Ethnic Origin" program for westbound service.

"We've been trying to develop something of interest for the late-night traveler, who may want a quick meal before he goes to sleep or perhaps wants to sleep first and then have a snack," Bragado said, explaining the genesis of the Lighter Side concept.

The result is an attractively packaged cold meal served in a two-tiered container designed to resemble a Japanese lacquer box. In the top compartment are snack items, such as a cheese board, port wine, chocolates and cookies. Underneath is a full meal of cold beef Wellington, chanterelle salad and pasta salad with pesto sauce.

"Right now beef Wellington is our only entree in The Lighter Side package," Bragado said. "We'll eventually need more cold options that can be rotated from flight to flight because first-class passengers tend to fly quite frequently."

While Pan Am continues to offer eastbound travelers a full six-course dinner option, The Lighter Side concept has quickly gained in popularity since it was introduced in October, Bragado said. "It's not at all too early to tell how it's doing," he added. "The Lighter Side is doing fantastically."

Meals for eastbound trans-Atlantic flights, Bragado pointed out, are prepared for Pan Am by Marriott Corp. at flight kitchens in New York's Kennedy International Airport and at Miami International Airport. Pan Am operates no flight kitchnes of its own.

On westbound routes, where meals are prepared in various foreign cities, Pan Am has introduced its "Meals of Ethnic Origin" program for first-class passengers.

"The idea is to prepare meals out of different locations in the world where we have the talent to do it properly," Bragado explained: "These items are not necessarily native to the countries where they are being prepared."

For example, he said, Trust House Forte--which handles Pan Am's catering in Britain--has started prepareing an Indian meal for flights out of London. And this month Pan Am will introduce a full-course Swiss meal out of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

"This program is geared toward a very sophisticated first-class clientele," Bragado stressed. "We are targeting people who are familiar with the various cuisines of the e world such as Indian, Chinese, Swiss and others." He added that presentation--including delicate china settings--is an integral part of the concept.

In addition to new menu variations, Pan Am has just unveiled an expanded wine program that affords passengers "one of the most elaborate selections of wines in the airline industry," Bragado said. The new list combines fine wines of France and California with a host of regional vintages that are rotated depending on the point of origin of a specific flight.

"Whenever we fly out of a country which produces a good-quality wine, we will carry wines of that region in addition to our standard French and California selections," Bragado explained. The total list now offers 23 wines, including a special pink champagne--"We think it's the ultimate champagne."

Pan Am, which currently trains all of its flight attendants in Miami, will soon open flight attendant bases in several cities around the world with the idea of recruiting and training an international force.