NEW YORK — Forget about greasy French fries, soggy pizza or that sandwich that’s been sitting out for hours. Filet mignon, crispy duck confit and crab cakes are taking off at the airport.
With travelers waiting longer because of more extensive security checks and flight delays, airports across the country are swapping out fast-food joints for sit-down restaurants. It’s part of a trend of airlines serving their customers before they board their flights, said air industry expert Terry Trippler, owner of , a website dedicated to airline rules.
“The more conveniences that are available before they board the aircraft, the happier they’re going to be when they board the aircraft,” Trippler said of airline passengers. “And you can make some money with a nice restaurant, too.”
Delta Air Lines is putting 13 new restaurants, bars and cafes in its LaGuardia Airport terminal by next summer. The first four were to open Saturday morning.
Delta’s senior vice president for New York, Gail Grimmett, said that the Atlanta-based airline is proud of its on-board service but that customers want their experiences in the airport to be “as smooth as what they experience in the air.”
“People are looking for things in the airport other than a fast-food environment,” Grimmett said.
Airports across the country have already made the switch to classier food options for passengers. There’s a wine bar at Philadelphia International Airport, a seafood restaurant at San Francisco International Airport, an Asian bistro at Tucson International Airport. Ike’s, a local favorite in Minnesota, offers sit-down service at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Delta’s remake of the LaGuardia terminal will be similar to what JetBlue Airways Corp. did at Kennedy International Airport in 2008, but it will have some extra food options. Delta hired the company that redid JetBlue’s JFK terminal, OTG Management, to pick chefs to create menus and train kitchen staffs at LaGuardia.
Delta Air Lines Inc. wouldn’t say what it is costing to open its restaurants at LaGuardia. The airline will get a portion of restaurant revenues, Grimmett said.
Consumer expert Joe Brancatelli, a columnist for the business travelers’ website , said the changes are part of an effort to make dining at LaGuardia similar to dining in New York City. “What you want is a sense that your airport terminal is indistinguishable from your midtown (Manhattan),” Brancatelli said.
