"UnitedAirlines" news and stories

Not that I've ever done it, but I've always known in-flight dining in the first-class seats is, well, classy. Now United Airlines has upped the class factor by teaming with Charlie Trotter. This isn't the first time United has teamed up with a restaurant, either. Earlier this year it introduced a menu from Trader Vic's on its first-class flights to Hawaii.

The famous Chicago chef has crafted two menus, one for first class and one for business class. If I were flying first class, which I expect to be doing after I win next year's James Beard award for food writing, I'd start with the sautéed prawns and crispy short rib won tons with organic Thai barbeque sauce and chilled sweet and sour cucumber relish. I think I'd follow that with orange and ginger cured duck confit with roasted shallot vinaigrette, braised fennel and hazelnut jasmine rice. The very idea of eating duck confit at cruising altitude sounds like some sort of culinary Mile High club.

In the not unlikely event that I don't win a Beard award, the business class menu ain't so bad either. I'd be more than happy to lunch on citrus cured smoked salmon with a caramelized fennel citrus salad. For a main course, I'd go with the mustard braised pork medallion.

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United Airlines is going native. Polynesian to be specific. The airline has teamed up with Trader Vic's, and will start serving island cuisine on flights to Hawaii this month.

Of course that means that mai tais will be on the menu. After all, Trader Vic Bergeron invented the potent fruity cocktail more than 70 years ago. The main course for those flying first class includes macadamia nut-crusted mahi mahi, Trader Vic's barbeque-glazed short ribs and pan-seared chicken with miso-sake sauce.

Sadly, the economy class menu is not quite as luxe and costs $5. It includes such tropical sandwiches as Maui chicken. But there's always those mai tais.

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