Several DDF members have been commenting on the lack of kosher meals on Air France flights from JFK to Paris for the past several weeks.
Air France wouldn’t confirm that there were any issues with kosher meal availability, so I asked for members information to get to the bottom of the situation.
DDF member CLEboy sent me his business class itinerary and indeed after I tried to reserve kosher meals, Air France wrote to me on Twitter that, “Please be informed that there is a temporary suspension of booking a Kosher meals on Air France flights that depart from New York JFK.”
They also told me that they had no information on why it was suspended or when it would be restored.
I pushed higher and reached Arturo Diaz, the communications director at Air France. He provided the following statement to DansDeals today,
“Air France confirms that due to supply chain issues, kosher meals were temporarily not available on the New York-JFK to Paris-CDG route.
Kosher meal service has restarted. Air France apologizes for the inconvenience. Air France offers kosher meals are part of its on-board catering offer adapted to individual diets which can be ordered free of charge in advance of travel.”
However, I confirmed that CLEboy’s itinerary still was not allowing the selection of a kosher meals from JFK to Paris, so I asked to please confirm that the issue was indeed resolved.
Mr. Diaz responded that kosher meals service and the ability to request kosher meals from JFK will resume tomorrow.
A supply chain issue of kosher meals might make sense in small outstations, but frankly it seems hard to believe that there were extended issues in NYC. If there was an issue with one kosher caterer, can’t another one be chosen in a short period of time?
At any rate, hopefully the issue is indeed resolved tomorrow.
Now if only kosher meals could be made edible…
Seriously American Airlines, what in the world is this first class Borenstein Regal meal supposed to be?
And United, can you please find a European meal supplier that isn’t Stogel?!? Your Fresko meals from Newark and great, but this business class meal from Europe is wholly unacceptable!
Remember folks, airlines repeatedly state that they want feedback on meal service. When you get a meal like this, be sure to write to the airline to ask for them to find a better supplier!
You can share pictures of your airline’s kosher meal on DDF in this thread.
Now if only Hermolis would cater airline meals worldwide…
HT: chff
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19 Comments On "Air France Will Be Restoring Kosher Meals From JFK; Airlines, Can We Get Edible Food As Well?"
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Thank you. I just booked two trips on AF and they had no option for kosher meals!!! Thank you for the update.
My pleasure. Safe travels!
Still no kosher meal option online! i have time to wait BH.
My air france ticket also still doesn’t allow me to reserve a kosher meal
“Mr. Diaz responded that kosher meals service and the ability to request kosher meals from JFK will resume tomorrow.”
Still now allowing me to reserve koaher meals…
Still not allowing to reserve kosher meals…
Sick looking meals
I’ve found that sometimes the flight crew just mishandle the KSMLs. I recently flew RT on AA in premium economy to London, and had delicious-looking Zetko and Hermolis meals that were served frozen solid. It does say “keep frozen” on the label so maybe they just think Jews like frozen food…
Definitely write this into the airline so they can properly train their staff.
Are high quality kosher airline meals even possible?
Anyone who has ordered a kosher meal on an Emirates flight originating in Dubai knows that the answer is “yes”. Kosher airline food can be awesome.
Which caterer and hechsher did you get? I thought they had Hermolis, but I’ve never gotten them.
If kosher meals are all frozen why can’t a better quality caterer be used and just have them shipped.
Cold chain shipping is more complicated and expensive than regular shipping. Not worth it unless absolutely necessary
I had the Kosher Arabia food on dxb-mle. Really impressive and delicious
What happened to Hermolis out of DXB? I thought Emirates was using them.
Not a joke. They’re literally the gold standard. They don’t even serve anything fancy (I think on my last flight I got mashed potatoes and chicken with lemon pudding and cake for hot meal and small lox sandwich with cake for cold meal, which seems fairly consistent with most flights I’ve had them on), but everything was eminently edible. (Not even getting into hechsherim.) Very few other caterers can have everything on the tray be considered decent, and many can’t have anything receive that categorization. There are enough KSMLs being served daily out of the major hubs that they should be able to get either semi fresh or properly frozen food. Would be so much easier to travel if we didn’t have to pack food for the flights.
Whatever. As far as mesiras nefesh for Yiddishkeit goes, this is fairly minor.
I have a jfk to paris flight for NOV 22nd and still not showing availability for kosher meal
Only Air France and KLM are not offering Kosher meals within Europe in Business class, all other Europe airlines do offer special meals including kosher in Business class.
I booked 2 tickets now jfk to paris and i was able to book kosher meals, does anyone know which caterer they use?