A Skydine Story
We get unusual inflight catering requests fairly regularly, that’s just the nature of serving this clientele and honestly it is one of the parts of the job we enjoy most. When you are working with passengers who have high standards and specific tastes, the brief is rarely boring.
Every now and then an order comes in that stands out even by our standards. A request that requires a little more creativity, a few more phone calls, or just a genuine commitment to figuring it out rather than pushing back. Those are the ones we want to talk about here, because they also happen to be the ones that tell you the most about where private jet catering is heading and what passengers are starting to expect as standard.
Our approach has always been that whatever the request, we find a way to make it happen. These are a few of the ones that tested that commitment most memorably.
1. The Thanksgiving dinner in July, departing Denver
A passenger departing Denver wanted a full Thanksgiving dinner onboard. The whole thing.
Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, gravy. Plated properly and served at altitude in the middle of summer. The story behind it made it worth every bit of effort. The passenger was surprising a group of close friends who had all missed the actual holiday that previous November because everyone had been traveling.
Rather than just let it go, they had quietly decided to recreate the whole thing on a summer flight without telling anyone. As the pax arrived on the aircraft they had no idea what was waiting for them. We built the full menu, sourced everything, and made sure it arrived at the FBO looking and smelling exactly right. Apparently when the turkey came out the reaction in the cabin was everything the passenger had hoped for.
2. The birthday cake for a bird, departing Seattle
We’ve catered for passengers. We’ve catered for their guests. This was the first time we catered for a pet. A passenger flying out of Seattle was traveling with their parrot. It happened to be the bird’s birthday. They asked if there was anything we could do for the occasion.
We made a cake. Decorated properly, sized it right for the bird, looked exactly like a birthday cake should look. It was really more of a moment than a meal (the bird did not partake in the consumption of the cake, of course) and we were completely fine with that. Sometimes it’s just about taking something small seriously because it matters to someone.
3. McDonald’s nuggets, caviar, gold flakes in Omaha
If you’re a foodie, you probably know about COQODAQ, the New York restaurant that went viral for their caviar topped chicken nuggets. The idea of putting luxury caviar on a nugget captured a lot of attention in the food culture world. One of our passengers loved the concept but wanted to do their own version of it. The order was extremely specific. They wanted actual McDonald’s chicken nuggets, proper caviar on top, and gold flakes, because if you are going to do this on a private jet you should fully commit to the bit. The departure was out of Omaha and the window was not generous.
We sourced the nuggets fresh, sourced the caviar and the gold flakes, and brought to life what the passenger was imagining in their heads. We always jokingly challenge our clients to send us a private jet catering request they think we cannot fulfill. If you think you have one, we’re listening.
4. Eagles decorations on a transatlantic flight from London for the Super Bowl
This order arrived well in advance, which was helpful because the scope of it required some planning and because the departure was from London which added a layer that made it interesting. Sourcing Philadelphia Eagles merchandise and decorations in the United States is not complicated. Sourcing it in London for a cabin setup is a different challenge entirely.
NFL merchandise is not exactly abundant in the UK and the specific items that would make the cabin feel right rather than just vaguely themed required some creative sourcing. We tracked down what we needed, got it to the aircraft in time, built a game day menu that we took seriously rather than treating it as an excuse to go casual, and put together a setup that matched the energy of what they were going for.
5. Three airports, one moving itinerary, Aspen, Rifle, Eagle, Colorado
This one started normally enough. An order built around an Aspen departure, reasonable notice, clear preferences. We had everything confirmed and ready to go, then the day of departure arrived. The flight diverted to Rifle. Fine, we adjusted. Then the passenger changed the order entirely, different dishes, different requirements, new timeline. We rebuilt everything and got it moving toward Rifle. Just as we thought we were safe, the flight diverted again to Eagle. The passenger decided they wanted to go back to the original order after all.
What people don’t always appreciate about western Colorado is that these airports are not close to each other and the roads are not forgiving, especially in the winter. Highway 82 out of Aspen can shut down when the weather comes in. The stretch between Rifle and Eagle on I-70 through Glenwood Canyon is very stressful for drivers when there is snow on the ground and visibility is low. It is not just a matter of making phone calls. Someone has to actually get in a car and drive those roads.
Three airports, two full menu changes, mountain roads in bad weather, one day. The passengers sat down to exactly what they wanted and had no idea what had been happening on the ground to make that possible. That’s the job and that’s why we love it!
What we’ve learned from all of it:
None of these passengers were being difficult or demanding for the sake of it. The Denver passenger wanted to give their friends a memory. The Seattle passenger wanted to celebrate someone they loved. The Eagles group wanted the journey to mean as much as the destination. The Omaha passenger wanted to put their own stamp on something they found interesting. The
Colorado passengers were dealing with a trip that was falling apart around them and just wanted to salvage something good out of a stressful day.
What connects all of it is that passengers who fly privately are bringing their whole personality on board with them and they want the experience to reflect that. The food is part of that process instead of separate from it.
Our approach has not changed. We say yes to the complicated ones, the last minute ones, the ones that require driving through a snowstorm in Glenwood Canyon. If we cannot do something exactly as requested we will tell you honestly and find the closest version of it we can. “No” is not where we start. If you are looking for a private jet catering partner who sees it the same way, you can find us at www.skydine.info.
