Travelers heading into the busy spring season on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines will find something new on their trays as both carriers roll out refreshed menus that spotlight their home regions. From Beecher’s legendary mac and cheese out of Seattle to chef-driven island cuisine crafted in Honolulu, the latest spring offerings emphasize local partnerships, seasonal produce and greater choice for a range of dietary preferences. For frequent flyers and first-time leisure travelers alike, understanding what is new, where it is offered and how to access it can help you plan more enjoyable journeys across the Pacific and along the West Coast.

Seasonal Launch: When the New Spring Menus Take Off

The new spring menus on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are timed to capture the upswing in travel that typically begins in late winter and stretches through school breaks and early summer holidays. Alaska’s latest spring cycle is set to debut on board from February 25, following a pre-order window that opens two weeks before departure and closes approximately 20 hours prior to each flight. That means travelers booked from early March into the heart of spring will be the first to experience the refreshed dishes across cabins.

Hawaiian Airlines is already phasing in its spring offerings on domestic First Class services between Hawai‘i and the U.S. mainland. Menus crafted by Honolulu-born chef Robynne Maii are now appearing on flights from the islands to continental gateways, while inbound sectors to Hawai‘i continue to feature dishes from Chef Wade Ueoka of Honolulu’s MW Restaurant. Taken together, the two programs mark one of the most significant seasonal dining updates in the U.S. domestic market this year, signaling how seriously both airlines are treating inflight food as part of the overall travel experience.

For travelers, the timing matters because not every route will see identical offerings on the same date. Airlines typically phase menus in by aircraft type and catering station. If you are flying during the transition period in late February and early March, expect some variation between what is advertised and what is actually loaded, particularly on shorter or redeye flights where full meal service may not be available.

Alaska Airlines: Pacific Northwest Comforts Meet Chef-Led Creativity

Alaska Airlines has spent the past two years quietly reshaping its food and beverage program around a promise to deliver more of what its guests actually crave. The new spring menu is the latest expression of that strategy, combining fan favorites with fresh seasonal additions. Headlining the Main Cabin this season is Beecher’s Mac & Cheese, a richly indulgent version of the Seattle cheesemaker’s flagship dish adapted for altitude. Made with Beecher’s signature Flagship cheese, penne pasta and a crisp breadcrumb topping, it brings an iconic Pike Place Market flavor to flights across North America.

In First Class, Alaska leans into a bright, bistro-style spring sensibility. New dishes including Banana Crêpes, Lemon Pesto Spaghetti with Grilled Chicken and a Lemongrass Pork Sandwich are designed to feel both familiar and slightly adventurous, with an emphasis on fresh herbs, citrus and lighter sauces. These additions build on the airline’s evolving partnerships with West Coast chefs and producers, extending a culinary narrative that has previously featured collaborative menus with award-winning names from San Francisco and Seattle.

Alaska has also retained a handful of core “comfort classics” that regular flyers will recognize. The Tillamook cheeseburger remains in rotation, and breakfast loyalists will still find hearty egg-based options on morning departures. The airline has been clear that its goal is not to replace staples, but to layer on seasonal variety that gives frequent travelers a reason to look forward to the tray table once again.

Hawaiian Airlines: Island-Inspired Dining From Honolulu to the Mainland

On Hawaiian Airlines, the spring menu refresh is a showcase for island culinary talent and ingredients that feel unmistakably local. For domestic First Class guests departing Hawai‘i for the U.S. mainland, Chef Robynne Maii has crafted a menu that blends comfort with a sense of place. Current offerings include a smoked mozzarella frittata with Portuguese sausage served alongside fresh fruit, a basil Caesar salad paired with roasted chicken and ginger scallion fried rice, and a beef and kimchi hand pie that nods to Hawai‘i’s multiethnic food culture.

Vegetable-forward and pasta dishes bring additional depth. Ratatouille parmesan baked ziti and Lasagna alla Norma appear on certain routes, offering a heartier option for longer segments without sacrificing freshness. These plates are typically paired with simple salads or vegetable sides, balancing richness with brightness in a way that works well at cruising altitude.

On flights bound for Hawai‘i, Chef Wade Ueoka continues to oversee the menu, introducing new options such as braised miso beef, grilled kalbi with kimchi fried rice, mushroom risotto cakes, pasta in a white wine cream sauce and a substantial vegetable cobb salad. His dishes are designed to evoke the feeling of a restaurant meal in Honolulu, giving travelers a preview of island dining before they land or a final taste of Hawai‘i on the way home.

Regional Favorites Front and Center

Both Alaska and Hawaiian are using this spring refresh to double down on local partnerships and ingredients that tell a regional story. For Alaska, that starts in Seattle, where Beecher’s Handmade Cheese has long been a staple of the city’s food scene. By bringing Beecher’s Mac & Cheese into the Main Cabin on medium and long-haul flights, Alaska is turning a familiar comfort dish into a kind of culinary calling card for the Pacific Northwest.

The airline’s broader food and beverage roster still leans heavily on West Coast producers. Craft beer and wine selections highlight labels from Washington, Oregon and California, while snack boxes and meal components often feature small-batch items sourced from regional suppliers. The new mac and cheese, in that sense, is less a novelty than an anchor dish within a broader effort to reflect where the airline is from.

Hawaiian’s approach is similarly rooted in place, but its palette is distinctly island-centric. The frequent use of Portuguese sausage, kimchi, miso, ginger and scallions reflects the blended culinary traditions of Hawai‘i, where influences from Japan, Korea, Portugal and the continental United States intersect. By working with chefs who live and cook in Honolulu, Hawaiian ensures that its inflight menus track closely with what diners might encounter in the city’s better restaurants, rather than a generic “tropical” concept.

Cabin-by-Cabin: What You Will Actually See On Board

Understanding the nuances by cabin class is essential, because not every traveler will experience the spring menus in the same way. On Alaska Airlines, First Class guests on most flights of 670 miles or longer can expect a choice of hot entrées at main meal times, with the new Banana Crêpes and Lemon Pesto Spaghetti with Grilled Chicken featured on select routes and dayparts. The Lemongrass Pork Sandwich appears primarily at lunch and dinner, typically accompanied by a fresh salad or vegetable side.

In the Main Cabin, Beecher’s Mac & Cheese headlines a lineup of pre-orderable hot meals available on medium and long-haul flights within North America and to Hawai‘i. The dish joins other options that may include grain bowls, wraps and Alaska’s long-standing Signature Fruit & Cheese Platter on flights that meet minimum distance thresholds. On shorter hops, service may be limited to complimentary soft drinks and a la carte snacks, particularly on routes where aircraft galleys are smaller or turnaround times are tight.

Hawaiian’s spring menus are currently concentrated in domestic First Class, where plated meals are served on medium and long-haul routes between Hawai‘i and key mainland gateways such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and New York. Economy-class passengers on those routes typically receive a more streamlined service that may combine a hot entrée or hearty snack with complimentary beverage service, although offerings can vary by flight length and time of day. As always, travelers on inter-island flights should expect a simpler service focused on drinks and light snacks due to shorter block times.

One of the most significant shifts in airline dining over the past several seasons has been the push to accommodate dietary restrictions and wellness trends without sacrificing flavor. Alaska’s spring Main Cabin lineup reflects that trend with the continued availability of a vegan and gluten-free grain bowl, developed in partnership with Seattle-based salad brand Evergreens. Building on positive feedback from earlier menu cycles, the latest plant-based options emphasize hearty grains, legumes and fresh vegetables dressed with bold, citrusy sauces that hold up well in a pressurized cabin.

While Beecher’s Mac & Cheese is unapologetically rich, Alaska has intentionally paired it with lighter alternatives, giving passengers control over how indulgent they want to be on any given flight. Even in First Class, where dishes like Banana Crêpes and cheeseburgers could easily dominate, the airline is careful to balance its menus with salads, fruit and vegetable sides.

Hawaiian’s chef-driven menus also cater naturally to a more balanced way of eating. Many of Chef Maii’s dishes feature generous portions of vegetables and lean proteins, framed by sauces that invite interest rather than overpowering the plate. The basil Caesar salad with roasted chicken and ginger scallion fried rice, for example, delivers familiar flavors in a format that feels lighter than a traditional creamy pasta or heavy roast, while still being satisfying on a transpacific flight.

Pre-Ordering and Practical Tips for Travelers

For travelers looking to take advantage of the new spring menus, the most important step is to engage with pre-order systems well before departure. Alaska Airlines allows customers in both First Class and Main Cabin to reserve meals in advance on flights where fresh options are available. Typically, the pre-order window opens 14 days before a flight and closes about 20 hours prior to departure. Within that window, passengers can log in to their booking via mobile app or website, view the exact menu for their route and cabin, and select their preferred dish.

Pre-ordering matters because quantities of fresh meals loaded on board are finite. While flight attendants can sometimes accommodate day-of requests, especially in First Class, there is no guarantee that a particular dish will still be available once the trolley reaches your row. With popular options like Beecher’s Mac & Cheese expected to sell out quickly on certain routes, locking in your choice ahead of time is the best way to ensure you get what you want.

Hawaiian Airlines does not yet match Alaska’s pre-order system across every cabin, but First Class passengers on key mainland routes can review their menus in advance through the airline’s digital channels and, in some cases, request special meals that align with dietary restrictions. As the carrier continues to refine its premium product and deepen its partnerships with local chefs, additional personalization features are expected to follow.

What These Menus Signal About the Future of Inflight Dining

The coordinated spring refresh from Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines underscores how rapidly expectations around inflight dining are shifting, particularly on domestic and regional routes that were once synonymous with basic snack service. By leaning into regional favorites and chef-led design, both carriers are betting that better food can become a meaningful differentiator in an increasingly competitive West Coast and transpacific market.

For Alaska, that means framing its entire food and beverage program as a showcase for West Coast producers, with Seattle and the Pacific Northwest as the narrative heart. Beecher’s Mac & Cheese is the latest in a series of local collaborations that also includes craft breweries, salad brands and specialty snack makers, suggesting that spring’s most visible addition is part of a longer-term evolution rather than a one-off promotion.

Hawaiian, meanwhile, is using its menus to reinforce the airline’s position as an ambassador for island culture. By spotlighting chefs who live and cook in Honolulu and by drawing deeply on ingredients and flavor profiles that resonate with local residents, the airline is turning meal service into another touchpoint for the spirit of aloha. As travelers weigh where to book their next trip, such details may increasingly tip the scales, particularly for those who view the journey as part of the overall vacation experience rather than just a means of getting from point A to point B.