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Hawaiian Airlines is elevating its premium cabins with the appointment of Honolulu-born chef Dell Valdez as its new executive chef and the rollout of a Business Class pre-order meal service set to begin in May.
Chef Dell Valdez Leads a New Culinary Era in the Skies
Hawaiian Airlines confirmed this week that chef Dell Valdez has taken over as executive chef for its premium cabins, succeeding husband-and-wife team Wade and Michelle Ueoka, who have shaped the carrier’s inflight dining program since 2021. Valdez, known in Honolulu for concepts including Vein at Kakaako, Dell’s Kitchen and Bakery, and Mio Pastalogy, has been part of the airline’s culinary team since 2021 and is now stepping into a higher-profile role.
Born and raised in Hawaii, Valdez brings a distinctly local perspective to the airline’s menus, emphasizing ingredients and flavor profiles that reflect the islands’ multicultural food traditions. Hawaiian Airlines positions the appointment as a way to deepen its expression of island hospitality, using food as a vehicle for a stronger sense of place on long-haul journeys.
The airline said Valdez will also continue to oversee its featured chef series, which rotates collaborations with prominent Hawaii-based culinary talent. That approach allows the carrier to keep its offering fresh while showcasing the state’s dining scene to an international audience flying in Business and First Class.
New Business Class Menus Debut on Key International Routes
Valdez’s first major move as executive chef is a refreshed set of Business Class menus now rolling out on international routes, including Sydney to Honolulu and Auckland to Honolulu. The airline confirmed the new dishes began appearing this week, with additional routes in Japan and Oceania to follow as the season progresses.
Sample menus highlighted by the carrier include braised short rib served with scallion ginger risotto, roasted chicken with shiso beurre blanc, and herb-roasted pork loin with soy kabocha squash purée. The dishes are designed to balance comfort food appeal with restaurant-style presentation, while leaning on familiar Asian and Pacific influences that resonate with the airline’s network and brand.
Domestic First Class cabins are slated to see updated menus later this year, extending Valdez’s culinary signature across more of the fleet. Hawaiian Airlines frames the refresh as part of a broader push to offer a more consistent premium experience, particularly as it seeks to differentiate itself on long-haul leisure and visiting-friends-and-relatives routes where repeat guests are highly attuned to service and comfort.
Business Class Pre-Order Service Promises More Choice
Alongside the chef appointment, Hawaiian Airlines is introducing a Business Class meal pre-order service, scheduled to launch in May. The airline said the feature will allow premium passengers to select their preferred dishes in advance, with ordering windows opening two weeks before departure and closing 20 hours prior to takeoff.
Customers will be able to access pre-order options through the Hawaiian Airlines mobile app and the carrier’s website. The system is expected to support an expanded roster of main courses and more flexibility for those with dietary needs, building on the carrier’s existing special meal request process while adding a more intuitive, self-service layer.
Hawaiian Airlines executives describe the pre-order function as an important step toward smarter, more personalized inflight service. By aligning meal loading more closely with actual guest preferences, the airline aims to reduce the likelihood of popular dishes running out and to cut down on food waste while still offering meaningful choice.
Part of the Kahuʻewai Hawaiʻi Investment Plan
The culinary upgrades sit within a larger multiyear initiative the airline calls its Kahuʻewai Hawaiʻi Investment Plan, a program valued at around 600 million dollars that spans inflight products, cabin refurbishments, and airport infrastructure. The goal is to modernize the guest journey end to end while keeping Hawaiian cultural touchpoints at the forefront.
Onboard, the dining enhancements complement earlier investments in amenity kits and soft goods for Business Class travelers on international and select transcontinental routes. Together with new menus and technology-enabled meal selection, the airline seeks to deliver a more cohesive premium product that feels recognizably Hawaiian yet competitive with other long-haul carriers in the region.
Hawaiian Airlines has emphasized that these changes are being introduced in stages, with Business Class on key international routes seeing the earliest benefits. As the program rolls forward, guests can expect more visible updates to cabin interiors and airport touchpoints that align with the refreshed culinary direction.
What Travelers Can Expect in the Months Ahead
For travelers booked in Business Class on Hawaiian Airlines this spring and summer, the most immediate changes will likely be visible on flights between Honolulu and Australia and New Zealand, where Valdez’s menus are already appearing. Passengers can anticipate heartier main courses with island-inspired accents, along with an increased focus on presentation and seasonality compared with previous rotations.
From May, Business Class guests planning trips several weeks out will gain the ability to pre-select meals, a feature long requested by frequent flyers who prefer to secure their first choice or ensure better alignment with dietary preferences. The airline expects the service to scale gradually, with the range of options and eligible routes expanding over the course of the year.
Domestic First Class travelers will need to wait a little longer for a full menu refresh, but Hawaiian Airlines has signaled that updates are on the way as Valdez’s influence extends across the network. As competitive pressure in the transpacific and Hawaii-mainland markets intensifies, the carrier is betting that chef-driven dining and more control over meal choices will help keep its premium cabins appealing to both loyal guests and first-time visitors.