Redefining the in-flight dining experience

Replacing cluttered trays with restaurant-like dishes shows how gategroup develops solutions that add value for airlines and passengers alike.  

Absolutely One is a newly developed meal concept that makes restaurant-style dining available onboard airplanes for all classes. Economy travelers are treated to a single large, fully filled plate of exquisite food, with an optional dessert to boot. In 2017, LATAM Airlines introduced the product on economy-class long haul flights, replacing the traditional tray with a choice of individual gourmet dishes that are 50 percent bigger with fewer peripheral elements.  

As a traveler-centric service provider, gategroup listens to what travelers want to see on board and translates these insights into fantastic products for airline customers. In the case of Absolutely One, this meant optimizing the traveler’s onboard dining experience with full and healthy meals and less clutter on their tray tables. This example illustrates how gategroup has evolved from a supplier to the airline industry into a B-2-B-2-C company that takes into account the needs of both airline customers and their passengers.

Fully modular and integrating well with other onboard services, Absolutely One is a great case study of gategroup’s capabilities. Due to its flexible design, this well-executed innovation can just as easily be implemented in premium economy or for pre-order service as for economy class. And with the space-saving that Absolutely One brings, new onboard retail opportunities emerge: hence gategroup’s continued development of branded trolleys to take advantage of that free space.

The successful launch of Absolutely One is just one milestone on gategroup’s mission to bring back the magic of flying. Our Innovation Team is dedicated to pushing the envelope of in-flight catering services to elevate the passenger experience by prompting value-adding products that expand the traveler’s imagination.