Air Canada to Launch “Book the Cook” Service

Air Canada has plans to debut its own version of a “Book the Cook” service, which would allow international business class passengers to select their preferred meal from a list of options prior to a flight. This service is very similar to what some passengers can do through Singapore Airlines’s Book the Cook, and to a lesser extent with Thai Airways.

As first reported on Executive Traveller, Canada’s largest airline plans to offer the service from its three main hubs in Vancouver (YVR), Toronto Pearson (YYZ), and Montreal (YUL), and the rollout is expected to take around 18 months.

Air Canada to Launch “Book the Cook” Service

Air Canada has plans to debut its own version of a “Book the Cook” service, which would allow international business class passengers to select from a wide range of meal choices in advance of their flight. 

This type of service has been available on Singapore Airlines for years, and it appears that Air Canada’s plans for its service are very much similar to what the Singapore-based carrier offers.

While full details have yet to be released, we now know that Air Canada is planning to slowly expand meal pre-selection over the next 18 months.

Air Canada executive Mark Nasr stated that the motivation behind the move is that since the catering stations at hubs are already cooking a wide variety of meals that cater to different destinations, why not just make all meals available across all international markets?

For example, from any of the hub airports, there are flights to many countries on various continents, and Air Canada tailors some of its menu options to match the destination. A flight from Montreal to Paris might highlight French cuisine, and a flight from Vancouver to Seoul might have a Korean option.

As the service gets rolled out, a passenger flying from Vancouver to, say, Australia would be able to choose from a number of cuisines in advance of their departure. While there are already three or four options onboard the flight, this will give passengers more options to choose from, and provides more of a bespoke experience overall.

Air Canada introduced meal pre-ordering on select routes earlier this year; however, the options are limited to what’s available on the in-flight menu. By ordering in advance, passengers are guaranteed…