Airline food has had a bad reputation for a long time. But before you blame the airlines for everything, consider this: When you’re in the air, cabin pressure can reduce your sense of taste by as much as 30 percent. Fortunately, some airline companies are making big strides by enlisting the help of the culinary world on the ground. Most of the new dishes are limited to those flying in the front of the cabin, but we can dream, right?

Virgin America

Virgin America recently announced a new Fall Fresh menu that has backing not only from celebrity chefs, but also from Saveur Magazine, which recognized Virgin for its “Notable In-Flight Dining.” First class travelers this fall will be privy to a variety of dishes featuring fresh autumn flavors, such as a grilled mushroom medley with bresaola appetizer, a savory soy ginger marinated salmon salad entree, as well as the choice between two new ice cream flavors, Butter By Moodlight and Chocolate Gold Rush created by San Francisco Ice Cream connoisseur Humphrey Slocombe.

Virgin American InFlight Catering Manager Rob Gallagher says, “If we had to describe our food in three to four words, I feel that it can best be characterized as ‘de-airlined’ delicious real food.” Harris says Virgin pays close attention to its social media feedback on dishes, so feel free to contact them with suggestions.

Chefs Chris Beerman, Staffan Terje, Hiro Sone, and Lizzie Binder all approve. Not buying it? Check out the video above.

Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways, like Turkish Airlines, features an in-flight chef, but they take the competition up a notch by raising their own hens and bees. The Abu Dhabi-based airline recruited chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants to design its First and Business Class menu, and it shows.

The wine list alone is competitive with most restaurants on the ground. What’s next? Evidently, Etihad is looking into a line of signature organic pickles.

British Airways

World-renowned chef Heston Blumenthal jumped on board with British Airlines recently to uncover the science behind great tasting food at a higher altitude. The solution? Blumenthal found that incorporating a Japanese ingredient called umami helped to counteract the bitterness experienced when dining at high altitudes. A few new dishes are on the menu with British Airways, including a Slow Roasted Duck on flights to the Middle East. There’s also a new Pulled Pork Sandwich to accommodate passenger’s increased cravings for BBQ on flights to North and South America.

What about drinks? It wouldn’t be a British enterprise without expert tea. Since water can’t boil at 30,000 feet, tea often doesn’t have the right taste when you’re flying. To solve this problem, British Airways paired up with Twinings to rework several different teas to brew better in the sky.

Singapore Airlines

What kind of world-class cuisine do you get on a Singapore Airlines flight? Depends on where you’re going. Flights between Singapore and China offer Míng Jiā Zhēn Zhuàn consisting of various Chinese specialties; Japanese flights offer traditional Kyo-Kaiseki service, a meal created in the 1500s to precede tea, which is now an art form; and flights to and from India offer Shahi Thali, a distinguished Indian meal of conventional delicacies.

Whatever you have, chances are you’ll be in good hands. The International Culinary Panel consists of 9 celebrity chefs, each with a long list of accolades, including Sam Leong, Sanjeev Kapoor, and Suzanne Goin, among others.

Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific is known for being ahead of the curve—they were the first airline to bring rice cookers, toasters, and skillets on board. Cathay Pacific has recently partnered with Mandarin Oriental Group to develop a new fall menu for flights between London and Hong Kong.

Riding First Class? Michelin-starred chef Uwe Opocensky of the Mandarin Hotel Hong Kong and critically acclaimed executive chef of the Mandarin Hotel London, Dean Yasharian, have each designed menus that Cathay claims are, “fine-dining with a classical twist.” Options vary depending on which way you are going and during which month of the fall season, but some of the options include home-smoked salmon with crab meat, duck liver terrine, organic beef with celeriac puree and truffle jus (pictured above), and British-origin beef in a red wine sauce. Don’t forget about dessert! You may be offered the tart raspberry filling baked in filo pastry or a chocolate dome with a rich coffee center.

Cathay Pacific is also known for their breakfast—expect to wake up to the smell of fresh, organic eggs (made to order), toasted bread, freshly steamed rice, and piping hot Espresso, as well as the option to nom on a bowl of regional hot noodle soup in between meals.

United Airlines

Source: United Airlines

This month, United Airlines introduced the Premium-Cabin Refresh option, which offers four new salad entree choices, including a Southwestern salad and a Strawberry Fields salad (pictured above). United has upped their game by bringing on several different celebrity chefs, such as James Canora and Roy Yamaguchi. Executive Chef Gerry McLoughlin says that the process of finding the best ingredients is extensive, and they may test over 1,000 ingredients to make sure the meal tastes great at 30,000 feet before premiering a dish.

Source: United Airlines

The airline also offers chilled and warm sandwiches and wraps, such as Italian prosciutto on tomato focaccia or turkey and Swiss on a cranberry baguette.

McLoughlin says, “We want to offer our customers an elevated experience, no pun intended, with options for customers who want to indulge a little, so [three of four words that describe our dining experience are] fresh, flavorful, healthy, and variety.”

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines continues to pleasantly surprise in terms of its extensive route network and on-board service. The carrier also has flying chefs supervising a menu that includes stuffed eggplant, grilled beef dishes, walnut tarts, and accommodates special diets from Kosher to vegetarian to seafood options.

Other airlines are quickly following the premium dining/celebrity chef-enlisting trend. American Airlines is consulting with celebrity chefs like Richard Sandoval and Marcus Samuelsson, while Qantas hired Neil Perry to design its menus. We can’t wait to see what’s coming up next.

Want to learn more about how airlines are upgrading the travel experience? Check out:

• Three U.S. Airlines Announce New Livery Designs
• Cross-Country Flights are Getting More Comfortable
• How Airlines Target First Class Flyers

By Brittany Malooly for PeterGreenberg.com