If We Are Going to Fly in Sweatpants, Let Us at Least Dine Like Royalty

By Joris Holtus

I suspect I may be somewhat older than many of those reading this, so I ask your indulgence if I begin with a touch of nostalgia.

Many will have seen those now widely shared photographs of air travel in decades past: passengers seated before beautifully presented, multi-course meals, dressed with unmistakable care and elegance. Men wore tailored suits; women travelled in polished, structured silhouettes. Even the rituals of flying seemed to carry a certain ceremony.

Air travel, then, was not simply a means of getting from one place to another. It was an occasion.

Perhaps this was because flight itself still retained an aura of wonder. Perhaps it was because international travel remained, for many, a rare privilege. Whatever the reason, people approached the journey with a sense of respect, and that was reflected not only in how they travelled, but in how they presented themselves.

Today, of course, the world has changed. Nearly 100,000 flights depart each day, carrying millions of passengers across continents and cultures. Air travel has become one of the defining features of modern life: more accessible, more efficient, more democratic.

And with that transformation has come a new informality. Tailoring has given way to athleisure; polished shoes to sandals; occasion dressing to comfort dressing. One can hardly object to comfort, particularly on a long journey. Yet one cannot help but feel that, somewhere along the way, a measure of the romance of travel has been left behind.

The same may be said, too often, of inflight dining.

There was a time when airlines understood that a meal served in the sky could be more than a necessity. It could be part of the pleasure of travel itself: thoughtful, memorable, even transporting. Today, too many journeys are accompanied by offerings that feel purely functional, with little of the refinement or delight that once distinguished the experience.

And yet, elegance in the air has not disappeared entirely.

At Air France, we may no longer expect passengers to board in haute couture, but we remain deeply committed to preserving one of travel’s most meaningful pleasures: the experience of dining well. That commitment is rooted in a distinctly French understanding of savoir-vivre — the art of living well — and in the belief that even at 35,000 feet, the journey should be savored.

It is in this spirit that Air France continues to reimagine its inflight menus with both excellence and cultural sensitivity in mind. Most recently, we introduced new recipes by Michelin-starred chef Mory Sacko on selected African routes. Chef Sacko’s culinary vision, shaped by French technique and enriched by his Senegalese and Malian heritage, reflects a contemporary expression of gastronomy that feels both sophisticated and deeply resonant.

This is not simply about serving fine food onboard. It is about recognizing that modern luxury lies in thoughtfulness, authenticity and a sense of place.

Dishes such as sea bass and prawns in a delicately spiced, bouillabaisse-inspired broth with poached vegetables offer a nuanced dialogue between West African culinary traditions and Mediterranean finesse. Elsewhere, banana leaf-wrapped sea bass and subtle coconut milk infusions evoke both craftsmanship and destination, bringing warmth, identity and imagination to the inflight experience.

In this way, the menu becomes more than a meal. It becomes part of the journey’s narrative.

This is an approach Air France intends to continue expanding across its network: a deliberate curation of onboard dining that honors French culinary excellence while embracing the richness of the regions we serve. It is our way of affirming that travel, even in its most contemporary form, need not abandon grace.

I have made my peace with the fact that the age of three-piece suits and formal glamour may not return. And perhaps that is as it should be. The democratization of air travel is, after all, one of the great achievements of our time.

But as we imagine the future of travel, we should be careful not to surrender everything that once elevated it. Comfort may define how we dress today, but it need not define the limits of the experience.

If we are going to fly in sweatpants, let us at least dine like royalty.

The writer is the General Manager for East and Southern Africa at Air France-KLM