Pan Am was a really great, innovative airline.
The last time I flew with them was this week in 1990, from Heathrow to Miami. It was, of course, on a 747 and I was in Clipper Class (Business).
What does that have to do with SWISS in 2025?
I chose Pan Am as they had a great new service for Business passengers: you could choose your main meal when you booked the flight, from a choice of about nine options.
Here we are, 35 years later, and SWISS, a top European airline, is realising the benefits of that Pan Am innovation.
Pre-Select
SWISS Business Class passengers travelling from or to Geneva can pre-order their main inflight meal for any short-haul flight of more than two hours.
The new meal option is available for any such flight departing after 10:00 from 4 June 2025 onwards and is included in the Business Class fare.
This is an extension of the pre-select meal option, which has proved popular for long-haul services and most short-haul flights from Zurich.
SWISS calls the service “Pre-Select”. It started on long-haul Zurich flights in June 2022 and on short-haul Zurich flights in October 2024.
The lucky passengers can now pre-select their main inflight meal from six hot meal options up to 24 hours before their scheduled departure.
The six pre-select hot meal options include two exclusive creations:
- a fish dish inspired by the current ‘SWISS Taste of Switzerland’ menu, which is generally only offered on SWISS long-haul services, and
- the popular Zurich-style sliced veal with mushroom cream sauce and rösti, which is such an iconic item of Swiss cuisine.
The four further hot meals will always comprise two vegetarian options and two further meat dishes.
The pre-select facility offers passengers access to this expanded menu and the usual accompaniments such as salad, cheese and dessert.
Wider choice and less waste
With “Pre-Select”, passengers enjoy a wider choice of meals while also facilitating optimised planning, which in turn supports the sustainable use of food.
A more targeted loading process makes it possible to reduce the unnecessary disposal of food and decrease waste.
Geneva-New York flights too
SWISS is also expanding its range of pre-select meal options for its long-haul services between Geneva and New York (JFK).
What a pity they don’t have to compete with the great Pan Am on the route.
