ATLANTA, Sept. 8, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) is marking the one-year anniversary of EATS, the airline's food for purchase program, and forging an exclusive relationship with Junior's Restaurant, the New York institution that is home to the world's best cheesecake. The EATS menu will soon feature the iconic dessert on select transcontinental flights to and from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
"The EATS program was developed to offer our customers high-quality, delicious food options, so we're marking its one-year milestone by doing just that. Junior's iconic cheesecake is the perfect addition to the menu for our customers traveling on transcontinental flights from JFK beginning this fall," said Jake Frank, Delta's managing director of In-Flight Service and Onboard Product. "We're also bringing back some of our customers' favorite EATS selections from our very first menu."
This October EATS will board the first selection from Junior's: Chocolate Crunch Cheesecake. Each serving or "Little Fella" will be offered in an individual container for $5. Cheesecake selections will rotate with Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake and Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake offered on later menus. These flavors were selected by a tasting panel made up of Delta's New York-based flight attendants.
"We're delighted to be on board with Delta and its EATS program," said Alan Rosen, co-owner of Junior's. "We've long been told by our customers that our cheesecake is nothing short of heavenly."
To further celebrate the success of EATS, Delta is also bringing back some of the menu's most popular items among customers, as well as expanding the program to more flights within the United States, Canada and select Caribbean and Latin American destinations. Delta's EATS program offers a wide variety of fresh entrees and high quality snacks, including healthy alternatives as well as a few indulgences.
Delta features an EATS Anniversary Edition menu this month to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the program and has re-introduced the following breakfast, lunch and dinner selections made popular among customers when the program first launched.
Breakfast served 5 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.: * Everything Bagel: This delicious bagel truly has everything. Onions, garlic, poppy seeds and sesame seeds make this the ultimate bagel experience. Served with cream cheese and strawberry jam for $3. Brunch served 5 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (on Eastbound flights from the West Coast): * Chicken Caprese Sandwich: Mouthwatering grilled chicken breast complemented with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and pesto spread across a ciabatta roll for $8. Lunch/Dinner served 9:31 a.m. to 8 p.m. (based on local departure times): * Chicken Caprese Sandwich * California Salad: A healthy mix of organic spring greens topped with grape tomatoes, cucumber slices, dried apricots, candied pecans, and goat cheese (served separately). Served with Naturally Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette and breadsticks for $8. * Mushroom Pea Orzo, created by celebrity chef Todd English: orzo pasta with a medley of diced red onions, green peas, sauteed button and shiitake mushrooms, chopped parsley, zest of lemon and shredded parmesan cheese accented with kalamata olives, romaine heart leaves, and pita bread for $8.
The popular Fruit and Cheese Plate (served breakfast through dinner for $6) and Smoked Turkey, Cheddar Cheese, Egg Salad Sandwich (for $7 at breakfast) will also be available.
The complete EATS menu is available on flights of 1,025 miles or more (approximately two hours or more). Limited selections are also offered on flights between 750 and 1,025 miles.
For ease of payment, Delta customers can use credit cards for the purchase of any food, beverage and headset offering onboard.
Delta launched EATS in September 2007 in four markets within the United States on approximately 25 daily flights. Today, EATS is available in 166 markets throughout 27 different countries on approximately 510 daily flights. In just over a year, Delta has served customers nearly 500,000 Fruit and Cheese Plates, as well as more than 500,000 sandwiches. Complimentary snacks are also offered on all flights of more than 250 miles on Delta and Delta Connection.
Delta Air Lines operates service to more worldwide destinations than any airline with Delta and Delta Connection flights to 290 destinations in 60 countries. Delta has added more international capacity than any major U.S. airline during the last two years and is the leader across the Atlantic with flights to 44 trans-Atlantic markets. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers 288 weekly flights to 42 destinations. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on more than 16,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 500 worldwide destinations in 105 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and flight status at delta.com.
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Founded by Harry Rosen in 1950, Junior's is now a third generation family-run business with grandsons Alan and Kevin at the helm. The Brooklyn institution, renowned for cheesecake so rich and creamy it makes tough men swoon, dishes its overstuffed deli sandwiches, cheeseburgers, blintzes and skyscraper desserts at the corner of Flatbush and DeKalb Aves. The 440-seat space serves 4,000 customers daily and sells approximately 5,000 cheesecakes per week, ranging in weight from 5 ounces to more than 6 pounds. To celebrate its 50th anniversary a second location, in Manhattan's legendary Grand Central Terminal, opened in May 2000 to cater to the millions who travel through this famed transportation hub. In 2006, Junior's made its Broadway debut, opening its Times Square location. Earlier this year, Junior's opened its first restaurant outside NYC, in the new MGM at Foxwoods in southeastern Connecticut. In addition, more than 2,000 cheesecakes are sold per week via mail order (1-800-9-Juniors), and Junior's World Famous Cheesecake is currently the #1 selling food product from New York on the QVC Shopping Network.