Shake Shack at 35,000 feet? Don't mind if we do … and as Delta expands its buzzy partnership with the burger chain, it's getting even easier for flyers to snag a top-notch burger in the sky.
Delta announced it would begin serving Shake Shack burgers in first class late last year, but at that time, it was only available on select flights out of Boston (BOS). Fast forward to this week, and first class passengers can now order a Shake Shack burger on flights departing from a dozen different U.S. cities, including:
- Atlanta (ATL)
- Boston (BOS)
- Las Vegas (LAS)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Miami (MIA)
- Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP)
- New York City (JFK)
- New York City-LaGuardia (LGA)
- Orlando (MCO)
- Salt Lake City (SLC)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Seattle (SEA)
Some are new additions, while others have been available for a few months. But now, all of those Delta outposts have burgers onboard as of Tuesday, June 3. The airline is planning to add Detroit (DTW) to the mix sometime next month for a clean baker's dozen.
You still won't find a burger on the menu on every single Delta first class flight departing these airports, though. Like the option to get a meal in general, it's only available on flights longer than 900 miles – and you must pre-order it online via email or through the Fly Delta app. You also won't be able to order a burger for breakfast, for super late departures, or on regional flights operated by Delta Connection.
And again, it's only available flying first class – you can't order a burger back in economy or even Delta Comfort.
Not sure how long your flight is? Plug your route into GCmap.com!
While you won't get an order of Shake Shack's signature crinkle cut fries, each burger comes with a side of wavy chips, caesar salad, and a dark chocolate brownie. Oh, and of course, plenty of Shack Sauce.
I haven't tried it myself yet – no one from the Thrifty Traveler team has. But Delta's Shake Shack burger has gotten rave reviews as a faithful recreation of the beloved burger.
Freelance travel writer Chris Dong, for instance, declared it was “surprisingly tasty and pretty close to what you get on the ground” on social media. The foodie aficionados at Time Out said it was “fantastic: The patty retained its crispy, caramelized crust, the cheese was perfectly melted, and the potato bun was soft without being soggy. ”
Bottom Line
Delta is slinging Shake Shack burgers on more and more first class flights as it now expands to 12 (and soon, 13) departure cities across the country.
The way this partnership is going, it wouldn't surprise me if Delta eventually starts serving these burgers on virtually every first class flight – well, the ones that are long enough for meal service, anyways.
All photos courtesy of Delta
