Sushi… Teriyaki chicken… Sage infused derby cheese… Dried apricots… No, this is not from a menu of a fancy restaurant; it is the new menu many airlines are now offering their coach passengers. The airlines are making these culinary changes with the hopes that passengers will want to purchase more food.

Free meals have been removed in coach from most domestic airlines to cut back on costs after the industry took a downfall in 2001. Since then many passengers have grown accustomed to bringing their own food rather than purchasing food on the plane. Boxes of snacks with long shelf lives, little appeal and poor nutrition were not appealing to passengers. The airlines are now revamping their meal offerings to offer high quality cuisine. Gone are the days of beef jerky and soggy turkey sandwiches, welcome fresh foods, lighter fare and brand name products. Take a look at what the top five airlines are doing to upgrade their coach menus.

1. Continental Airlines – Continental Airlines are the only major American airline still serving free food in coach at mealtime on all domestic flights. Continental executives believe that it has enhanced the airline’s reputation among travelers. While other airlines are trying to stand out with extravagant menus, they are keeping it simple and free.

2. Delta Airlines – Delta Airlines is offering new coach food products designed by celebrity chef, Todd English. The new menu includes grilled chicken gyros, almond butter and grape jelly sandwiches, fruit and cheese plate with Gouda, Havarti and Derby cheese paired with grapes, pecan halves and dried apricot.

3. American Airlines – American Airlines is taking the brand name approach. They are now offering Boston Market (link) sandwiches and salads. They are implementing this strategy with the hopes that the well-known restaurant chain will give passengers better assurance of the quality of the food as the food is prepared under Boston Market’s specifications. However, the prices are slightly higher on the airline. For $10 you can get a chicken Carver sandwich, a bag of chips and a soft drink.

4. Hawaiian Airlines – Hawaiian Airlines is probably making the most ambitious effort at upgrading their menu. They continue to serve free meals but have recently introduced a $10 meal upgrade program. The upgrade menu includes Caesar salad with grilled chicken, satay chicken in vermicelli noodles, sushi bento box with California rolls, edamame and teriyaki chicken. The senior vice-president of in-flight services for Hawaiian Airlines simply says, “It’s been a success and quality sells.” The future for their upgrade menu includes combination deals in which wine selections from a specialty vineyard are paired and sold with premium meals.

5. United Airlines – United Airlines made the biggest cutback on meals out of all of the airlines cutting their budget from $100 million to $20 million with hopes of making money on their new menu. Their new menu includes Mediterrean salad, Caprese sandwich with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, smoothies and yogurt parfaits.

The Wall Street Journal reports, “Airlines have found that length of trip, percentage of connecting passengers, time of day and even quality of airport restaurants at a departure city can all affect how much food travelers will buy on board.” In addition, airlines only offer these upgraded menus for credit card purchases only. Credit card readers can quickly report what gets sold to the airline, enabling them to make quick changes to the menu based on what’s selling and what’s not. The future of upgrade meal options in coach includes being able to pre-ordering hot high end-meals.