I just got back from California last week and was able to sample the new eats on Alaska Air. So let’s talk about the newish Alaska Air fall 2022 menu – ok, just the sandwiches – including what I liked and didn’t.
When I flew to and from Seattle this past Labor Day weekend, Alaska’s for-purchase menu was seriously lacking. In fact, all you could get was their Signature Fruit & Cheese Platter, their newer charcuterie platter, a Chicken Mango Salsa Wrap, and some super healthy bowl that sounded like instant fart fuel to me. I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t want to pressurize myself with a bowl full of cruciferous greens when I’m stuck in a metal tube. Thankfully, they’ve added a few more items since then, though not all of them are winners.
Alaska Air Fall 2022 Menu
For Fall flying, the Signature Fruit & Cheese Platter and the charcuterie platter remain unchanged. That aforementioned bowl has changed from the Soy Meets World bowl to a Vegan Brusselin’ Salad. The bland wrap is gone, being replaced by a West Coast Muffuletta, while breakfast options now include a Sunrise Breakfast Sandwich and a Fresh Start Protein Platter. All of these items now cost $10.50, with the exception of the Signature Fruit & Cheese Platter, which comes in at $9.50.
My Alaska Air Fall 2022 Menu Experience
On my outbound flight from Honolulu to San Jose, I pre-ordered the West Coast Muffuletta, which is a sandwich constructed of sesame ciabatta, ham, prosciutto, soppressata, mozzarella, arugula, and an avocado and olive pesto. I gotta say, this was a fantastic choice. For what it is, this sandwich was very good. The bread was soft and relatively moist, the cheese was tender and creamy, the pesto provided a wonderful brininess, the meats added a lovely umami funk, and the arugula gave a citrusy pepperiness that helped to balance everything out.
While not as generous as the sandwich I had on Delta back in 2018, this one was probably one of the tastier ones I’ve ever had on a plane. The grapes were crisp and juicy too!
The dining experience on my return flight didn’t work out quite as well. For that super-early flight, I went with the Sunrise Breakfast Sandwich. This one is supposed to be constructed with square croissants, black forest ham, hard-boiled eggs, pickled apples, watercress, and a maple cream cheese spread. While the croissant was wonderfully tender (but not crisp or flakey), the overall sandwich was quite dry. It seems that the maple cream cheese spread wasn’t loaded. Also, the pickled apple was replaced with regular pickle slices. And I’m not sure what the greens were, but they didn’t taste like watercress.
This all lead to a very dry, bland sandwich that had a weird twang to it. Maybe the real sandwich would’ve been good. But at this point, I’ll never know. I wouldn’t order it like this ever again.
Final Thoughts
The Alaska Air Fall 2022 menu is mostly back to what things were pre-pandemic, which is a good thing. Yes, the meals aren’t cheap, but they’re usually worth the price. In fact, I’m comfortable recommending the Muffuletta, which I thought was delicious! I just wish it were a bit larger. That said, with Alaska’s Airbus fleet on the way out, I’d love to see the return of hot options too. But I’m not going to hold my breath. I’m not even sure they have ovens on their 737NGs or newer MAXes anymore.
At any rate, I’m quite pleased with the newer Alaska Air Fall 2022 menu in economy. What do you guys think? And, don’t forget, Alaska does require pre-orders for economy class meals right now – no buy aboard meal options are available.