As the boarding line backs up inside the gangway for my Air France flight to Paris, cellphones begin to pop up from the crowd, communal filming and palpable excitement arise. As I inch forward, I see 1988 F&W Best New Chef Daniel Boulud and Servair Corporate Chef François Adamski greeting each passenger as they board the aircraft. It is a surprise-and-delight scene I’ve never seen — I capture the moment on video, too.

“I’m very, very proud and I’m very happy to be working with Air France,” Boulud told me moments before in Air France’s JFK lounge, saying he’s collaborated with other airlines and always admired his French colleagues’ work with the airline of his homeland.

Inspired by French sauces, technique, seasonality, and regionality, Boulud’s introduction on the menu begins with a Provençal-style poulet (chicken) served with potatoes, roasted fennel, and olives, and a confit échine de porc (pork shoulder) with mustard jus, mashed potatoes, kale, and caramelized apples. The dishes complement Dominique Crenn’s seafood and vegetarian options, which were added to the menu in February 2024, and Boulud has 30 on the way when the menu changes every two months in 2026.

“The commitment of Air France is really first that the cuisine has to be French in the DNA and not have any foreign flavor that takes away the Frenchiness of it,” Boulud explained of the yearlong process narrowing 60 dishes down to 32. He and his team met with catering partners for each of Air France’s 18 direct flights from the U.S. to Paris, testing and tasting the dishes to execute consistent preparation.

“It’s going to be nice — light, tasty, delicious,” he said. “For me, when I fly, I want comfort food. I want food that makes me relaxed and comfortable.”

Air France’s Business class, where the menu is available, is unquestionably comfortable with lie-flat seats, privacy thanks to a sliding door, and a new Sofitel MY BED mattress pad. I settle in with the amenities, pairing a glass of bubbly with the signature cheese crackers, Gavottes Crêpes Fourrées, as the journey begins.

Boulud comes over the loud speaker saying, “I am proud to be serving you tonight onboard,” wishing passengers a wonderful sleep, and ending with a “Bon appetit!”

Then the meal cart arrives, delivering a tray decked out with two salads, a roast beef fillet with mustard sauce, a plate of three cheeses, and a raspberry and Montélimar nougat dessert from pastry chef Laurent le Daniel. The condiments are an added treat: olive oil and balsamic vinegar from A l’Olivier in Paris and Isigny Sainte-Mère butter from Normandy.

Once I finish my salads and bread, the chef comes down the aisle to hand-deliver the chicken dish, indeed beaming with pride. “Here I am!” he says as we both laugh at the novelty of this exchange. “How many times in your life have you had a chef serving you on a plane?”

“This is my first,” I’m happy to say.

“Yeah, me too. It’s my first,” Boulud agrees, as tickled as anyone at his own participation in the meal service.

He sets down a dish of browned chicken slices, studded with bright tomatoes and soft potato wedges, covered in jus. It’s rich, warm, and comforting — heartier than most in-flight entrées but not heavy. The textures are tender and the tomatoes offer pops of flavor.

Head sommelier Xavier Thuizat curates the in-flight wine pairings from Bordeaux and Burgundy. He’s been the head sommelier at the Hôtel de Crillon for a decade, where I go on to have exceptional dining in Paris.

The meal is memorable — a feat for any flight, especially before landing in an iconic food city — and days later I am charmed to get a tiny baguette on my return flight, surprise and delight, even if a chef didn’t serve me.

Air France menus feature French chefs from the regions it flies to on its various routes. See about Business class meals here.