While airlines will now serve their travelers everything from craft beers to artisanal chocolate from the city they’re flying into in an effort to outdo competitors, certain simple snacks are indelibly linked to flying for millions.
Those small bags of peanuts began as a 1978 marketing campaign in which Southwest Airlines (LUV) marketed itself as having “peanut fares” while the Biscoff cookie would win over generations of U.S. flyers after Delta Air Lines (DAL) partnered with the Belgian bakery producing them in the 1990s.
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‘We’re totally normal about it’: United
The Stroopwafel is another iconic plane treat originating from northwestern Europe. United Airlines (UAL) began serving the waffle cookie with a caramel interior layer on domestic flights in 2015 and, over the years, pulled it away and brought it back several times.
Just like with the Biscoff cookie, the Stroopwafel has a very strong fan base that periodically clamors for its return on social media. The Chicago-based airline heard the fan base and has once again begun serving the cookie since the start of February.
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“The one. The only. The Stroopwafel 🧇,” United wrote under a video Instagram (META) video showing three travelers holding up their cooking in the air to dramatic music. “We are officially back on board and we’re being totally normal about it.”
The airline also tagged Daelmans, the 121-year-old Dutch bakery that produces the cookie in the post. As the flagship airline of the Netherlands, KLM (AFRAF) has never stopped serving the Stroopwafel to both its economy and business passengers.
‘A few things we’ve learned our travelers don’t grow tired of’
United, meanwhile, retired the Stroopwafel in 2023 as part of its efforts to freshen up and diversify the cabin’s snack cart offering.
United Airlines
While at the time United said that the Stroopwafel would “continue to be an important part of the complimentary snack lineup,” traveler posts about not being able to get it onboard started periodically popping up on sites like Reddit.
“I’ll miss the fruit bar but the Stroopwafel was godly this morning,” one person wrote on the United subreddit last week. “So good to be back.”
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United, in turn, recognized the strong emotions that the cookie can evoke in announcing its return. The airline said that, out of the 75 million complimentary snacks that it serves travelers each year, the Stroopwafel is by far the most popular.
United’s revamped snack lineup also includes the Undercover Quinoa Crisp in Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt and the Savory Snack Mix of rye bagel chips, garlic bread bites, and mini pretzel twists; passengers who prefer something salty can choose between the last two options.
“We know our passengers want variety in the food and beverages we offer onboard, so we regularly rotate menus, snacks and beverages,” United Managing Director of Hospitality Programs Aaron McMillan said in a statement on the changes. “However, there are a few things we’ve learned our travelers don’t grow tired of and Stroopwafel is one of them – it’s a classic that many look forward to when flying United – so we know they’re going to be excited to see on the snack cart again.”
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