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Farm to Flight: Korean Air Grows Its Cabin Food From Its Own Jedong Ranch

Oct. 04, 2018
•
2 min read
Korean Air — Boeing 777-300ER First Class 029
Farm to Flight: Korean Air Grows Its Cabin Food From Its Own Jedong Ranch
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Sure, Singapore Airlines will allow you to Book The Cook, but Korean Air is stocking its premium cabins with food from its own ranch. South Korea's resort island of Jeju – which, along with Seoul, holds the crown for the route carrying the most passengers per year – is also home to Jedong Ranch. The 3,700-acre facility has been operational since 1972, but today serves as the source for meals served to first- and business-class passengers onboard Korean Air flights.

More than 2,000 grass-fed Korean native cattle (known as Hanwoo) roam the ranch. "The organic, antibiotic-free meat from these animals, and from the farm’s flock of approximately 6,000 free-range chickens, is sent to Korean Air’s flight-catering kitchens in Seoul," USA Today reports. For AvGeeks nearby, there's word that some of the meat and eggs are made available for purchase locally – at a premium, of course.

Fruits, vegetables and even bottled water is sourced from the ranch. Specifically, "three high-tech, hydroponic greenhouses produce more than 210 tons of red peppers and cherry tomatoes and about a ton of blueberries" each year. As for future delicacies? Per Jedong Ranch Managing Director Jongdo Lim, passion fruit and olives.

Officials have stated that the farm to flight method enables Korean Air to "set and meet high quality-control standards that go along with being a premium luxury carrier." It's worth noting that JetBlue, Japan Air Lines and Emirates all either source, or plan to source, some of the sustenance served up to passengers from owned facilities, though Korean Air's extensive use of its own ranch is certainly impressive.

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.