If you’re the kind of traveler who plans your snack strategy before you even book your flight, then it’s time to put your seat in the upright position and buckle up, because Delta just brought back a seriously beloved snack. Yes, Cheez-It crackers are finally returning to service at 30,000 feet.
In July, the airline announced its plan to bring back the crunchy orange squares, which were taken off the menu in 2020, joining its two other complimentary snack icons in the main cabin: the airline cookie to end all airline cookies, Biscoff, and the savory Garden Salsa SunChips.
Courtesy of DELTA
“Cheez-It is an iconic and craveable classic that we know our customers love,” Stephanie Laster, Delta’s managing director of onboard dining experience, shared with Food & Wine. “By adding them to our onboard snack lineup, alongside fan-favorites like Biscoff cookies and SunChips, we’re continuing Delta’s commitment to offering thoughtful, satisfying choices that make every journey more enjoyable.”
Delta is further leaning into the return of Cheez-Its with a new partnership with Love Island Season 6 winner (and admitted Cheez-It superfan) Kordell Beckham, in a cheeky new ad where he rocks a series of disguises in an effort to get a few extra bags mid-flight. (Don’t worry, Delta won’t make you do the same thing, just head to the galley and ask if you can snag an extra.)
And really, it’s no surprise that these snacks are so popular in the air. As F&W previously explained, our sense of taste and smell are greatly diminished while we’re flying due to a change in air pressure and humidity. That means our ability to perceive the taste of salty and sweet things gets weaker, meaning we need more of both with each bite. And that’s where Cheez-It delivers.
Want to make those Cheez-It snacks taste even better? Try wearing headphones.
In 2014, Professor Charles Spence, the head of the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at Oxford University, published a literature review of how airplane noise can affect the taste of foods and drinks in the air.
“It turns out that the 80-85 DB of the engine noise while flying negatively impacts our ability to taste sweet and salty — hence why airline meals need so much more salt and sugar — to make the taste the same as they would on the ground,” Spence explained to F&W in 2023. He noted that you can pop on your headphones and listen to “high-pitched sounds to bring out the sweetness and lower the pitch of the music to bring out those bitter notes.”
The perfect drink pairing, according to Spence, would be a Bloody Mary (with or without alcohol). That’s because, according to Spence, the airplane noise actually brings out the umami flavor. “One might even think of it as a kind of sonic seasoning to bring out the umami taste.”
So, next time you’re flying Delta, go ahead and say “yes” to that bag of Cheez-Its and order that Bloody Mary for the tastiest flight possible.
