Grand prize includes 5 million won, four international round-trip tickets

Winner names the dish; portion of sales donated to underprivileged children

Eastar Jet is holding an in-flight meal recipe contest in which a customer-developed dish will be named by the winner and served as an actual in-flight meal. [Eastar Jet]
Eastar Jet is holding an in-flight meal recipe contest in which a customer-developed dish will be named by the winner and served as an actual in-flight meal. [Eastar Jet]

Eastar Jet announced Friday it will hold an in-flight meal recipe contest in which a customer-developed dish, named by the winner, will be served as an actual in-flight meal.

The contest invites customers to submit original recipes, which will be evaluated through expert judging and online voting before the winning dish is introduced as an in-flight menu item. The airline said it designed the competition to incorporate customer ideas into menu development, broaden in-flight dining options and give customers a direct role in shaping the brand.

Any South Korean national may enter a recipe with a personal story or memory attached. The selection process proceeds in five stages: recipe submission, document screening, online voting, a tasting review and an in-flight launch. Entries will be evaluated on in-flight preparation convenience, menu distinctiveness, suitability for refrigerated storage and price competitiveness. The winning recipe will be refined to suit the in-flight environment before it goes on the menu.

The winner may give the new in-flight meal any name they choose, and a portion of sales proceeds will be donated in the winner's name to children who lack regular meals. The grand prize winner receives 5 million won ($3,770) and four international round-trip tickets, while the excellence prize winner receives 2 million won and two international round-trip tickets. Entries are accepted through Nov. 20.

"We designed this contest with the idea of bringing customers' ideas to life as actual in-flight meals and building the brand together with them," an Eastar Jet official said. "We hope the diverse recipes our customers share will expand in-flight dining choices and add to the joy of travel."

Meanwhile, Eastar Jet has been operating its Incheon-Manado route as a scheduled service since last month. Despite Manado, Indonesia remaining relatively unknown as a leisure destination in South Korea, the route has maintained steady demand since the airline launched flights there. As the number of Korean travelers grows, local travel infrastructure — including hotels and diving shops — is expanding, pointing to the destination's rising potential as a new travel hotspot.


eyre@heraldcorp.com