Michelin Star Takes Flight in Discover Business Class

FRANKFURT, Germany - Holiday travel is getting a more polished first course. Discover Airlines has introduced a new Business Class menu created with Michelin-starred German chef Egor Hopp, adding culinary firepower to flights leaving its two principal German hubs.

The dishes became available Aug. 1 on short- and long-haul flights departing from Frankfurt and Munich, according to One Mile at a Time. The collaboration is scheduled to remain onboard for one year, through summer 2027.

For Discover, Lufthansa Group’s in-house leisure carrier, the partnership sharpens the premium edge of an airline serving mainly medium- and long-haul holiday destinations from Germany. The carrier operates Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy, combining a full-service model with an appeal to price-sensitive leisure passengers.

Discover Airlines Builds a More Ambitious Business Class

The new menu gives Discover a conspicuous soft-product upgrade at a moment when premium dining has become part of the competition for Business Class passengers. Airlines can use chef partnerships to create a more distinctive onboard identity without relying solely on changes to seats or cabin design.

“Our guests fly with us into the most wonderful time of the year. That’s why we’re always looking for ways to make their travel experience special, starting right on board,” said Sebastian Kaiser, head of product at Discover Airlines, according to One Mile at a Time.

“In Egor Hopp, we’ve found a partner who stands for the highest quality and brings fresh inspiration to the kitchen,” said Kaiser, head of product at Discover Airlines, according to One Mile at a Time.

The appointment is not Discover’s first move into Michelin-linked catering. The airline previously partnered with Michelin-starred chef Lukas Jakobi in 2024, One Mile at a Time reported. That earlier collaboration, followed by Hopp’s yearlong menu, suggests that chef-led dining is becoming a repeatable part of the carrier’s Business Class strategy rather than a one-off flourish.

Discover also introduces new menus three times a year across all cabin classes, according to One Mile at a Time. That broader schedule matters because it places the Hopp partnership within an established catering program, while still giving Business Class a recognizable culinary name that can feature in premium marketing.

Egor Hopp Brings Michelin Credentials Onboard

Hopp has served as chef de cuisine at Setzkasten restaurant in Düsseldorf since 2023. Under his leadership, the restaurant earned a Michelin star for the second consecutive year in 2026, according to One Mile at a Time.

His approach combines different culinary traditions, fitting Lufthansa Group’s wider emphasis on regional and seasonal German cuisine and its use of local star chefs across its airline brands.

“I love combining different cuisines and culinary influences to continually reinterpret familiar dishes,” said Egor Hopp, chef de cuisine at Setzkasten restaurant, according to One Mile at a Time.

“For me, this fits perfectly with an airline that connects people with new countries, cultures, and, by extension, new flavors,” said Hopp, chef de cuisine at Setzkasten restaurant, according to One Mile at a Time.

The yearlong duration also gives the partnership more substance than a brief promotional appearance. Business Class passengers departing Frankfurt or Munich will have access to the collaboration through summer 2027, covering a broad span of leisure travel periods.

The Premium-Cabin Value Test

Chef branding can sound like decorative luxury, but on a leisure airline it has a practical role. Discover is asking travelers to view the journey as part of the holiday, not merely the transport to it. A Michelin-starred collaborator helps make that argument before passengers reach the airport lounge or settle into their seats.

For travelers comparing premium options, the relevant detail is departure point. The Hopp menu applies to Discover’s short- and long-haul flights leaving Frankfurt and Munich. Passengers should therefore verify the operating airline, cabin and outbound airport when evaluating an itinerary. The collaboration should not be assumed to cover flights outside those stated conditions.

There is also a useful value distinction between hard and soft products. Seats determine sleep, privacy and personal space; dining shapes a smaller but still memorable portion of the trip. In my view, the Hopp menu is best treated as a tiebreaker when schedules, cabin comfort and fares are otherwise competitive, not as the sole reason to pay for Business Class.

Food-focused travelers have a stronger case for prioritizing it. The partnership offers a limited window to sample Hopp’s culinary perspective without building a Düsseldorf restaurant reservation into the same trip. That does not turn an aircraft cabin into a Michelin dining room, but it does add a culturally specific layer to a flight from Germany.

A One-Year Window for Culinary Travelers

The collaboration’s fixed timeline creates a clear planning horizon. Travelers interested in trying the menu have from Aug. 1 through summer 2027, provided they are booked in Business Class on an eligible Discover flight departing Frankfurt or Munich.

For a carrier built around holiday routes, that is a smart piece of accessible theater. The indulgence begins before arrival, the chef has genuine Michelin credentials, and the experience is attached to routes that leisure travelers may already be considering. The strategic booking move remains simple: compare the complete Business Class proposition first, then let the menu supply the final dash of flavor.