SWISS is serving a gourmet hot dog called the “Bastardo” in First Class this summer. The idea is clever, the timing is smart, and while the ingredients sound a bit odd to me, I would absolutely try it. But that gives me an idea for American Airlines or United Airlines…
SWISS First Class “Bastardo” Hot Dog: Yeah, I’d Try It.
SWISS is mixing up its First Class menu this summer with a gourmet hot dog called the “Bastardo,” created with Winterthur-based hot dog brand Frau Hund.
The hot dog includes a Puntbier sausage, red coleslaw, apple chutney, sour cream, roasted walnuts, and cress. It is being offered in SWISS First Class on flights departing Switzerland through September 1, 2026.
I will give SWISS credit: this is clever. SWISS even shared the backstory about it here.
A hot dog in First Class is unexpected, and I like that. It is also local and well-timed as the World Cup unfolds. There are few foods more associated with stadiums, summer, and casual sporting events than a hot dog, even if the SWISS version is clearly aiming for something more elevated.
Airline menus can be painfully predictable. Beef tenderloin. Chicken breast. Pasta. Another cheese plate. Caviar and Balik salmon…So I appreciate when an airline tries something different, especially when it highlights a local partner.
Would I order this in SWISS First Class?
Yes, I think I would.
Now Give Me A Chicago Hot Dog At 35,000 Feet
What I would love to see, though, is an airline try a proper Chicago-style hot dog onboard.
American Airlines or United Airlines should do this on flights out of Chicago. Put it on the buy-on-board menu and call it the local special, which of course it is.
Regular readers know how much I love Chicago hot dogs. A proper one has an all-beef frankfurter on a poppy seed bun, yellow mustard, chopped white onions, neon green relish, tomato wedges, a pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt.
No ketchup. Ever.
Would it be messy? Absolutely. Would catering have to figure out how to keep the bun from becoming a sad, soggy sponge? Yes. Would sport peppers terrify some passengers? Probably.
But that is exactly why it would be fun.
United talks constantly about Chicago being its hometown hub. American also operates a hub from O’Hare. Either carrier could offer a Chicago dog on select flights out of ORD and instantly have something more memorable than another cheese tray or snack box.
I can already hear some people objecting that a Chicago hot dog is not premium enough. I disagree. Done properly, it is one of the great Chicago delicacies. When I go to Green Lake, Wisconsin, I have been known to eat nine of them at a time. That is not a recommendation, exactly, but it is a confession.
And yes, I would absolutely order one on a plane (United doesn’t let you pre-order more than one meal per passenger…).
As an aside, United has served a hot dog onboard before, so there is precedent for it.
> Read More: United’s New BBQ Sausage Link Sandwich: Pass Or Fail?
> Read More: Chicago-Style Hot Dogs In ORD United Club!
CONCLUSION
SWISS deserves credit for trying something different with its First Class “Bastardo” hot dog. The ingredients sound a little strange to me, but I would definitely give it a try.
More airlines should think this way. Regional food does not have to be boring, and premium cabins need not exclusively offer only so-called “gourmet” food.
SWISS can have its Bastardo. I will keep waiting for United or American to serve a proper Chicago dog out of O’Hare.
Just hold the ketchup!
Eating 9 Hot Dogs at one sitting?????
Sounds like my Chaos Men #5 video for Colt Studios.
Like I did, I assume you finished them all off.
No mayo on these dogs.
Are you trolling us here?
Not at all, my history is easily verified via search, assuming you want that on your device.
Unlike some industry vets I’m not embarrassed by what I did, it made me a better person overall and if you can’t laugh at yourself, you’ll just be hiding your entire life.
And Mayo is not for Hotdogs.
Matt, Kyle’s somewhat fitting, somewhat…’tawdry’ joke is gay porn.
Please, with high fares for bus. class and mileage devaluation, we don’t want to get screwed with low cost options on that bus. class menu; you can buy a 16 oz. package of hotdogs at supermarket for .99 They’re full of additives, chemicals, pork, and a little beef; how gross; thats not bus. class atmosphere.
I can hear the execs in charge of First on AF, SQ, JL, NH, CX, EK and QR laughing from here… lol
We laugh at them for not being Chicagoans, the greatest people on Earth.
I’ll pass on the Chicago hot dog. Such a strange movement to have social stigma against ketchup on a hot dog.
It’s how we do things, so go pound celery salt. Ketchup happens to be the only condiment I like (other than barbecue sauce and steak sauce). Because of that, I eat my hot dogs plain, with only celery salt.
One big idea? Don’t eat cured, processed meats.
I’m trying…I do make occasional exceptions. 😉
Life is short, and the occasional treat is fine. You can enjoy an airplane hotdog, fries with lunch on a Friday, or a couple of beers or wines on Saturday night, and it’s unlikely to result in your premature death. Balance and moderation is required.
Well said… On the other hand, when talking about premature death, it is worth emphasizing the undeniable importance of bad luck (unhealthy genes inherited from your family, all kinds of serious vehicle accidents, terrorist incidents, earthquakes, etc.) which is often overlooked.
Maybe instead of mixed nuts, Delta can serve boiled peanuts on all flights out of ATL. Then the scent onboard will match that of the Sky Clubs.
If you want a high end dog, my local butcher offers an all veal dog at oriels park at Camden Yards. No filler, additives made in house from only local ingredients ( hence only available during baseball season. ) The best way is the veal dog topped with our crab meat. I had it on the pretzel roll. Delicious.
Greetings to the charming Frau Hund Catering & Take-away Shop, nestled in the heart of Bahnhof Winterthur in the canton of Zurich! It is a delightful gem for food lovers.
As someone who crafts food for United, I am going to use all my muscle and magic to make your dream come true.
“Chicago Dog by Jeff Mauro”
-vienna beef natural casing all beef frank, relish, onion, homemade sport peppers, yellow mustard on a steamed S. Rosen’s Poppy Seed Bun. Served with skin-on fries with celery salt
Can you imagine the smell?
Hi Jeff, that would be amazing!
For those interested, the SWISS flight attendant presenting the famous Bastardo hot dog is Julia Hasenbalg. She is a real-life cabin crew member and popular aviation content creator for LX.
@Matthew, DL at least up until last October (which was my last time through ORD), served a Chicago Dog in the SkyClub.
I would be happy if either UA or AA had a hot dog cart in either of their respective clubs forget onboard (which would be more difficult to execute), but that is asking a lot of either airline at this point.
I have a theory as to why UA struggles with premium anything and it is not 100% because Kirby is cheap, it is because UA fundamentally does not understand how to execute reliably. Folks at UA believe it must be “fancy” to be good, but that truth is that kiss really applies if you cannot execute, keep it simple, a hot dog is simple, do not give me some fancy sounding chicken dish in the UA Club, give me a hot dog, I will enjoy it more.
Ditto on-board, the Coq Au Vin sounds great, but I have had 5 different renditions of the dish which blow my brain, while I have had slight variations of a dish on DL, the Catalan chicken as an example, it generally is close enough to the original intent that I barely notice.
Personally, the idea of a Chicago dog does not appeal to me, I am a spicy brown mustard and raw onions kind of guy.
Bon appetit to the lucky LX guests in advance!
With a name like that some jokes just write themselves. “Choke this Bastardo down” or whatnot.
I like the frankfurters at the Frankfurt LH lounges. (Frankfurters actually did originate in Frankfurt.). The bastardo actually looks really good to me.