- SIA
will be the first airline to offer worldwide pre-ordering of meals for Premium
Economy Class
- Parents
of young flyers will be able to pre-order meals from three different cuisine
types as part of the enhanced Child Meal programme
- Menu choices for Indian Vegetarian and Muslim meals will be enhanced and rotated more frequently for greater variety
SIA announced that it will be the first airline to
enable Premium Economy Class customers to pre-order main courses from its
in-flight menu, from anywhere in the Airline's global network from 1 May 2019.
This follows the initial launch to Suites, First Class and Business Class
customers on all flights across its network last year, in what was an industry
first.
With this new initiative, customers may pre-select
their meal choices via the Airline’s website or mobile app anytime from three
weeks before travel up to 24 hours before flight departure.
As such, customers not only enjoy a more personalised
dining experience but are also ensured of their preferred meal choice from
either the in-flight menu or the ‘Book the Cook’ service.
In another industry first,
Singapore Airlines will be enhancing its Child Meal[1] programme to enable parents to pre-order specific
meals for their children from three different cuisine categories – Asian,
Western and Vegetarian. This will give parents greater visibility and choices
over the child meals in advance of travel, rather than discovering what meal
will be served only when they are on board. Parents can visit the Airline’s
website up to 24hr before the day of travel to view the dishes planned for
their flight and select the one that best suits their child’s preferences.
The move comes after an
intensive focus group and meal tasting session conducted to gather insights
from parents and children to better understand their preferences. The Airline
will roll out this initiative to all cabin classes from June 2019 for flights
departing Singapore, extending progressively to flights departing from overseas
destinations from August 2019.
Focus group sessions and
targeted surveys were also conducted for two of the Airline’s other popular
special meals – the Indian Vegetarian Meal[2] and Muslim Meal[3]. Feedback received from these sessions enabled the
Airline to improve on these meals by reviewing the ingredients and serviceware
used. The frequency of menu rotation will also be increased to provide greater
variety for customers.
“Singapore Airlines has
always been well known for its focus on customer service, and we see
personalisation in in-flight dining offerings as being key to creating an even
more memorable travel experience,” said SIA’s Executive Vice
President Commercial, Mr Mak Swee Wah.
“Apart from focus groups and targeted surveys, we are
also leveraging on data analytics to better track meal preferences and
customers’ needs.”
Book
the Cook
SIA
was the first airline to introduce an advance in-flight meal ordering serving
for premium class customers in 1998 with the launch of its Book the Cook
service.
In
April 2012, SIA expanded its selection of global cuisine for flights out of
Singapore to enhance the overall range of gourmet main courses to meet today’s
varied customer preferences. This includes old-time Western style favourites,
healthier low-fat choices, popular Asian dishes, a comprehensive spread of
iconic local fare from Singapore, and exclusive creations from our
International Culinary Panel. Suites, First Class and Business Class customers
now have a wider selection to satisfy their palates on board our flights.
In
addition, with the launch of Premium Economy Class in 2015, Singapore Airlines
expanded its pre-flight meal selection programme and introduced the new Premium
Economy Book the Cook service. The Book the Cook and Premium Economy Book the
Cook are available for most flights from Singapore as well as from selected
stations when flying into Singapore.
‘Deliciously Wholesome’ Programme
Singapore
Airlines launched its ‘Deliciously Wholesome’ meal programme in 2016, catering
to the needs of an increasing number of health-conscious travellers by offering
a delectable range of gourmet dishes rich in nutrients, vitamins and essential
minerals.
The
‘Deliciously Wholesome’ meals are designed to restore and rejuvenate the body,
prepared using a wide variety of carefully-selected ingredients such as whole
grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, fish, seeds, nuts, herbs and
spices. These foods are rich in macronutrients such as complex carbohydrates,
lean protein, good fats, fibre and healing phytonutrients that nourish the
body. The dishes also contain special active micronutrients which can help
alleviate travel-induced stresses such as dehydration, fatigue and jetlag.
The
‘Deliciously Wholesome’ meals are available for pre-ordering by Suites, First
Class and Business Class customers through the Airline’s “Book the Cook”
service.
Authentically Asian
Singapore
Airlines engages the expertise of its International Culinary Panel to create an
authentic end-to-end dining experience for different Asian cuisines. The
Kyo-Kaiseki Japanese fine dining concept was the first to be introduced in
1999, comprising an elaborate spread of appetisers, entrées and dessert
elegantly presented course-by-course in a traditional Japanese style.
SIA
has continually enhanced this programme over the years, bringing customers
quality Asian dining menus. The portfolio now comprises Kyo Kaiseki (Japanese),
Shahi Thali (Indian), Shi Quan Shi Mei (Chinese) and Hansik (Korean) menus for
its Suites and First Class passengers, and Hanakoireki (Japanese), Ruchi Thali
(Indian), Hansik (Korean) as well as the recently launched Chinese fine dining
concept Shi Quan Wei Mei for its Business Class passengers. Introduced in July
2018, Shi Quan Wei Mei uses traditional cooking methods and fresh seasonal
produce to create an authentic in-flight Chinese meal experience.
These menus are available to Suites, First and
Business Class customers in the in-flight menus on selected routes.
Popular Local Fare
SIA
is proud to offer customers “Popular Local Fare” meals on board, featuring
iconic local favourites of the destinations that the Airline flies to. From
perennial Singapore favourite, Laksa, to Lobster Mac and Cheese from New York,
Wanton Noodles from Hong Kong and Bangers and Mash from the UK, international
travellers can enjoy a taste of the local flavours of their destination while
other travellers immerse themselves in a familiar taste of home.
This
programme is continually enhanced with exciting new dishes added to the menu,
such as Bak Chor Mee, a signature Singaporean hawker favourite, most recently
introduced in October 2018.
The
“Popular Local Fare” dishes are available in the Airline’s regular in-flight
menus or through pre-ordering by Suites, First Class, Business Class and
Premium Economy Class customers via the “Book the Cook” service.
[2] Non-strict vegetarian meal which is
prepared in an Indian style.
[3] Meals prepared for Muslim customers.
No alcohol, pork, pig by-products, ham or bacon are used in the preparation of
this meal.