Cathay Pacific rethinks in-flight meals with on-demand catering trial on long haul services
Airline must invest in premium services to meet evolving passenger expectations, analyst says
Heightened competition in the aviation industry and the rise of on-demand app technologies have driven the city’s leading airline to rethink its dining services.
Food catering has been a particular flashpoint for Cathay Pacific customers, who have openly criticised the quality and standard of meals in recent years.
“We are doing this in response,” chief executive Ivan Chu Kwok-leung said.
“We know what the customer wants. We don’t just want to satisfy what the customer wants, we want to lead in terms of what we are looking at – giving passengers more control, enhancing the customer service online and physically when they get on board.”
The move is part of a much wider battle being fought by the world’s top airlines to improve their business and economy class offerings.
What we are looking to do is create value for our customers
Airlines are constantly trying to outperform one another in service innovation and creativity. Leading the charge are Gulf carriers such as Emirates with its on-board bar and Qatar Airways with its “super” business class cabin.
Raymond Kollau, founder of AirlineTrends, a publication tracking innovation across the aviation industry, said Cathay Pacific had to forge a path to make dine-on-demand work.
“Despite facing strong headwinds in its performance, Cathay has got to continue to invest in these kind of premium services in order to meet evolving passenger expectations,” he said.
And with new app technologies giving consumers what they want when they want, frequent fliers had become emboldened to demand the same level of service in the air, Kollau said.
Cathay Pacific’s new service will be trialled on routes from Hong Kong to London and Hong Kong to Chicago in May and June respectively. The airline is also considering introducing the option of pre-ordering inflight meals akin to a “book the cook” style of service seen on rival carrier Singapore Airlines.
The Hong Kong carrier’s announcement is the first indication that more food choices will be offered to its long-haul economy class passengers.
“What we are looking to do is create value for our customers,” Chu said. “In turn, there’s no doubt that our customers will be willing to pay for better food.”
