SINGAPORE, April 21 — The quality of Singapore Airlines (SIA) meals was called into question recently, after a social media user posted a photo of a meal in economy class for a medium-haul flight from Singapore to Seoul.
The photo posted on the Reddit forum on Tuesday, showed rice with two sides a la cai fan (economic rice) style, paired with a packet of plain crackers and a bread roll.
Reddit user "throwawayaway539" claimed that meals from the national carrier used to be served with cake, dessert and fresh fruit but these side dishes have now been replaced with a piece of cracker and “cheap” plastic disposable cutlery, according to Coconuts Singapore.
In the post, the user was “disappointed” to know that “other full-fledged airlines offer better in-flight experiences at a lower cost”.
The photo seems to be a repost from a separate Hardware Zone discussion on the same topic, though the text on Reddit has since been removed.
Following the post, Redditors made comparisons of the in-flight meal to food from the National Service (NS) cookhouse, 7-Eleven instant food, and food served on a budget airline.
"They (import) food from my NS army camp is it?", a Redditor teased, while a few others agreed that the meal looked straight out of an army cookhouse.
Online users chimed in with similar lacklustre experiences with the meals on SIA flights.
One said that SIA had “downsized the portions by a lot” and that he did not find it “filling anymore”.
A netizen also observed that the meals have gotten “worse” after the pandemic.
“Before that the meals were served with more class and the food was either of better quality or at least more presentable.”
Previously, SIA’s paper serviceware trial faced some criticism as it was seen as a cost cutting measure and appeared to make SIA look “cheap”.
The trial of new serviceware was implemented in economy class and premium economy class on selected flights from February to March this year.
Containers made of “Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper and finished with the distinctive SIA look” were intended to help “retain heat and moisture better than the current casserole dish”, according to the airline.
A similar complaint on SIA meals was made recently on Tuesday in a HardwareZone forum by another passenger.
"No more fresh fruits, cake or dessert. Just a soggy mess served in a cheap plastic container and a dry bun," wrote the online user, along with a photo of the meal served on a SIA flight from Singapore to Taipei.
The image, which showed a main course of fish with gravy and beans, as well as a bread roll, was first shared on Facebook group Singapore Atrium Sale.
In response to TODAY queries, a spokesperson for the airline said: “SIA works closely with our local and overseas catering partners to curate the meals served on board.”
The spokesperson added that a full audit is performed by SIA at the start of each new menu and regular audits are made with catering partners to ensure the quality of meals served on board flights.
“We will take our customers’ feedback into account as we adjust our meal options and for future in-flight meal services.” — TODAY
