Each week, my Meal of the Week feature examines an airline meal from my travels over the years. This may be a meal from earlier in the week or it may be a meal served over a decade ago.
Although the effort is appreciated, Cathay Pacific should not bother if it is going to serve something inedible…or is it all just a matter of personal taste?
Cathay Pacific operates a Fifth Freedom flight from Bahrain (BAH) to Dubai (DXB). It’s a 303-mile flight with less than hour of travel time.
While carriers around the world have embraced a limited-service model for shorthaul economy class passengers, Cathay Pacific remains truly a full-service airline. That means, among other things, that you can expect to be fed something on any Cathay Pacific flight you take.
On this particular flight, FAs passed out a packaged chicken salad sandwich shortly after takeoff.
Oh, that poor sandwich. I could not even bring myself to take a bite it smelled so bad. Not spoiled, just processed…you know the smell. Prison food. Same with the bread roll. So full of preservatives it could have been 10 years old.
Now you might say this is a matter of personal taste, just like anything else. But chicken salad on a wonder bread roll? Why not just serve a packet of nuts or rice crackers? Why something with such a pungent odor that tastes so processed and “fake”?
I guess the question I am asking is when should a carrier not even bother? If the “meal” is going to be of such poor quality, doesn’t it just lead to unnecessary waste? I know I wasn’t the only one who threw his sandwich away. Everyone around me did as well.
Sidenote: I should have used 9,000 Avios for a business class seat on this flight. Or at least booked premium economy. I was not thinking. Economy tickets run about $120, which represents the cheapest option between the two cities. But 9K miles and some taxes would have been even better for a business class seat. I’m not sure what Cathay served upfront.
CONCLUSION
This wasn’t meant as a “gripe” post as much a question on waste. If the food is so bad that no one eats it, why should an airline bother? That’s my bottom line. It reminds me of the days in the USA when airlines still served free meals and everyone just complained about them…
What do you think about a processed chicken salad sandwich and poor airline meals in general?
Did CX even get to pick catering?
If it were via HKG the story would be immensely different.
No doubt HKG catering is better, but that doesn’t change my point. Knowing how bad catering is ex-BAH (for example), why even bother?
Actually Matthew, no. Catering out of HK is often quite poor. Even Chinese friends prefer to order the Hindu meal ex HKG.
Similar story on TG (Thai) last week CNX-BKK in coach – 1 hour flight about 350 miles – where we were served a horrible pastry filled with a seafood (I think/hope) puree and some coleslaw thing on the side. Took 1 bite and said no way – it seems everyone around me did the same.
I’d have to imagine a high quality smaller snack could be served in lieu of that pastry for the same price.
I think it’s silly to serve food on a 1 hour 20 minute flight. Especially when the flight departs at 2:20pm. There are way better ways to eat.
I thought I read a year or so ago that Cathay cut economy meals on select flights. HKG-MNL being one of them.
Way better than anything United has ever served on a 1:20 flight.
I’d take United Pretzels or Stroopwaffels over that pig swill on CX.
I have travelled this route recently both in business and economy. In economy we actually were not served anything. In business (I got an op up as an emerald) we were served a mini salad wrap and offered champagne.
I flew CX J class from HK to SYD recently and the main course could be described as being ‘slop’.
CX is good when flying out of say, Sydney and the crew are good. Often, not all courses are served with drinks such as Cognac only available upon request lol.
I like these short flights on wide-bodies with Avios booking. Last year I flew the A330 from SYD-MEL on QF in J (their new A330 bizclass seat) for 9000 Avios + 12 AUD.
Flew UA981/2 IAD-BAH-KWI-BAH-IAD back when the route was still operating, and they offer the same stuff. I suspect that many airlines having Intra-Gulf 5th freedom flights back in the days (CX, KLM, BA) have the same offering, it is mostly for those passengers flying only within Gulf.
Trust me, HK catering is not better in economy. They serve a really stinky hot pastry in economy that I’d never consider eating.
Haha CX food is often inedible even in J. They have among the worst catering of any top-tier airline, and it’s always been that way as far as I can remember.
Hmm, remember years ago flying Philippines from LA to HK via Manila – it first hopped up to SF before crossing the Pacific, and on that tiny hop they served hot baked char sui glazed buns – bloody brilliant lol. Flying between Auckland and Wellington, this time in J (when ANZ had domestic J) they served two seperate courses – a salad with dessert on the side, and then a steak, Funny how exceeding expectations sticks with you even after all these years!