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Grounded airline planes turned into pop-up restaurants sell out in 30 minutes
Singapore Airlines will serve food on planes at Changi Airport
By Jon Porter on October 12, 2020 6:04 am
All the joy of plane food, without having to leave the ground. Image: Singapore Airlines
Amidst plunging revenues due to the pandemic, Singapore Airlines is turning two of its Airbus A380 planes parked at Changi Airport into impromptu restaurants on October 24th and 25th, and it’s proved surprisingly popular. Bloomberg reports that all seats at the restaurants sold out within 30 minutes of bookings opening, as people rushed to recapture the excitement of balancing a tiny meal on an even tinier fold-down airline table.
I admit I normally quite like airplane food, but that’s probably because it’s something to focus my attention on beyond an endless series of films I was never interested enough in to see in the cinema. Singapore Airlines is selling four different tiers of meals according to Bloomberg, ranging from a meal in a suite for around $474, right down to an economy experience for the equivalent of $39. Around half the planes’ seats will be available for dining to allow for social distancing.
PLANS FOR SCENIC FLIGHTS WERE ABANDONED OVER ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Singapore Airlines is launching the dining experiences as earnings have plunged thanks to the pandemic. In July the company reported a net loss of over S$1 billion (around $825 million) in the quarter ending June 30th, and at the end of September it said it was exploring other ways of making money. As well as turning planes into restaurants, it said it would offer food deliveries to peoples’ homes, complete with cooking instructions and a “specially curated playlist to recreate the SIA onboard experience,” Reuters reports. Only 32 of the airline’s 220 planes were operating as of the end of September, according to ABCNews.
With hundreds of flights grounded around the world due to the pandemic, there’s been a lot of airplane food in need of a new home. Multiple airline food suppliers have been offering their meals and snacks for purchase by customers directly, according to the Lonely Planet.
Airlines’ search for alternative revenue during the pandemic has led to at least one, Qantas, offering circular scenic flights in planes that take off and land from the same airport. Reuters notes that Singapore Airlines considered offering similar flights, but dropped the plans over environmental concerns.
Although seats on the A380 have now sold out, Bloomberg notes that Singapore Airlines plans to open a wait list and will investigate how it can accommodate the extra demand.
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COMMENTS
Oh wow never thought my country would be making news on the verge!
By Reiyashdean on 10.12.20 7:20am
Airplane food is infamous for being cheap right? But I’m still morbidly curious and would probably buy this lol
By Wazukyan on 10.12.20 8:48am
It heavily depends on the catering service the airline contracts their meals to, and the route you’re flying. Long haul routes usually provide at least two very high quality meals that would cost a pretty penny on any restaurant, the perception that aeroplane food is bland is due to the fact that your senses of taste and smell fall off a cliff at high altitudes and low pressure and not because they serve you intentionally cheap or bad food, to the contrary in fact.
By Rnet on 10.12.20 9:42am
Humanity really is doomed with this level of denial.
By Quorbach on 10.12.20 9:10am
SIA is also offering the option to order a 10-course meal, delivered to your house. You can also choose to pay extra for a chef to prepare the food for you, otherwise, you have to heat it up on your own.
There’s no way in hell I would pay a thousand dollars (roughly US$600?) for this in total, but a lot of people evidently did, so I guess SIA knows their target market better than I do. And hey, I use Apple products, so I guess I really have no right lecturing others on how they choose to spend their discretionary income.
By abazigal on 10.12.20 9:22am
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☰
Grounded airline planes turned into pop-up restaurants sell out in 30 minutes
Singapore Airlines will serve food on planes at Changi Airport
By Jon Porter on October 12, 2020 6:04 am
All the joy of plane food, without having to leave the ground. Image: Singapore Airlines
Amidst plunging revenues due to the pandemic, Singapore Airlines is turning two of its Airbus A380 planes parked at Changi Airport into impromptu restaurants on October 24th and 25th, and it’s proved surprisingly popular. Bloomberg reports that all seats at the restaurants sold out within 30 minutes of bookings opening, as people rushed to recapture the excitement of balancing a tiny meal on an even tinier fold-down airline table.
I admit I normally quite like airplane food, but that’s probably because it’s something to focus my attention on beyond an endless series of films I was never interested enough in to see in the cinema. Singapore Airlines is selling four different tiers of meals according to Bloomberg, ranging from a meal in a suite for around $474, right down to an economy experience for the equivalent of $39. Around half the planes’ seats will be available for dining to allow for social distancing.
PLANS FOR SCENIC FLIGHTS WERE ABANDONED OVER ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Singapore Airlines is launching the dining experiences as earnings have plunged thanks to the pandemic. In July the company reported a net loss of over S$1 billion (around $825 million) in the quarter ending June 30th, and at the end of September it said it was exploring other ways of making money. As well as turning planes into restaurants, it said it would offer food deliveries to peoples’ homes, complete with cooking instructions and a “specially curated playlist to recreate the SIA onboard experience,” Reuters reports. Only 32 of the airline’s 220 planes were operating as of the end of September, according to ABCNews.
With hundreds of flights grounded around the world due to the pandemic, there’s been a lot of airplane food in need of a new home. Multiple airline food suppliers have been offering their meals and snacks for purchase by customers directly, according to the Lonely Planet.
Airlines’ search for alternative revenue during the pandemic has led to at least one, Qantas, offering circular scenic flights in planes that take off and land from the same airport. Reuters notes that Singapore Airlines considered offering similar flights, but dropped the plans over environmental concerns.
Although seats on the A380 have now sold out, Bloomberg notes that Singapore Airlines plans to open a wait list and will investigate how it can accommodate the extra demand.
Next Up In Tech
What to expect from Apple’s iPhone 12 event
Google’s Nest announces new smart thermostat with simpler design, lower price
Here are the best AirPods deals
The best Prime Day deals you can get right now
5G alone won’t be enough to justify buying an iPhone this year
Apple’s AirPods Pro are cheaper than ever today at Woot
COMMENTS
Oh wow never thought my country would be making news on the verge!
By Reiyashdean on 10.12.20 7:20am
Airplane food is infamous for being cheap right? But I’m still morbidly curious and would probably buy this lol
By Wazukyan on 10.12.20 8:48am
It heavily depends on the catering service the airline contracts their meals to, and the route you’re flying. Long haul routes usually provide at least two very high quality meals that would cost a pretty penny on any restaurant, the perception that aeroplane food is bland is due to the fact that your senses of taste and smell fall off a cliff at high altitudes and low pressure and not because they serve you intentionally cheap or bad food, to the contrary in fact.
By Rnet on 10.12.20 9:42am
Humanity really is doomed with this level of denial.
By Quorbach on 10.12.20 9:10am
SIA is also offering the option to order a 10-course meal, delivered to your house. You can also choose to pay extra for a chef to prepare the food for you, otherwise, you have to heat it up on your own.
There’s no way in hell I would pay a thousand dollars (roughly US$600?) for this in total, but a lot of people evidently did, so I guess SIA knows their target market better than I do. And hey, I use Apple products, so I guess I really have no right lecturing others on how they choose to spend their discretionary income.
By abazigal on 10.12.20 9:22am
View All Comments
Back to top ↑
Terms of Use / Privacy Notice
© 2020 Vox Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved
