SIA Paper Food Packaging Criticised For ‘Cheap’ Appearance
On Tuesday (28 Feb), Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced its new paper serviceware on Facebook.
The airline said that it will trial the serviceware in Premium Economy Class and Economy Class on selected medium-and long-haul flights from 1 to 25 March.
However, since their announcement, SIA has been receiving criticism for the ‘cheap’ appearance of their food packaging.
Thus, on Thursday (2 Mar), SIA announced that it will consider the feedback from customers. The airline will then come to a conclusion on the use of the new paper food packaging.
Customers dissatisfied with cheap-looking paper food packaging
In the trailer released on 28 Feb, SIA revealed that their new crockery and packaging are made from Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper.
Apart from that, the new design “allows (the serviceware) to retain heat and moisture better than the current casserole dish”.
With this new design, SIA claims that it can now offer more soup and gravy-rich options.
This means that customers can “look forward to tastier meals and a wider variety of options” on longer flights.
However, the new design was met with criticism from the public. Several netizens commented on the cheap appearance of the paper crockery.
One Facebook user noted that SIA should follow the standards of other airlines, especially in Premium Economy.
Source: Facebook
Echoing the above sentiments, one commenter said that paper serviceware “does not belong…in that cabin class (Premium Economy)”.
Source: Facebook
Another netizen claimed that SIA appears to be cutting costs at the expense of presentation, which disappointed them.
Source: Facebook
SIA plans to take on board customer feedback
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), a spokesperson for SIA noted that the company will “take on board customer feedback as well as operational costs” before they confirm the implementation of the new paper serviceware.
The spokesperson also debunked certain claims from the public, highlighting that there are “no cost savings” in switching to this new packaging.
In fact, the new containers cost more than the current serviceware, shared SIA senior vice president for customer experience Yeoh Phee Teik.
The airline also highlighted that there is no change in the amount of food in the new containers.
New packaging meant to elevate in-flight dining experience
Based on the CNA report, the airline supposedly introduced the new packaging to improve customers’ dining experience.
The new containers have secure lids, compared to the casserole dishes which are only covered with aluminium foil. The secure lids can “better retain heat and moisture”, which help to “enhance the taste and texture” of the airline’s main courses.
Furthermore, the new packaging helps to reduce the use of single-use plastics. This promotes a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly culture on board.
Trial will conclude on 25 Mar
CNA reports that the trial started in February this year on selected Singapore-Hong Kong flights.
The airline expanded the trial on Wednesday (1 Mar) to include flights from Singapore to 11 different destinations like London and Seoul.
The trial will conclude on 25 Mar.
In the meantime, SIA aims to carefully consider customers’ feedback on the new paper packaging.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Singapore Airlines on Facebook.
