Singapore Airlines premium economy revamp to please food-focused customers

After learning premium economy passengers place a higher value on food and beverage than seat comfort, Singapore Airlines has undertaken a major menu revamp.

For the first time in nine years, Singapore Airlines has revamped its premium economy offering to include larger, better quality meals on porcelain plates after learning passengers place a higher value on food and beverage than seat comfort.

From March 31, a new menu of 175 “newly designed and reimagined” main meals will start rolling out on flash new dinnerware. 

The refresh has been a year in the making, with much of that time devoted to finding the perfect lightweight, chip-proof porcelain.

The pale grey plates will replace their black plastic predecessors on a larger linen-lined tray, in what will amount to a 33 per cent increase in food. 

For the first time crab is on the premium economy menu in a Thai-style curry, and plain bread rolls have been replaced by a garlic butter-infused bun, like those in business and first class. 

Four new desserts have been added, including black sesame cake, white chocolate cream cake, a creamy chocolate cake and mango key lime cake, and breakfast trays come with 28 per cent more fresh fruit.

There’s a new champagne for after takeoff — Charles de Cazanove Brut — and an Australian red in St Hallett’s Faith Shiraz, plus a greater range of non-alcoholic drinks.

Singapore Airlines divisional vice president of public affairs Siva Govindasamy said the revamp followed extensive customer research and feedback that showed food and beverage was the biggest value driver for premium economy travellers. 

At 56 per cent, food and beverage ranked higher than seat comfort at 55 per cent and well ahead of cabin crew service and loyalty benefits on 37 per cent.

Comparison between current premium economy service tray (top) and new offering (bottom).

Mr Govindasamy said while they were investing more money in premium economy as a result of the changes, it would not necessarily mean higher fares for customers. 

“Fares are all about supply and demand,” he said.

“If a flight sells fast, the last seats to be sold will be the most expensive but if it’s not selling those seats won’t be as expensive, it’s just the way the market works.”

The changes came as Emirates accelerated its rollout of premium economy cabins across its fleet with the product being well received since its launch in 2021.

Singapore Airlines’ director of food and beverage Antony McNeil said their revamp was not in response to the Emirates’ move but rather about “never standing still”.

“Our product is much nicer than the other one, and our customers appreciate it because they’ve had availability and access to it for much longer,” Mr McNeil said.

To highlight the amount of work that went into meal services, Singapore Airlines opened its kitchens to media to show where a mind-boggling 62,000 meals a day were produced. 

Designed for speed, efficiency and hygiene, some of the kitchens’ most notable features were a washing machine-style tumbler for high-speed marination, and a rotating 15-plate omelette maker where three workers flipped and folded about 1000 egg dishes a day.

Larger linen-lined trays will serve up 33 per cent more food to Singapore Airlines premium economy passengers from March 31. Picture: Supplied

Giant tilt pans helped churn out 300kg of fried rice a day while production teams put all the elements together, ensuring each meal matched its picture, and weighed exactly the same.

Mr McNeil revealed that lobster thermidor was Singapore Airlines’ most popular dish, with 13,000 of the dishes made for first class passengers a month, and 20,000 for business class. 

In the “special meals” department, where more than 5000 meals were made every day across 24 categories, Indian vegetarian was the most in demand from passengers thanks to the healthy and flavoursome nature of the meals.

Children’s meals for passengers aged two to 12 were also being beefed up in premium economy, with additional “snack packs” added to keep young travellers occupied.

The writer was a guest of Singapore Airlines in Singapore.