Thai Airways' catering business comes down to earth

[CIHUAHUA]

Some people love the taste of yesterdays left-overs. I prefer TANG to OJ.

[Dork]

Thai Airways should stop giving away PERKS to VIP Thai shareholders/friends of. All the free travel they hand out-save the money and put it into updating the fleet, even more than you are, catch up on the more economy planes, price your seats in line with what service you give.

try to give good flavoured wholesome food, rather than fancy looking food that is C##P.

I have booked a flight to UK with EVA-as opposed to Thai, 1. price was cheaper 2. better equipped aircraft 3, seat room more spacious 4 newer aircraft.

The flight is roughly the same time departure and arrival, both go into L.Heathrow.

I will miss my Thai royal perks,, but I don't care.

I have flown first class from Bangkok to Chiang Mai on my way home as Eva air does not come into Chiang Mai. The Thai air first class was on a par with the deluxe economy on EVA Air.

This is comparing apples and oranges. I have flown (same day) Eva Biz Class followed by BKK-CNX, (TG) also Biz Class.

But really, what on earth do you expect in the way of food, no matter what class you are in, on a one-hour flight?? Crazy.

It's amazing that they serve ANYthing on so short a flight. Are you perpetually hungry or something???

THAI doesn't have a First Class service on domestic routes and never has had. Guess it must just be in his imagination.

[avander]

My last return to Australia from Bangkok end of January was with Thai air after a long absence. Never again! Got mild but very uncomfortable food poisoning after the first meal and was sick all the way to Sydney. And they wanna do what?!

[Songhua]

Peanuts, cheap Scotch and sleepmasks will be available for those who are not overly hungry.

[bigbamboo]

Why would anyone eat airline food if they didn't have to?

Unless they serve free drinks with it of course!

[Ulic]

The food may be good but the business model of marketing your restaurant ts linked to airline food

is a huge error IMHO.

[kamahele]

Hmmm. What marketing guy had this bright idea. I worked in airlines catering for about a decade and I don't know that anyone who has flown in an airplane who would want the same experience on the ground. While there is a lot of really high quality food offered (not so much in the USA anymore) by some airlines, the same dish will always taste better in a restaurant. It is normally impossible to create a dish for an airline that will taste the same as one cooked to order on the ground. First of all, on an aircraft the food is not cooked, it is reheated. Second of all, food does not taste the same in a pressurized cabin as it does on the ground and the recipes are altered because of it. Also, food is dumbed down for the flying public creating a blander experience in flavor. All this using celebrity chefs to boot.

[drdoom6996]

I would not cross the street to eat airplane food from any airline. But Thai Airways. You could not force me to eat it. I would have my jaw wired shut first. I always go to Subway and get a sandwich before I fly. It is so much better than airplane food.

[SOTIRIOS]

...............tourist dollars any way possible....

[SinglePot]

Thai Airways food ok in my experience compared to many other airlines. But there again I don't fly BKK-Chiang Mai first class ( know what I mean?)

As for the new business proposition:

THAI AIRWAYS

Thai Airways' catering business comes down to earth

Floored.

Edited August 5, 2013 by SinglePot

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Go to a restaurant to eat airline food...me thinks the restaurant will quickly go out of business.

Somehow, it seems like they're trying to bring the same keen business acumen that they've used in running (into the ground) THAI Airways for these past years into their prospective catering/restaurant business. One can only shiver at the potential results.

[mrtoad]

Thai Airways food ok in my experience compared to many other airlines. But there again I don't fly BKK-Chiang Mai first class ( know what I mean?)

Well, I think there is only one person that has ever experinece First Class on a domestic flight...in his own imagination.

[SinglePot]

It might work for Aeroflot though.

[impulse]

Hey, I'll try it. Once. Twice if it doesn't kill me.

Their "food" on the Hat Yai flight (cheap seats) is an insult that they shouldn't even bother serving. I'd rather have them toss me a bottle of drinking water.

But who knows what they'll serve on the ground. It may even be okay.

[ginjag]

Thai Airways should stop giving away PERKS to VIP Thai shareholders/friends of. All the free travel they hand out-save the money and put it into updating the fleet, even more than you are, catch up on the more economy planes, price your seats in line with what service you give.

try to give good flavoured wholesome food, rather than fancy looking food that is C##P.

I have booked a flight to UK with EVA-as opposed to Thai, 1. price was cheaper 2. better equipped aircraft 3, seat room more spacious 4 newer aircraft.

The flight is roughly the same time departure and arrival, both go into L.Heathrow.

I will miss my Thai royal perks,, but I don't care.

I have flown first class from Bangkok to Chiang Mai on my way home as Eva air does not come into Chiang Mai. The Thai air first class was on a par with the deluxe economy on EVA Air.

This is comparing apples and oranges. I have flown (same day) Eva Biz Class followed by BKK-CNX, (TG) also Biz Class.

But really, what on earth do you expect in the way of food, no matter what class you are in, on a one-hour flight?? Crazy.

It's amazing that they serve ANYthing on so short a flight. Are you perpetually hungry or something???

Did Me-Ginjag.........=or Dolly mention food on a 1 hour flight ??????????????????????????? hungry for a reply that you do not miss read.

[SinglePot]

Anybody on this thread able to do a convincing impersonation of Richard Branson?

Cheers.

[Skywalker69]

Thai Airways' catering business comes down to earth

Please toss it up back into the air and let it stay there, we don´t want that sh*t back on earth.

[sjjmmi]

The first is slated for opening in Bangkok's Soi Nana next year,

First class food in Soi Nana, yeah right !Do you get frequent flyer with that?

+1

[sjjmmi]

Will it include contaminated rice and seafood from Koh Samet ?

+1

[hellodolly]

Thai Airways should stop giving away PERKS to VIP Thai shareholders/friends of. All the free travel they hand out-save the money and put it into updating the fleet, even more than you are, catch up on the more economy planes, price your seats in line with what service you give.

try to give good flavoured wholesome food, rather than fancy looking food that is C##P.

I have booked a flight to UK with EVA-as opposed to Thai, 1. price was cheaper 2. better equipped aircraft 3, seat room more spacious 4 newer aircraft.

The flight is roughly the same time departure and arrival, both go into L.Heathrow.

I will miss my Thai royal perks,, but I don't care.

I have flown first class from Bangkok to Chiang Mai on my way home as Eva air does not come into Chiang Mai. The Thai air first class was on a par with the deluxe economy on EVA Air.

This is comparing apples and oranges. I have flown (same day) Eva Biz Class followed by BKK-CNX, (TG) also Biz Class.

But really, what on earth do you expect in the way of food, no matter what class you are in, on a one-hour flight?? Crazy.

It's amazing that they serve ANYthing on so short a flight. Are you perpetually hungry or something???

Did Me-Ginjag.........=or Dolly mention food on a 1 hour flight ??????????????????????????? hungry for a reply that you do not miss read.

The post was

"I have flown first class from Bangkok to Chiang Mai on my way home as Eva air does not come into Chiang Mai. The Thai air first class was on a par with the deluxe economy on EVA Air."

Sorry I called the Thai air first class instead of Biz. I just paid the most expensive fare because of the down time between the two flights I could wait in the Thai air lounge with it.

My post should have read

I have flown biz class from Bangkok to Chiang Mai on my way home as Eva air does not come into Chiang Mai. The Thai air biz class was on a par with the deluxe economy on EVA Air.

I hope that makes the airheads happy.

Probably won't but that is there problem.

I have fixed my err.

[Cuban]

Do THAI market researchers ever get to fly on their competitor airlines? Clearly not as the THAI experience has fallen from grace, the food and wines offered on-board are nothing like they used to be and the food although is OK it's not special.

The idea of using extra capacity to cater to non-airline markets is a good one, I feel it has a match to mass-catering events although their failure will be if they attempt to cover delivery and service rather than just supply. They are food makers not waiters.

As for restaurants: Supplying food prepared for wholesale to other businesses is a good idea, THAI AIR food in a shop is a fail.

Profits to be made B2B not as a retailer.

[sjjmmi]

Not much onboard competition at 30,000 feet. Can't exactly pop out for a Big Mac or a freshly baked baguette..

LOL

[jpeg]

Co-incidentally, I today swung by Puff & Pie at TA's own outlet just today. It was seriously awful I've bought their stuff, albeit infrequently, for many years. But won't make that mistake again.

WHY do the Thais NEVER have Quality Control particularly, in this case on their own flagship airline brand? It was barely passable before, now worse? And restaurants outside of those areas (airports) where there's little other choice? Good luck with that.

[ginjag]

HDolly, My reply was to that Blazes, you replied to Me-Ginjag, I think your reply was aimed at Blazes.

[Rimmer]

Misogynistic reported post and quoted reply removed

[sjjmmi]

The food on Thai First class sucks SIA econ is better

[Funboy]

Either they've done some market research so insightful we're missing it, or they simply haven't. In my opinion, they might take their membership (do they have one) program to the lounge market on the ground (OTG). By all means, cater to the drunks during graveyard, just locate accordingly. Study the other regional airlines; isn't Air Asia serving KFC? Shouldn't be hard to at least match that garbage? Conduct a freakin survey! The knowledgable white men on ThaiVisa might be a keen place to start(?). KISS: Keep it simple stupid--fundamental rule in the food business, especially this type.

*I'm 1/2 Thai, 1/2 White American born and raised Stateside with over 2 years experience living/teaching Thaiside; BA in polisci from UW, Seattle & MA in sustainable dev from Hawaii Pacific U.

[EyesWideOpen]

This headline cannot be real. In general airline food is regarded as the worst in the world, and only eaten because people are trapped in the airplane. This simply has to be Thai Airlines taking the piss out of people. Think the tipoff is saying they will open a restaurant on soi Nana...

Edited August 5, 2013 by EyesWideOpen

[ginjag]

Either they've done some market research so insightful we're missing it, or they simply haven't. In my opinion, they might take their membership (do they have one) program to the lounge market on the ground (OTG). By all means, cater to the drunks during graveyard, just locate accordingly. Study the other regional airlines; isn't Air Asia serving KFC? Shouldn't be hard to at least match that garbage? Conduct a freakin survey! The knowledgable white men on ThaiVisa might be a keen place to start(?). KISS: Keep it simple stupid--fundamental rule in the food business, especially this type.

*I'm 1/2 Thai, 1/2 White American born and raised Stateside with over 2 years experience living/teaching Thaiside; BA in polisci from UW, Seattle & MA in sustainable dev from Hawaii Pacific U.

Well said some good stuff in what you say, BUT sorry I'm junior-secondary senior school , left school at 15, a butcher for 12 years at the co-op, taxi business, football class 1 ref, singer, worked for government, retired early, live in Thailand. I am whole 100% british and raised in Linclonshire---wait a minute why am I saying this ??????

[Curt1591]

I ate at a Thai airways restaurant in Phuket while waiting for a connection and was actually rather impressed. Best massaman curry I have had to date. I do see the Puff and Pie bakeries scattered around but have never tried one.

I have to admit, it is challenging to get excited about airline food...

Puff and Pie bakery outlets put out the same strange pastries that are so common in Thailand. I have found few such concoctions edible, from any Thai bakery.

It seems that CPT and I are the only two who have actually eaten at an actual Thai Airways Catering R-E-S-T-A-U-R-A-N-T. We both found the food to be great.

The Don Muang location was a hidden gem, known to very few. It was mostly frequented by airport businessmen, catching a meal with clients.

This is not the "heat & serve" crap served on board. This is cooked to order, not trucked in from the tarmac.

Because they are worldwide carriers, this is quality food, sourced from markets unreachable to almost all other Bangkok restaurants.

I had a great grilled salmon steak, far fresher than anything I have ever found in Bangkok.

Edited August 5, 2013 by Curt1591