Shortly one premium airline backed down from a budget carrier-esque move, another premium airline has had to come out to refute rumors of a similar development.
News broke earlier onย One Mile at A Time quoting Flyertalk quoting CX Secrets that Cathay Pacific was going to introduce a buy on board menu in economy class. Here’s the original source:
The thing that got everyone’s tongues wagging was number 15-ย “”Buy on board”” Menu will be introduced on all MNL, CEB, SGN and midnight sector on SIN, KIX, NRT, CGK and ICN.ย
If that were indeed true it’d be quite a dramatic development. I know other “full service” carriers like British Airways have gone down that route (thanks, Alex Cruz!), and if you fly domestic “full service” in the States you’re more or less in for a similar experience with flight attendants hawking chips and sodas in the aisles.
But it seemed almost unthinkable that a premium carrier like CX would do this. I reached out to Cathay Pacific and this was their response:
The media report is categorically inaccurate. Cathay Pacific is a premium, full-service airline and there is no plans for what was rumoured.
I guess that’s as clear cut as you can get. No buy on board is coming, so your chicken or fish choices are safe for now.
Also mentioned in the CX Secrets post was that dine on demand in business class would be abandoned. I really liked the concept on flights where I’ve tried it, but I understand it’s hell for the crew to do and I’m sympathetic to that.ย Cathay’s response:
Regarding the โDine on Demandโ concept, which we conducted for a trial period in May and June 2017, we are currently in the process of analysing both passenger and crew feedback. We will share more updates on the new Business Class dining service once they are available.
If I’m honest, that sounds a lot less like a refutalย than the response to buy on board, so I guess we’ll have to mark this one as “watch this space”.ย It’d be a shame if dine on demand went away, given that it really lets you plan your meals around your work, leisure and sleep instead of vice versa.
And there you have it.
