I think that passing out paper menus is a waste! How many times do they reuse the menus? When will they just put the menu on the IFE system on the back of the seats? Do any airlines do this?

I like the paper menus but the idea of putting them on IFE is interesting. I have not seen it myself. I wonder though how easy it is to program them at short notice.

Don't a few of the buy onboard airlines do it? Virgin America springs to mind.

Sandyb123

[Edited 2011-10-23 15:55:21]

Quoting YYZAMS (Thread starter): When will they just put the menu on the IFE system on the back of the seats? Do any airlines do this?

CX phased out paper menus in Y in favor of announcing food choices using the IFE.

Well BA are about to reintroduce them in WTP so there go a few more acres a day of rainforests! LOL!

I was just on TK doing LHR-IST-LHR and they gave out paper menus! It was nice....and I'm sure they don't reuse them!

Quoting OA260 (Reply 1): I like the paper menus but the idea of putting them on IFE is interesting. I have not seen it myself. I wonder though how easy it is to program them at short notice.

Must be easier than printing them on paper. Not to mention correcting errors.

Quoting sandyb123 (Reply 2):

Virgin has a system where food can be ordered and paid for via the IFE screen. I don't recall seeing a physical menu when I flew them, but I didn't really look either. I think Southwest uses a laminated menu similar to a restaurant that stays in the seat pocket.

Quoting YYZAMS (Thread starter):

I like the paper menus. A proper menu on cardstock gives a classy impression.

Quoting tonystan (Reply 4): Well BA are about to reintroduce them in WTP so there go a few more acres a day of rainforests!

What a waste of money (and paper). It takes about 3 seconds for the cabin crew to ask, "Do you want the chicken or the pasta?, which they'll still have to do even with menus. What's the point? They're not going to get more passengers in WTP because they're handed a piece of paper reading "Chicken or Pasta".

Quoting BMI727 (Reply 7): A proper menu on cardstock gives a classy impression.

Which, in most cases, only lasts until you see and taste the actual food...

QR displays the menu on the PTV in Economy class, allthough only to/from Europe if i am not misstaken. If successfull, it will be rolled out across the network. However, Business and First class still get the restaurant style menu.

Quoting BMI727 (Reply 7): I like the paper menus. A proper menu on cardstock gives a classy impression.

I guess classy is definitely subjective. A menu is something that is looked at for a minute or 2 then tossed aside or in the backseat pocket. We, as customers, pay for the menus somehow in the cost structure.




Isn't there an airline out there that hands out smartpads in first that I recently read on here?

I like printed menus especially in first and business class because that is the proper way of providing a premium service, and as a menu collector, it will be nice to be able to take them home.

About printed menus re-usage, there are a number of airlines, especially in Asian region, reuse their menus. China Airlines, EVA Airways, Air China, Asiana Airlines, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Sri Lankan Airlines, Singapore Airlines... are the list of airlines that reuse their first and business class menus. Qatar Airways provide a leather folder for both F and J menus. Etihad has a leather folder for F passengers as well. Singapore Airlines - same for first and suite class. For the leather folders, I am not surprised but if you ask nicely, the F/As have no issues for you to take them home. They will not stop you. Asiana and Korean Air used to give me issues, but that was resolved soon. In general, I think it is okay to reuse menus, as long as I am able to take them home if I want to. However, if you are going to reuse the menus, you should make sure that the menus are in good shapes. The main problem is that distribution of newspapers are part of the pre-flight formalities, and many of the menus especially KE are in very bad shapes. You see lots of finger prints, and the menus look crumbled towards the end of their cycles. Therefore, I have mixed feelings. If you are not going to the leather track, you really should not reuse the menus.

None of the US airlines reuse the menus and I don't think any of them still distribute menus in Y. Delta and former Northwest, and AA used to have the printed menu service for the Japanese flights, but they are distributed because of language issues. But for F and J, they don't recollect the menus. I think most of these airlines already run minimum and recollecting menus is just possible and too much work! Most of them used a very basic menu, so nothing fancy. Virgin America distributes menus in first class, and some F/As recollect them after taking entree order, but you are more than welcome to keep them. The F/As do it as part of their cleanup procedures. One less item to clean... They have printed menus in Y too. So people know what to do before ordering. Most airlines actually have a printed BOB menu in the US, and in Europe.

In terms of European Airlines, Finnair is the only airline that seem to reuse their menus in business class. Turkish Airlines used an interesting menu booklet in J (not sure if it is still the case)... However most European Airlines are not obsessive in recollecting the menus like some of the Asian airlines. China Airlines and EVA Air are pretty bad - some F/As will ever dig through your magazine pockets for them. I actually think it is not smart to do it. Anyway, Singapore Airlines used to be nuts too, but now they don't recollect them till the end of the flight, and you are more than welcome to keep them. First Class F/As are less crazy about the leather booklet in F too. I guess most SQ F pax are full revenue passengers, so SQ can afford a few bucks for the faux leather menu booklet.

Middle East Airlines - Oman Air recollects menus too, but you are welcome to keep them. QR also recollect menus in F and J, and they are also very strict about the leather booklet/cover. But you can keep the printed menu insert. Emirates have no issues except the leather cover in F.

Recollecting menus is not a bad idea, but sometimes it is also somewhat labor intensive. Sometimes you can't really reuse them, and airlines may prefer F/As doing other duties. Some CX F/As told me that they sometimes kept the menus that were barely touched or in good shapes in the closet, but they are not sure if the cleaners will reuse them. They possibly have to take them back to the warehouse, resort them and put them back on the correct flights. It is very labor intensive. CX printed all menus in HKG, and they just kept the menus for return flight in the closet. Yes they have a closet for menus and amenity kits used for return flights. If the airlines are somewhat small or have less cycle, it is doable. However, it is pretty labor intensive and cost wise, not sure if the airlines can gain anything.

Menus in Y - China Airlines and Qatar Airways use the IFE for menu description, but passengers complaint about it. Because they actually disrupt the programming prior to meal service. JL and NH have a laminated menu with picture of the entrees and the corresponding local language, so passengers in Y can point to the entree they want. They only have a choice of food for the first meal. However NH has a fancy menu booklet in Y for their "buy on board" - aka My Choice to sell "business class" mid-flight snack in Y. CX still has printed menus in Y, last time I check. However I don't think this will last.

As of this point, Singapore Airlines still has the best printed menus in economy class - a real booklet, as well as Sri Lankan Airlines, which is a surprise. Emirates used to have a economy menu booklet, but now it is more like a folded card. Oman Air has a small printed menus in Y - just a small folded paper.

In the future, I can see airlines place the menus in their entertainment system for Y passengers, and it will possibly be shown on a particular channel - no need to disrupt the programs anymore.

Unfortunately, only the top full service airlines will hold on to printed menus in Y and I don't think SQ will cut them. Also routes with high ratio of native passengers with language issues - more for practical reasons...

However for F and J, most airlines will not touch printed menus and it just look un-premium not to have a printed menu. Airlines may use recycled paper or reduce the size, or instead of booklets, just a few folded page. Some airlines try the leather folder concept, but there is just not a good reason to take them back if passengers insist on taking them home. They might have to load extra covers as back ups... so it might cost them more in the long terrm.

Carfield

The problem with IFE menus, is that on long-haul flights, when food service starts, people will be in their movies, tv shows, etc. and not like to (or even find it difficult) to leave their movie and go to the menu.

One advantage of menus is so people know before hand what is on offer and what they want, which makes the service quicker, when it is on the IFE, most people will ask the flight attendants what is on offer, and slow down service.

Secondly, I don't know how difficult it would be to change menus on IFE. I'm thinking long-haul where the return flights will have different menu options, due to different flight times and what is on offer at the destination airport.

-CXfirst

Quoting OA260 (Reply 1): I have not seen it myself. I wonder though how easy it is to program them at short notice.

NZ have a system where the choices pop up on the screen very briefly before the cabin service comes through... I can't remember if it pauses what you're watching or if it's just a small pop up (pretty sure it pauses and uses the whole screen), but if you're not quick then you miss the options...

Personally I like getting the menu when I get onto a flight. Some of them are a little useless, I agree. I like what QF have done with the flight timeline along the bottom -- added information that's easy to put together and yet most pax find very useful in terms of planning their sleep etc... IMO that justifies the whole menu being handed out...

Interesting thoughts shared by many. I am wondering if IFE will be interactive in the future. For example, some airlines pass out their menus when you have taken your seat. I wonder if you will be able to press your menu choices in the future (input your order). Maybe type in the name or seat number then the option. I can see it being more efficient for FAs, no?

I have saved 2 menu booklets with tassels from SAA circa 1970 for our family trip NYC-RIO-JNB quite nice service for Y. I used them to compare other menus from further travels, and except for some leather bound ones, the rest have paled in comparison. Even those in J or F on TG, OZ, AA, HA, NW, UA, BD, DL, AS...

Quoting Akiestar (Reply 3): CX phased out paper menus in Y in favor of announcing food choices using the IFE.

when? traveled with them 4 weeks ago and they still had them on all flights SYD-HKG-LAX

Quoting YYZAMS (Reply 11): A menu is something that is looked at for a minute or 2 then tossed aside or in the backseat pocket.

True, but for those two minutes when you have it in your hands and are looking at it, it's better to give a good impression. Whatever the actual quality, having a menu that appears like something from a restaurant is desirable. Secondly, it is a lot easier to advertise choices on the actual menu versus on a screen, at least without becoming excessively cluttered. Some menus include some sort of biography or note from the chef that put it together, which would be harder to include on screen, so that marketing would be potentially lost.

Quoting YYZAMS (Reply 11): We, as customers, pay for the menus somehow in the cost structure.

We do, but for maybe $2 at most it seems like money well spent for the airline. Especially if we just toss it in our bag and take it with us at the end of the flight.

Quoting YYZAMS (Reply 15): I wonder if you will be able to press your menu choices in the future (input your order). Maybe type in the name or seat number then the option. I can see it being more efficient for FAs, no?

What about people selecting what they want to eat in advance when they book their ticket? Or when they check in for the flight at the airport? Could an efficient system for doing this be developed? After people have ordered, couldn't the carts just be loaded accordingly? Also, wouldn't this save the airline money in the long run because they wouldn't have to load extra meals?

Quoting BMI727 (Reply 18): We do, but for maybe $2 at most it seems like money well spent for the airline.

Agreed, and it doubt it would anything like that expensive. At the scale these airlines are printing the things it's probably only a 50c investment per pax.

Quoting alsberg (Reply 19): What about people selecting what they want to eat in advance when they book their ticket?

Perhaps, but the lead time is so long. It would work well theoretically, but then we'd get four or five emails saying "Sorry, the menu has changed. Please choose from this menu." Plus it would limit choices for people who either didn't choose for some reason or switched flights at the last minute. The people who booked ahead would get their meals, but the selection of extra meals for some pax who missed an earlier flight would be potentially quite limited.

Quoting alsberg (Reply 19): Or when they check in for the flight at the airport?

It might work OK for online check in, but would be an incredible pain for checking in at the airport. Imagine a family or school group trying to check in and get everybody's meal orders at the same time. When it comes to check in, it's much better to just get the pax in and out.

Overall, I think that one way or another, ordering meals is best done on the plane. You have everybody there, settled in, and the worst that happens is they have to look away from their movie for thirty seconds.

I like the paper menus. I think it is a nice touch. Also for flight with multiple meal and First Class it is very nice to see what is offered ahead of time.

Here is Continental Menu for International Business between EWR and POS.
http://youtu.be/x4aY080ADi8

Here is Continental Menu for a coach flight from IAH to NRT. It's in English and Japanese.
http://youtu.be/BEIgOdSHyGM?hd=1

Quoting Avianca (Reply 17): when? traveled with them 4 weeks ago and they still had them on all flights SYD-HKG-LAX

Perhaps it's only on regional flights: I flew them MNL-HKG-KUL last August. I know on short-haul flights, they got rid of meals altogether and replaced it with a sandwich, while on regional flights I remember they showed the meal options on the IFE.

Coincidentally, CX phasing out meals on short-haul flights caused quite a stir in the Philippines: some people moved their business to PR because they still serve "proper" meals on MNL-HKG.

Quoting qf002 (Reply 20): Agreed, and it doubt it would anything like that expensive. At the scale these airlines are printing the things it's probably only a 50c investment per pax.

the cost varies based on the print run from $0.22 to $0.44, most of them are printed in India, Turkey or China. So the cost of printing the menus is quite moot and does not even come into the equation. It is an added value to whole customer service of the airline at almost zero cost.

Quoting BMI727 (Reply 7): I like the paper menus. A proper menu on cardstock gives a classy impression.

I agree. A paper menu (of the thicker cardstock) sort feels more classy. It's appropriate for First class, and maybe Business class. Going digital in those cabins would be a step backwards.

However,

Quoting YYZAMS (Reply 11): We, as customers, pay for the menus somehow in the cost structure.

Well, of course. But how much more would you be paying for a ..$0.50 (at most) menu?

Quoting YYZAMS (Reply 11): Isn't there an airline out there that hands out smartpads in first that I recently read on here?

I like that idea, but I think the IFE-ordering system a la Virgin America is best for the lower travel classes.

Quoting ghifty (Reply 25): I like that idea, but I think the IFE-ordering system a la Virgin America is best for the lower travel classes.

It is a good idea, but has two issues. First, I've never used it, but I can imagine that some pax would be slightly annoyed at having to pause their entertainment to order food. Yes, people get up out of movies to grab popcorn, but still. Second, I would imagine that such a system would be far less practical if the menu varies a lot. It works great with a buy on board system where there might only be two or three menus based on the time of day or flight length, but having to upload a new electronic menu for each flight, as might be the case with long haul legacy carriers, could be a hassle - or worse if the right menu doesn't get uploaded. Plus IFE systems can be less than reliable sometimes.

I ordered a few items during my Premium Economy class flight on VX, very convenient in my opinion.
The flight attendant lived up to it. He brought the item not long after I ordered via the touch screen.

I do love airlines menus! I've been collecting them for over 15 years now. Got big bunches of them at home.

Many airlines re-use them as I've seen numerous F/As collected the ones left behind after flight
But my experience limited to Business and Economy class, as I'd been only on longhaul First class once.

I hope airlines will and still use the print version of them.
net-hkt

Quoting alsberg (Reply 19): What about people selecting what they want to eat in advance when they book their ticket? Or when they check in for the flight at the airport? Could an efficient system for doing this be developed?.......................Also, wouldn't this save the airline money in the long run because they wouldn't have to load extra meals?

I have been told that EI are hoping to introduce a feature similar to this for next Summer on their shorthaul ops.

At present they have BOB on their shorthaul network. I assume that by allowing the pre-order option they will be able to cut down on the amount of food items they carry over and back just to be thrown out.

In Y it may be a waste to print paper menues if the choice is chicken or beef and there is not much choice on drinks as well.

But in C or F there is no way around proper menues. Otherwise you get the answer oin the question which wine thy have "red and white" and that is usually when I order mineral water. I want to know what kind of food the menue actually offers, the name of the Champagne, the name and source of the wine and of course the name of the vintner.

Printed menus serve great purpose when printed in route specific language if other than english as it can assist the crew to serve passengers when they dont speak a common language.

Not everyone speaks english and understands the terms chicken or beef.

I think UA menus are made with recycled paper.. They are nicely designed but by no means over sized. I don't think anything else would work in F and C internationally. I believe there is a card-like menu on p.s.

Quoting Carfield (Reply 12): Delta and former Northwest, and AA used to have the printed menu service for the Japanese flights, but they are distributed because of language issues.

The former NW menus were also used as order forms for duty-free shopping if one wanted to avail of the service.

[Edited 2011-10-24 05:40:23]

Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 8): Quoting tonystan (Reply 4): Well BA are about to reintroduce them in WTP so there go a few more acres a day of rainforests! What a waste of money (and paper). It takes about 3 seconds for the cabin crew to ask, "Do you want the chicken or the pasta?, which they'll still have to do even with menus. What's the point? They're not going to get more passengers in WTP because they're handed a piece of paper reading "Chicken or Pasta".

Couldnt agree with you more!

Quoting EK773 (Reply 30): Printed menus serve great purpose when printed in route specific language if other than english

I note that EK menus are printed in English and Arabic but that the wine list is only printed in English. Now, does this mean that all Arabic speakers don't drink alcohol or that if they do, they can read English?  

Quoting Quokka (Reply 34): they can read English?

you bet   Not sure however if they get served booze.

Quoting PanHAM (Reply 35): Not sure however if they get served booze.

Sometimes it seems as if EK is deperate to get rid of the stuff. 

Quoting Quokka (Reply 36): Sometimes it seems as if EK is deperate to get rid of the stuff.

No left overs and no waste is ecological and absolutely polictically correct.
  I remember such an EK flight where the champagne bottles dried up.

Quoting alsberg (Reply 19): What about people selecting what they want to eat in advance when they book their ticket?

Maybe more airlines also do it, but I know that at least SQ lets you choose your food at the time of booking, albeit only on selected flights in J. The service is called "Book the Cook", and you can choose anything from Lobster Thermidor to Chicken Rice.

http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/flying-with-us/bookthecooklanding/

  

Quoting alsberg (Reply 19): What about people selecting what they want to eat in advance when they book their ticket? Or when they check in for the flight at the airport? Could an efficient system for doing this be developed? After people have ordered, couldn't the carts just be loaded accordingly? Also, wouldn't this save the airline money in the long run because they wouldn't have to load extra meals?

China Airlines (CI) already does that. And C/F passenger can select his/her entree before hand, whether online check-in or not. Then the passenger's check-in record will show a special meal request - CIML with the corresponding entree selection. The special meal request is in the reservation record so passengers do not need to check in online for that.

Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 8): What a waste of money (and paper). It takes about 3 seconds for the cabin crew to ask, "Do you want the chicken or the pasta?, which they'll still have to do even with menus. What's the point? They're not going to get more passengers in WTP because they're handed a piece of paper reading "Chicken or Pasta".

I assume you are talking about the Y menus? In that case I agree, but not when it comes to premium service. C/F menus also double up as the wine list. In a business where service is the key you want to let your premium passengers know which kind of wine has been hand picked for them. DL has at least 2 red and 2 white wine plus all the spirits, liqueor, beer, etc. for Business Elite. The menu has the labels printed on them and a brief description of each, along with suggested parings. Of course when it comes to Y it's "chicken or beef" and (when provided free) "Red or white (wine)".

I'm a sucker for paper menus. I think they're a nice touch, and a little romantic at that too!
Perhaps a viable solution to reduce waste here would be for airlines to recycle them. Costly my ecologically viable.

I usually keep my menus (for the memories!). Here's the covers and a few pages of a Singapore Airlines menu in J from my previous trip with them, SIN-DPS a year ago.There were 15 pages in it but I'm admittedly too lazy to scan it all

Quoting infinit (Reply 40): Perhaps a viable solution to reduce waste here would be for airlines to recycle them.

Unfortunately that is very difficult, if not outright impossible, to do on international flights.
Even waste has to be in a special container because they have not been cleared through customs yet.
I wonder who's going to declare a few hundred aluminum cans and plastic bottles, along with a couple hundred pounds of paper to "import" for the recycling operations.
Domestic is much easier but there isn't much stuff on domestic flight anymore, as far as menu is concerned.

Quoting bluewhale18210 (Reply 41): Unfortunately that is very difficult, if not outright impossible, to do on international flights. Even waste has to be in a special container because they have not been cleared through customs yet. I wonder who's going to declare a few hundred aluminum cans and plastic bottles, along with a couple hundred pounds of paper to "import" for the recycling operations. Domestic is much easier but there isn't much stuff on domestic flight anymore, as far as menu is concerned.

Gosh.. And I thought it would only be recycling! I never imagined that dynamism. I learn something new!

But if an airline is using a menu for an outbound and inbound trip, using the example in my post of SQ SIN-DPS, DPS-SIN can't they recycle it in their homebase?

Quoting infinit (Reply 40): usually keep my menus (for the memories!). Here's the covers and a few pages of a Singapore Airlines menu in J from my previous trip with them, SIN-DPS a year ago.There were 15 pages in it but I'm admittedly too lazy to scan it all

15 pages for a 3 hour flight in J, usually their regional J at that. What is in those other pages. Took HKG to DPS in J and that had one page for the meal, and another wine menu that had 2 pages.

Quoting Markam (Reply 38): The service is called "Book the Cook", and you can choose anything from Lobster Thermidor to Chicken Rice. http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/flying-with-us/bookthecooklanding/

Thanks for the link , interesting.

I like the Menus in F and J and where there is a varied choice of food/Wines etc.. its nice to have a menu. For Y class where usually its only two choices then I agree its not really needed.

I loved the recent Menu on my A3 flight:


.

.

.


Ive kept them in a folder with some other specially selected menus.

Quoting Markam (Reply 38): SQ lets you choose your food at the time of booking

Quoting bluewhale18210 (Reply 39): China Airlines (CI) already does that. And C/F passenger can select his/her entree before hand, whether online check-in or not. Then the passenger's check-in record will show a special meal request - CIML with the corresponding entree selection. The special meal request is in the reservation record so passengers do not need to check in online for that.

How's this working? For the sake of actually doing something for the environment (saving paper, and wasting less food) I think that if some very smart thinkers could figure out a way to do this, it could eventually be a win-win situation for both the customer and the airline.

China Airlines and EVA Air actually have their first/business class menus posted online - just the entree selections actually, and you have the option to select entrees prior to your flight. There is of course a time limit/frame, and all orders have to be finalizes 48 hours prior to flight. I don't think it has to do with saving the environment, than to target the exact amount of entrees to be loaded. At least both airlines know what is popular and what is not. They also offer a couple entrees that can be ordered online only - like SQ Book the Cook servie, and mostly flights from their Taipei hubs only.

However they still distribute menus because there are last minute travelers and some passengers that are not computer literate and not aware of the programs, not to mention about codeshare flights.

I think online ordering may become possible, but of course BR/CI network is relatively small, and a larger airline like Lufthansa will have issues and the coordination is a tremendous effort, and then you have to be aware of passengers from codeshare flights and not all passengers are savvy like us.

Nonetheless, menus in premium class will continue to exist in various forms, and airlines may even use it for advertisement. The old JAL economy class menus feature a few advertisement. For premium passengers, airlines nowadays like to do joint programs with local restaurants or famous chefs, like United deal with Chef Curtis Stone, Delta with Chef Michelle Bernstein, Lufthansa's joint ventures with many German chefs, and also local restaurants at the destination, Cathay Pacific's continuous joint venture with local restaurants or restaurant group...

But printed menus in economy class are possibly fading out, as more airlines have advanced IFE system, and they can handle the capacity of allowing passengers to access the menu for the flight in different languages, and to access it anytime. With the airlines' revenue hungry behaviors, mid-flight snacks will possibly soon be available for sale in mid-flight, and there might be a channel dedicated to inflight food, and mid-flight snack ordering.

Carfield

Quoting alsberg (Reply 19): What about people selecting what they want to eat in advance when they book their ticket? Or when they check in for the flight at the airport? Could an efficient system for doing this be developed?

NW offered advance-purchase BOB sandwiches and wraps. One had to order the meals between 10 days and 24 hours before departure, and payment (cash) was collected onboard when the sandwiches were served.

After DL and NW merged, they moved over to DL's system.

ANA has their menus in their in-flight magazine and on their IFE system. For a while you could actually order stuff via IFE but they turned that off for some reason... "temporarily", but it's been like 8 months now.

A lot of airlines, including, I think, ANA if I remember right, also hand out a single paper menu before meal service as they run through the cabin, and then take it right back. No waste that way. I think ANA's is laminated for durability. This is actually kind of neat because it's like ordering in a restaurant.

With foreign carriers flying from the US I actually think a paper menu is important, because you can't always easily make yourself understood to the FA's. People forget what they want is actually called, or they don't pronounce it right, or the FA's English just isn't that good. ANA's paper menu literally just has big pictures with letters on them. So you can just point and say "A".

[Edited 2011-10-24 16:38:26]

Quoting ordjoe (Reply 43): 15 pages for a 3 hour flight in J, usually their regional J at that. What is in those other pages. Took HKG to DPS in J and that had one page for the meal, and another wine menu that had 2 pages.

Really? I hope they did cut down on the menu pages. On my SIN-NRT flight 2 years ago I got an equally long menu

The rest of the menu wasn't much anyway, mainly the wine list which took a whooping 5 pages with a writeup of their wine connoisseurs. I thought it was a waste too. I mean I like to get a menu but I don't need a whole booklet! I realised I actually scanned the full menu sometime back. If you're curious to see the other pages were, send me a private message and I'll give you the link to my Image Shack page (wouldn't want to put it on the forum as I have some personal pics in there)

Quoting OA260 (Reply 44): I loved the recent Menu on my A3 flight:

Elegant and concise. That's the way I like it! Thanks for sharing

Quoting Markam (Reply 38): The service is called "Book the Cook", and you can choose anything from Lobster Thermidor to Chicken Rice.

Quoting alsberg (Reply 45): How's this working? For the sake of actually doing something for the environment (saving paper, and wasting less food) I think that if some very smart thinkers could figure out a way to do this, it could eventually be a win-win situation for both the customer and the airline.

Book the Cook gives you a preset list to choose from that doesn't change very often. They don't put the menu for the particular flight up for you to choose from. I think having the latter would make it a lot better

Quoting spacecadet (Reply 48): With foreign carriers flying from the US I actually think a paper menu is important, because you can't always easily make yourself understood to the FA's. People forget what they want is actually called, or they don't pronounce it right, or the FA's English just isn't that good. ANA's paper menu literally just has big pictures with letters on them. So you can just point and say "A".

hmm.. I don't think that would be a valid reason for SQ since English is their first language.. but then again a lot of their FAs these days aren't Singaporean