Malaysia Airlines Has A Serious Catering Mess

While airlines sometimes transpiration catering contracts, the transition is usually fairly seamless as far as passengers are concerned. Well, that’s most definitely not the specimen at Malaysia Airlines at the moment…

Malaysia Airlines drops catering company, scrambles to find new one

As of September 1, 2023, Malaysia Airlines has ended its 26-year try-on with Brahim’s Supplies Services in Kuala Lumpur, which has historically been used as the carrier’s primary catering provider. The two companies reportedly couldn’t come to an try-on over some clauses in a new contract, leading Malaysia Airlines to dump the catering supplier.

While catering contracts do sometimes transpiration over time, airlines usually find new suppliers surpassing the existing contract ends, so that the impact on customers is minimal. Well, that’s not the specimen at Malaysia Airlines. For whatever reason, the airline didn’t plan this well, and the transition is proving to be a mess.

Malaysia Airlines has “initiated a robust merchantry continuity plan to provide volitional supplies and instillation options while urgently exploring a new service provider that aligns with our unwavering transferral to delivering premium consumer experiences.” That’s right, the visitor is now working on finding a new supplier, without the previous contract was terminated. Ouch.

What does this midpoint for Malaysia Airlines passengers?

Why should passengers superintendency well-nigh Malaysia Airlines’ catering changes? Malaysia Airlines is asking passengers to update their contact details, as the airline will notify customers in whop on flights impacted by this. Here are some of the major implications:

• Many passengers will be offered pre-packaged meals rather than fresh meals, depending on the matriculation of service and elapsing of the flight
• Malaysia Airlines isn’t worldly-wise to offer special meals or pre-booked meals during this transition
• The airline states that it hopes to introduce new inflight meals in the coming months, so this isn’t just a lapse of a few days
• Passengers are encouraged to bring their own meals during this transition
• There are reports of the airline serving economy meals in merchantry matriculation on some flights, and of flights stuff elapsed due to poor coordination between the airline and the temporary catering providers

I love how the airline publishes commonly asked questions, but then doesn’t unquestionably wordplay the questions that it asks itself. For example, the airline asks itself a unconfined question well-nigh why the airline didn’t sublease a new catering visitor sooner, only to then not wordplay the question:

Why did Malaysia Airlines not proactively sublease a new in-flight caterer sooner?

To ensure minimal inconvenience to your repletion and overall journey, we have initiated a robust merchantry continuity plan constructive from 1 September 2023 to provide volitional supplies and instillation options while urgently exploring a new service provider that aligns with our unwavering transferral to delivering premium consumer experiences.

Please rest unpreventable that our defended team is wholeheartedly focused on enhancing our offerings, and we genuinely fathom your understanding and patience throughout this process.

Bottom line

Malaysia Airlines cut ties with its long term catering provider in Kuala Lumpur as of September 1, though failed to have a plan in place for the transition. While the airline states that things will get when to normal in the coming months, in the meantime catering on many flights is proving to be problematic.

Malaysia Airlines is loading pre-packaged meals on some flights, isn’t worldly-wise to unbend special meal requests, and just often has much poorer catering quality than before.

While we’re not fully privy to what happened in the background, an airline should be worldly-wise to do largest than this.

What do you make of this Malaysia Airlines catering transition?