'Cheap bakery goods': Malaysia Airlines passengers slam new inflight meals, carrier responds

While on a Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Hong Kong, a passenger was left disappointed with the inflight meal served. 

Business class passenger Marcus Zeng wrote in a Facebook post on Monday (Sept 5) that the food provided "was basically what they have in economy", calling the selection of pastries packed in the box "cheap bakery goods". 

Although Zeng declined the meal, he was still given a box filled with several pastries, a cookie, an apple, peanuts and a bottle of mineral water. 

Zeng chose to consume the lunch he had packed for himself instead, adding that the airline did not have cutlery on board.

To make matters worse, Zeng claimed that his flight had been delayed for 1.5 hours because of catering issues.

"I honestly would have preferred the flight to be on time and given a voucher to get takeaway food from the terminal than to have to wait an hour for some cheap box of crap," he wrote.

Other disgruntled passengers have also come forward to post similar photos of their inflight meal, with one passenger chiming in that his flight had also been delayed for more than five hours.

"They give me Gardenia [bread] I'm happier [sic]," he said.

Bring your own meal?

Malaysia Airlines recently ended its catering service partnership with Brahim's Food Services on Sept 1.

The airline had stated in its FAQ that "passengers may bring their own meals onboard subject to liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) requirements", Malaysia newspaper the New Straits Times reported.

The carrier also added that passengers with special dietary or medical requirements could bring their own meals onboard, and self-heating meals and non-halal meals are strictly prohibited.

This sparked outrage amongst passengers, but an insider later told the New Straits Times that the FAQ was "taken out of context".

"This does not mean that the airline would not provide [in-flight] meals to its passengers. It simply can't do that as the ticket purchased, whether it's one-way or return, includes the pricing for meals onboard the flight," the insider said.

On Sept 6, Malaysia Airlines clarified in their updated FAQ that flights are still providing meals and refreshments, and there is "no need to bring your own meal onboard".

Flights to New Zealand, the Middle East, UK, and Japan remain unaffected by the meal adjustments, while other affected passengers will receive revised meal offerings and pre-packed meals, dependent on their class of travel and flight duration.

Pre-packed meals are primarily offered for shorter routes and consist of components such as bakery items, sweets, biscuits and drinks, while a revised meal structure will be offered on longer flights.

Special meals, Chef-on-Call, meal upgrade, and pre-booked meals are currently unavailable.

ALSO READ: 'Even BreadTalk nicer': Passenger unhappy with 'bread wrapped in plastic' in SIA in-flight meal

lim.kewei@asiaone.com