ICN delays due to catering issue
Jul 1, 2018, 2:43 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: IND
Posts: 2,005
ICN delays due to catering issue
Asiana delayed a number of flights on July 1st due to catering issue. Delayed by 3-5 hours for most longhaul flights for which second meal wasn't loaded for many of them. 12 short-haul flights left without meals - no exception for business class. From this date, Asiana changed catering company temporarily until the end of September and apparently it wasn't ready. This catering issue may not be over soon according to many articles in Korea. Not sure how meal quality will be affected once everything comes back to normal. So heads up.
Jul 2, 2018, 5:54 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: IND
Posts: 2,005
On the second day, 20% of the flights left without meal, mostly short hauls. Delays were minimized and things have improved than the first day. With this pressure, one employee suicided. Very sad day for Asiana.
Didn't know that. Yes, even after all that, KE is still a better airline than OZ.
Didn't know that. Yes, even after all that, KE is still a better airline than OZ.
Jul 2, 2018, 7:18 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: New York
Programs: AA Exp / Marriott Titanium / Hilton Gold / Hyatt Globalist / United Silver
Posts: 958
According to this ??? 1600? ?????···???? ??? '?? ??' : ??? ??
Asiana used to use Lufthansa's LSG Sky Chefs
Feb 2017 - Jan 2018: Asiana agreed to Gate Gourmet Korea (https://www.gategroup.com/en-gb/medi...iana-airlines/) in return for China's Hainan group agreeing to invest 1.6 billion KRW into Asiana's parent company
March 2018: Gate Gourmet Korea's factory burned to the ground due to an accident
March 2018: Asiana signs contract with a small catering company who has a capacity of 3,000 meals a day (vs Asiana's daily consumption of 25,000 meals a day)
June 30 2018: Asiana's contract with LSG Sky Chefs expires
Asiana used to use Lufthansa's LSG Sky Chefs
Feb 2017 - Jan 2018: Asiana agreed to Gate Gourmet Korea (https://www.gategroup.com/en-gb/medi...iana-airlines/) in return for China's Hainan group agreeing to invest 1.6 billion KRW into Asiana's parent company
March 2018: Gate Gourmet Korea's factory burned to the ground due to an accident
March 2018: Asiana signs contract with a small catering company who has a capacity of 3,000 meals a day (vs Asiana's daily consumption of 25,000 meals a day)
June 30 2018: Asiana's contract with LSG Sky Chefs expires
Jul 2, 2018, 7:30 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: HKG SZX
Programs: CX MPC GO, IHG, OZ, NH (no longer UA MP*G thanks to SMJ)(no longer A3 *G due to COVID))
Posts: 620
Jul 3, 2018, 12:37 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Philly
Programs: Pan Am Exec Plat
Posts: 30
I’m on ICN-TAS (7 hour flight) and I was told no meals or food whatsoever on the plane. I was given a 15000 won airport voucher. Pretty sad way to handle what’s already a bad situation, I’m not really sure how much of a meal I can get for 15000krw at ICN. Certainly not enough to replace a 7 hour flight’s worth of catering. Also I guess this is three days now of limited meals bc the checkin agent told me this is affecting a lot of flights.
Jul 3, 2018, 5:08 am
#8
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SYD
Programs: OZ Platinum LifeTime; DL PM; QF Gold; VA Gold; HH Diamond; IHG Diamond
Posts: 1,128
I’m on ICN-TAS (7 hour flight) and I was told no meals or food whatsoever on the plane. I was given a 15000 won airport voucher. Pretty sad way to handle what’s already a bad situation, I’m not really sure how much of a meal I can get for 15000krw at ICN. Certainly not enough to replace a 7 hour flight’s worth of catering. Also I guess this is three days now of limited meals bc the checkin agent told me this is affecting a lot of flights.
That's really poor service for a business passenger...I'm glad I'm not flying for a couple of months. I'd be upset if that's all they offered me in lieu of a meal onboard...
That being said, while it's been a long time since I've paid for a meal in ICN, I think W15,000 will get you a bibimbap, and maybe enough change for a drink too
Jul 3, 2018, 9:13 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: IND
Posts: 2,005
$15 compensation for a biz meal on a 7-hour flight makes no sense. At least OZ came honest and let passengers eat before the flight, though. At the first day, pax waited 3+ hours at the gate without know what was going, only to realize there was no meal after boarding. FA and pilots were told to buy something to eat at the airport. What a mess.
One article says the employees whose boss suicided were crying while busy making meals. It's really painful to imagine some people were in pain and sorrow preparing our meal.
Some blogs picked up the story with more details. Reading comments here and at that blog, I seriously hope OZ didn't compromise safety for money/investments.
https://onemileatatime.boardingarea....a-meal-crisis/
One article says the employees whose boss suicided were crying while busy making meals. It's really painful to imagine some people were in pain and sorrow preparing our meal.
Some blogs picked up the story with more details. Reading comments here and at that blog, I seriously hope OZ didn't compromise safety for money/investments.
https://onemileatatime.boardingarea....a-meal-crisis/
Jul 3, 2018, 9:35 am
#10
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 8
Asiana delayed a number of flights on July 1st due to catering issue. Delayed by 3-5 hours for most longhaul flights for which second meal wasn't loaded for many of them. 12 short-haul flights left without meals - no exception for business class. From this date, Asiana changed catering company temporarily until the end of September and apparently it wasn't ready. This catering issue may not be over soon according to many articles in Korea. Not sure how meal quality will be affected once everything comes back to normal. So heads up.
Jul 3, 2018, 3:44 pm
#12
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 2
Curious what else they are cutting corners on... Seems like they should have left well enough alone, as the existing catering was fine. I read the Korean language press and it seems like the parent company is in a lot of financial difficulty. I fly OZ to ICN often but might need to look at other Star Alliance options.
Jul 3, 2018, 6:30 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: IND
Posts: 2,005
Wow - according to another news article, Asiana forced GA/FA not to announce the meal situation at the first day when passengers could go eat on their own instead of boarding after 3+ hours of waiting only to realize there's no meal. Some GA felt guilty looking at seniors kids babies in hunger at gate who couldn't go eat something to not miss the flight.
Foreign departures are all fine. You won't be hungry.
.. for pre-departure airport meals or future OZ flight or duty free? Just curious. Flight, on the other hand, must have been quite enough for an intensive nap.
.. for pre-departure airport meals or future OZ flight or duty free? Just curious. Flight, on the other hand, must have been quite enough for an intensive nap.
Jul 3, 2018, 9:34 pm
#15
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Left Coast
Posts: 858
Two family members were on OZ 204 (ICN --> LAX) on 6/30, so thankfully we dodged this problem. I was told the grub was pretty good on 6/30.
Typically the public has a short memory, so I wonder how much damage their business will sustain as a result.
