Let's eat, or let's not eat [SAS Catering Discussions]
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: SK Pandion, BA Silver
Posts: 187
Let's eat, or let's not eat [SAS Catering Discussions]
While we're spoiled with two Pandions here this year, I would've absolutely enjoyed upping your anger about being served cold bricks of salmon with the backing of granting you Pandion status.
"Excuse me? I'm Pandion. What is this pile of cold garbage I'm being served?!"

I am being sold a flexible economy ticket.
I get a box that is not great but most of the time I find it ok.
Sometimes i I don't.
Then I ask for a sandwich. Or just some snacks.
For a flexible economy product I think this is just fine.
If I did not, I would fly a different airline.
Long haul (as described elsewhere) I think the business class product (including catering) is amongst the best European carriers.
ScandiGB
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 624
I have never understood the issue many people here have with the food in shorthaul.
I am being sold a flexible economy ticket.
I get a box that is not great but most of the time I find it ok.
Sometimes i I don't.
Then I ask for a sandwich. Or just some snacks.
For a flexible economy product I think this is just fine.
If I did not, I would fly a different airline.
Long haul (as described elsewhere) I think the business class product (including catering) is amongst the best European carriers.
ScandiGB
I am being sold a flexible economy ticket.
I get a box that is not great but most of the time I find it ok.
Sometimes i I don't.
Then I ask for a sandwich. Or just some snacks.
For a flexible economy product I think this is just fine.
If I did not, I would fly a different airline.
Long haul (as described elsewhere) I think the business class product (including catering) is amongst the best European carriers.
ScandiGB
I'm okay with the catering. What I'm absolutely not okay with is the three hours it takes for them to get the show overwith flying US-->Europe. The timing of the afternoon flight is horrible already, should be later.
In any case, no need to keep the cabin totally lit up while serving food in a pace like it was PanAm in the 70s where you came for the food, cigarettes and stewardesses. Some of us just want to get a night's sleep before work (hence the Business in Business Class).
#3
Join Date: Oct 2011
Programs: EuroBonus Diamond, Delta Skymiles 360, BAEC LTG, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 2,605
While we're spoiled with two Pandions here this year, I would've absolutely enjoyed upping your anger about being served cold bricks of salmon with the backing of granting you Pandion status.
"Excuse me? I'm Pandion. What is this pile of cold garbage I'm being served?!"

I get a box that is not great but most of the time I find it ok.
Of course with short-haul you actually have the option to get something normal to eat at the airport but you really shouldn't have to if you did in fact pay for a meal during the flight.
Then I ask for a sandwich. Or just some snacks.
For a flexible economy product I think this is just fine.
If I did not, I would fly a different airline.
Long haul (as described elsewhere) I think the business class product (including catering) is amongst the best European carriers.
#4
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,900
I can't say one good word about the short-haul Plus catering but can live with it. I usually just take a muffin and water or in the evening some chips and a beer instead.
on the other hand I had not one good meal in intercontinental business. Often enough it was okay, never great but more times than I can count horrible bad. Especially ex-CPH. And I have numerous of photos to share picturing those delights...
on no airline I had comparable bad food in J!
on my 10 segments CX last year I had just one time something meaty which tasted weird. The other times it was actual quite nice. Same for my 4 LH J segments.
on the other hand I had not one good meal in intercontinental business. Often enough it was okay, never great but more times than I can count horrible bad. Especially ex-CPH. And I have numerous of photos to share picturing those delights...
on no airline I had comparable bad food in J!
on my 10 segments CX last year I had just one time something meaty which tasted weird. The other times it was actual quite nice. Same for my 4 LH J segments.
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: SK Pandion, BA Silver
Posts: 187
I can't say one good word about the short-haul Plus catering but can live with it. I usually just take a muffin and water or in the evening some chips and a beer instead.
on the other hand I had not one good meal in intercontinental business. Often enough it was okay, never great but more times than I can count horrible bad. Especially ex-CPH. And I have numerous of photos to share picturing those delights...
on no airline I had comparable bad food in J!
on my 10 segments CX last year I had just one time something meaty which tasted weird. The other times it was actual quite nice. Same for my 4 LH J segments.
on the other hand I had not one good meal in intercontinental business. Often enough it was okay, never great but more times than I can count horrible bad. Especially ex-CPH. And I have numerous of photos to share picturing those delights...
on no airline I had comparable bad food in J!
on my 10 segments CX last year I had just one time something meaty which tasted weird. The other times it was actual quite nice. Same for my 4 LH J segments.
The catering I have had long haul with SAS in J has been fine. I agree that Cathay, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Qatar etc are better, but I would chose SAS over LH or BA any day of the week.
#6
Join Date: Oct 2011
Programs: EuroBonus Diamond, Delta Skymiles 360, BAEC LTG, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 2,605
The main issue with the food is that it is catered after Scandinavian food as opposed to international expectations, debated on her countless times. The solution is to include at least one choice in the menu that is accessible for folks not from Scandinavia (no (cold) fish, no black bread, no salad-only meals, no weird roots, no horseradish on everything, no pickles with everything etc.), just like all hotels in the world do with the same continental breakfast option next to some local options.
As my expectations are based on what their competition offers, I don't believe my expectations to be the problem. The local catering that EK and QR offer on their flights from ARN is absolutely great, so it is not like there is no supply. Having had countless people voice the same problems, similar. If I get on a short-haul SK flight, the Danes and Swedes will dive into their ...... meal boxes like there is nothing better in the world whereas the international travelers are sitting there with a blank stare wondering what to do with it. Similar to the 'breakfast' on long-haul flights.
I don't want to have to vote with my wallet for a less convenient itinerary over such a trivial issue to solve. If anything SAS should take this more serious from a food wasting perspective.
As my expectations are based on what their competition offers, I don't believe my expectations to be the problem. The local catering that EK and QR offer on their flights from ARN is absolutely great, so it is not like there is no supply. Having had countless people voice the same problems, similar. If I get on a short-haul SK flight, the Danes and Swedes will dive into their ...... meal boxes like there is nothing better in the world whereas the international travelers are sitting there with a blank stare wondering what to do with it. Similar to the 'breakfast' on long-haul flights.
I don't want to have to vote with my wallet for a less convenient itinerary over such a trivial issue to solve. If anything SAS should take this more serious from a food wasting perspective.
#7
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: CPH, BRU
Programs: LH SEN* (*G), EBG (*G)
Posts: 771
The main issue with the food is that it is catered after Scandinavian food as opposed to international expectations, debated on her countless times. The solution is to include at least one choice in the menu that is accessible for folks not from Scandinavia (no (cold) fish, no black bread, no salad-only meals, no weird roots, no horseradish on everything, no pickles with everything etc.), just like all hotels in the world do with the same continental breakfast option next to some local options.
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: SK Pandion, BA Silver
Posts: 187
You prefer a biscuit or bag of crisps between london and Copenhagen as you get with BA holding a flexible economy ticket to The selection SAS has in Plus? (And soon you only get to purchase M&S sandwiches).
You prefer the KLM wrap to Amsterdam rather than what you get in SAS Plus?
Preference for LH sandwich?
Long haul in business I think SAS is vastly better than BA and LH (don't know KL and OS well), but recognise it is a matter of taste.
I would encourage you to post with pictures of menu and food when it goes wrong for you.
#10
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 624
Let me get this right.
You prefer a biscuit or bag of crisps between london and Copenhagen as you get with BA holding a flexible economy ticket to The selection SAS has in Plus? (And soon you only get to purchase M&S sandwiches).
You prefer the KLM wrap to Amsterdam rather than what you get in SAS Plus?
Preference for LH sandwich?
Long haul in business I think SAS is vastly better than BA and LH (don't know KL and OS well), but recognise it is a matter of taste.
I would encourage you to post with pictures of menu and food when it goes wrong for you.
You prefer a biscuit or bag of crisps between london and Copenhagen as you get with BA holding a flexible economy ticket to The selection SAS has in Plus? (And soon you only get to purchase M&S sandwiches).
You prefer the KLM wrap to Amsterdam rather than what you get in SAS Plus?
Preference for LH sandwich?
Long haul in business I think SAS is vastly better than BA and LH (don't know KL and OS well), but recognise it is a matter of taste.
I would encourage you to post with pictures of menu and food when it goes wrong for you.
Short-haul
I liked when they introduced the Plus concept of get a box of food, pick whatever from the cart on short-haul. I mean, I could always get something I kinda liked. And if not, it's just a short ride anyway.
However, there's truth to the argument that the food is distinctly Swedish-inspired and that you have to have a specific taste to enjoy it. For about 4 months, they would give us the same box of some weird fish with several days old lentils on the side + 2 sliced potatoes. As I'm sitting here typing, I can vividly recall how awful that smell was. At the time, I was flying 4-6 legs a week CPH-LHR and it was the same deal, every time. (I liked the pear cake in the box, so happily took it ... along with a sandwich).
There's so much cold food you can do that's inspiring and delicious - at a pretty low cost. How about a main of full-grain pasta with some good pesto and spicy chicken? Or slices of veal? Simple and delicious.
Add two-three small cheeses for an after-course and have a red wine in the trolley that is specifically selected to pair with the cheese. I mean, it doesn't even really have to. Just telling people you thought of it would spread joy. Change every 3 months to keep the sense of being taken care of going.
Finish with a light dessert. Ingredient-wise that's about the same cost, it just takes a bit of coordination and consumer understanding.
Long-haul
Again, it's okay. My main problem here is how bloody long it takes to serve a few courses. Get the show on the road, FFS.
There are just some incredible disappointments there, too. If you want to do salmon, do it a little more inspired than "here's a brick of frozen salmon and 1 type of lettuce to accompany it".
SK J isn't cheap. I can often fly BA F for the same price (BA F is just a good J, though, so it all evens out). I'd like to see SK command that price premium. Why not aspire to be the transatlantic product from a value-for-money perspective? People do go out of their way for a good experience and this might be how we get SEA and LAX back to the real hub, CPH.
At zero cost, SK could vastly improve their long-haul offering in terms of the soft product. Food is a big part of this. Execution another. The hard product is amazing as is.
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 19,412
Let's eat, or let's not eat. SK catering discussions.
I don't really understand why airlines should not showcase their local flavours. Fly JAL J on the short intra Asia routes and get challenged a bit on the food. It is certainly not your Wagama version of Japanese food, but true Japanese food in all its weirdness (Wagama is anyway a disgrace for Japanese and Asian food)
It is interesting to see what Lucky at OMAAT has to say about SK catering. I don't think there are many who has as broad a base of comparison of inflight catering as he does.
http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2016/07/19/review-sas-business-class-a330/
While not highlighting it, it is clear how long time the service actually takes....
And now it is time to create a food thread on the SK forum and ask the moderators to love the non Pandion related posts to that thread...
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 19,412
Let's eat, or let's not eat. SK catering discussions.
Since catering is a hot topic from time to time, let's have a dedicated thread for the topic. Upload your photos of SK catering here and let's focus the discussions of food, or what is handed out in the name of food here.
#13
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 624
Aww. Was that intentional?

Yeah, we need a food thread. I suggest thread title
"Flying Fish Factory or Classy C-class Cuisine? The SK Food Thread!"
Last edited by FlyerTalker01565; Jan 7, 17 at 8:18 am Reason: Fabulous formatting for friends/foes
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 19,412
#15
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), SAS Diamond (*G)
Posts: 584
I'll start off positively, because it won't stay that way for long 
Here's a delicious C meal NRT-CPH a couple of months ago. Tuna, chicken with rice, then chestnut cake. Good service, absolutely no complaints about the food and a lot better than the food in BA F ex-YYZ last week.

Here's a delicious C meal NRT-CPH a couple of months ago. Tuna, chicken with rice, then chestnut cake. Good service, absolutely no complaints about the food and a lot better than the food in BA F ex-YYZ last week.