Singapore Airlines restores course-by-course dining network-wide this month

Last month we reported how Singapore Airlines was returning to course-by-course service in First Class and Business Class on its Frankfurt and Munich routes from 7th September 2021, just in time for the new Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) services.

The rollout included both VTL and non-VTL flights in both directions on these routes.

That meant it was SQ328 from Singapore to Munich at 12.30am on 7th September 2021 that first saw the move away from single tray service in its Business Class cabin, followed by SQ326 from Singapore to Frankfurt at 1.55pm the same afternoon, with course-by-course dining in both First Class and Business Class sections.

What’s happened since?

We checked with Singapore Airlines on the subsequent rollout of course-by-course dining in these cabins, and they kindly confirmed to us that all other European routes (non-Germany) followed suit from 14th September 2021, covering flights to and from:

The latest additions

Effective from 1st October 2021, course-by-course service has been expanded to:

That means those flying on services including New York – Singapore (the longest passenger flight in the world) and also on routes such as Singapore – Sydney will have a course-by-course presentation in First Class and Business Class, at least for the most substantial meal served during the journey.

By mid-October, it’s a wrap

Finally from 15th October 2021, SIA confirmed to us that the remainder of the network will also shift across for a consistent course-by-course service on all routes, meaning the following regions will be included:

Single-tray service on regional flights

Regional flights (typically up to four hours, though there are exceptions, like Hong Kong) will continue to have single-tray service in these cabins.

This was already the normal service presentation pre-COVID on these shorter flights.

Inflight menu

Printed menus are now a thing of the past on Singapore Airlines flights, even in First Class, as the airline adopted a digital drive to reduce waste in 2020.

On the plus side, you’ll be able to view a digital menu on board via the in-flight entertainment system or your mobile device, but also online eight days before departure via the airline’s Digital Menu System.

  SIA Digital Menu

This will allow you to see what’s on the menu with plenty of notice, and you can even pre-select your main course through Manage Booking in advance.

Book the Cook

Singapore Airlines currently has four cities on its network offering ‘Book the Cook’, where you can make a selection to replace the main course of your inflight menu up to 24 hours prior to departure time.

Exact selections available on your flight may differ from the full lists shown above, based on time of day and sector length.

With upcoming “fifth freedom” flights between Frankfurt and New York JFK, a route that will be open to fully vaccinated travellers from early November 2021, we also expect to see ‘Book the Cook’ reinstated for those departing New York JFK.

This would benefit not only those flying to (or via) Frankfurt on the reinstated SQ25 each evening, but presumably those on the SQ23 non-stop service, which departs only 2 hours later.

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It’s great to see more normality progressively returning to travel on Singapore Airlines, with course-by-course dining in First and Business Class effective across the airline’s long-haul network from mid-October 2021.

Regional flights will still see single-tray service, but that was the case pre-COVID anyway and is unlikely to change, given the time constraints on these shorter services.

‘Book the Cook’ is now available for flights departing from four cities, and will include the Frankfurt – New York sector once it restarts in November. Hopefully the return portion of that journey departing from New York will also join the list in due course, with further progressive reintroductions.

(Cover Photo: MainlyMiles)