Emirates is taking its turn. Following in the footsteps of Singapore Airlines, Air France, Swiss, Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways and Qantas, the Dubai-based airline is launching its meal pre-order service. This is a test period for this new service. it is only available on flights between Dubai and the three London airports of Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted. And only in business class.
Customers can pre-select their main hot meal between 14 days and 24 hours before their flight.. This initiative offers two advantages. For passengers, it guarantees that they get the dish they want. For the airline, it's a way of avoiding food waste by preparing only the dish that's needed.
Emirates points out that pre-ordering also helps to improve time management and offer passengers a much more comprehensive level of menu information. Meal pre-ordering adds to integration of AI-based customer preference tracking data and cabin crew reports.
All these elements make it easier to plan menus and optimise food loading to offer a first-rate in-flight catering experience, the "restaurant in the sky".
Up to 14 days before a flight, passengers will be able to consult the in-flight menu on Emirates.com or on the Emirates app. and choose from a selection of regionally inspired dishes using locally sourced ingredients. Passengers can also pre-order special meals if necessary.
While London is the preferred destination for the time being, Emirates is already planning onextend the meal pre-ordering initiative to other routes and classes in the near future. But only after consulting and analysing customer feedback during the initial roll-out phase.
