Cathay’s in-flight dining partnerships: Can they drive ticket sales in the long run?

To cope with a huge demand for exceptional in-flight dining experience, airline companies across the globe have been diversifying their in-flight dining options to open up consumers’ wallets. Be it a cup of coffee from Starbucks, or local culinary delights paired with a glass of champagne, passengers are now spoilt with exclusive dining choices no matter if they embark on a short or long-haul flight.  

For instance, Hong Kong’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific previously formed menu and dining partnerships with local and international culinary brands such as Pirata Group, VEDA by Ovolo, Duddell's, amongst others, to elevate consumers’ inflight dining experiences.  

A spokesperson from Cathay Pacific told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that while its commitment to service was centred on bringing customers quality dining experiences, the dining partnerships aim to further enhance its food and beverage offerings and provide customers with a remarkable dining experience.

“Through meticulous collaboration with our partners, we strive to provide exceptional brand aligned inflight and lounge dining experiences with options that cater to individual needs and preferences,” the spokesperson added.

In fact, Cathay has the opportunity to truly impress the unique flavour of the city to all passengers, while food is a crucial part of that, said Ambrish Chaudhry, head of strategy, South East Asia, Design Bridge and Partners. 

Don't miss: Cathay Pacific and Pirata team up to bring a taste of Italy to the skies 

This is also coupled with the fact that the global inflight catering service market size is projected to reach multimillion figures by 2032, according to the global "Inflight Catering Service Market" report, showing a significant demand for inflight dining services. 

Can these dining partnerships drive ticket sales? 

Cathay Pacific's strategic partnership addresses the deep-rooted love affair with food among HongKongers, as they actively seek out the latest viral dishes and eateries in a way unique to the city, according to Adrian Li, strategy director, Greater China, Sedgwick Richardson. 

The sales impact of Cathay's dining partnerships is expected to impact primarily in first and business-class cabins with Michelin-starred partners such as Duddell’s, Li said. However, commendably, enhancements have also been made in economy and premium economy with Pirata and Veda, catering to a more price-sensitive audience. 

“Building a narrative around a unique ‘must-try’ experience is likely to pique interest and make it a more lucrative opportunity for Cathay,” he said. 

On the other hand, Virginia Ngai, associate partner, Prophet, said that while Cathay’s in-flight dining partnerships are good talking points for PR and promotional content, they won’t be the core reason why consumers choose the airline.  

“To drive uncommon growth, rich with possibilities that reflect what the world needs now and anticipate what people need tomorrow, a holistic customer experience approach is needed.”  

To focus only on in-flight dining partnerships as a selling point is a miss and nothing new, according to Ngai. “Singapore Airlines has had the ‘Book the Cook’ concept targeting the affluent segment for decades. For seasoned travellers, this feels like Cathay trying to catch up to win customers and drive sales more than innovate and truly attend to their unmet needs,” she added. 

True enough, passengers' decisions between airlines were often influenced more significantly by factors beyond dining, said Jacopo Pesavanto, CEO, Branding Records.  “For some passengers, especially frequent and business travellers, the timing, efficiency and responsiveness of the airline's customer services play a paramount role,” he said. 

What more can be done?

The most cost-effective way to enhance in-flight experiences in the long term will be through partnerships, which Cathay has already begun, according to Sagar Paranjpe, managing director, Bonsey Jaden.  

“The consumers have become very price-conscious. They are willing to compromise on certain things if they don't have to pay a premium, this also means that they are cautious about paying additional for value-added services,” he added. 

While in-flight is undeniably an important part of the customer experience, it is not enough for Cathay to address its customer experience in its entirety, according to Prophet’s Ngai. “With Cathay’s recent reputational hits ranging from discrimination claims against passengers to frequent flight cancellations, a partnership with a top chef for a meal means little to customers.”  

Don't miss: Cathay Pacific’s brand sentiments plummet following mass flight cancellations 

Cathay should do some soul searching and identify what makes it truly unique and embrace its heritage as Hong Kong’s flagship career and truly East-meets-West legacy, Ngai added. 

Meanwhile, customisation, sustainability and desire for entertainment/ fun are all top consumer trends that can be tapped into to elevate the experience, said Lulu Raghavan, vice president, APAC, Landor. 

“Cathay should reimagine its omnichannel flyer journey to take an inventory of the physical, digital and human touchpoints that were in its control to create extraordinary experiences for its customers based on what matters most to them today,” Raghavan said. 

In fact, Cathay’s sustainability efforts have been demonstrated by initiatives including a "Fly Greener" carbon offset programme for passengers, the development and use of biofuels with a target to use 10% sustainable aviation fuel by 2030, and a shifting of onboard menus and packaging to sustainable ingredients. 

“If Cathay were to achieve this, it would certainly be the first in a commercial aviation industry that will only continue to advance,” Sedgwick’s Li added. 

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