Opposition MP Premila Kumar has criticised the quality of meals served to Fiji Airways economy-class passengers, saying the airline’s award-winning reputation should be reflected in the experience of ordinary travellers.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Kumar questioned why passengers paying thousands of dollars for international travel were being served what she described as inadequate meals.
“It is not good enough, particularly for an award-winning airline,” Kumar said.
She said food played an important role in Fijian culture and questioned the standard of meals offered to passengers.
“In our culture, food plays a very big role. So how can you just serve a sandwich?” she asked.
Kumar said passengers flying on Fiji Airways were not necessarily travelling on a low-cost carrier where limited or no complimentary meals might be expected.
She told Parliament that a return ticket from Nadi to Sydney could cost more than $2,000, while an economy-class return trip between Nadi and Vancouver could cost more than $6,000.
“This is what the people of this country are paying if they have to travel. Yet passengers are served with such poor-quality food,” she said.
Kumar also suggested the airline could consider incorporating more recognisably Fijian food into its onboard offering, including the traditional long loaf.
She said that rather than simply offering a bun, Fiji Airways could explore food options that better reflected Fiji and its culture.
Kumar argued that an airline promoting itself internationally as a world-class and award-winning carrier needed to ensure those standards extended beyond its branding.
“If Fiji Airways wants to promote itself as an award-winning, world-class airline, then that standard must be reflected not only in its branding and awards, but also in the everyday experience of the appropriate percentage sitting in economy class,” she said.
