Singapore Air Offer to Eat on a Grounded Plane Sells Out Almost Immediately

People are desperate to go anywhere, even if it’s just a grounded airplane

Tickets for Singapore Airlines’ restaurant-inside-a-plane pop-up sold out within 30 minutes of reservations opening on Monday, Bloomberg News reports. The airline, which has faced steep losses and layoffs while most flights have been grounded during the pandemic, came up with the potentially lucrative idea to offer meals inside two of its Airbus A380 jumbo jets parked at Changi Airport.

The prospect of eating off a tray table in an enclosed space with a couple hundred fellow passengers/diners was apparently so popular that the airline said it has opened a waitlist and added a dinner option and additional days for the pop-up.

Pricing emulates the difference in plane ticket tiers, with suites costing approximately $472, business class $236, premium economy class $71, and economy class $39. (Frequent flyer miles are accepted as an alternative payment option.) With the ticket, guests will get a meal — with the choice of “signature international” or Peranakan dishes — two alcoholic beverages, a dine-in movie, a souvenir to take home, and for some, the opportunity to tour the world’s largest passenger plane.

Bloomberg reports that half the seats in each aircraft will be used for dining, in accordance with restaurant guidelines for social distancing and limits on group size.

And in other news…

• A downside to outdoor dining taking up sidewalks and streets: all the tables, chairs, servers, bussers, and customers can make already inaccessible spaces even harder to navigate for people who use wheelchairs and mobility devices. [The Counter]
• Some shoppers, fearing a second COVID-19 surge and election-related unrest, are planning to start stockpiling groceries again. [USA Today]
• Young people in the U.S. are just not drinking alcohol all that much, according to a new study. [CNN]
• Pink pineapple is officially for sale. [F&W]
• Tofurky is suing the state of Louisiana over a law that says it can’t use meat terminology to label plant-based versions. [Food Dive]
• In a win for students, families, and advocates, the USDA has extended free school meals through the 2020-2021 school year. [The Counter]
• With PSL season barely in full swing, Starbucks is already selling its at-home holiday drinks through retailers. [Thrillist]
• The “surprising” possible origins of fried chicken. [BBC]
• The latest Playstation 5 reveal comes from … Burger King?? [Twitter]

• All AM Intel Coverage [E]