This Asian Airline Plans to Open a Fast Food Restaurant Serving Its Inflight Menu
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
This might be a first. AirAsia’s CEO is planning to open a fast food restaurant featuring the Malaysian airline’s onboard menu.
“Our food is fantastic,” said Tony Fernandes, Air Asia Group’s CEO, on Larry King Now last Friday. “We believe in it so much that we’re going to start a fast-food restaurant out of it. It’s called Santan.”
Santan, which translates to ‘coconut milk’ in Malay, is the name AirAsia’s inflight menu.
The food choices stem from data the airlines collected from around 400 million passengers, featuring a variety of dishes ranging from local favorites such as chicken tikka masala with garlic naan, spiral pasta with chicken sausage, Bukhara chicken biryani and plenty more.
TPG contributor Richard Kerr, who flew AirAsia back in 2015, enjoyed his inflight meal (which was the now-discontinued nasi lemak, a Malaysian dish of spicy chicken served with coconut rice) and said that while his inflight meal of the Malaysian national dish didn’t earn any points on presentation, he “was happily surprised by its taste,” and he was “impressed by AirAsia X’s extensive in-flight menu.”
While it’s most likely the Santan eatery will open in its home country of Malaysia first, further details on when this restaurant will be opening or where have not yet been released. TPG did not receive a response to a request for comment from AirAsia, but according to Skift, an AirAsia spokesperson said that there will be an announcement about it soon.
Featured image by MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty Images.
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months of card membership. Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership.
With Status Boost™, earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to two times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X Miles at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply.
- Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.
- Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at US restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership.
- Accelerate your path to Medallion Status, with Status Boost®. Plus, in 2021 you can earn even more bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) to help you reach Medallion Status.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. *Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®.
- Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.