Intro
Budget airlines put you in a tough spot with food.
Skip eating and arrive hungry, or pay extra for something that might be terrible?
I decided to test Hong Kong Express’s pre-order meal system on a flight from Seoul to Hong Kong to see if their Japanese chicken option justifies the cost.
Navigating the check-in process with Hong Kong Express was straightforward and efficient but came with a painful lesson about budget airline economics.
I had to pay a steep USD 50 to check my bag, as I’d missed the 48-hour window to add baggage to my online booking. Ouch!
This is the reality of budget airlines, they make their money on extras rather than base fares, and missing deadlines can get expensive quickly.
The check-in process itself was smooth, but that baggage fee sting lasted the entire trip.
Inflight
Hong Kong Express encourages meal pre-ordering by offering 20% savings compared to buying onboard.
For a 3 hour 45 minute flight where you might get hungry, this is worth exploring.
Here’s a look at the inflight menu:
The crew member asked about my preferred meal timing before takeoff, which was a nice personal touch for a low-cost carrier.
What $12 Gets You
Meal service commenced approximately 30 minutes after takeoff, with two carts simultaneously appearing at the front and rear of the cabin.
My Japanese chicken with rice arrived in compact, simple packaging.
Opening the container revealed a decent-sized portion that was better than I expected.
The chicken pieces were surprisingly moist, rather than the dried-out protein you often get with airline reheating.
It wasn’t restaurant quality Japanese food, but it was recognisably Asian in flavour profile.
An extra bottle of water came included, which sounds minor but matters when you’re paying for everything else separately.
Service & Crew
For subsequent services, crew members walked through with handheld menus rather than rolling carts, creating a more personal interaction that felt unexpectedly friendly for budget travel.
During the short flight, they managed three separate services plus duty-free sales while checking on passengers every 30 minutes.
More attention than I’ve gotten on some full-service airlines.
The cabin was undeniably cramped, with the back row practically touching the emergency exit. However, it was clean and well-maintained.
Comparing the crew to Cathay Pacific was interesting.
While Cathay offers more amenities, Hong Kong Express staff showed more consistent energy and friendliness throughout the flight.
Sometimes, enthusiasm can compensate for fewer resources.
Conclusion
At $12 pre-ordered versus $15 onboard, the Japanese chicken meal delivered solid value for budget airline food.
Compared to airport prices in Seoul or Hong Kong, where similar meals cost $15-20, this represented reasonable value.
For flights over three hours, considering the pre-order meal is worthwhile.
The 20% advance purchase discount makes it reasonably priced, and the quality exceeds typical budget airline standards.
Hong Kong Express surprised me with decent food and attentive service.
Sometimes budget airlines work when you expect less and appreciate the effort they actually put in.
