May 14, 2018 Romania Europe

Tarom Airlines: Old Planes, Bad Food and a Lack of Training

I’ve been on Tarom airlines in 2016 when visiting Bucharest, and I remember not being impressed. Back on Tarom just because it had a convenient timing from Amsterdam to Beirut. Very old planes, old seats and not enough comfort and pampering for travelers in Business class. You expect the minimum, cleaner seats, a refreshing kit, television screens and an electrical plug to say the least. The bizarre thing is that they have wifi onboard! 

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I was proposed a drink... would you like to drink something? Something might mean everything, anything or nothing so I just ordered water; professional services usually propose champagne.

After takeoff, I was proposed dinner and a drink. Without a menu, the easiest was to order white wine and wait for the food surprises.

A paper table cover, a glass of wine, a glass of sparkling water, a bag of peanuts and a refreshing towel. Dinner followed, a tray with three boxes and a plate of chicken and rice. Cheap food while trying to be gentle; rice mixed with corn, overcooked to the extent of melting. Chewy chicken strips mixed with a brown sauce and a side of a sticky pumpkin. The salad is made of undercooked, crunchy chickpeas with dried tomato slices. Two portions of cheese. Cheesecake in a cup. It’s bizarre that “Dnata,” the official supplier of Dubai Airport accepts to serve such a cheap quality despite the fact that Tarom asked for it. I ended up eating crackers and cheese with the two grapes that come with it. 

Airfi... it’s not internet but your entertainment in the air! That’s interesting. Instead of installing televisions, Tarom introduced Airfi. A wireless system on which you can watch movies, listen to music and read your favorite news. That’s an interesting and innovative system for planes that old.

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Proud to be celebrating sixty years of service, this airline company needs a savior! It needs new management which will buy new planes and introduce better service and better food.

After running around the Airport like crazy to catch the flight and discovering a closed duty-free, I was ready to board my next flight. From Romania to Beirut, the business class was offered champagne and orange juice while we prepared for takeoff. The same small seats, not enough legroom and no electricity plug. Now that I discovered Airfi, I’ll connect for some music.

Same food, exact same food as the one proposed from Amsterdam to Romania. So it seems Dnata is the food supplier of Bucharest Airport and the food is sent from a country to the other on the plane leaving the country. Again, I had cheese and crackers.

An airline that’s below average.




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