Special meal not available on International flight???

[Katie]

I'm hoping this message is an indication of a happier flight on Fri night.

We are on QF3 on Fri SYD-HNL. S fare bucket in Y; points upgrades requested (might as well, I know many would not waste the points on non-SkyBed J flights). We have now gone into the "Your upgrade to Business is waitlisted" stage of MMB. However, in the top portion of our booking, where the special meal request is noted, there is now a comment that this meal is not available on QF3. It's a child's meal for Little Miss.
I'm thinking this might be an indication that our upgrade will clear, and they are not guaranteeing child's meal catering ... am I thinking correctly??

(When we flew HNL-SYD in 2009 and upgraded on points, we had some confusion over Little Miss 2's meal. She had a special meal in Y, but our upgrade was not processed in time for her to have a special meal in J. The FAs forgot about it for the 2nd meal, and she ate my bread roll while they heated her meal. The regular J meals did not appeal to her.)

 

[Katie]

The message is now gone. Earlier today when I went into MMB, our waitlisted upgrade was showing, and Business seats were selectable in the Select Seats process. However when you got to the end of the process, it said the seat selections for that flight could not be confirmed.
Flight stats is now showing J/9 C/9 D/8 I/6

When I looked at the J cabin earlier today, there were 14 selectable/unassigned seats in the cabin. I am preparing myself to travel in the class we paid for.

 

[Katie]

T-23. Mr Katie & I just got a text from QF (he is SG & upgrade request was through his acct). We have our upgrades on QF3 tomorrow. Little Miss's child's meal is not confirmed.

 

[KLN]

she'll be happier with a dose of phergan anyway!.............oopps, sorry a packet of pringles !
got my P's mixed up.
always dodgy with special meals and upgrades. have learnt the hard way it's not worth it unless it's simple like vegetarian. certainly Gluten Free doesn't work. had more upgrades without special meals, than with. have cleared all mention of meals in my details just in case

 

[Simo]

If it was me I would make a quick phone call to confirm the meal request.

 

[elbarto]

Certainly seems like they have plenty of time to cater the special meal. I agree with Simo, call them and confirm it.

 

[Princess Fiona]

T-23. Mr Katie & I just got a text from QF (he is SG & upgrade request was through his acct). We have our upgrades on QF3 tomorrow. Little Miss's child's meal is not confirmed.

Woo-hooo
Let them (Little Miss) eat cake I say
It'll seem like the finest happy meal from that J seat
Another example of the genuinely IMO improved international upgrade experience

 

[Katie]

I'll call in the morning. Will also load up Little Miss's carry on with muesli bars. I'll also try to load her tummy with chippies in the FLounge before the flight ...

 

[Katie]

Woo-hooo
Another example of the genuinely IMO improved international upgrade experience

I was somewhat surprised to see that the improved experience still semed to apply when an SG had requested the upgrade. Either way, happy to be in a nicer seat, even if it's a milennium or whatever, not even a Skybed Mk I.

 

[AVC]

Wouldn't the spec. meal still be in the original (Y) galley? How hard is it to go and get it?

There's gotta be something wrong with the process.

 

[Katie]

Based on our prior experience, worst case is the Y special meal will still be loaded. Also worst case is that the J FAs completely forget about it for the 2nd meal, have to collect it from Y & heat it - leaving child waiting for ~20 mins while adults in J are all eating.
This was my only experience with a child's special meal and a late upgrade (found out at checkin). At Little Miss's age now, if the special meal was forgotten or unavailable, I'd take a chance on a regular J meal.

 

[serfty]

You'll have "DreamTime" seats - while they don't go flat, the recline is pretty good. The PIFE is loop movies/TV.


http://wap.airliners.net/photo/Qant...0225517/&sid=709a43ccaedee63a60a388bfb2cf0cfa

http://wap.airliners.net/photo/Qant...0102270/&sid=709a43ccaedee63a60a388bfb2cf0cfa

http://wap.airliners.net/photo/Qant...1391352/&sid=709a43ccaedee63a60a388bfb2cf0cfa


Flying with Qantas | International Inflight Entertainment

(Economy gets mainscreen only)

 

[Katie]

I forgot to call. In MMB it's no longer saying child's meal not available. Mr Katie checked with the FLounge angels & they assured us all is good. Now, whether Little Miss will eat a plate full of ham & tomato and whatever else is offered ... . good thing she just had chips in the FLounge.

 

[Katie]

Serfty - I have to report, much to my horror, even J was mainscreen only!!!! I most thought we were flying JQ+. The FAs kept saying "this aircraft is so old". I almost had to help the CSM decipher the instructions to work the video so that we could watch the movies (insert shocked smiley here). The CSM also read out details about filling out your green arrivals form & that it's easier to fill out down one side & then the other. OMG. I think we just flew in 1997.
Staff were all great, food & service at 2012 J standards.

 

[serfty]

OMG - were they dream time (1x2x2) or Millenium (2x2x2) seats?

 

[Katie]

Dreamtime, def. 1x2x2 (we had 2A, E & F). Same config as what we flew on QF3/4 in 2009, but worse IFE.

 

[mannej]

How is dreamtime main screen only?

Yes it is not AVOD, but don't the seats have a loop based personal IFE in them?

 

[serfty]

How is dreamtime main screen only?

Yes it is not AVOD, but don't the seats have a loop based personal IFE in them?

There are still projection screen in the Business cabin IIRC.

Maybe the loop was not working - I wonder if Airshow was available.

 

[Katie]

Mr Katie & I poked every possible nook & cranny. There were no PIFEs in J on that plane. No idea of its rego. There were seat controls and radio channel controls, but that was it. Movies were only on the main screens in the ceiling, as in Y.

 

[serfty]

Friday's QF3 was operated by VH-OGS.

If they were there, the PIFE screens stow under a flap on the armrest¹ , you lift them up, out and forward.

See this photo: Photos: Boeing 767-338/ER Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net


¹ Coaster side, not the side with controls.