In Flight Meals - Do you eat them?

[MelUser]

I don't eat after QF LAX departures as I've eaten in the lounge and it can delay sleep.

Otherwise I'll eat

 

[harvyk]

I have been told once customs decide to do a complete bag search, the search cannot be stopped. this can add significant inconvenience and time to a passenger who may be completely innocent. the search can be invasive and humiliating,

I guess it depends whether there is a claim in negligence for an incorrect report from a crew member. but as I say, I have no idea what the law is around this particular area... whether reporting is mandated, or whether it is solely at the discretion of the crew.

do the crew employ profiling? have they been trained? etc. all questions I would need to know the answer to if there is a direction for crew to report their suspicions.

Whilst this should probably be split into it's own thread,

So customs does a bag search, so what? They already pick out people at random for searches, (spending a day overlooking the AQIS / customs line was certainly very enlightening). Pretty much if you want to cross the border and / or take stuff with you across the border you've all but agreed to have any bags searched on re-entry to Australia. Most of the time (despite what you see on "border security"), they find nothing, and then simply welcome the person into the country. Unless my day there was on a quiet day, most travelers who don't already have a bee in their bonnet seemed to take the search as part and parcel of international travel (although I was assured by the AQIS officers that it was a pretty standard day).

I've had bags x-ray'd and searched in the past (ticking yes on one of those questions all but guarantees it), it was no big deal. So I do know what a search is like.

As I already said, customs take each piece of information they receive and then make a judgement call. As far as I know there is no onus on them preforming a search just because they where told about a person (since that in itself could be used as a distraction technique if I did want to sneak something across, make up a few porkies about other pax reducing the likelihood of me getting pulled up).

 

[footy99]

I rarely eat on a domestic Y flight, but I still like the option just in case.

But I never deliberately skip a meal in J. Even when I came straight from a better meal in the Flounge, I'd try something. The few times I've fallen asleep and missed out have left me disappointed, even when it meant getting a better sleep. Something about not taking full advantage of the privilege irks at me.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Whilst this should probably be split into it's own thread,

So customs does a bag search, so what? They already pick out people at random for searches, (spending a day overlooking the AQIS / customs line was certainly very enlightening). Pretty much if you want to cross the border and / or take stuff with you across the border you've all but agreed to have any bags searched on re-entry to Australia. Most of the time (despite what you see on "border security"), they find nothing, and then simply welcome the person into the country. Unless my day there was on a quiet day, most travelers who don't already have a bee in their bonnet seemed to take the search as part and parcel of international travel (although I was assured by the AQIS officers that it was a pretty standard day).

I've had bags x-ray'd and searched in the past (ticking yes on one of those questions all but guarantees it), it was no big deal. So I do know what a search is like.

As I already said, customs take each piece of information they receive and then make a judgement call. As far as I know there is no onus on them preforming a search just because they where told about a person (since that in itself could be used as a distraction technique if I did want to sneak something across, make up a few porkies about other pax reducing the likelihood of me getting pulled up).

You've had a two hour bag search for illicit substances? A search where they might search your phone and computer, and read your personal documents? Even if they find nothing, it might well and truly be considered intrusive.

I would feel more comfortable with a trained enforcement officer making that decision based on some formal criteria other than a crew member having suspicions based possibly on no more than whether a passenger eats a meal (which might be for a whole variety of reasons).

However - without the background to how this works, or what protocols they have in place, it is difficult to reach a conclusion.

 

[mannej]

You've had a two hour bag search for illicit substances? A search where they might search your phone and computer, and read your personal documents? Even if they find nothing, it might well and truly be considered intrusive.

I would feel more comfortable with a trained enforcement officer making that decision based on some formal criteria other than a crew member having suspicions based possibly on no more than whether a passenger eats a meal (which might be for a whole variety of reasons).

However - without the background to how this works, or what protocols they have in place, it is difficult to reach a conclusion.

I still don't get what you are trying to get at. The crew passes on their suspicion, customs and law enforcement act on the information available to deal accordingly.

Without any knowledge of crew training, there are a lot of assumptions as to their level of knowledge on the (very off) topic.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I still don't get what you are trying to get at. The crew passes on their suspicion, customs and law enforcement act on the information available to deal accordingly.

Without any knowledge of crew training, there are a lot of assumptions as to their level of knowledge on the (very off) topic.

The issue is the timing. Unlike a suspicion that may be communicated by members of the community on the ground, and appropriate investigations made before that is acted upon, on an aircraft there is very little time between arrival and processing at customs. A 'we should err on the side of caution and do a full search' may be the decision made without any benefit of an investigation into a passenger's history.

A crew member simply passing the buck for any huge inconvenience they might cause is not really acceptable to me.

 

[harvyk]

The issue is the timing. Unlike a suspicion that may be communicated by members of the community on the ground, and appropriate investigations made before that is acted upon, on an aircraft there is very little time between arrival and processing at customs. A 'we should err on the side of caution and do a full search' may be the decision made without any benefit of an investigation into a passenger's history.

A crew member simply passing the buck for any huge inconvenience they might cause is not really acceptable to me.

But they already make the determination as to your threat level as they watch you walk from the plane to immi and then from immi to the AQIS line. They are looking for anything which might seem out of place, all that a heads up from the crew would do is focus the camera on yourself a little bit more on the walk from the plane to immi. Ultimately customs is making the determination as to how you will be processed. They don't start off with an intensive search, they look for key things in their initial interactions, they listen to what you say and what you don't say and they make the determination from there. Take for example if they where told you didn't eat the meal, they might simply ask you how was the meal on board? If your response was "I couldn't eat it, I'm diabetic" and you where showing no other signs of attempting to smuggle, I'd be pretty confident that you won't be escorted to a little room for the rubber glove treatment and that your experience would be no different than the standard "random search".

Besides, you are making the massive assumption that the crew has not been trained to look for unusual signs.

 

[Warks]

It helps pass the time. And I'm paying for it. And as one poster noted you never know when you might eat next.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

But they already make the determination as to your threat level as they watch you walk from the plane to immi and then from immi to the AQIS line. They are looking for anything which might seem out of place, all that a heads up from the crew would do is focus the camera on yourself a little bit more on the walk from the plane to immi. Ultimately customs is making the determination as to how you will be processed. They don't start off with an intensive search, they look for key things in their initial interactions, they listen to what you say and what you don't say and they make the determination from there. Take for example if they where told you didn't eat the meal, they might simply ask you how was the meal on board? If your response was "I couldn't eat it, I'm diabetic" and you where showing no other signs of attempting to smuggle, I'd be pretty confident that you won't be escorted to a little room for the rubber glove treatment and that your experience would be no different than the standard "random search".

Besides, you are making the massive assumption that the crew has not been trained to look for unusual signs.

your observations may be true for the 'general line' but for 'Line 1' searches it is not the case. A passenger is generally sent down line 1 for one of two reasons... they are either declaring something on which customs duty is payable, or they are in for an intensive search. pretty much once you go down line 1, for the purposes of a search, it must be conducted, and conducted fully.

to state they do not start off with an intensive search from the outset is factually incorrect.

for flights from bangkok (not sure about other destinations), australian officials are on the ground at the boarding gate and can make a determination before you even get on the plane. no conversation, no discussion.

i wouldnt have have a problem if the search was 'let's take a swab of your bag and if it's negative that's it'. but that's not how it works.

 

[EtihadAirways]

Dear Mr. Yssy.

Thanks for sharing, it's good to hear we are able to help you with our anytime dining and hope to see you again with us soon *GW

 

[feezable]

It helps pass the time. And I'm paying for it. And as one poster noted you never know when you might eat next.

So true; a recent example would be our 2 hour wait to clear immigration well after midnight in DPS, followed by the drive to Ubud which meant we arrived at our accommodation at 1.30am. Very thankful that VA provided a meal otherwise it would have been a very long time from eating in the Koru lounge SYD to the fruit bowl in Denpasar.

 

[JohnK]

And there's nothing worse than being on a long haul, so hungry you feel sick, the next meal is hours away and the FA says they've "run out of snacks" despite not having offered any.

Dad and I were starving when we arrived at LAX after a QF flight. We still had LAX-DFW and DFW-YYZ to do that day. Lunch was about half serve. Ran out of snacks shortly after and crew trying to gather up chocolates and lollies. Ran out hot breakfast after first couple of rows and tgey decided to serve from the back first.

Managed to eat some snacks in LAX Flagship Lounge and then found some nuts in DFW Admirals club Lounge.

Which started me thinking about the 'good old days' when airlines served whole fillets of meat rather than the cubed off-cuts we seem to get now. Guess it is cheaper.

In Australia we have a bad habit of handing out important contracts to lowest tender.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Ran out hot breakfast after first couple of rows and tgey decided to serve from the back first.

Now that is something i would expect the CSM to arrange for platinums - first crack at the meal choice, regardless of where they start serving.

 

[Princess Fiona]

If travelling int J or F I will almost always at least try the meals. The F&B are part of the whole experience for me. The only time I won't is if it's a late departure on a short flight as long as I've had something to eat in the lounge prior to boarding.
That's one of the things I really like about the re-timed QF10 flight is that you get proper dinner prior to landing in MEL.
It's fantastic

 

[TomVexille]

In Australia we have a bad habit of handing out important contracts to lowest tender.

That bad habit isn't limited to Australia

 

[ajd]

To provide one data point to this discussion - according to Richard de Crespigny in QF32, aboard his fateful A380 flight "the passenger load was 319 and the meals booked were 310 (some people fall asleep and do not eat)".

Personally I do tend to eat most in-flight meals, though I won't necessarily finish them. This includes the snacks they hand out on QF/VA domestic.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

My first J coming into CHC nearly made my meal want to come up by itself.
SYD to CHC with chicken pieces salad with 2 half eggs, and mayo cream and bacon and crutons... Maggie Beers ice cream.
And water.
Descend was scary.

 

[tuapekastar]

Almost without exception I eat the meals (or at least the bits of them I like). Those exceptions are typically early morning/late evening domestic flights of 1 to 2 hours when all I want to do is close my eyes and try (usually with limited success) to sleep.

 

[JohnK]

Now that is something i would expect the CSM to arrange for platinums - first crack at the meal choice, regardless of where they start serving.

Very poor.

One of the worst flights I have ever had regarding service. IFE also not working properly on dad's or my outlet. Noise was coming through with lots of interference. Changed headphones number of times. Nothing. We were seated in premium economy with economy service.

Sent Qantas feedback about food and IFE. They said Qantas loads 90% hot meals. Yeah right. They did send a voucher for the faulty IFE.

 

[harvyk]

It's interesting that they don't load one meal for every person, I was under the impression that unless you're flying CNA there would always be a meal available for you if you wanted it. It wasn't always going to be first choice, but there would be something.

The only ones I tend to skip is the sandwiches and / or the crackers and cheese snack services. I rarely feel like sandwiches and thus don't tend to eat them, and I don't like cheese. Luckily that tends to be limited to SYD / MEL to CBR flights in the evenings, so I'll have tended to have had something at the QP before leaving / have something when I get home.