Happy New Year, AFF'ers
My return from Woy Woy on 30/12:
QF435 SYD-MEL
Gruyere Cheese Toast, Raspberry Coconut Bread, or Fruit salad were the brekky options. I'd had a bite to eat in the SYD lounge so wasn't needing to fill up - so was happy to do the fruit salad. I'll admit the quality of the ingredients was top shelf, so well done on this one.
But I miss the fruit scones and Pepe Saya clotted cream for morning tea...
In the MEL lounge there were ice cream sandwiches handed out after lunch. But the Spice Bar menu was unchanged from last week:
QF775 MEL-PER
90 min engineer delay to our departure.
Beef Tagine, Braised Lamb, or Chicken Salad on offer for dinner.
Went the Lamb. It was tender enough, but the mashed potato that came with it was watery and insipid.
Despite the servicable hard product - I always target the lay-flat flights on the Westbound transcon - it felt like the crew were going through the motions for this one. I was after a coffee and an after dinner drink when the tray was cleared away, but had to ask twice to get the coffee, so have up on the nightcap altogether. When paid seats cost between $2,700 and $3,900 on this leg, it really isn't good enough IMHO.
It's the inconsistency that gets me. Just how good a flight experience customers get apparently comes down to how an individual crew is on the day. Service was by status East bound, by rows Westbound. Personalised greetings to WP's in the cabin East, zero recognition West. Repeat visits by crew asking if extra drinks, snack, whatever were needed Eastbound. Nothing Westbound.
I'm not surprised, anymore. Those "good crew" flights only seem to happen every 2nd trip for me now. It's a shame, because IMHO Qantas' people are what make or break the experience. If they are not being trained to do better, esp. in the J cabin, then those slipping standards end up being reputational.
YMMV, of course.
