Qantas Business Class meals & menus

[danielt25]

QF655 Friday 2/12/16 CNS - BNE departing 5:10pm

Options : classic Caesar salad; Lamb meatballs with rice

 

[OATEK]

SYD-MEL Thursday 1/12/16 - Choices for breakfast

1. Fritta - a quiche by another name
2. Prosciutto, tom thumb tomatoes and Avocado salad (very salty prosciutto and guacamole laced heavily with lemon)
3. A big bowl of fresh fruit.

I had #3 which was terrific, after bacon and eggs in the J lounge. MrsOatek had #2 - said it was ghastly.

 

[anat0l]

SYD-MEL Thursday 1/12/16 - Choices for breakfast

1. Fritta - a quiche by another name

I take it you mean frittata?

That said, at least most quiches come with pastry, and ideally do not have the texture of a dry sponge.

 

[chooms]

I can just about understand the supper menu on departure, but to not offer a full hot breakfast for arrival is unacceptable in my opinion.

100 per cent agree. If there was a hot breakfast, I would have been fine. That menu just screams stingy to me, particularly on trans-con J. Maybe it is the J9 D9 I9 loading pre-upgrade period that turned into J0 post-upgrade period that makes QF think they can do this....

/rant

 

[anat0l]

If there was a hot breakfast, I would have been fine.

What would be the absolute minimum for you on that flight for a "hot breakfast"?

Not having a go at you, but I imagine that they have tried to cut back on that flight because of the flight length and timing, and perhaps that not enough people are eating the food (let's not debate whether that's because they don't want to due to timing, or because the menu is not appetising). Of course, that's no statement to say what they are doing is working or good.

Instead of breakfast on board, would you prefer to have breakfast in the lounge instead? I imagine this may not work if you need to speed off as soon as the flight comes to the gate, providing no time to detour to the lounge.

 

[chooms]

What would be the absolute minimum for you on that flight for a "hot breakfast"?

Not having a go at you, but I imagine that they have tried to cut back on that flight because of the flight length and timing, and perhaps that not enough people are eating the food (let's not debate whether that's because they don't want to due to timing, or because the menu is not appetising). Of course, that's no statement to say what they are doing is working or good.

Instead of breakfast on board, would you prefer to have breakfast in the lounge instead? I imagine this may not work if you need to speed off as soon as the flight comes to the gate, providing no time to detour to the lounge.

Are you saying we just pay for the hard product and not the soft product? They market themselves as a full service airline. Don't get me wrong, my day/evening trans-con flights have been great, with good meals, but they should have options for those expecting full service if they are going to advertise them.

Comsider the different options they have available on day flights, why not do the same for red-eye? Even an international J-style order card with preferences?

As as for what I would have, fruit, yes, but usually accompanied with something... not a pie though.

I should also note, I got the Qantas feedback panel survey for my MEL-PER sector, but not the PER-BNE red-eye...

 

[moa999]

I think the red-eye is a vexed question.

My personal preference would be no food service at all and immediate lights out at cruise (much like AA does it), with maybe some simple dishes on demand via call bell.

The red-eyes arrive early enough that you can have a decent proper breakfast at the other end (admittedly I generally think airline hit breakfasts are pretty average)

 

[kermatu]

The order card in advance is a great idea to minimise cabin noise and disturbance. On trans-Tasman J overnight flights I've been offered that for breakfast (ie, wake up or not).

Frankly though for the amount paid on these trans-con red eye flights they surely could offer the advance selection of meal (breakfast) a week in advance.

 

[anat0l]

Are you saying we just pay for the hard product and not the soft product? They market themselves as a full service airline. Don't get me wrong, my day/evening trans-con flights have been great, with good meals, but they should have options for those expecting full service if they are going to advertise them.

Consider the different options they have available on day flights, why not do the same for red-eye? Even an international J-style order card with preferences?

I'm not saying either way what we pay for, though I can say that there are some who just fly for the hard product and some who fly just for the soft product, in spite of the inferiority of the other one. As for what "full service airline" means anymore................

When I mention the cutbacks, I'm only trying to think how they may be thinking, whether that thinking is right or wrong (according to whatever standard). I think it is not difficult to concede that red eyes will have less food consumed overall compared to that on standard day flights.

So what you're saying is that basically they should just carry the same menu on the day flights for supper (in fact, there would be no point calling it supper as the menu would be exactly the same)? I'm not sure whether they should carry the breakfast menu, the all day menu, or mix and match options from both.

But that's why I was asking how could that menu be changed so that the minimum "hot breakfast" standard can be serviced.

I think the red-eye is a vexed question.

My personal preference would be no food service at all and immediate lights out at cruise (much like AA does it), with maybe some simple dishes on demand via call bell.

But how simple? (Or rather, how simple is too simple?)

The red-eyes arrive early enough that you can have a decent proper breakfast at the other end (admittedly I generally think airline hit breakfasts are pretty average)

You mean they arrive late enough? i.e. if a red-eye arrived at 3.30am, would you be agreeable to having a full breakfast then? (I guess that depends on how your normal day schedule looks like and maybe you have breakfast early in the day)

Most red-eyes arrive around 5-6am; that's decent enough for breakfast and would also work for a full breakfast. (A cafe breakfast sounds more like that you would get if you're late to work and in a hurry)

Would you prefer to eat on board or off the aircraft, e.g. in the lounge?

The order card in advance is a great idea to minimise cabin noise and disturbance...

Frankly though for the amount paid on these trans-con red eye flights they surely could offer the advance selection of meal (breakfast) a week in advance.

I think that's a good idea, and that allows a larger selection to be offered as well as minimising wastage (barring those who fail to select an option in advance, change their flight, change their mind on board...)

 

[moa999]

But how simple? (Or rather, how simple is too simple?)

You mean they arrive late enough? i.e. if a red-eye arrived at 3.30am, would you be agreeable to having a full breakfast then? (I guess that depends on how your normal day schedule looks like and maybe you have breakfast early in the day)

Most red-eyes arrive around 5-6am; that's decent enough for breakfast and would also work for a full breakfast. (A cafe breakfast sounds more like that you would get if you're late to work and in a hurry)

Would you prefer to eat on board or off the aircraft, e.g. in the lounge?

no I meant early enough that the vast majority of pax would have time to have breakfast outside the plane before getting on with their day.

My preference is to maximise sleep on red-eye if I am forced to take it. Land at 6am, say in city at 6.45am, good breakfast and lots of coffee at a cafe, in the office by 7.30

If anything is to be served I would prefer it not disturb other pax -- so simple things like a bowl of fruit, muffins etc. Quick, easy and not noisy to prep or serve.

 

[Pleb Status]

QF594 PER-BNE on 02DEC16. Menu posted previously.

A better effort than the other menus on offer at least (but the bar was set very low). FA were aware of the decline in J catering this year when mentioned.

 

[danielt25]

QF798 BNE-CNS 5/12/16 7:10am departure

Poached eggs with ham, spinach /Basil and folded crepe

 

[OATEK]

QF798 BNE-CNS 5/12/16 7:10am departure

Poached eggs with spinach /Basil and folded crepe

Compare that to hot & sour soup, as the only option when they go to me in row 3 (yes the curse of row 3 strikes again) on QF448 MEL-SYD yesterday.

I just had some sourghdough, and looked glum so the CSM gave me a bottle of red to take home to cheer me up.

 

[RichardMEL]

QF690 ADL-MEL:



Lamb pie with peas (and a couple of carrot slices and tangy tomato relish. This was REALLY pretty good and perfect for an ex-ADL flight IMHO (well they could have done a pie floater ?!). FA remarked the "peas were the healthy part" which got a LOL. Only issue was it was lukewarm and could have spent more time in the oven, but on this short flight your choices are limited. J was half full so no issue

other choices were the cheese box and hot and sour soup.

Wine was *NOT* the S+S !!!!!! but a pretty young tasting suav blanc(I forget the label). Alas S+S *was* on MEL-ADL previous day. boo!

 

[danielt25]

Yes, I find Qantas meals (at meal times) quite good flying between Cairns and Brisbane. Plus the menu seems to change often. I do note that if seated in row 3 there's a chance of missing out on first choice.

 

[kermatu]

QF798 BNE-CNS 5/12/16 7:10am departure

Poached eggs with ham, spinach /Basil and folded crepe

View attachment 85278

Looks terrific. I'd love to get this.

 

[Steady]

QF610 7th Dec. Refreshment- smoked salmon
I liked this.

QF836 7th Dec. Meal - beef shin
I liked this. The beef was tender but slightly dry, the veggies were delicious

 

[RichardMEL]

610 is a morning flight.. smoked salmon seems a little odd to me.. but different to the usual toastie offering I guess.

hmm in a week or so I think I'm on 612 so will be interesting to compare.

 

[pyffii]

Travelling on QF 616 to Brisbane next week on a lunch flight and have never had a decent lunch ever on this flight ( travel 5 times a year to Brisbane ) so we always make use of the business lounge in Melbourne by having a substantial brunch which has always been more than satisfactory.

 

[eminere]

610 is a morning flight.. smoked salmon seems a little odd to me.. but different to the usual toastie offering I guess.

Not that there is much of it, going by the photograph. Between that and the bland looking potatoes and leaves it's all a bit sad looking, imo.