Qantas Business Class meals & menus

[I love to travel]

SYD-DFW, 6th July:
Aaah, for the first time since Covid on a proper long haul Qantas International flight and I realised straight away why I missed it so much. Despite all the complaints and whinging, it was an excellent experience from start to finish and dwarfing both SQ and especially JAL which I have used more frequently recently, by a far in my opinion.

My ticket was excellent value being booked on AA paper with the long haul flights codeshare on QF metal. $7200 return to Europe, including stopovers in the US on the return. If prices stay similar (i.e. inflated via Asia but affordable via the US), this will be my preferred route to Europe from now on, especially as I prefer a nice long route like SYD-DFW over the shorter ones, in J or higher of course.

After battling the chaos that Sydney airport was due to “technical issues in Canberra” (check in taking ages due to border control issues and, as ever so often, the e-gates at emigration not working), I had an excellent time in the Flounge though there was a lot of new staff around that clearly needed better training. Spa appointment was offered pro-actively and was as blissful as always and much welcome before the long flight to Dallas. On the airplane, staff was friendly excellent and casually friendly which I personally prefer 10 times over the non genuine bowing on the floor nonsense that Asian airlines tend to offer. Menu the same as posted a little up-thread. Selected the pork and mushroom dumplings followed by the chicken Kiew and then the cheese plate.

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The dumplings were, no exaggeration here, one of the best airplane meals I had in a very long time. Quite spicy with a delicious sauce- perfect. Then the chicken which I found was the perfect follow up with a very different taste pattern. Unlike many chicken dishes, it was the opposite of dry and I very much enjoyed the creamy mash and side of bacon and peas as well.

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And just when I thought that maybe a bit of pro-activity was missing, I got another wine top up and was asked wether I’d like to try some desert wine later. Oh yes I did! And finally, I had the cheese plate which was generous and included very tasty cheeses which felt rather high quality:

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Breakfast was served prior to landing and despite missing the promised avocado (“sorry, no avo was loaded”) was rather tasty and especially the scrambled eggs done very well- actually, I don’t know any order airline that does breakfast quite as well as Qantas does.

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Any negatives? I hate hate HATE how Qantas force closes this stupid electric window blinds (my main reason to really not like the 787) for almost the entire flight and well into daylight in the US, hence generously adding to your Jetlag unnecessarily. I don’t book a window seat to stare at snoring other passengers but rather to have a view. And the snorers who somehow manage to sleep more than 8 hours on an airplane- you’ve been provided eye masks. Nice ones I must add, as are the PJs that Qantas thankfully still provides in Business. And I’d love a hot towel which Qantas seems to think is unnecessary. It’s not at all in my eyes and above all, pouring some hot water on a towel isn’t costing them anything. At. All.

All in all- an excellent flight and clearly a premium product which can compete with pretty much anything out there, maybe with the exception of QR but then again you can avoid the mess that DOH is. Would definitely continue to go out of my way to fly Qantas when possible (and not overly outrageously expensive as it too often is post-Covid).

Did a travel agent book this ticket for you?

 

[BNEFlyer]

Good review until this comment "...the non genuine bowing on the floor nonsense that Asian airlines tend to offer."

 

[Berlin]

Good review until this comment "...the non genuine bowing on the floor nonsense that Asian airlines tend to offer."

That’s a cultural thing I guess and you either like it or you don’t. I just find it non-genuine at best and borderline sexiest at worst (strangely, it’s never the men bowing on the floor, is it).

And I’ve spent half my childhood living in Asia but it’s still not working for me. I also constantly hear comments that US customer service is not “genuine” so I guess this goes both ways, depending on which cultural environment someone grew up in.

 

[Berlin]

So you booked the flights via AA.com? Seems like a great deal.

I found it on American Express travel, actually. And while I usually loath booking through them, this price was just too good and I could use my annual travel credit. Win win.

 

[RooFlyer]

strangely, it’s never the men bowing on the floor, is it).

Well, it's not the females either, is it?

I've just had a bunch of SQ F flights and I honestly can't recall any 'bowing' gestures, beyond maybe a nod off the head as they retreat from the suite.

Ah - are you talking about JAL? In which case I don't think it's really an airline FA thing.

I've always found both male and female SQ and JAL FAs "happy to please", with little evidence that it's through gritted teeth. I don't think you'd last long in that job if your heart wasn't in it.

 

[Berlin]

Well, it's not the females either, is it?

I've just had a bunch of SQ F flights and I honestly can't recall any 'bowing' gestures, beyond maybe a nod off the head as they retreat from the suite.

Ah - are you talking about JAL? In which case I don't think it's really an airline FA thing.

I've always found both male and female SQ and JAL FAs "happy to please", with little evidence that it's through gritted teeth. I don't think you'd last long in that job if your heart wasn't in it.

JAL especially yes, but I had a fair bit of bowing going on at SQ as well and same on Asiana. I just don’t find that it comes across as genuine but once again, that’s probably a cultural thing. But sometimes it’s even outright ourgs and I’m glad it’s getting less, even in Asia.

Actually on JAL specifically and just last year, there were quite a few instances of a gracious young Japanese lady bowing down to some fat old white (male, of course) business traveler , that I seriously felt quite yuckie just watching it. I actually used to know quite a few “Singapore girls” back in the days when this was still much more the norm and the misogyny (and/or post-colonialism) of such moves did not go unnoticed to them themselves either. Only the female ones noticed, needless to say, while the males could not see a problem.

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

/offtopic

From a "Western" perspective, the visual of (especially) younger women bowing seemingly excessively to older Western man might look sexist (I'm guilty of thinking the same myself in some specific situations). I'd also suggest it might be a bit paternalistic to decide that for them on their behalf --- many Asian cultures are patriarchal enough without needing "us" to pathologise their basic social norms for them. And in my years living in Singapore and working across APAC, these social norms are on the whole practised indiscriminately and broadly, by both men and women, and not just to/for Western men. I've been guilty of consciously noticing the dynamic you mentioned more often given some of the trends and dynamics I've come across in Asia, but I also suspect I'm projecting a bit, if not rather ironically being a bit subconsciously self-important as a white man in assuming anything specific is meant by it.

Ultimately: bowing in many cultures has more to do with the person doing it, not the recipient, and any "flattery" a foreign recipient derives from it is likely a misunderstood interpretation. I'd also point out that to much of the world (including virtually all of Europe that isn't the UK/Ireland), there is nothing more artificial or disingenuous than phrases like "how are you?" and even just the general series of questions feigning interest in a stranger for the sake of being "nice" and "appearing" interested and engaged. We may be accustomed here to understand the intention and purpose, but many aren't. Just as we may not be accustomed to the intention and purpose of, e.g., "non-genuine" bowing "nonsense."

/on topic

I cannot comment on my Qantas business class meal last month because they cancelled the flight (pardon "delayed" by nearly 24 hours) and I rerouted on SQ. (The food was good, except there was no satay, and no one bowed).

 

[Brucetiki]

ADL-BNE on a E190 (one of the OG’s Alliance got that hasn’t yet been rebadged QantasLink).

Pre-departure water was provided.

It was a 1:00ish flight, so a lunch service was provided. It was a beautiful chicken dish served in a lovely mushroom sauce (I’m not normally a fan of mushroom sauce but this one was amazing). Served with a stunning sweet potato mash and beans/peas.

It also came with 2 slices of sourdough bread, which were fantastic (though I made the rookie error of not softening up the butter) and a chocolate and coconut bar (which I need to find out where to get more of as it was fabulous).

Served with a nice white wine (which was topped up during the flight), and a cup of coffee later in the flight.

The flight attendant looking after business was one of the best cabin crew members I’ve had the privilege of dealing with. Very friendly and charismatic, and made sure everyone in the cabin was looked after.

 

[Peso]

QF497 SYD-MEL 12/6

No PDBs. Choice was between Grilled Chicken and Cheese Focaccia, Pea and Mint Soup or Cheese Plate. Went with the soup, which was nice and light, perfect after being filled up on my previous flight and the lounge food.

 

[encryptededdy]

Anyone flown QF1/2 recently?

I'm told that the fridge/chiller is broken on one of the A380s (unsure what reg exactly, I think VH-OQK), and therefore the second meal served is degraded (e.g. pastry breakfast only), and the champagne is warm.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

QF155 redeye MEL - AKL wed night.
Veer right if want food that late, for the QFi MEL J lounge.
Left hand side closed for cleaning by 9.15pm.
No pix for the on plane food, as I didn't eat on plane, as I had in the lounge.
But others did on the plane.
Beef pie in paper wrapper.
Chicken and leek soup.
Red and white wine.
PDB was offered, but I didn't partake.
Nodded off after takeoff till about 4.45am NZ time, to fill in IPC.

 

[Bwtt]

QF4 JFK-AKL-SYD

Had the Salmon and General Tso Chicken on the JFK-AKL flight (forgot to take a photo of the breakfast card) - both tasty. Had the quiche on the AKL-SYD flight which was average.

Having headed over on EK, the service and food quality was quite a step on on QF - great at clearing and offering top ups. One of the EK flights I don't think crew even came around offering top ups once.

 

[1022]

Anyone flown QF1/2 recently?

I'm told that the fridge/chiller is broken on one of the A380s (unsure what reg exactly, I think VH-OQK), and therefore the second meal served is degraded (e.g. pastry breakfast only), and the champagne is warm.

I’m flying QF1 in F in a couple of weeks! Fingers crossed for properly chilled champagne!!

 

[CaptJCool]

Here’s J lunch thurs 13th July

Egg & Bacon
(Lois “champagne”)

Here’s dinner Thurs 13th July

I don’t usually prefer mishroom ravioli (served with a Barrats Adelaide hills white)
This was top-notch!

 

[BD1959]

QF1050 MEL-BME 1-JUL-23 ... apologies for the late posting, have been flying (in small planes) around the Kimberley due to many road closures ...

No PDB but a pre-lunch drinks round was offered with numerous top-ups enroute. A choice of 4 mains (I could not believe it!!):
- Chicken Salad (Mrs BD's choice)
- Chicken and Corn Soup
- Pork Scotch Fillet (my choice, given how seldom I've been offered Pork "scotch")
- Beef Masaman (this was a late thought and offered after I'd already chosen the pork)

The pork was quite dry, offset by the liquidity of the "mash". I was offered two slices of bread to "mop up the juices". Cheese was hiding under the bread.

Regards,

BD

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

Did a quick APAC trip to break up my golden triangles. We have all seen the menu so posting some highlights including the lunch dessert which was a dark choc mousse and hazelnut and the pre landing noodle meal. The fish burger didn’t seem popular so opt for noodles pre landing



One slight downside is that hkg Syd no longer has an express dining option. I did this a lot pre Covid and used to get a cheese plate and red wine then sleep. This time I had to press call button to get this after an hour takeoff despite making my intentions clear and the crew taking orders saying they’d get this out asap. The crew did say they should’ve given it quicker but for a 8.5 hour red eye I think an express option would be nice.

 

[Daver6]

MEL to PER Y+ meal on QF9. Forgot to take a picture of the meal. Why waste almost 30k points for a Y to J 737 upgrade when you can get this for under 11k points. Also better seat than the 737 plus better lounges.

 

[hachoo]

Bit of a throwback from May '23 on my last evening domestic J return flight from MEL -> ADL

Not sure if my experience was overall affected by the unannounced delay of about an hour with no communication prior to the flight and everyone standing at the gate for about this long. Was very tempted to return to the lounge for the spice bar but erred on the side of caution with timing.

Offered were chicken soup and some sort of salad. Chose the soup and it came the popular butter and bread with a chocolate pudding. The soup was no better than from a can if not a little saltier than those from. The pudding was very decent and rich.

Most average dinner service I've had in awhile but for a short trip; acceptable.

 

[SYD]

PER-SYD
Aircraft was subbed from A330 to B737 a day or so out… Crew were as disappointed as us but friendly descent service.

PDB of water (still/sparkling) or Juice (Golden Circle apparently)

Mains choices: Barra, Pork and a Mexican sounding Chicken salad?

 

[snabbu]

QF8 DFW-SYD
Standard PDB offerings, took the champagne.
Appologies for the blurry main pic of the steak. While Neil's bbq sauce did help the way overcooked protein I didn't finish it as I was relatively full from the sushi offerings in the lounge.
Highlight was the fried eggs and haloumi ciabatta with baby spinach and spiced tahini dressing for breakfast. Super fresh roll, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside with the tahini dressing perfectly complimenting the haloumi and eggs, delicious.