Qantas domestic economy meals

[willclan]

On a recent flight MEL to CNS, our whole food service in Qantas economy was one chocolate brownie and a drink, a flight of 3hr 20 min.

Now our flight was delayed by 50 min, so we ended up arriving in CNS about 2pm. I understand that meals are not served on flights of less than 3 1/2 hours outside mealtimes, but this is ridiculous for a supposed full service airline.

The thing here is that on both Jetstar and Virgin you can purchase food on board. So in my mind Qantas is fast losing out to the other airlines. Needless to say there was a lot of hungry grumbling people on our aircraft.

 

[sudoer]

Same deal on a recent SYD-CNS flight, only sustenance was a 40g bag of biscuits. Agree that it's ridiculous for a full service airline.

 

[bam71]

Which is why I prefer JQ if I have to fly Y, yesterday BNE MEL QF Y 1415 departure was cheese and crackers, and an orange juice.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

They can blame it on covid and lack of the ability of their catering outsourced provider, not that they would admit it, they are also saving $.
For Y seating, we pay them good money, but they won't spend it on anything too lavish.
VAd only used to hand out small packs of chips, or cheese and dips.
They (QF) would see it as a win win ($ wise) and rubbish disposal wise, and there won't be a change, not unless AJ is sitting in that Y seat, which would never happen.
BYOF is the best, really, for domestic flights, *just like they have on the bins that airports use to store the guide ropes* for back door of plane entry and exit, bring your own food.

 

[TheInsider]

Just like they have on the bins that airports use to store the guide ropes* for back door of plane entry and exit, bring your own food.

Ummm what?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

At ADL, they use these wheelie bins, that are blue coloured like rubbish bins that the council outsourced truck empties each week/fortnight, and printed on the side of them, BFOD, not sure what it means.
But what the airport uses it is to keep the wire bunting guide tidy when there is no plane at the gate.

 

[flyingfan]

At ADL, they use these wheelie bins, that are blue coloured like rubbish bins that the council outsourced truck empties each week/fortnight, and printed on the side of them, BFOD, not sure what it means.

That’s FOD - Foreign Object Debris - a warning to minimise rubbish and parts on the tarmac which might get ingested into critical equipment like aircraft engines.

 

[sudoer]

BFOD, not sure what it means.

That's the bargain bin where you can find the Best Fares Of the Day. Things are done a little different in ADL.

Ummm what?

Trying to understand is futile. Just read and giggle.

 

[blaz]

This is an accountant's issue and it is all about money and nothing to do with the quality of the service and does no long term favours to Qantas. People pay a premium for a Qantas flight and their expectations are higher. A decent sandwich or gourmet pie that uses a bit of imagination costs very little actually but makes the journey that much more pleasant.

 

[trooper]

Against the flow here...but... recently flew my first QF flight in a while.... DRW-SYD. Was actually impressed (and a bit surprised TBH) to get a hot, simple (Pork sausages/peas/mash) and reasonably edible meal. (Flew UP to DRW on VA in Business and was only offered the dreaded warm "Mushroom and farrow" salad dish... so the contrast was particularly noticeable )

 

[Xrayspice]

I remember when flying to Melbourne would be a whole tray of food. Recently I got a warm frittata and an orange juice. No tray or cutlery to clean, making it much easier for the staff.

 

[RichardMEL]

CNS seems to be treated a bit strangely depending on flight departure time. eg the mid morning MEL/SYD-CNS flights seem to get little in Y (and J - as in I got a glorified toastie in J) but the return sectors, nominally at lunchtime get a substantial meal in J, and from what I heard Y got something hot and decent too (I don't remember what it was, but remember hearing the announcement a couple of weeks ago on CNS-MEL/703 and sounded like an actual if not full meal, at least more than a brownie and seemed to be some sort of hot option. I guess this is the old thinking of "refreshment" vs "lunch" type services that used to be a thing, but I had thought had gone the way of tray service in Y.

I can't speak for other mid haul flights like DRW or TSV for example, but I've experienced this kind of thing specifically on CNS sectors a few times.

 

[SJF211]

In my experience, with the exception of Adelaide when it was run by alliance, DRW to other major capitals gets a proper, and usually decent meal. Pre COVID the red eyes only got a snack but now they too get a full dinner before bed.

Against the flow here...but... recently flew my first QF flight in a while.... DRW-SYD. Was actually impressed (and a bit surprised TBH) to get a hot, simple (Pork sausages/peas/mash) and reasonably edible meal. (Flew UP to DRW on VA in Business and was only offered the dreaded warm "Mushroom and farrow" salad dish... so the contrast was particularly noticeable )

The bangers and mash is my favourite Y meal on the current rotation. It usually looks a lot better then the slop they serve in J too.

 

[Lynda2475]

Pre covid there was always a hot meal on city-flyer flights i.e flights between capital cities departing between 5pm and 7pm plus a lindt ball.

SYD-ADL (6:40pm flight albeit delayed over an hour) got 3 tiny arancini balls (about the diameter of a 20 cent piece) with no dipping sauce and no chocolate). Had there been any hot option in the QPub beforehand i wouldnt have minded, but only option was a self made toastie. SYD domestic seems to be the only Qpub without a hot option, in MEL there is usually pasta or soup.

Return lunch time flight was a chicken sandwich where the chicken was partly frozen. Was less fussed as ADL QPub at leats had hot potatoes with bolognaise sauce.

 

[significance]

I had the same experience on the Melbourne to Townsville service on Sunday. The flight was scheduled to board at 11:40 and arrive around 15:00, so anyone who didn’t know what to expect was relying on the food service to be lunch. All we got for lunch was a choc chunk cookie and a single beverage service. I arrived hungry, over-sugared, grumpy and dehydrated. Is a sandwich really that much harder at meal-time than a cookie? Or failing a sandwich, at least some cheese and crackers, which might pass for a meal in a pinch? To add insult, the flight arrived 20 minutes late. Might as well have flown Jetstar.

 

[rikkitikkitavi]

First time I’ve heard of someone being keen to eat QF Y food , but you’d think they might have thrown in cheese and crackers if peole wanted them, given it’s almsot 3.5hrs. Did they refuse requests for extra drinks? If I’m flying Y I either eat before take off or bring a sandwich etc, no need to enjoy the full battery hen experience…

 

[significance]

First time I’ve heard of someone being keen to eat QF Y food , but you’d think they might have thrown in cheese and crackers if peole wanted them, given it’s almsot 3.5hrs. Did they refuse requests for extra drinks? If I’m flying Y I either eat before take off or bring a sandwich etc, no need to enjoy the full battery hen experience…

I deliberately avoided snacking in the lounge before the flight, as I prefer to eat at lunch time rather than before lunch, and I prefer to eat on the flight and work in the lounge while I have more space. No, they didn’t refuse requests for extra drinks (and I noticed some people did ask), but a lot of us don’t like to bother the staff with individual requests for extra service.

 

[Ade]

BYOF is the best, really, for domestic flights,

Definitely a good idea for domestic flights.

Frequenting SYD, MEL from CBR, I have noticed that my personal need to have a meal, per say, on the flight is very minimal. However, depending on whether one had the chance to grab something to eat at the lounge beforehand or even had access to a lounge determines the need to have something to eat.

I always have something to eat in the lounge, so I'm very contented with the pretzels & almond or the cheese/crackers that QF caters in Y.

That being said, one one occasion CBR-MEL, everyone in Y was served arancini balls (3 flavours - pea, mushroom & parmesan or spinach). That was really good.

Re : BOYF - I do this sometimes on international flights due to religious reasons.

 

[rikkitikkitavi]

I deliberately avoided snacking in the lounge before the flight, as I prefer to eat at lunch time rather than before lunch, and I prefer to eat on the flight and work in the lounge while I have more space. No, they didn’t refuse requests for extra drinks (and I noticed some people did ask), but a lot of us don’t like to bother the staff with individual requests for extra service.

I deliberately avoided snacking in the lounge before the flight, as I prefer to eat at lunch time rather than before lunch, and I prefer to eat on the flight and work in the lounge while I have more space. No, they didn’t refuse requests for extra drinks (and I noticed some people did ask), but a lot of us don’t like to bother the staff with individual requests for extra service.

Well if you’re thirsty and paid for a “premium” flight… I’m not sure what other more important duties they have, I assume they weren’t employing silver service to distribute the brownies.

 

[RichardMEL]

Definitely a good idea for domestic flights.

Frequenting SYD, MEL from CBR, I have noticed that my personal need to have a meal, per say, on the flight is very minimal. However, depending on whether one had the chance to grab something to eat at the lounge beforehand or even had access to a lounge determines the need to have something to eat.

I always have something to eat in the lounge, so I'm very contented with the pretzels & almond or the cheese/crackers that QF caters in Y.

That being said, one one occasion CBR-MEL, everyone in Y was served arancini balls (3 flavours - pea, mushroom & parmesan or spinach). That was really good.

Re : BOYF - I do this sometimes on international flights due to religious reasons.

All makes sense, and personally I could care less about your shorter sectors like MEL-ADL/CBR/SYD and the like, because they're an hour or so in the air and you're there before you know it... but for longer sectors like MEL/SYD-TSV/CNS (as example) you'd think both cabins would get better (but again as per earlier post oddly the returns ex QLD have had far better options in my experience).

I feel not even getting a second drink service in Y on a 3+ hour flight is pretty stingy . Aircraft cabins dehydrate so it's important to be able to get drinks. I'm sure you can request ojne via the call bell, but still....