Qantas First Class menus

[anat0l]

It would have been a poor choice if you did! EK, SA etc are proper F class. One wonders what QF board members and executives standards are if they put up with the poor QF F experience.

I resent that remark, because it makes me feel like a First Class idiot that I ever even contemplated flying QF F in the first place, like only a complete and utter moron that only a mother could love could even think of making such a mistake.

Not wrong about EK, but SA? Haven't flown with them before, but reports would contradict you on that one.

Problem I see is that QF board probably haven't flown much QF F (maybe QF at all). Suffice to say the cabin service probably goes up a notch when they are on board (lest the heads of the crew be on the chopping block). And I don't see those board members having high demanding standards.

I'm sure most of them wouldn't think many or any people want a snack (or a decent snack) between meals. They probably eat about 80% of the full set of courses available in QF F when they normally sit down for a meal. Most probably don't know good wines even if one hit them smack in the face (the bottle, that is). They don't know why dine on demand is a thing.

In fact, when I last flew QF F myself, I remember two people who basically asked for a drink and then virtually told the FAs to leave them alone (rather dismissively). They worked virtually the entire flight. And no, it wasn't because the menu selection was ****.

Overall, it was really the crew on QF F that sealed the experience, all said and done. QF F may not have the the best aircraft, best seats, the best menu or the best wines (and they may or may not have had some or all of those at any given time in history), but the crew made the experience First...and I'm not suggesting that they were the best First Class crew ever. I liked how QF F crew could give a First Class experience (notice I said "a", not "the": there is more than one acceptablr way to do it) and still feel like you were interacting with real Australian people (notwithstanding the UK crew, of course), not robots, not sycophants and not someone who feels like they have a gun against their temple constantly. QF F crew were the experts in doing so much with whatever (little) they had to work with, and did so well.

Well <expletive> me dead if all those crew are now gone.

So where does that leave the rest of those who actually fly QF F? Because that product is still no where near easy to acquire, either by points or cash.

• Maybe filled with corporates who just don't give two hoots - they're probably not paying for it themselves
• Naive FF wannabes who don't know any better - let them find out the hard way
• Braindead QF zealots who think we should support Aussie - yeah, keep walking off that cliff...

...and I guess from that cross-section, none of them have high standards to speak of. So people, let us welcome our idiots.............

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Who is SA? Swiss Air or Singapore airlines? SA ‘proper’ hasn’t had first class in many many years.

All first classes are different, that’s why there are different airlines! What suits some doesn’t suit others.

 

[RooFlyer]

Not wrong about EK, but SA? Haven't flown with them before, but reports would contradict you on that one.

I dare say TRTMA meant SQ where first class is first class from hard product through to soft and lounges.

Problem I see is that QF board probably haven't flown much QF F (maybe QF at all).

The problem is cost-cutting, pure and simple.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I resent that remark, because it makes me feel like a First Class idiot that I ever even contemplated flying QF F in the first place, like only a complete and utter moron that only a mother could love could even think of making such a mistake.

Not wrong about EK, but SA? Haven't flown with them before, but reports would contradict you on that one.

Not at all. We’ve done 4 QF Fs and it’s exciting to do so. QF F to North America seemed better than to LHR with Australian crew rather than English based crew on LHR flights. English crew couldn’t even cook toast and bacon properly.

But the experience wanes quickly when comparing to other airlines F. Of some 30 EK F flights ( self funded) over 10 years , all have been far above QF. Most very good, some exceptional, a few just good. Never have had to wait more than 12 seconds after pressing call button on EK F. Service generally has also been excellent with quite a few Australian staff and other nationalities.

Simple changes like dine on demand and a proper F class wine and food menus would be a start for QFF to provide a better F experience. Even BA F out of SYD LHR was better than QF.

YMMV.

Post automatically merged: Dec 3, 2023

Who is SA? Swiss Air or Singapore airlines? SA ‘proper’ hasn’t had first class in many many years.

All first classes are different, that’s why there are different airlines! What suits some doesn’t suit others.

auto correct! SQ not SA!

 

[anat0l]

All first classes are different, that’s why there are different airlines! What suits some doesn’t suit others.

Well I'm of the opinion that there is more than one way to First Class.

That doesn't mean that some First Classes are better than others, of which that can vary between person to person (and dare I say it, not even comparable on a single dimension!)

I suppose we're at a point as to whether a First Class experience is actually First Class (or deserves to be called First Class).

As it stands in a free market, if it's called First Class and it sells, well then that's probably First Class then...

 

[eminere]

One wonders what QF board members and executives standards are if they put up with the poor QF F experience.

Do they even fly QF when travelling for leisure?

 

[RooFlyer]

Do they even fly QF when on leisure?

Prolly. A freebie and you could be reasonably confident that they wouldn’t get the average punter's service.

 

[NoName]

A revamp of the wine list plus a caviar service would be good starting points to improving the product IMO.

 

[RooFlyer]

I just checked the one way fares for a random date in April next year. Sydney or Melbourne to Heathrow $12-$17,000. Melbourne to LAX $18,000. 18 freak'n grand one way!

One would hope for that price, you'd get proper caviar, lobster and fine wines! Sort of like I had on SQ from London earlier this year ( for a helluva lot less).

 

[boomy]

I just checked the one way fares for a random date in April next year. Sydney or Melbourne to Heathrow $12-$17,000. Melbourne to LAX $18,000. 18 freak'n grand one way!

One works hope for that price, you'd get proper caviar, lobster and fine wines! Sort of like I had on SQ from London earlier this year ( for a helluva lot less).

QF pax don’t pay to fly F for decent service, caviar and fancy wines. They do it for the points and SCs!

 

[RooFlyer]

QF pax don’t pay to fly F for decent service, caviar and fancy wines. They do it for the points and SCs!

The numerous times I’ve done transPac were via points upgrades from business. So bring on the bloody caviar and decent plonk.

 

[anat0l]

A revamp of the wine list plus a caviar service would be good starting points to improving the product IMO.

I hope they can still feature Australian wines. Surely across this country we must have 6-8 good wines to showcase to the world.

And not just Penfolds Bin series.... or Peter Lehmann...

IMO caviar is nice but no caviar doesn't mean it's not First Class, and there are good First Class services out there that don't have caviar.

I just checked the one way fares for a random date in April next year. Sydney or Melbourne to Heathrow $12-$17,000. Melbourne to LAX $18,000. 18 freak'n grand one way!

So someone is paying that kind of money - who is? Do you want to find them and throttle them?

The argument that it's too much to pay isn't holding up, because someone is still paying that amount, unless there's enough idiots lining up to blow that kind of dough. Obviously someone is also snaffling up all the award seats, too. And some idiots are still handing over points to upgrade into it (no, read: to invest their hope to upgrade into it).

We have people who will pay $8 for bottled water and those who will pay $18k one-way for QF F. Maybe not your preferred end of the gene pool, but there we go.

One would hope for that price, you'd get proper caviar, lobster and fine wines!

Here we have a classic demonstration of capitalism: if one can convince someone to pay an amount for goods or a service, that is an achievement. The less you can offer for the gain of more money, the better you are as a business person.

Which equals more joy for shareholders (obviously not so much for customers).

Lobster would be nice - this country has some fantastic shellfish, including marron, Moreton Bay bugs and lobster. Yes, we tend to send the Chinese the best stuff, and another great deal is snaffled by the five hat restaurants across the country. There are some fantastic Asian and Italian preparations of all of these.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I hope they can still feature Australian wines. Surely across this country we must have 6-8 good wines to showcase to the world.

And not just Penfolds Bin series.... or Peter Lehmann...

IMO caviar is nice but no caviar doesn't mean it's not First Class, and there are good First Class services out there that don't have caviar.

So someone is paying that kind of money - who is? Do you want to find them and throttle them?

The argument that it's too much to pay isn't holding up, because someone is still paying that amount, unless there's enough idiots lining up to blow that kind of dough. Obviously someone is also snaffling up all the award seats, too. And some idiots are still handing over points to upgrade into it (no, read: to invest their hope to upgrade into it).

We have people who will pay $8 for bottled water and those who will pay $18k one-way for QF F. Maybe not your preferred end of the gene pool, but there we go.


Here we have a classic demonstration of capitalism: if one can convince someone to pay an amount for goods or a service, that is an achievement. The less you can offer for the gain of more money, the better you are as a business person.

Which equals more joy for shareholders (obviously not so much for customers).

Lobster would be nice - this country has some fantastic shellfish, including marron, Moreton Bay bugs and lobster. Yes, we tend to send the Chinese the best stuff, and another great deal is snaffled by the five hat restaurants across the country. There are some fantastic Asian and Italian preparations of all of these.

To channel a popular movie “in your dreams”

 

[arrow]

I hope they can still feature Australian wines. Surely across this country we must have 6-8 good wines to showcase to the world.

I think this is precisely the problem. First class should mean the very best. If that means some excellent wines from Bordeaux or Barolo that should be the way.

 

[anat0l]

To channel a popular movie “in your dreams”

Well, what do you do? Give an idea, call it impossible, concede, move on?

I guess QF should just get rid of F then. That'd be easier and stop all the criticism.

But no, they are persisting, even if it is at only about 40% of what they are right now.

I think this is precisely the problem. First class should mean the very best. If that means some excellent wines from Bordeaux or Barolo that should be the way.

"The very best" seems to imply there is only one way to do this.

Why shouldn't an airline represent a culture?

Now maybe you have a very low opinion of Australian wines. Which probably may conflict with some who are not of the opinion that the best wines in the world are from Bordeaux. Some people are admittedly very set in their ways, e.g. several decades ago, no one except the French and Italians knew how to make good wine.

Australia undoubtedly has a non-trivial wine industry and it isn't taken for a joke around the world. Surely there must be some wines in this country that are competitive with some of the best wines from other countries around the world.

This is not to say Australia makes the best wines, period. But why shouldn't it be permissible to showcase the best Australian wines (and is that impossible that they could be competitive against the rest of the world)?

(Some have argued that dollar for dollar, Australian wines are amongst the best in the world)

 

[TheRealTMA]

Why shouldn't an airline represent a culture?

Now maybe you have a very low opinion of Australian wines. Which probably may conflict with some who are not of the opinion that the best wines in the world are from Bordeaux. Some people are admittedly very set in their ways, e.g. several decades ago, no one except the French and Italians knew how to make good wine.

Australia undoubtedly has a non-trivial wine industry and it isn't taken for a joke around the world. Surely there must be some wines in this country that are competitive with some of the best wines from other countries around the world.

This is not to say Australia makes the best wines, period. But why shouldn't it be permissible to showcase the best Australian wines (and is that impossible that they could be competitive against the rest of the world)?

(Some have argued that dollar for dollar, Australian wines are amongst the best in the world)

No, Australian wines are up with the best in the world. It’s just that QF want to serve Penfolds koonunga hill level wines in F instead of the better wines. (Koonunga hill is a nice wine btw.) Just cheap penny pinching for J let alone F. Maybe that does represent the culture of QF, but it’s not the culture of Australian wines showing off the best our country produces.

 

[boomy]

Why shouldn't an airline represent a culture?

Now maybe you have a very low opinion of Australian wines. Which probably may conflict with some who are not of the opinion that the best wines in the world are from Bordeaux. Some people are admittedly very set in their ways, e.g. several decades ago, no one except the French and Italians knew how to make good wine.

Australia undoubtedly has a non-trivial wine industry and it isn't taken for a joke around the world. Surely there must be some wines in this country that are competitive with some of the best wines from other countries around the world.

This is not to say Australia makes the best wines, period. But why shouldn't it be permissible to showcase the best Australian wines (and is that impossible that they could be competitive against the rest of the world)?

(Some have argued that dollar for dollar, Australian wines are amongst the best in the world)

There are great Aussie wines out these and QF used to offer them. Before bloody Perry took over there used to be a wine panel who did great job in sourcing some of the best Aussie wines for F onboard and also for the F lounges. So yea, it can be done but the problem is good wines cost more and why spend more on your most valuable customers when you can save and then give bigger bonuses to your far more valuable board members and CEO…

 

[anat0l]

There are great Aussie wines out these and QF used to offer them. Before bloody Perry took over there used to be a wine panel who did great job in sourcing some of the best Aussie wines for F onboard and also for the F lounges. So yea, it can be done but the problem is good wines cost more and why spend more on your most valuable costumers when you can save and then give bigger bonuses to your far mare valuable board members and CEO…

Geez... maybe AFF should get the contract....

Gotta be more than a fair share of vinophiles here that can provide some insights into the best Australian wines.

 

[Per_Travels]

Geez... maybe AFF should get the contract....

Gotta be more than a fair share of vinophiles here that can provide some insights into the best Australian wines.

Whilst I wouldn't consider myself a vinophile I am partial to a Moss Wood cab sauv and got stuck into a couple of bottles of it last month on a LAX to Syd flight in F (and then slept it off in what is, in my opinion, the best bed in the sky).

I thought this was an excellent wine to serve in F (although I'd be the first to admit that it doesn't compare to some of the stellar wines I've had in EK F in the past)

Was well looked after by an excellent crew as well (food was only fair to middling as others have noted)

 

[RooFlyer]

So someone is paying that kind of money - who is? Do you want to find them and throttle them?

No, it’s more that I feel sorry for them. Spending all that money when there are so many very much superior, much cheaper alternatives.

The argument that it's too much to pay isn't holding up, because someone is still paying that amount,

Mostly corporate executives I would expect ( so not the pax's money), although I do know a few people who used to shell out of their own pocket just because they’re loyal to Qantas and have more money than ... knowledge of the alternatives. that was pre-Covid. Knowing them, they certainly wouldn’t pay today’s prices.

Here we have a classic demonstration of capitalism: if one can convince someone to pay an amount for goods or a service, that is an achievement. The less you can offer for the gain of more money, the better you are as a business person.

Sure, but on this forum, I think we are mostly the consumers, and look at it from the consumer perspective.

Absolutely - Qantas as a business is charging as much as they possibly can because the market will bear it at the moment because as we all know, very high demand and still relatively restricted services. good on them! But as we know, the demand will eventually decrease, Qantas has trashed its brand, so all the best for the future.