Qantas introduces complimentary alcohol for economy passengers on all flights

[henrus]

As others have pointed out... even at airplane prices a cheap $49 Virgin or Rex fare from MEL to SYD with a few buy on board drinks will most likely come out cheaper than Qantas.

with my special 'tea' (red or white) and a couple of plastic tea mugs

even better... gin and tonic in regular Mt Franklin water bottles.

Do they apply in NZ?

NZ domestic is the same as us with no liquids restrictions. In fact on all Air NZ non-jet flights including bigger routes like WLG-CHC or CHC-ZQN when operated by an ATR there is no screening at all.

 

[Daver6]

So does this mean QF has sorted out spirits in J yet?

 

[Melburnian1]

Wow, that’s great news.

It was always thought it was weird that you had to pay in cash - so backwards. I’m guessing Qantas did the sums and it was cheaper to just give it away rather that get EFPOS machines.

They never had change and you can’t be handling cash during covid.

Why can't one still handle cash? Plenty of businesses still do. Others have used COVID-19 as 'the excuse' to try to get rid of cash, which is more to do with the cost of handling it as you say in your first paragraph.

We don't know if anyone has contracted the coronavirus in Oz from so doing (although from my reading no one has ever been said to have done so), but I'd suggest if any, a very small number in Australia, given there's so little 'community transmission'.

Overreaction is the flavour of the day.

 

[Hvr]

Others have used COVID-19 as 'the excuse' to try to get rid of cash,

As has been said before, 'never waste a good crisis'.

 

[justinbrett]

Why can't one still handle cash? Plenty of businesses still do. Others have used COVID-19 as 'the excuse' to try to get rid of cash, which is more to do with the cost of handling it as you say in your first paragraph.

We don't know if anyone has contracted the coronavirus in Oz from so doing (although from my reading no one has ever been said to have done so), but I'd suggest if any, a very small number in Australia, given there's so little 'community transmission'.

Overreaction is the flavour of the day.

Of all the covid knee-jerks Qantas has done, stopping cash payment for booze and handing it out free is not one I’ll complain about.

 

[AIRwin]

Of all the covid knee-jerks Qantas has done, stopping cash payment for booze and handing it out free is not one I’ll complain about.

Let's drink to this enhancement!

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

NZ domestic is the same as us with no liquids restrictions. In fact on all Air NZ non-jet flights including bigger routes like WLG-CHC or CHC-ZQN when operated by an ATR there is no screening at all.

This is no longer true for A320 flights from most airports. With the new body scanner machines it is now no liquids through screening. Applies AKL, WLG, CHC. Doesn't apply ZQN. Unsure for DUD & IVC.

 

[henrus]

This is no longer true for A320 flights from most airports. With the new body scanner machines it is now no liquids through screening. Applies AKL, WLG, CHC. Doesn't apply ZQN. Unsure for DUD & IVC.

I was under the impression it was just no open drinks, there had been some talk about this on FlyerTalk last month:

Liquids and gels on domestic flights - FlyerTalk Forums

Air New Zealand | Air Points - Liquids and gels on domestic flights - I noted we cannot take liquids and gels on domestic flights from Wellington (to Auckland). is this going to apply to all domestic flights ?

www.flyertalk.com

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

I was under the impression it was just no open drinks, there had been some talk about this on FlyerTalk last month:

Liquids and gels on domestic flights - FlyerTalk Forums

Air New Zealand | Air Points - Liquids and gels on domestic flights - I noted we cannot take liquids and gels on domestic flights from Wellington (to Auckland). is this going to apply to all domestic flights ?

www.flyertalk.com

I've seen closed bottles being removed as well although not consistently.

 

[justinbrett]

@AFF Editor your article is incorrect - Jetstar have been offering their Buy onboard Menu on all routes since October 2020. You might not be able to prepurchase but you can order and pay by credit card as normal. The dark days of banana bread and muffins are behind us thankfully.

 

[1022]

Has Qantas given a date this new f&b policy kicks in? BNK-SYD on mainline yesterday afternoon was still a very singular liquid offering in Y of still water to accompany the little cracker and salsa snack. Recent Q’link flights have had greater hot and cold drink choice, including booze later in the day.

 

[AFF Editor]

@AFF Editor your article is incorrect - Jetstar have been offering their Buy onboard Menu on all routes since October 2020. You might not be able to prepurchase but you can order and pay by credit card as normal. The dark days of banana bread and muffins are behind us thankfully.

Thanks for letting me know, I've updated this.

Has Qantas given a date this new f&b policy kicks in? BNK-SYD on mainline yesterday afternoon was still a very singular liquid offering in Y of still water to accompany the little cracker and salsa snack. Recent Q’link flights have had greater hot and cold drink choice, including booze later in the day.

On shorter flights, which would presumably include BNK-SYD, this is coming from March.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

@AFF Editor your article is incorrect - Jetstar have been offering their Buy onboard Menu on all routes since October 2020. You might not be able to prepurchase but you can order and pay by credit card as normal. The dark days of banana bread and muffins are behind us thankfully.

Food & beverage now suspended on JQ flights in NZ.

 

[jakeseven7]

Food & beverage now suspended on JQ flights in NZ.

I thought you could order a side of covid for $7.50 NZ? (the infected worker worked in airline catering)

NZ ditched their food after the outbreak too.

 

[Vic]

Alcohol kills Covid. It's been drummed into us

Recently heard a stat that alcohol consumption in Australia increased 500% in 2020.

I very much doubt it. Considering alcohol is free on most of the busy capital city routes after 4pm, it’s really a minority of flights that have BoB alcohol. Assuming Qantas doesn’t go down the path of BoB food, I just can’t see it being worth their while.

They might meet somewhere in the middle and give all routes free booze after 4pm, but remove the option for BoB alcohol outside of these times (which is how QLK props run - they either have it or they don’t, if they have it, it’s free)

I'm really confused by this, first pre-covid there were a number of gaps in the busy capital city routes with no free booze at all. It was only weekdays as well.
Also, it was a pretty rude shock on my last Qantas flight in December (capital city connect flight) that departed after 4 pm on a Friday, to be told NO BOOZE. Not even offered the option to buy booze. Sure i've only taken 4 flights in the last 12 months. But customer care provided nothing tangible in response to my feedback, a tick that they did ring me to discuss.
I'm just not getting this sense of happiness about this news, and I'm really struggling to reconcile my (single) experience with this "good news".

 

[Rich]

Recently heard a stat that alcohol consumption in Australia increased 500% in 2020.

If that was true I think there would a lot more dead people.

 

[Vic]

If that was true I think there would a lot more dead people.

Not really - 500% = 5 times as much.

1 bottle of wine a week to 6 bottles a week.

 

[jakeseven7]

Thanks for letting me know, I've updated this.



On shorter flights, which would presumably include BNK-SYD, this is coming from March.

I wonder if its been a soft roll out on some routes as I got it on some Tassie routes - just thought it was a very positive 'blip' (!), but then saw the announcement and realised it may already be rolling in?

 

[Rich]

Not really - 500% = 5 times as much.

1 bottle of wine a week to 6 bottles a week.

Which would be a hell of an increase don't you think?

 

[justinbrett]

Which would be a hell of an increase don't you think?

First, I would hazard a guess there was an increase in retail alcohol sales - because lots of people are drinking from home rather than going out. The total consumption probably hasn't changed - there's been no news stories of alcohol panic buying - the breweries haven't run out of beer, major spirits are still being imported, wine is plentiful (and helped by the China blockades).

The only shortage I am aware of is Champagne, which is mostly because the Woolworths Group (inc BWS & Dan Murphys) is having a spat with LVMH Group (which includes the big names of Moet, Veuve Clicquot and Dom Perignon). It's not been from excessive demand here.

I think there's a lot of others who were probably using food and alcohol to cope with being stuck at home for months on end. The big drinkers pre covid are probably drinking at the same levels, it's just they now have more drinking friends.