Qantas to introduce hot meals and hot snacks on most domestic flights, extends tea and coffee service

[Xrayspice]

I remember when a ADL MEL flight had a whole tray of food. Service was so fast.

Post automatically merged: Jul 26, 2024

Once upon a time we used to get a tray of food, including a hot dish - breakfast, lunch and dinner on most QF and AN flights (including triangle routes). Gradually the food disappeared and then more recently, so did the trays!

Actually, we had the “hot meal” this week on BNE-SYD (the vego pizza). Fortunately it didn’t require a spoon to eat! Not unpleasant but nothing like the tray of days gone by (salad, “chicken or beef” and a desert).

I remember the trays

 

[Eastwick20]

Granted its only 50 minutes but on a recent AA flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, the cabin crew did not leave their jump seats the entire flight.

No turbulence and a beautiful flying day which the coughpit made mention of before we took off )

I don't know what their reply would have been if someone rang the call bell and asked for something, nobody did.

Returning on Jet Blue they came through with water and a small snack.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Granted its only 50 minutes but on a recent AA flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, the cabin crew did not leave their jump seats the entire flight.

No turbulence and a beautiful flying day which the coughpit made mention of before we took off )

I don't know what their reply would have been if someone rang the call bell and asked for something, nobody did.

Returning on Jet Blue they came through with water and a small snack.

AA offers drinks and a snack on flights over 250 miles. LAX-LAS is just 236. AA’s policy is that non-alcoholic drinks are ‘on request’ for flights under 250 miles. So you could have asked for one!

 

[Scarlett]

I remember when a ADL MEL flight had a whole tray of food. Service was so fast.

Post automatically merged: Jul 26, 2024

I remember the trays

How many pax were there on a 727 or 737-300, to feed and water during that 1 hour?

Moreover, did you enjoy paying $300 per person (or $400 in todays $) for the same one way flight?

 

[sap1l]

Just got served salami, cheese, and crackers on a 4pm SYD-ADL flight.

I don’t really care as I’m full anyway, but isn’t this a 2 hour flight, so the snack should have been hot?

Also, I overheard someone nearby asking for a vegetarian option. The answer was “you can eat the crackers and cheese, and leave the salami”.

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

Granted its only 50 minutes but on a recent AA flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, the cabin crew did not leave their jump seats the entire flight.

No turbulence and a beautiful flying day which the coughpit made mention of before we took off )

I don't know what their reply would have been if someone rang the call bell and asked for something, nobody did.

Returning on Jet Blue they came through with water and a small snack.

Delta didn't serve a cup of water even to me in "First" on an LAX-LAS I was on earlier this year, and similar excellent conditions. I'm not saying I like seeing the decline in offerings in Australia despite things being relatively better here than there, but I did get a roast beef sandwich and a glass of wine in Y on MEL-SYD yesterday, which is far better than comparable flights even in "First" in the US.

The sandwich reminded me of my days based in Amsterdam flying on KLM, and they still offer a similar offering, but even with them you won't get it on a flight that short anymore, and good luck getting it from almost any other carrier in Europe.

At least we still have the Asian carriers --- and I was offered three choices of full hot meals in Y on my most recent SAA flight from JNB-CPT (90 minutes in the air), so I'll generally add Africa and the Middle East to that list.

What does annoy me at times is I have no idea if I'm getting a decent quiche, sandwich, etc., to tide me over on QF or the aforementioned sad salami snack whether on a triangle route or a longer one and there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to it, which means I can't count on the so-called "all-inclusive" offering to be anything of substance, so I generally just bring a protein bar on board with me especially when I don't have time for a sad little toastie or soup with hard tack in the Qantas pub.

 

[Xrayspice]

How many pax were there on a 727 or 737-300, to feed and water during that 1 hour?

Moreover, did you enjoy paying $300 per person (or $400 in todays $) for the same one way flight?

It was the 3 on each side. Flights were not $300, they were around the $200. I remember flying Virgin to Sydney 22 years ago for $50 on an ultra sale.

 

[p--and--t]

How many pax were there on a 727 or 737-300, to feed and water during that 1 hour?

Moreover, did you enjoy paying $300 per person (or $400 in todays $) for the same one way flight?

IIRC a last minute fully flexible Y fare ADL - MEL in the days of AN and TN duopoly were around $700. Happy to be corrected if I recall incorrectly. My boss preferred we only buy full flex tickets so he could change our plans at a moments notice

I caught TN50 MEL-ADL at around 18:25 every Friday night. The flight was nearly always chokkers. The airport lounges were always full to overflowing Friday arvo.

My profile was marked low fat so I received a nice piece of steak with 2-3 steamed veges, a bread roll, dessert was swapped out for a fruit salad, juice, a small bottle of wine and tea and coffee. On the side there was always a piece of cheese and some jatz biscuits. The FAs worked really hard to serve a full meal to a full 737.on a sub one hour flight.

Passengers had to learn to eat quickly or they were back to take your tray before you were finished. (After 1000s flights even decades later I haven't lost the habit of scoffing down my food in a hurry even when not in the air.)

 

[p--and--t]

Just got served salami, cheese, and crackers on a 4pm SYD-ADL flight.

I don’t really care as I’m full anyway, but isn’t this a 2 hour flight, so the snack should have been hot?

Also, I overheard someone nearby asking for a vegetarian option. The answer was “you can eat the crackers and cheese, and leave the salami”.

View attachment 399086

That's the same snack/meal (US version) I was served on Alaskan years ago LAX-YVR. FA told me I only got it for free because I was travelling on a QF international ticket otherwise I would have had to pay for it.

 

[Franky]

That's the same snack/meal (US version) I was served on Alaskan years ago LAX-YVR. FA told me I only got it for free because I was travelling on a QF international ticket otherwise I would have had to pay for it.

in those days they knew the rules….

 

[p--and--t]

On a flight MEL-BNE we were offered sausage rolls as a snack, but NO sauce! Sauce was only available if u wanted the Vegetarian version, WTF! Is this an example of ridiculous cost cutting or what, not what I expect from a so called "full service airline". Qantas fail!

You obviously haven't flown in the US

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I really like the QFd Y offering! Yes, lots of fat, sugar and salt, but that’s what makes it delicious!! This isn’t fine dining, it’s a tasty treat to go with your bottle of wine. After a long day it goes down well, and they usually have plenty left for seconds!

 

[Xrayspice]

IIRC a last minute fully flexible Y fare ADL - MEL in the days of AN and TN duopoly were around $700. Happy to be corrected if I recall incorrectly. My boss preferred we only buy full flex tickets so he could change our plans at a moments notice

I caught TN50 MEL-ADL at around 18:25 every Friday night. The flight was nearly always chokkers. The airport lounges were always full to overflowing Friday arvo.

My profile was marked low fat so I received a nice piece of steak with 2-3 steamed veges, a bread roll, dessert was swapped out for a fruit salad, juice, a small bottle of wine and tea and coffee. On the side there was always a piece of cheese and some jatz biscuits. The FAs worked really hard to serve a full meal to a full 737.on a sub one hour flight.

Passengers had to learn to eat quickly or they were back to take your tray before you were finished. (After 1000s flights even decades later I haven't lost the habit of scoffing down my food in a hurry even when not in the air.)

Full flex was always more expensive. There is no way I paid $700 return.

 

[PineappleSkip]

I remember when a ADL MEL flight had a whole tray of food. Service was so fast.

I remember early morning SYD-CBR AN flights where they did a hot breakfast and tea/coffee. On one such remember the Captain said the flying time was 22 minutes. Still don't know how they managed it, or if they were a 727 or one of the new 737s.

Probably cost a bomb for a flexible fare, but I wasn't paying

Cheers skip

 

[AVV]

Do Qantas’ upgraded meals hit the spot?

For many flyers, inflight meals remain a lowlight rather than a highlight of the trip.

www.executivetraveller.com

A welcome move. The introduction of hot meals and hot snacks on more flights combined with existing fast-free wifi and complimentary seatback/BYO IFE content is unheard of on short-haul flights in the UK, US and EU. This new move certainly places the QF short haul soft product equivalent or even better than that of Asian and ME carriers on their short haul flights.

Not before time. Loved Ansett and TAA meals. Even on short dom flts

 

[serfty]

Not before time. Loved Ansett and TAA meals. Even on short dom flts

Of course, that was with the "two airline" system where fares were high enough to allow for such and still enable a great profit for all in the industry.

I was post TAA, but still recall fondly the domestic soft product of the mid 90's.

 

[AVV]

Of course, that was with the "two airline" system where fares were high enough to allow for such and still enable a great profit for all in the industry.

I was post TAA, but still recall fondly the domestic soft product of the mid 90's.

Yes , I realise that as fares were very high re average wage. But remember the. disappearance of good in flight meals on UA. We copied the US , just passed a basket with snacks . Then the Blue box that had me worried . Oh dear how things have changed for the worst. Flying was a pleasure now if Poss I will take train . More expensive often than flt , but. comfortable and meals ( pay) are 100% better. This refers to Train link and Qld long distance .

 

[justinbrett]

Meals disappeared after the AN collapse. They were pretty good up until then.

They didn’t really return until DJ/VA wanted to be a full service carrier but even then they weren’t as good.

But I remember $200 was a bargain for BNE-SYD return with a Saturday night stay (late 90s). That’s about $400 in today’s money.

Even without a Sale that now costs $331 on QF and $157 on JQ.

 

[AVV]

Meals disappeared after the AN collapse. They were pretty good up until then.

They didn’t really return until DJ/VA wanted to be a full service carrier but even then they weren’t as good.

But I remember $200 was a bargain for BNE-SYD return with a Saturday night stay (late 90s). That’s about $400 in today’s money.

Even without a Sale that now costs $331 on QF and $157 on JQ.

Agree, those were the days. Just check what you get on MELHKG!! . United used to say they don't have time many years ago. So we need international carriers to allow domestic carriage, rather than new airlines start then fail. That may make them think. I really do not think their so called hot meals will be like AN & TN .