The "Truth" of "Small Plates/Plates" in J or "The Demise of the Toasted Sanger"!

[serfty]

Cost Cutting!

There's has been some comment over the last few months about the menus now having "Small Plates" and "Plates" listed - not making it clear what "Hot" snack were to be available mid flight.

I first noticed this in March and there is a post on FT from an FA indicating these menus were a mistake and this would be rectified.

Last month I flew from SYD to LAX on QF12 in Business class and saw the same sort of menu.

So I asked the Business Cabin Services manger during a meet and greet about the "hot" snacks and what had happened to them. I was told the 'small plates' were the hot snacks. I then specifically asked what had happened to the "Toasted Sandwiches" with various fillings etc. that one could order in the past.

To cut the story short - they are gone!

What Qantas have done is to remove these and have instructed the FA's to only prepare meals "to order"¹ and make any unselected options from the menu available mid flight to PAX on a request basis.

That's all very well and good, but I wonder how it affects those FA's who had been in the habit have consuming said unwanted dishes later in the flight during their break.

What it also means, is that there is a very good chance those who leave any request too late with simply miss out (unless they are "permitted" to pre-order).


¹confused: I thought they had been doing this anyway ... anywhoo ...)

 

[Ansett]

Re: The "Truth" of "Small Plates" & "Plates" in J or "The Demise of the Toasted Sange

Cost Cutting!

There's has been some comment over the last few months about the menus now having "Small Plates" and "Plates" listed - not making it clear what "Hot" snack were to be available mid flight.

I first noticed this in March and there is a post on FT from an FA indicating these menus were a mistake and this would be rectified.

Last month I flew from SYD to LAX on QF12 in Business class and saw the same sort of menu.

So I asked the Business Cabin Services manger during a meet and greet about the "hot" snacks and what had happened to them. I was told the 'small plates' were the hot snacks. I then specifically asked what had happened to the "Toasted Sandwiches" with various fillings etc. that one could order in the past.

To cut the story short - they are gone!

What Qantas have done is to remove these and have instructed the FA's to only prepare meals "to order"¹ and make any unselected options from the menu available mid flight to PAX on a request basis.

That's all very well and good, but I wonder how it affects those FA's who had been in the habit have consuming said unwanted dishes later in the flight during their break.

What it also means, is that there is a very good chance those who leave any request too late with simply miss out (unless they pre-order).


¹confused: I thought they had been doing this anyway ... anywhoo ...)

Good to see YET another QF Enhancement at work,,,,,, Why oh why are they doing all they can to piss off premium customers !!!!!

 

[defurax]

Re: The "Truth" of "Small Plates" & "Plates" in J or "The Demise of the Toasted Sange

Good to see YET another QF Enhancement at work,,,,,, Why oh why are they doing all they can to piss off premium customers !!!!!

Well as NZ J food offering also went down on the trans-pac sector I guess QF feel they do not need to impress anymore...

 

[Boris spatsky]

Re: The "Truth" of "Small Plates" & "Plates" in J or "The Demise of the Toasted Sange

I have stopped flying QF longhaul J and taken my business elsewhere because of such enhancements - oh, and they still charge a premium over other comparable J products on the same route.

 

[Pleb Status]

Re: The "Truth" of "Small Plates" & "Plates" in J or "The Demise of the Toasted Sange

I noted this on QF11 last month (in the F lounge menu thread after my raw snapper incident). I only got a hot snack later in the flight as I had a small plate put aside for me by the J CSM. Everything else had gone a few hours out of SYD and only snacks like cookies, chips and fruit were available (which you could get in Y anyway).

 

[Ansett]

Re: The "Truth" of "Small Plates" & "Plates" in J or "The Demise of the Toasted Sange

Just out of interest how does this compare to say Flying EK Metal on a QF Flight Number is there a big difference in terms of food and snacks?

Another consideration then if their is a significant difference as in EK offer more in J then why would anyone fly QF with all these continuing enhancements?

 

[serfty]

Re: The "Truth" of "Small Plates" & "Plates" in J or "The Demise of the Toasted Sange

It may be just transpacific at this stage ... then again some may have recent DXB J experiences ...

 

[madrooster]

Re: The "Truth" of "Small Plates" & "Plates" in J or "The Demise of the Toasted Sange

These small plates etc. are on DXB and LHR legs too.

 

[Kangol]

Last month I flew from SYD to LAX on QF12 in Business class and saw the same sort of menu.

QF11 SYD-LAX or QF12 LAX-SYD?
ie. would it make a difference if it was ex-Oz or ex-USA?

 

[serfty]

Saw it on QF94 in March and QF11 last month.

These small plates etc. are on DXB and LHR legs too.

I presume no toasted sandwiches?

 

[zachary.august]

Aren't most people asleep in between meals trans pacific anyway?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Aren't most people asleep in between meals trans pacific anyway?

True, they probably are in F, W and Y as well but it's all about the service delivery for those who aren't asleep

 

[defurax]

True, they probably are in F, W and Y as well but it's all about the service delivery for those who aren't asleep

Actually I never really understood the sleeping pattern of most J and F PAX out of LAX. This is a 13-14 hours flight and most people can only sleep 6 to 8 hours, so what's the point of going to bed right after take off? Some airlines (e.g AC) still serve a full meal service out of YVR, not the rushed thing that I have witnessed on QF ex-LAX. I usually wait 5 hours before going to bed and wake up at breakfast service.

 

[madrooster]

Actually I never really understood the sleeping pattern of most J and F PAX out of LAX.

Each to their own but it really depends on where you are coming from. For instance if you are transiting LAX from JFK then the 11:30pm or so departures of QF16/QF94/QF108 are really 2:30am as far as JFK time goes and that is what your body clock would be on. On the other hand if you're joining at LAX then you're just about ready for bed by the time take off happens.

Some people however will prefer to force themselves to stay up for a little while so that they go to sleep at say 10pm AEST which would be 5 hours into the flight. These people might then wake up at around 4am AEST (~3-4 hours prior to landing) for breakfast.

These are the two patterns I've mostly seen.

 

[Katie]

Aren't most people asleep in between meals trans pacific anyway?

Unfortunately for me, not always from Aus-LAX. I can sleep well, and other times I might sleep for barely 3-4hrs tops if I'm not particularly tired. You tupically arrive in LAX at around 11-12pm local BNE/Aus time, so depending on your personal rhythm, ot can be hard to sleep.

 

[Katie]

Actually I never really understood the sleeping pattern of most J and F PAX out of LAX. This is a 13-14 hours flight and most people can only sleep 6 to 8 hours, so what's the point of going to bed right after take off? Some airlines (e.g AC) still serve a full meal service out of YVR, not the rushed thing that I have witnessed on QF ex-LAX. I usually wait 5 hours before going to bed and wake up at breakfast service.

My last 4 flights (in Y+ or J) ex-LAX have been connections from US Eastern or Central time. My body has been on those time zones, so by the time we're in the air, it's 2 or 3am to my body. On my last flight in May, I was inadvertently falling asleep before dessert was served (J). By that time, we were a good 6 or 7hrs past my bed time.

Even my flight before those 4, which was Y LAX-AKL, I was falling asleep around the time dinner was served. That was mostly influenced by the food poisoning/gastro bug I'd been suffering for the prior 24hrs.

 

[Hvr]

On my last US trip (returned to Aust in May) I left JFK on 107 and was nicely fed on the trip to LAX. An hour or so in the F Lounge and by the time we boarded the flight to MEL I was absolutely exhausted (as noted previously it was >3.00am New York time) at the end of a three week holiday.

I did actually sleep for about 10 hours and of course missed dinner. The brioche toast for breakfast got its own thread in my return.

 

[defurax]

I never said it was easy!:mrgreen: After dinner service I usually go sit on the couch in the small A380 lounge (where it's not too dark) and I read a book while the CSM top up my glass with champagne After I'm done drinking and reading I go to bed...:shock:

 

[RooFlyer]

My own sleep/meal pattern TAPC is controlled by the (usual) turbulence around the equator. A very light sleeper, I try to sleep before or after that area, irrespective of meals, then make do with whatever tucker is around when I'm awake (or ask for something to be put away for me, if I think of it).

 

[jojen]

"Our Rockpool inspired menu, designed by Neil Perry, allows you to enjoy a completely personalized dining experience. You can choose from our extensive menu after take-off or from a selection of plates throughout your flight."



Mr jojen & I recently travelled SYD - LAX on QF 107. We both chose a Small plate & a Main plate from the menu when lunch was served. Sometime after this our body clocks were telling us it was dinner time. We both asked if we could have the Lasagna. We were told this was not available and that all that was available was the "Big bowl of Celeriac & Farro soup. We decided to have this and did enjoy it.

However Qantas need to have a larger selection for passengers to choose from later in the flight. To advertise that you can choose from a selection through out the flight and then only have one dish available is not acceptable.

On QF 128 from HKG - SYD the café breakfast choice was appalling . To be offered Citrus fruit salad OR a Ham & Cheese Croissant in Business class is not what we were expecting.

jojen