New Meal Trays

[Flying Fox]

Yesterday I few ADL-PER return in Y and noticed that QF have new meal trays.

Gone are the flat clear plastic trays with a small lip. These have been replaced by black/grey trays with specific indents for specific items (more like army meal trays).

I didn't mind the new style/look but I noticed a slight problem (for me anyway). When the hot meals come around I prefer to lift the hot meal in its cool plastic mini-tray (can't think of a better description) up close to my mouth to minimise spillage.

With the new tray you still get your hot meal but only in its super hot aluminum foil container, ie. can't life it to your mouth with burning your hand.

 

[harvyk]

From memory they've had these trays for a little while now...

I do agree though, as great as the idea of having a perfectly shaped area to place the hot meal into, it now means that my standard trick of placing the lid underneath the aluminum container no longer works very well as it doesn't quite sit in it's assigned space nicely anymore.

 

[Justinf]

Great! Now three-quarters of my meal will end up on my shirt!
I used to like lifting the tray up to my gob as well.

 

[anat0l]

This sounds like the kind of tray they've had for international Y meals for a while. Although ISTR some of them were served with the small tray/holder thing for the meal in the hot foil. It would be a shame if they got rid of those trays (I might have to consider bringing my own )

I'm not sure if it looks better than the flat plastic with paper slip, but it could certainly use a bit of character than looking like a grey piece of plastic that got severely warped by heat at the factory.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Had my first experience of these new trays a couple of weeks ago MEL-WLG, I quite like them.

The old plastic ones really annoyed me, it's good to have a little spot for everything!

 

[drewbles]

Great! Now three-quarters of my meal will end up on my shirt!
I used to like lifting the tray up to my gob as well.

Add me to the list of non-likers. The plastic container they used to place the foil in was perfect for insulation and lifting. I don't like lifting food from the tray to mouth with the potential for turbulence slopping some korma over you

Bring back the old ones QF

 

[Flying Fox]

Had my first experience of these new trays a couple of weeks ago MEL-WLG, I quite like them.

Didn't realise that these had been around for awhile. Certainly not on my ADL-SYD-ADL flights in late FEB.

Maybe selected routes?

 

[jsd]

Heres a thought, instead of lifting the tray up, why not take your head down to it, like a domesticated animal at feeding time

That would be quite a sight




Josh

 

[milehighclub]

These trays have been around for about 2 years now, though domestically they were still using the old style for a while so looks like the trays are the same as offered on international flights

The trays used to have a small plastic container for the hot meal to go in, but about a year ago it was decided that it was extra weight and cost and had them removed.

 

[drewbles]

Heres a thought, instead of lifting the tray up, why not take your head down to it, like a domesticated animal at feeding time

That would be quite a sight




Josh

Try that in a jammed Y cabin when you're a 6'4" person who's not small. You'll just head but the seat. Not sure about you, but I don't generally sit at a table to eat my meal that is at the level of my knees.

 

[fiscal]

Great! Now three-quarters of my meal will end up on my shirt!
I used to like lifting the tray up to my gob as well.

Me too.

Next thing they will introduce chopsticks to save a few grams on the weight of cutlery, and then it wont be three quarters on our shirts

 

[medhead]

Gone are the flat clear plastic trays with a small lip. These have been replaced by black/grey trays with specific indents for specific items (more like army meal trays).

The army has meal trays now! :shock: In my 9 years it was all crockery and cutlery. Talkabout eroding standards and traditions!
I'm going to have to get on to the RSL about this situation

 

[737]

Hey,

New trays are the exact same as the international ones. Reasons for the trays are to provide weight reduction on the aircraft as a part of the QFuture and BeGreen initiatives implemented by Qantas to help the environment, etc.

New trays are only implemented on the Perth City Flyer services which use the bigger tray as compared to the smaller ones you may find on a SYD-MEL dinner (where u should flog one for your next PER flight, and keep in in your bag, )

Sorry for those people who like to pick up their meal, u do see a lot of people doing it in reality. If you prefer to pick it up, you could always ask the F/A for some extra napkins (although not ideal), but there could still be some risk of burn, so be careful

"Next thing they will introduce chopsticks to save a few grams on the weight of cutlery, and then it wont be three quarters on our shirts"

Whats wrong with fingers?

 

[Katie]

Didn't trays used to be like that back in the 80s? I used to fly as an unaccompanied minor on TAA back then out to Winton and Julia Creek a bit.

 

[munitalP]

Drew, I feel your hurt...

Of the 1 or 2 of 10 meals I eat when flying Y, I too lift the bowl to my mouth...

QANTAS, I am willing to pay an extra 50c or whatever the true offset cost is to keep the existing trays! OMG, new trays like being in prison or worse than that, bento box hell!



Mr!

 

[anat0l]

where u should flog one for your next PER flight, and keep in in your bag,

Ooooh boy, they're onto me

If you prefer to pick it up, you could always ask the F/A for some extra napkins (although not ideal), but there could still be some risk of burn, so be careful

That was going to be my contingency plan. It requires some precise fingers, however. Something which surprisingly many people will not have, and will end up burning their fingers, or spilling their food, or both.

Whats wrong with fingers?

Why don't I just ask you to feed me? :mrgreen:

 

[737]

Why don't I just ask you to feed me? :mrgreen:

Bahaha, with some Metal Cutlery from J

 

[Flying Fox]

Hey,

New trays are the exact same as the international ones. Reasons for the trays are to provide weight reduction on the aircraft as a part of the QFuture and BeGreen initiatives implemented by Qantas to help the environment, etc.

New trays are only implemented on the Perth City Flyer services which use the bigger tray as compared to the smaller ones you may find on a SYD-MEL dinner (where u should flog one for your next PER flight, and keep in in your bag, )

Thanks for your input once again!

I pretty much guessed that it was weight saving initiative.

Unfortunately it will probably result in a food on shirt initiative also

 

[k_sheep]

Call me silly ... but if it's too hot to hold in your hands, isn't it too hot to eat? Or do I have a super-sensitive mouth and manly thick hands?

 

[drewbles]

Call me silly ... but if it's too hot to hold in your hands, isn't it too hot to eat? Or do I have a super-sensitive mouth and manly thick hands?

My mother taught me to blow on my food to cool it if it's too hot, when it's on a fork. Holding it to the mouth means its less likely to fall off the fork onto me. It's all about risk and harm minimisation