Qantas Business Class meals & menus

[RichardMEL]

The comparison wasn't about the market and demand, it was about the cost to the airline. QF can deliver a 20,000 mile roundtrip, with at least 6 hot meals and open bar for $1500. But for $2500 delivers a toasted sandwich costing a dollar.

Yeah sure, but that's simplistic in my view. The price they are charging for the 1 hour hop and the soup or toasted sanga vs the SYD-LHR in Y is related to the supply and demand and the level of competition. If QF was the only option, or in competition with just 1 other, you'd be charged much more for that long haul flight. However, in this example, QF is competing with a whole slew of other airlines for that business and thus the price is down. In contrast, the only people who pay those full J rates tend to be corprates (so even those are on some sort of discount, but almost usually paid for as a business expense) and as such they charge what they feel the market will bare (and further, on a hub-hub route like MEL-SYD as an example, you'll also have a heap of connecting pax, and so the actual cost for the sector will not be in line with what QF is charging for the sector itself.

Sure, looked at in isolation as O&D markets the yield is stupendous... but we all know that mot domestic routes have little paid and a lot of upgrade/award traffic, so the price points are more or less meaningless except to those paying out of their own $$$

However the yield breakdown on any particular sector will not be so straight forward with connecting traffic and other things taken into account.

And frankly for a 1 hour flight, even if they could serve it, you couldn't use or do with 6 hot meals, 10 drinks etc etc etc. It's just not practical.

Could the product be better? Absolutely, but with a very low % actually paying for it, there's little incentive to make the product better. Look at the US example as proof of this. Europe is not much different.

About the only areas you'll find more elaborate offerings are going to be in Asia and the ME3 IMHO.. and they have far lower costs.

Don't get me wrong.. I get what you're saying and don't disagree with the sentiment, but I still don't feel it's a really valid direct comparision to make - but that's just me

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I accept the argument about demand and yeilds etc. Particularly connecting traffic where many might be flying to SYD for international flights and the domestic sector has little or no value.

The US market... they've done away with meals all together on short sectors. They make no bones about that. But they have a good bar! Longer flights they probably equal or better VA/QF's domestic offerings (if you like comfort food). Europe... depends on the carrier, I did a short hop on AF last month and the catering was sensational. Same for LX and LH short haul. Probably only double the cost of QF (still under $5 per meal) but the ingredients, presentation and freshness leave the Aussie domestics way behind. BA on the other hand has gone down the QF route with a small salad and piece of meat on top.

Intra asia... I guess this is where competition drives the market. But the likes of KA/CX can deliver a full business class meal in less than an hour. And the argument might well be that they too have little value on some of those seats if they are for pure connecting traffic (eg TPE flights).

 

[RichardMEL]

Good points,

Remember CX/KA have lower costs, probably have more staff in the J cabin(?) to deliver the service. QF have always been very very slow, but they also have limited numbers in J

We still have it pretty good when you compare to North America at the very least. While today's QF J meals might be the equal of 80's and 90's Y it's still a lot better than others (and NZ domestic has no J and give bugger all on similar stage lengths there)


I still reckon best QF catering seems to appear on flights out of OOL. CNS is not too bad either. Strangely enough mostly leisure destinations (though I suppose there's a fair conference market there too)

 

[Happy Trails]

QF581 SYD-PER
Small plate - Kingfish Ceviche.
Looked OK, but seriously bland, even the chilli. (Though I had just spent six weeks in Thailand )


And main plate - Crumbed Fish Butty
Actually very nice.

 

[TheRealTMA]

QF 9 F DXB-LHR

While not domestic QF, didn't want to start a new thread just for this.

This must have been the worst, most inedible steak I've ever been served on QF, and over 30 years, believe me, I've had some shockers. This was completely nuked, cooked for some 20 minutes so that there as little semblance that it used to be meat. Dry, grey, fibrous. Just appalling. And, when I pointed this out to the (English) flight attendant, he argued with me that they have to cook the meat like this for 20 minutes and it was fine. Sheesh. I really should have learned my lesson by now on QF. I've avoided steak for over 5 years on QF flights, but just thought I'd give it one last try. Surely Neil Perry (or any chef for that matter) must have seen and tasted this monstrosity the pass off as steak!

Why is it that other airlines can get this basic piece of cooking right and QF are just incapable?

 

[GoldCanyon340]

QF 9 F DXB-LHR

While not domestic QF, didn't want to start a new thread just for this.

This must have been the worst, most inedible steak I've ever been served on QF, and over 30 years, believe me, I've had some shockers. This was completely nuked, cooked for some 20 minutes so that there as little semblance that it used to be meat. Dry, grey, fibrous. Just appalling. And, when I pointed this out to the (English) flight attendant, he argued with me that they have to cook the meat like this for 20 minutes and it was fine. Sheesh. I really should have learned my lesson by now on QF. I've avoided steak for over 5 years on QF flights, but just thought I'd give it one last try. Surely Neil Perry (or any chef for that matter) must have seen and tasted this monstrosity the pass off as steak!

Why is it that other airlines can get this basic piece of cooking right and QF are just incapable?

One small piece of comfort for you: the FlyerTalk BA forum would be a tenth of its size if people didn't criticise its overcooked beef.

I remember a QF flight many moons ago where Neil Perry and Geoff Dixon were in F. The beef was cooked properly that day.

 

[moa999]

Overcooking is surprising given the ovens are generally at a premium in the galleys

 

[Altair]

One of the best steaks that Mrs Altair has had, and I sampled too, was on QF J LHR-HKG. Medium rare, wrapped in bacon, was so soft could easily cut with the butter knife.

 

[danielt25]

QF 709 CNS-BNE 29/9 10:05 departure

Offered smoked salmon with mushy peas, bowl of fruit salad, or hot open sandwich other ham and cheese. Not showing is a savoury muffin which was offered to me shortly after.

 

[amaroo]

BNE-SYD lunch service.

Suppose to be Korean noodle .... Koreans would have been insulted.

Absolutely Vile!

 

[njba]

Why is it that other airlines can get this basic piece of cooking right and QF are just incapable?

The snap peas look rather grey too.

 

[Berlin]

SYD-BNE dinner flight last Friday. Choice of Pork with tomato salsa on top and mashed corn and zucchini on the side or a very nice looking salad with grilled chicken. As per usual with my luck, when my favorite meat is the hot offer, the salad also looks nice as well (and it came with Ranch dressing, mjam) so I could have had both. Went for the pork (of course ) and while the meat itself was not exactly the most tender (and hence hard to eat on the wobbly airplane table), the mashed corn was really taste and the 3 slivers of zucchini had such a nice flavor that it could have easily put some on the ground restaurants (or my own cooking, for that matter) to shame.

I had some rather nice Aussie Riesling with the meal and a nice shot of scotch afterwards, just in time before the landing. The crew on this flight was also extraordinarily pleasant with one stewardess in particularly so beaming with good mood that it was indeed infectious. What a nice experience given that often you get crew that is slightly grumpy or tired but she genuinely seemed to enjoy her job and it really showed. 10 out of 10 from me for this flight, well done Qantas!

 

[dairyfloss]

That's a lot of corn, Berlin... and reminds me of one of the funniest t-shirts I ever did see:



Cheers,
Matt.

 

[Berlin]

BNE-SYD dinner flight last night. After such an amazing flight on the outbound, of course I would have to get hit by Qantas' worst on the way back. Part of the crew grumpy, the other one disengaged but at least trying, this flight was off to a bad start. As mentioned before, I am intolerant to fish and seafood and have one proper food allergy which is Walnuts. I pretty much eat everything else but Qantas has a remarkable ability to make my life hell on for me on every third or so flight. My mood went downhill when I realized that the hot choice as ever so often was fish. Not even nice fish- it was just called simply 'White Fish' and when the guest in the row in front of me asked what fish it was exactly, the steward couldn't answer. It turned out to be a big plock of white fish meat that came with a cold salsa of some sort and steamed spinach. Yikes, even if I could eat fish!

And, to make matters worse, the salad was a Cesar salad though at least the steward confirmed it didn't have anchovies in it. That was because it wasn't really a proper Cesar salad in that it came with a blue cheese dressing and had, you might have guessed it, walnuts in it. I almost suffocated by accidentally swallowing a tiny sliver of it but luckily it must have been a really small piece. The salad was further spoilt with two other unnecessary ingredients, namely far too many parsley leaves and, Qantas' favorite, half a kilo of celery. Now, I use both the latter in my own cooking but in tiny amounts and see both as ingredients to use rather sparingly so not to overbear the taste of the meal. Qantas seems to not think much of those subtleties and it was not the first time that an innocent salad turned out as a 'Celery-Parsley-Rocket' salad which didn't have any of these in its name.



As the red I had the Qantas-labeled special edition '30 years of Qantas frequent flyer' Cabernet Sauv which was entirely unremarkable and I was glad not having ordered any of these on Epiqure the week before. I finished off this unspectacular meal which I barely touched with a double of Scotch, at least that one never fails to deliver

Finally, and admittedly off topic, I luckily flew from Brisbane where I was totally amazed by the renovated lounge area with the direct security access for priority passengers. I had the most lovely Mexican dish with grilled chicken there in the lounge and hence would not be left all too hungry by the awful food on this flight. They also have my most beloved Orchard Crush cider on tab there, that alone finds its way to my heart instantly Just allow me to share the amazing lounge dish which was prepared individually for every order. Just amazing and it also tasted really awesome with quite a bit of kick even!

 

[danielt25]

QF786 BNE-CNS 3/10 19:35 departure

Choices Waldorf salad or white fish with coughake mushrooms and Asian greens. No pre dinner drinks as flight delayed 30 mins. Given the Santos peanut packs following dinner. Not sure what white fish this was, but sure wasn't Barramundi

 

[danielt25]

QF649 CNS-BNE 4/10 12:55 departure

Choices soup, a salad, or a salami/ham Turkish sandwich. Same CSM (Kelvin) as QF786 above; given the Santos nuts/pretzels at end of lunch service.

 

[kermatu]

Another fail on the CBR-MEL route. 13:15 departure. Classed as lunch, but called light refreshment on board. A woefully small salad.

It was fresh and quite tasty. But for a J flight at lunchtime so inadequate.

Y pax got sandwiches. Pilots got hot meals (which of course meant service didn’t start for 10 minutes).

Was a complementary upgrade to J but still.

 

[Berlin]

A woefully small salad.

It was fresh and quite tasty.

Agree, not good enough. What the heck is this even- they should call it 'Selection of five assorted salad leaves with a sliver of salami' or something along these lines...

 

[QFflyermelbourne]

Truly appalling food on my 717 breakfast MEL-HBA service on Monday. Smoked salmon with poaches eggs looked like it had sat in the california desert for about a month it was so dry and the other option was a turkey, brie and cranberry toasted sandwich. I went for that and all you could taste was fat and butter. May as well have deep fried the bloody things. Revolting. Served with a stale escargot scroll and some yoghurt.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Perhaps the appropriate forum is to send these pics direct to Neil Perry? I'd be surprised if he actually knows these dishes are going out in his name. I know he says he does spot checks (flying), but with his name on the manifest it would hardly be an accurate reflection.