Another QF catering fail

[MEL_Traveller]

If an airline offers a specific meal then the pax should get what they select. I have always ordered VLML (lacto-ovo veggie) and always get VGML (vegan): this is completely different and not what i want to eat.

I think that is a classic example of cost cutting... finding the lowest common denominator in a group of special meals and offering a 'one size fits all'. So often for lacto-ovo you still end up with a wholemeal bread roll (because you're automatically some sort of 80's health freak), margarine (ask a chemist what goes in to that), and fruit for 'dessert' (a whole apple or mandarin if you're unlucky).

And you get passed over when they offer the ice-cream during the movie ('sorry, you ordered the vegetarian').

 

[Pushka]

Maybe Adelaide gets the worst meal selection but I generally dislike the normal meal offerings and rarely eat them.

I think the all vegetarian idea would work for me.

 

[opusman]

My sister likes to recount the time she was on a QF flight, ordered the vegetarian meal and got given a green salad. Meanwhile people who got the regular meal got vegetable soup.

 

[Captain hum]

My sister likes to recount the time she was on a QF flight, ordered the vegetarian meal and got given a green salad. Meanwhile people who got the regular meal got vegetable soup.

Fabulous

 

[Pushka]

My sister likes to recount the time she was on a QF flight, ordered the vegetarian meal and got given a green salad. Meanwhile people who got the regular meal got vegetable soup.

But probably made with chicken stock.

 

[blackcat20]

Agar was what we grew bacteria colonies on, in petri dishes at uni :shock:

Yep. Agar from seaweed gets used in a lot of things. Even as a thickener in ice cream.

 

[pythonisman]

I'll caveat my post with: I eat just about anything, I've never ordered a special meal on a plane.
My family, (and myself in the past) have worked in hospitality / catering, and certainly take dietary requirements very seriously.
I respect dietary requirements without prejudice and feel that if you're in a service industry, if someone makes a dietary request, it should be treated as being for an allergy, rather than a preference.

If an airline offers a specific meal then the pax should get what they select.

I agree with this. I'd also lean toward the interpretation that special meals are there to cater for people who have dietary requirements more than just preferences. e.g. the above discussion about gelatin not being vegetarian - if someone has a religious dietary restriction the mis-labelling could be quite serious for them, or if someone is allergic to eggs, as an example.

I have always ordered VLML (lacto-ovo veggie) and always get VGML (vegan): this is completely different and not what i want to eat.

While I completely understand that while you may be OK eating eggs and dairy- a VLML may contain eggs or dairy. A VGML is still VLML compliant, it just doesn't have eggs or dairy in it. It's not hard to make something that's vegan and still tastes good (whether the catering company does or not, that's another story).

For a domestic, short flight, I think it's perfectly reasonable for an airline or catering company to work out the most efficient way of solving all the special meal requests. It might not be to your preference, and it still should be nutritious, but as long as it (in your case) doesn't contain meat, I'd say they've satisfied the requirement. (In my opinion).

I do however think that if you order a VLML, whether or not what you get contains eggs or dairy products, it should be labelled VLML, and not VGML, if it happens to be the same "vegan clag" that's served to those who ordered a VGML, that's another story...

Just my two cents...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

For a domestic, short flight, I think it's perfectly reasonable for an airline or catering company to work out the most efficient way of solving all the special meal requests. It might not be to your preference, and it still should be nutritious, but as long as it (in your case) doesn't contain meat, I'd say they've satisfied the requirement. (In my opinion).

Yes but... when the catering company is being too efficient it can come across as being lazy... that's when you get disappointed.

If you have laco-ovo meal why make the recipient suffer a vegan meal when you could easily add a cheese wedge and an ice-cream? Why slug the passenger with a wholemeal roll when you could, with the tiniest bit of care, or interest, or passion, add a piece of garlic bread?

It just seems sometimes the airlines and caterers don't care. Load a meal some times but not others. Forgot to load a meal? Pffft... let's not worry about it, it's only a passenger.

Let's not think about the ingredients. I can't be bothered checking if Lurpak can go with this meal so I'll just throw in margarine.

 

[Pushka]

And I don't think airlines care much for normal food service (despite the hype) at least Dom Y so the nice touch suggestions seem way beyond reach.

 

[pythonisman]

Yes but... when the catering company is being too efficient it can come across as being lazy... that's when you get disappointed.

If you have laco-ovo meal why make the recipient suffer a vegan meal when you could easily add a cheese wedge and an ice-cream? Why slug the passenger with a wholemeal roll when you could, with the tiniest bit of care, or interest, or passion, add a piece of garlic bread?

It just seems sometimes the airlines and caterers don't care. Load a meal some times but not others. Forgot to load a meal? Pffft... let's not worry about it, it's only a passenger.

Let's not think about the ingredients. I can't be bothered checking if Lurpak can go with this meal so I'll just throw in margarine.

I get it, I'm not saying they couldn't do that. If they were looking for ways to improve then sure. Everything comes down to the cost though.

If QF are paying their caterers for loads of different special meals, and the caterers have reduced that down to the minimum viable, then QF need to either demand them to supply what was ordered (likely resulting in an increased cost) OR state at the time the special meal is selected that a VLML will actually be a VGML. It still complies with the order, it just means someone's going to "suffer" with less than they might possibly want.

 

[JessicaTam]

<snip>
Let's not think about the ingredients. I can't be bothered checking if Lurpak can go with this meal so I'll just throw in margarine.

And there are very few margarines that do not contain some dairy or other animal fat.

 

[Princess Fiona]

To provide a counterpoint - on the 1950 ADL-MEL tonight - the lamb curry with naan bread was delicious. Best domestic Y meal I've ever head - actually edible and quite tasty. Somewhat unusually the CSM even announced the meal choices on the PA. Well done ADL catering team!

IME that's not unusual at all (announcing meal choices). I'm usually jealous as I know where I'm sitting it will be soup/salad or the cheese box

 

[juddles]

I vote we create a specific thread titled "Vegetarians - choices and expectations"

And for the record, one of my beautiful daughters is vegetarian, the other "piscitarian", whatever that means??

 

[katiebell]

To those who think that wanting a veggie meal is just too fussy, why don't the airlines get rid of all meat in meals and only offer a vegetarian meal. That would cater for most of teh dietary restrictions (Kosher and vegan being exceptions and they could be part of a much smaller special meals list) and I'm sure all the people who think the content of the meal does not matter wil be quite happy eating a meat-free meal

Let's be realistic - that suggestion would go down like a lead balloon, hence why it won't occur.

My point exactly! So those who would not want/would not accept a meat-free meal, please stop telling those of us who do not/cannot eat meat that we are just being precious. It cuts both ways.

 

[katiebell]

And there are very few margarines that do not contain some dairy or other animal fat.

the real problem with margarines is the hydrogenated fats in most of them. These are the really unhealthy fats

 

[TonyHancock]

..... the other "piscitarian", whatever that means??

I think it is just a sub branch of Anglicanism.

 

[opusman]

IME that's not unusual at all (announcing meal choices). I'm usually jealous as I know where I'm sitting it will be soup/salad or the cheese box

Go sit up the back then

 

[katiebell]

For a domestic, short flight, I think it's perfectly reasonable for an airline or catering company to work out the most efficient way of solving all the special meal requests. It might not be to your preference, and it still should be nutritious, but as long as it (in your case) doesn't contain meat, I'd say they've satisfied the requirement. (In my opinion).

ON the basis of this the airlines should just serve one meal: a vegan meal as it covers everything.

Of note, IME over the last 3 years or so, most full service EU airlines now offer two meal choices: one VGML and one with meat (often ham). This solves the issue for most pax and saves on the range of special meals that need to be loaded etc

 

[opusman]

ON the basis of this the airlines should just serve one meal: a vegan meal as it covers everything.

Everything except flavour and texture that is

 

[katiebell]

Everything except flavour and texture that is

Agreed! This is exactly why a vegan meal is not an acceptable offering to a vegetarian meal order