Article: No Compensation for Qantas Catering Failures

[janelarm]

When was this? That is a no go item, so you sure it went without any food?

Understand a morning flight to LAX departed without any hot food today.

 

[JessicaTam]

I have taken my FF business elsewhere a few years ago- to BA. I am a third of the way to LT OWE.

I fly QF if there isn't a OW alternative.

 

[justinbrett]

Understand a morning flight to LAX departed without any hot food today.

Has there been any reports of EK flights going uncatered?

DANTA have the contract for both QF and EK, and are a subsidiary of EK. It would be a bit of a scandal if they are targeting QF flights and leaving their own fully catered.

 

[drron]

That's just business you would say if it was QF.

 

[SydneySwan]

I was very happy with the 25K points compensation. I guess times have indeed changed...

Ah but that was probably in the pre-AJ era! Times have indeed changed since then.

 

[milehighclub]

Understand a morning flight to LAX departed without any hot food today.

I would have to ask around, but if there is an issue with the aircraft chillers, they tend to use a tonne of dry ice to provide a hot meal for the first service, but then breakfast reverts to something that doesn't require chilling. Usually cereal and long life milk, bakery items, fresh whole fruit etc.

Has there been any reports of EK flights going uncatered?

It could be a particular aircraft with chillers out.

But a flight that long wouldn't go without any food, but certainly alternatives.

 

[Anna]

I'm taking a packed lunch for my upcoming QF flights and I'm actually not kidding.

 

[SydneySwan]

I'm taking a packed lunch for my upcoming QF flights and I'm actually not kidding.

At least AJ won't be able to say you are not match-fit!

 

[RooFlyer]

They're the home team, I support QF as overall I think they are pretty good for where I go and when I want to go, plus reasonable lounges and in 35 years only lost my bag once and returned within 24 hours.

Good on you for supporting others if you hate QF.

You don’t have to hate Qantas to use alternatives. In the current situation, you just need to be more confident that a flight cancellation won’t require hours and hours and hours on the phone to get resolved, (or hung up on), that you’ll get the catering you paid a premium for, that your bags will arrive with you ( or within a day or so).

As we've read numerous time here (and yes, I do allow for some exaggeration), the likes of JetStar are giving better customer service ATM and costs much less!

I'm taking a packed lunch for my upcoming QF flights and I'm actually not kidding.

Good idea.

@milehighclub : But a flight that long wouldn't go without any food, but certainly alternatives.

I made comment here or in another thread that a major airline, knowing that DNATA domestically were having staffing issues and were failing to 'deliver', should be able to source and supply non perishable alternatives, at least on domestic long haul ( say 3+ hrs), say within a day or so. I would think that such a back -up plan would be in place at any time.?

Do you think those expectations are reasonable?

 

[Stevo.1702]

I have taken my FF business elsewhere a few years ago- to BA. I am a third of the way to LT OWE.

I fly QF if there isn't a OW alternative.

I very very much am looking forward to the same. 500SC away from LTG.

As a predominantly Y flyer, when I have LTG I will fly OW when I can and QF when I must.

 

[BAM1748]

You don’t have to hate Qantas to use alternatives. In the current situation, you just need to be more confident that a flight cancellation won’t require hours and hours and hours on the phone to get resolved, (or hung up on), that you’ll get the catering you paid a premium for, that your bags will arrive with you ( or within a day or so).

The 'hate' word was taken directly from the previous poster i was quoting and it's a pretty heavy word to use. Personally I like QF.

 

[Karl Hamann]

The likely lack of response from QF is why I didn't even bother raising this as an issue with them.

Same. I was on a flight from Brisbane to Sydney and no meal or even drink was served

 

[PuravidaTC]

Presently on tarmac for Mel to Perth, delayed 10mins due to “a lost catering truck somewhere in Melbourne Airport”, now stating they have decided to take off and deliver a reduced menu service for this flight versus “us waiting for a lost catering truck”.

Outsourced catering going super awesome!

 

[SOPOOR]

Presently on tarmac for Mel to Perth, delayed 10mins due to “a lost catering truck somewhere in Melbourne Airport”, now stating they have decided to take off and deliver a reduced menu service for this flight versus “us waiting for a lost catering truck”.

Outsourced catering going super awesome!

Would they take off if the pilot Was delayed in traffic?

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

Would they take off if the pilot Was delayed in traffic?

Pilot is rather more essential than catering!

 

[lovestotravel]

Why people choose to fly Qantas is beyond me really!

 

[justinbrett]

Outsourced catering going super awesome!

Technically it wasn't outsourced, it was an in house business sold off to Emirates. And was done some time ago (2018).

I think it was Emirates laying off all the employees over Covid because they weren't entitled to Job Keeper that's caused this - but that's a debate for a political thread.

Apparently international flights are getting priority, because imagine the outrage if EK flights were taking off with sub standard catering.

 

[RooFlyer]

Domestic borders opened (ex WA) about 5 months ago. Catering issues first started being reported about 4 weeks ago.

So how long does a major airline need to put contingencies in place (ie non perishable food, alternative deliveries) if EK dumped people due to lack of JobKeeper last year? I guess it really doesn't affect Qantas' bottom line, so little incentive for them to do anything. As I've noted before, they may even be benefiting financially if they can bring penalties against their contractor for non-performance.

One thing they could have done by now, without touching the catering contract/performance, is to automate the delivery of compensatory points to AFF edited (thanks AIRwin): QFF members on every flight that's affected. But no, mostly you have to beg and chances are you'll be ignored.

As a QFF Plat, I booked 6 x flights HBA to SYD, BNE and DRW & return yesterday with Virgin, mostly in J. Saved a bundle. Wonder if Gate Gourmet got JobKeeper?

 

[AIRwin]

One thing they could have done by now, without touching the catering contract/performance, is to automate the delivery of compensatory points to AFF members on every flight that's affected.

How would QF know if they were AFF members?

 

[justinbrett]

Domestic borders opened (ex WA) about 5 months ago. Catering issues first started being reported about 4 weeks ago.

So how long does a major airline need to put contingencies in place (ie non perishable food, alternative deliveries) if EK dumped people due to lack of JobKeeper last year? I guess it really doesn't affect Qantas' bottom line, so little incentive for them to do anything. As I've noted before, they may even be benefiting financially if they can bring penalties against their contractor for non-performance.

One thing they could have done by now, without touching the catering contract/performance, is to automate the delivery of compensatory points to AFF members on every flight that's affected. But no, mostly you have to beg and chances are you'll be ignored.

As a QFF Plat, I booked 6 x flights HBA to SYD, BNE and DRW & return yesterday with Virgin, mostly in J. Saved a bundle. Wonder if Gate Gourmet got JobKeeper?

Gate Gourmet is not owned by a foreign government, so yes, they were eligible if they met the financial requirements.

I think most flights are going out catered now - I've flown every week since Easter and all were catered. Seems to be MEL is a trouble spot for the catering issues, which is not surprising as didn't Victoria decrease in population over Covid? Something like that.

It's not like Qantas contracted this out to the cheapest bidder here - it's Emirates. QF could be forgiven for assuming that EK knows how to run an airline support business. If I were AJ I'd be having some closed door chats with Gate Gourmet right now, as surely DNATA have breached the contract by now.