Business / First Class Dine on Demand Discussion

[FlyingKangaroo]

I have an upcoming trip to the US (or maybe El Salvador ) via Nadi on FJ in J. It looks like Fiji updated their approach to meals a few months ago which doesn't appear to have been discussed yet on this site:

https://www.fijiairways.com/en-au/world-class-experience

Specifically, dine-on-demand now available in J, improved table setting (no more trays if the photos reflect reality, a little artificial candle à la Qatar Airways, a new breadbasket), and spruiking some new dishes.

Helpfully, menus are online for some but not all routes (pre-selection not available, however).

Economy experience also said to be upgraded.

I'll report back after my four flights, but looks promising if they deliver as advertised. Has anyone else experienced this firsthand yet?

(As an aside, an interesting but welcome turn given it was only a few years ago Fiji declared they were going to simplify/de-emphasise in-flight meals in J because "customers will eat in the lounge.")

 

[markis10]

Wine from the future 22022 FRANKLIN ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON! Bring back Gossips, only kidding

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

Wine from the future 22022 FRANKLIN ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON! Bring back Gossips, only kidding

Hahaha, definitely one to cellar for a few millennia or so.

I also chuckled seeing the infamous $14 RRP bottle of Matua Sauvignon Blanc has finally disappeared and now replaced with a $28 RRP of something else. (But hey, good!)

 

[itsmax]

Definitely had portions of this service on the A350 between MEL-NAN over the last couple of weeks; the candle, the setting etc. In terms of food it was a regulation menu with two or three choices for entree/main. Very enjoyable though nothing ground-breaking.

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

SYD - NAN, NAN-LAX. Definitely an improvement over previous catering which was already quite good. Subjective by nature but far more interesting than anything I’ve had on QF the last few years. I enjoyed seeing some more creative flavour pairings than you often see on flights, e.g., the beef with mango gel and citrus "caviar", the dashi butter with the fish, etc.

Lemongrass beef was the highlight of the SYD-NAN sector, with the barramundi and banana crème dessert both very good.

Skipped the supper set on NAN-LAX (there is a lot of tasty bread in the bread bowl and I foolishly ate all of it so I was still stuffed from the previous sector) and just went for the poke bowl which was fresh and tasty. Kumquat cheesecake was also nice. Spanner crab scramble for breakfast was good, especially as I’m not a fan of the usual breakfast meats.

 

[RooFlyer]

this whole table setting in J is just a burden on crew, and i’m not sure what it adds.

QR dine on demand helps spread the workload of providing meals.

People can be the judge of what it adds (and bringing the thread back to QF!)

QR





QF 42 CGK-SYD, same trip.

Satay skewers



Beef bolognese. Dry on top, nice underneath.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

QR dine on demand helps spread the workload of providing meals.

People can be the judge of what it adds (and bringing the thread back to QF!)

QR

View attachment 497596

View attachment 497591

QF 42 CGK-SYD, same trip.

Satay skewers

View attachment 497592

Beef bolognese. Dry on top, nice underneath.

View attachment 497593

The difference is the crockery! One setting looks fresh and plenty of ‘white space’, the other is somewhat boring. I’ll take substance over style.

Dine on demand means less break time for the crew, it means longer wait times if people decide to spread out their eating as you can’t bulk prepare the food, It means more noise in the cabin (for the ‘what cheeses me off’ thread… the pax next to me clattering their cutlery and scraping their plates very loudly… an English couple in their 50s!)

I’d prefer to have my crew rested for the critical stages of flight than spending time in the galley!

 

[RooFlyer]

The difference is the crockery! One setting looks fresh and plenty of ‘white space’, the other is somewhat boring. I’ll take substance over style.

And the proper wineglass Vs a tumbler; the salt & pepper grinders Vs paper sachets; set table Vs tray; butter; selection of breads ..... . What sort of substance are you after? In my case dried out spaghetti on Bolognese Vs a nice juicy steak with condiments.

And I haven't mentioned the comparable wine selections.

As for the other stuff - sorry, you are flailing now. ?One? ?two? flight and you are an expert on the crew work load, noise etc. Did you know that there are more QR crew than on QF per pax on comparable craft (there's posts here somewhere on that)? How many crew it takes to prepare and serve the 'out of hours' meals (a couple). I don't think you are going to be in danger because of 'dine on demand'.

Apologies - we’ve veered right off topic but I did try and get it back on a few posts ago!

 

[jase05]

And the proper wineglass Vs a tumbler; the salt & pepper grinders Vs paper sachets; set table Vs tray; butter; selection of breads ..... . What sort of substance are you after? In my case dried out spaghetti on Bolognese Vs a nice juicy steak with condiments.

And I haven't mentioned the comparable wine selections.

As for the other stuff - sorry, you are flailing now. ?One? ?two? flight and you are an expert on the crew work load, noise etc. Did you know that there are more QR crew than on QF per pax on comparable craft (there's posts here somewhere on that)? How many crew it takes to prepare and serve the 'out of hours' meals (a couple). I don't think you are going to be in danger because of 'dine on demand'.

Yeah, dine on demand is just such a fantastic thing.
I love being able to swap meals around to suit my patterns. For instance I’m not a huge fan of most breakfast items and if I’ve just spent a couple of hours in the Al Safwa having a big meal the last thing I want on an overnight flight is to have my main meal. I’ll just get something light and watch a movie, have a wine or two and maybe catch some sleep. Then when breakfast is being served in the morning that’s when I’ll have my steak of big meal.
Can’t say I’ve ever noticed the noise or being disturbed, I’ll close the door and put my headphones on and I’m oblivious to what’s going on.

 

[Aeryn]

Maybe better to start a separate thread for QR J meals rather than derailing this one.

 

[serfty]

I’d prefer to have my crew rested for the critical stages of flight than spending time in the galley!

Well, do not fly JL then ...

Post in thread 'Qantas Business Class meals & menus'

Jan 31, 2026

This week I flew in Business on a 13 hour JAL flight, departing 10am port of departure time.

Lunch was proactively served (along with the offer to delay this to my preferred time), detailed in a menu booklet along with beverages and 'snacks'. Any inflight snack or drink menu item could be ordered via the IFE at any time up to 90 minutes before arrival. This included beverages.

• serfty

• 

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well, do not fly JL then ...

Post in thread 'Qantas Business Class meals & menus'

Jan 31, 2026

This week I flew in Business on a 13 hour JAL flight, departing 10am port of departure time.

Lunch was proactively served (along with the offer to delay this to my preferred time), detailed in a menu booklet along with beverages and 'snacks'. Any inflight snack or drink menu item could be ordered via the IFE at any time up to 90 minutes before arrival. This included beverages.

• serfty

• 

It depends how the meals are plated? Pre-plated or having to be prepared from components.

The QR crew actually mentioned the logistics of DOD and how it impacts rest schedules. Not something I would otherwise have known, or considered!

 

[Daver6]

The difference is the crockery! One setting looks fresh and plenty of ‘white space’, the other is somewhat boring. I’ll take substance over style.

Dine on demand means less break time for the crew, it means longer wait times if people decide to spread out their eating as you can’t bulk prepare the food, It means more noise in the cabin (for the ‘what cheeses me off’ thread… the pax next to me clattering their cutlery and scraping their plates very loudly… an English couple in their 50s!)

I’d prefer to have my crew rested for the critical stages of flight than spending time in the galley!

QF galley is a million times noiser than the QR galleys. QR crew are very particular about making sure the curtains are closed properly and noise kept to a minimum. QF make such a racket in the galley, especially for a morning meal service.

My point really is, I don't believe dine on demand makes any additional noise.

As for crew rested for critical phase of the flight. Crew have a job. If they can't do ALL of it, then there's a bigger issue at play. Obviously crew are there to ensure safety, but that shouldn't take away from other parts of their job either, like providing the service you've paid for. Would you accept service staff at a restaurant only bringing out food at a set time so they're well rested in case there is a need for an emergency evacuation?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

QF galley is a million times noiser than the QR galleys. QR crew are very particular about making sure the curtains are closed properly and noise kept to a minimum. QF make such a racket in the galley, especially for a morning meal service.

My point really is, I don't believe dine on demand makes any additional noise.

As for crew rested for critical phase of the flight. Crew have a job. If they can't do ALL of it, then there's a bigger issue at play. Obviously crew are there to ensure safety, but that shouldn't take away from other parts of their job either, like providing the service you've paid for. Would you accept service staff at a restaurant only bringing out food at a set time so they're well rested in case there is a need for an emergency evacuation?

Not the noise from the galley… as indicated it was the noise from my fellow pax. Not a care in the world for anyone else.

i would never have thought about the additional demands of DOD service if it hadn’t been mentioned by the crew. Of course service should be compatible with the main role of the job… safety. But we do have strong worker-focused safeguards in Australia.

 

[Daver6]

Not the noise from the galley… as indicated it was the noise from my fellow pax. Not a care in the world for anyone else.

i would never have thought about the additional demands of DOD service if it hadn’t been mentioned by the crew. Of course service should be compatible with the main role of the job… safety. But we do have strong worker-focused safeguards in Australia.

If DoD is too demanding then the airlines need to employ more staff in the premium cabins. Charge each J pax an extra $50 for a 12 hour sector. That would more than cover the wages. $50 extra isn't going to make or break someone paying for J.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

And the proper wineglass Vs a tumbler; the salt & pepper grinders Vs paper sachets; set table Vs tray; butter; selection of breads ..... . What sort of substance are you after? In my case dried out spaghetti on Bolognese Vs a nice juicy steak with condiments.

And I haven't mentioned the comparable wine selections.

As for the other stuff - sorry, you are flailing now. ?One? ?two? flight and you are an expert on the crew work load, noise etc. Did you know that there are more QR crew than on QF per pax on comparable craft (there's posts here somewhere on that)? How many crew it takes to prepare and serve the 'out of hours' meals (a couple). I don't think you are going to be in danger because of 'dine on demand'.

Apologies - we’ve veered right off topic but I did try and get it back on a few posts ago!

Now that we’re in the right thread…

Wineglass v tumbler… an issue of style? They’re not the finest wineglasses, due to practical constraints.

Salt and pepper sachet v grinders… the pepper grinder on my QR flight was difficult to twist, and didnt do its job… I wanted a sachet! Sty,e over substance again. Butter? Pepe is arguably better than QR? Selection of breads… yeah, there were multiple rolls, but none of them particularly good or fresh, they were chewy, at best. Tray v table setting in business… bit of a mixed bag there, So much pfaffing around to set the table when a tray is quicker. On shorter flights in, say under 8-9 hours, my preference is for something as quick as possible.

The substance should be in the food, not the presentation or crockery.

I was looking forward to trying Qsuites, and ignored comments from a good friend of mine who said - unfortunately - the food was ‘ordinary’. Unfortunately they weren’t too far off.

I tried to like qsuites, but given a newer version of the seat is out there… wider, longer, smoother and softer (Collins Horizon suite) - which I’d just just come off on TK, the qsuite also was a bit dated

 

[Warragul]

My most recent flights on QR (Sept/Oct) DOD was not specifically mentioned by the crew as an option - if asked they said yes but not proactively offered. Previous flights (admittedly pre COVID) it was offered when the taking the drink/food order after or before takeoff.

A one off crew not completely on song? Maybe but on four flights?

 

[RooFlyer]

Wineglass v tumbler… an issue of style? They’re not the finest wineglasses, due to practical constraints.

Salt and pepper sachet v grinders… the pepper grinder on my QR flight was difficult to twist, and didnt do its job… I wanted a sachet! Sty,e over substance again. Butter? Pepe is arguably better than QR? Selection of breads… yeah, there were multiple rolls, but none of them particularly good or fresh, they were chewy, at best. Tray v table setting in business… bit of a mixed bag there, So much pfaffing around to set the table when a tray is quicker. On shorter flights in, say under 8-9 hours, my preference is for something as quick as possible.

Well, dear oh dear. Combined with comments in other threads:

* You didn't like the Orchard business lounge layout, or buffet or distance to the loo or to get drinks

* You didn't like QSuites - scuffmarks, IFE (notwithstanding 2nd largest selection in the business) etc etc You liked the air vents.

Now you don't like the meals; dine on demand, the table settings, the bread (selection of three types), the butter .. or anything really?

I do feel you might be having a bit of fun here. If so, well played! You had me going for a while.

But if not, that's quite OK! Fortunately you have a choice. Qantas is the go for you. An slap down of a little tray with blunt cutlery, a bowl of green leaves, a plate of Bolognese with dried out spaghetti on top, taking an hour or two to get through; a small, random wine selection (in my experience "what's a Riesling?" "We have two whites, a Chardonnay and a rose" ) and, well, I dunno. Oh, yes. No wifi

say under 8-9 hours, my preference is for something as quick as possible.

So obviously not Qantas, where the first drinks and nuts might be an hour after departure, and the meal service can take 2 hours.

But I still suspect you are having a bit of a lend.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well, dear oh dear. Combined with comments in other threads:

* You didn't like the Orchard business lounge layout, or buffet or distance to the loo or to get drinks

* You didn't like QSuites - scuffmarks, IFE (notwithstanding 2nd largest selection in the business) etc etc You liked the air vents.

Now you don't like the meals; dine on demand, the table settings, the bread (selection of three types), the butter .. or anything really?

I do feel you might be having a bit of fun here. If so, well played! You had me going for a while.

But if not, that's quite OK! Fortunately you have a choice. Qantas is the go for you. An slap down of a little tray with blunt cutlery, a bowl of green leaves, a plate of Bolognese with dried out spaghetti on top, taking an hour or two to get through; a small, random wine selection (in my experience "what's a Riesling?" "We have two whites, a Chardonnay and a rose" ) and, well, I dunno.



So obviously not Qantas, where the first drinks and nuts might be an hour after departure, and the meal service can take 2 hours.

But I still suspect you are having a bit of a lend.

My point was that the overall experience didn't live up to the hype. It seems to me that QR = PR.

My comment was that the meal seemed more style over substance: you raised the points about glassware, butter, salt and pepper grinders. To me those don’t contribute to food quality. There’s been a lot of comparison between QF’s offering and that of QR. But to me it seems that comparison is mostly down to a difference in presentation… lots of ‘white space’ on QR.

The lounge, yeah… did it live up to the hype? Maybe they set expectations too high. Was it the world’s best business class lounge? I didn’t see it.

Is the Qsuite the best seat in the world in business class? I don’t see how it can be if there’s a better version of the same seat?

DOD? Yeah fine. It might be popular with customers, but I don’t know if it added significantly to the experience. No business class is ‘perfect’ but DOD wasn’t enough IMO to swing it to the ‘world’s best’.

 

[jase05]

Have had many QR flights and I’d say even the worst onboard meal I’ve had still beats anything I’ve had in QF J.
Mind you I reckon QF tops SQ meals from my experience. I find SQ J meals and product to be average and highly overrated
The QR product isn’t for everyone obviously but I love it and DOD is fantastic as it allows me to eat what I want, when I want.