Change to SYD F Lounge Catering?

[serfty]

OT...

Well, Im a bit unimpressed with the QF Flounge at SYD since they changed the catering a few weeks ago; like being in a QP now

Dave

Hi Dave,

You posted this elswhere but may deserve it's own thread...

Care to enlighten us:?:

 

[Dave Noble]

I went flounging on the 4th May before my flight to HNL. On arriving into the lounge I found that the food selection had plumeted. There was soup and some hot bits as might expect to find in a QP rather than the more decent selection of food that there used to be. I was told by the lounge dragons that the catering was changed approximately 2 weeks prior to this

Dave

 

[Platy]

I was in there a couple of Thursdays ago to pick up QF19 as far as BNE and just managed to get a window of time (10-11am) when there was some decent food - those poached/steamed chicken breasts and some delicious cheese - I tucked into a couple of plate fulls with some gusto (nothing to do with the hangover from the Lakes Folly red at Quay the night before!) - perhaps this was just before the change?

As I noted elsewhere, the champagne on board seems to have been downgraded lately - Lanson non vintage in preference to the (rather tasty) Charles Hiedsieck mis en cave 2000.

The "light meals" on dom J are disgraceful these days too....maybe they have been downgraded over the last few months...

I'll back back through SYD F lounge in early June on same flights - be interesting to compare to my last visit of two weeks ago.

 

[Yada Yada]

The "light meals" on dom J are disgraceful these days too....maybe they have been downgraded over the last few months...

I found the same on a MEL-SYD flight the week before last - QF446 dep 16:00. At the time I put it down to being too early for dinner and too late for lunch. Maybe they have downgraded.

 

[Mish]

I had a similar experience a year or so back going Syd - Adl. Left home around 3pm or a little earlier. On plane, flew to ADL. Got to hotel at 9pm. What was the meal on the flight in between? 3 little biscuits.


Was in QF club domestic and international a couple of weeks ago. Some Salami slices was the best I could find in the normal. First class lounge had some "party pies" .

 

[thadocta]

Was in QF club domestic and international a couple of weeks ago. Some Salami slices was the best I could find in the normal. First class lounge had some "party pies" .

I have mentioned this before, but I wonder if it is really time for QF to go down the NZ road, and that is to totally downgrade on-board catering, at the same time as really massively upgrading the catering on offer in the QP.

This would achieve a number of things: reduction of costs for on-board services - wastage would go down, as would the cost, of uneaten meals; provision of meal services only to the most commercially valuable of passengers (i.e. those with QP access), leaving those Mr & Mrs Once A Year's to fend for themselves (which they do on JQ and DJ anyway), as well as providing a better meal facility for those with QP access. I am sure that some sort of arrangement could be made for those with QP access who show up at the last minute for them to grab something on the run from the QP.

Thoughts?

Dave

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I like the NZ system. Note there is no grab and run option (unless you buy a sammie or similar from airport cafe, or nab some fruit from the lounge). That said, the longest domestic NZ flight is under 2 hours.

I know some frequent flyers don't like the NZ system - particularly as many regional airports have no lounge or basic ones (which usually have crackers, cheese and shortbread biscuits but not much more). But then most of the regional flights are under an hour.

 

[Dave Noble]

This would achieve a number of things: reduction of costs for on-board services - wastage would go down, as would the cost, of uneaten meals; provision of meal services only to the most commercially valuable of passengers (i.e. those with QP access), leaving those Mr & Mrs Once A Year's to fend for themselves (which they do on JQ and DJ anyway), as well as providing a better meal facility for those with QP access. I am sure that some sort of arrangement could be made for those with QP access who show up at the last minute for them to grab something on the run from the QP.

Thoughts?

Dave

I think it is a bad idea; (1) there would be nothing to differentiate QF from its competitor and (2) would mean that there would only be anything for those that turn up early for flights; anyone turning up close to departure or just hopping on an earlier flight would be screwed.

If they were to do anything, I'd suggest a price increase to QF Club fees and then use some of the increase to improve offerings in the lounge

Dave

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

... which is what NZ did. The lounge offerings are pretty good most of the time, at least in the main Koru Clubs - better than QP offerings.

For example anywhere from 12-20 good beers, hot food, fruit, salads, meat, bread, etc. Obviously varies a bit by time of day.

 

[serfty]

So how does the catering compare to that back in March when there were things like I reported in This Post?

It's the same food / beverage service area as the old J lounge. The tucker's a lot better though.

The food bar was serviced regularly. I took a pix of a plate of rare roast beef, tempura 'prawns' and some cheese.

 

[NM]

Following the NZ model is one thing, but I sure hope they don't follow the AA model. In the LOTFAP, many longish domestic flights don't even get a meal in F, and if you want anything more than pretzels and coffee in the Admirals Club lounge you have pay for it (plus tip) - including sandwiches pre-packed for you to carry onto the aircraft!

 

[acampbel]

I came back to Sydney from Melbourne on an 8:30pm flight a couple of Fridays ago. I had booked a late one so that it wouldn't cost too much more than the Virgin flight (stupid "best fare on the day" rules are the bane of my life!), and took the opportunity to have some after-work drinks with my Melbourne colleagues.

So I get to the lounge about 45 minutes before the flight with a severe case of the munchies. A quick trip to the bar to grab a lager, find a good spot in front of the evening news, and then it was off to the QC buffet.

Hmmmm..... stale water crackers, dregs of nuts (the really salty ones) and some scraps of what may have been food in the trays. Perhaps I came at a bad time, methinks, so I grabbed some nuts and went back to the TV. When next I glanced over there was a catering staff member cleaning out the leftovers and then they departed. No sign of fresh produce before I left the lounge so does the QC shut-down its catering at 7:30???


Cheers,

AC

 

[dajop]

INo sign of fresh produce before I left the lounge so does the QC shut-down its catering at 7:30???

No not at all. It shuts down at 7:00

I can concur - get to MEL lounge after 7pm ish and there is very little fresh food that comes out and NO hot food at all. And certainly don't expect soup to be replenished once the container empties. I honestly think they should open either a takeaway or commercial cafe within the lounge why you can buy some decent ( & different) food to enjoy with a free glass of wine or two from the bar.

However, at the other end of the day, it is a different story. I certainly never bother with breakfast at home, as a QC breakfast is more than adequate.

 

[Mal]

Agree that the F lounge catering has changed.

Today's offerings?

Gourmet mini steak pies
Feta cheese triangles.
Mini Dim Sims.
Smoked Salmon slices.
Smoked chicken (processed) meat.
Gourmet mini ham rolls.
Soup.
Cheese (blue Vein, plus another variety)

Nothing like what I had in the lounge soon after it opened.

At least the food is being replaced promptly.