Coast to Coast - What to expect in Y for food

[ap_spd]

Not fussed but curious as to what to expect as food in Y Coast to Coast. I hope it is better than the cream biscuit / muffin you get between SYD / MEL or SYD / BNE. Will eat something in lounge before I board..

 

[anat0l]

You will get a meal.

For example, I flew BNE-PER (on a 737, but it shouldn't make a difference on equipment) in Y for the mid-morning service. They served lunch of either butter chicken or vegetarian pasta. I went with the butter chicken. That was served with a standard Y bread roll, butter and a dessert of salted caramel mousse.

IIRC alcohol should be available free of charge.

There is only one meal service. I'm not sure if there are other things available if you are still hungry on board; if they were available, it'd be likely those would be at a cost.

Here is the meal I got. Note that this flight was Sept 2015 (last year), but I'd harbour a guess that not much has changed since then (at the very least, not for the worst).

 

[Pleb Status]

Things have changed a little since they went to the 'no tray' service.

You still get the same meal with a bread roll at the first service (and no sweet item) but they come around later for a second service where you get a chocolate biscuit (or two if you are nice) or packet of pretzels and a drink.

 

[Lemon_Party]

Eat before you fly, either in the lounge, or just pay for real food in the concourse.

Coast to coast meal service is often inedible and at best poor.

You will now be handed a small cardboard box with your 'meal' choice, along with a chocolate mousse cup most likely. The bread roll posted by anat0l is now no more, the tray does not exist, and the meal is a little smaller. Beers and wine will be free though.

I honestly think VA would be better not offering this slop to people, reduce their fares slightly and just offer decent paid food from a menu. Rather than pretend to be a full service carrier and serve up tiny portions of utter garbage. I'm tired of leaving feedback to this effect with them...

A couple of years ago VA were handing out premium branded snacks and had a reasonable offering, but the race to the bottom has almost been won.

 

[Lemon_Party]

Things have changed a little since they went to the 'no tray' service.

You still get the same meal with a bread roll at the first service (and no sweet item) but they come around later for a second service where you get a chocolate biscuit (or two if you are nice) or packet of pretzels and a drink.

Last two flights I've taken the roll is no more and there was no second biscuit service. Although this time I think I was flying from MEL - maybe as a shorter flight they treat differently to SYD/BNE?

 

[Pleb Status]

Last two flights I've taken the roll is no more and there was no second biscuit service. Although this time I think I was flying from MEL - maybe as a shorter flight they treat differently to SYD/BNE?

My experience is on PER-BNE/SYD so it could be different on other ex-PER routes.

 

[ap_spd]

Thanks everyone. I agree race to bottom is easily won in this instance. Food on non coast to coast was much better when it was paid for as part of flexi fare. Traveling for work so will avoid alcohol, have a meeting after I land. Will eat in the food court, lounge is ok for breakfast but of late bircher museli is also missing.. shame..
Coffee and crossiant do work though

 

[Ausbt]

Beef and rice in a box. My recent SYD-PER had equal amounts but PER-SYD seriously stingy on the beef on my recent trip. Two small bottles of red outbound but once again stiffed a second drink on the return. Flight arrived 15 minutes early though.

 

[ap_spd]

thanks ausbt

 

[ap_spd]

Just back after two days of early morning flights, only thing I can say with certainty is that the race to bottom is won. Going over we had breakfast and "Pain au creme". coming back was only a small serve of brekky, scrambled eggs, roast (very fresh) tomato and some strangely shaped potato bakes. Lounge brekky was also a mess so...

 

[alviau]

A friend flew over the weekend PER-SYD and during lunch service they offered a choice of a Thai style penang beef curry with rice or a vegetarian tajine dish with couscous and veggies. As she was seated towards the back the crew were nice and she asked if she could try both. She said the surprising highlight was the tajine. Meals are now served inside a much nicer looking box (not the foil tray in the pic above), but didn't get a pic. She also received a caramel mousse.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Doing aVA Red-Eye early next week. Will post.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

VA473
PER-BNE
Depart 22:45 (Red Eye)

​

It was also the first time l used the new VA Terminal in PER. It is a very nice set-up VA have over there.

I still prefer QF over VA.

VA seem fragmented -

• VA frequent flyer program is an ad-hoc mix 'n' match set-up (alliance wise)
• Don't have a proper VA app
• VA and Velocity websites are all over the shop and sometimes searching for something takes forever
• Not all their planes have personal screens (QF is the same in this regard)
• On the positive, VA staff are great

 

[Denali]

I guess for once the mood lighting helps in regards to the meal... it must look worse in actual daylight.

How did it taste?

 

[anat0l]

I guess for once the mood lighting helps in regards to the meal... it must look worse in actual daylight.

How did it taste?

Appears to be a hot quiche / pie and a snack sack / bag.

Those kitchen box things feature as hot snacks served from time to time on VA Y longhaul. FWIW I've had the hot pie and vegetarian pizza, and both are quite decent.

I'll leave the review of this one up to the poster.

 

[Denali]

Appears to be a hot quiche / pie and a snack sack / bag.

I thought it was some sort of mexican wrap thing. Hopefully it was good to eat.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Yeah, sorry for the lack of explanation. It was a quiche. Tasted pretty good. The muesli nut bar was tasty too.

 

[theoracle30]

It was a quiche. Tasted pretty good.

Beats the QF Y offering on the PER-MEL overnight - only the snack pack and no hot food.