Just flew QF 29 and QF30 - very ordinary experience

[DontGetMeStarted]

I have not flown QF Y class internationally for a while but found our flights to and from HK were very ordinary...paid for exit row seats and loved the extra leg room but the seating itself was so narrow and hardly any cushioning in the seat itself....the meal on the way over was OK (pasta) but my husband had the pre ordered fish and it was only luke warm, thought it might be dodgy to continue eating it so he didn't bother. When he told the CS she said you should have told me I could re heat it ......not sure that's a healthy option either. Yesterdays breakfast coming into Melbourne was dreadful too, quiche in a cardboard box, it was bordering on being inedible again only luke warm..I know its a first world problem but standards certainly seem to have dropped, I think I have had better in the past.

 

[mannej]

A lot of exit row seats are more narrow to accommodate the fixed arm rest. I guess that's the price one pays for the extra leg room.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

I flew QF29 in Y last month and thought it was a great flight. I was impressed

 

[DontGetMeStarted]

Ah OK thats maybe why it seemed so tiny then

 

[ric_melb]

Also have flown Qf30 back to MEL on the A330 and had a good flight.
For food it's good to eat and drink at the HKG Qantas Lounge if you have access, but dinner onboard was fine.
Forget the breakfast item but inevitably it's not a tray meal. But can't have been that bad or I would have remembered.
Find economy seats on international and domestic A330 comfortable, but make sure I pick a seat where armrests are not fixed as you get more "spread" room.

 

[DontGetMeStarted]

Also have flown Qf30 back to MEL on the A330 and had a good flight.
For food it's good to eat and drink at the HKG Qantas Lounge if you have access, but dinner onboard was fine.
Forget the breakfast item but inevitably it's not a tray meal. But can't have been that bad or I would have remembered.
Find economy seats on international and domestic A330 comfortable, but make sure I pick a seat where armrests are not fixed as you get more "spread" room.

This was a 747 400....maybe thats the difference and as a side note was apparently the same plane that had the incident where some were injured a few weeks ago..according to the FA

 

[Aussie_flyer]

This was a 747 400....maybe thats the difference and as a side note was apparently the same plane that had the incident where some were injured a few weeks ago..according to the FA

Any aircraft seat with tray tables built into arm rest has a narrower seat width. Same applies to the 747 and the A330.

 

[Melburnian1]

Why airlines serve food such as quiche for breakfast is beyond me - I like yoghurt, and if toast is unavailable many others like cereals or fruit.

 

[oz_mark]

Why airlines serve food such as quiche for breakfast is beyond me - I like yoghurt, and if toast is unavailable many others like cereals or fruit.

Many like a hot option..

 

[DontGetMeStarted]

Many like a hot option..

Hot would have been good

 

[serfty]

I had a similar item (egg wrap) yesterday morning on QF80 - NRT-MEL. Row 25 and I had to wait five minutes to cool down.

For me it was far better then the sugar loaded "cafe breakfast" of a year or two ago.

In February I was rebooked out of SIN on EK407 as my QF flight was delayed 14 hours. Breakfast was a virtual feast compared to QF's offerings.

 

[Cessna 180]

Why airlines serve food such as quiche for breakfast is beyond me - I like yoghurt, and if toast is unavailable many others like cereals or fruit.

Most cerials and yoghurts are full of added sugar.

Most unacceptible at at any time of the day, let alone breakfast.

 

[juddles]

..... the pre ordered fish ... was only luke warm......I know its a first world problem but standards certainly seem to have dropped, I think I have had better in the past.

Hey there No, it is not a "First World" problem, it is more a typical "Airline Expectation" problem. I too enjoy hot food - I hate luke warm. But it is hard enough in First to get reasonably hot food, let alone in Y long haul. I cook a lot and try to serve things at their best temperature, but that is hard even in a small social home dinner situation. Doing it with a special-order meal in a plane at 40,000 ft amongst service for 400 other pax must be even crazier.

In defence of airlines in general, they are just cutting every corner and attempting every efficiency to try to stay in business.

 

[clifford]

In defence of airlines in general, they are just cutting every corner and attempting every efficiency to try to stay in business.

That may apply to some airlines, but I don't think it does apply to Qantas at the moment. And they're not the cheapest airline around either.

 

[JohnK]

This was a 747 400....maybe thats the difference and as a side note was apparently the same plane that had the incident where some were injured a few weeks ago..according to the FA

I love the QF 747s. Nothing else apart from A380 comes close in economy. And I love bulkhead or complimentary exit row seats. I'm oversize and find the bulkhead/exit row seats ok. Beats having a recliner in your face for the entire flight.

Many like a hot option..

Yes please. Eggs and bacon. Or ham. Yoghurt is ok but still hungry. No croissants or pastry. No cereal. Quiche/pizza ok but very hot in first row of economy. Lukewarm ok too. Has the same effect on hunger.

 

[mjtomo]

Interesting post as I flew QF29 and QF30 on the 747 a week before the incident and had a fantastic experience.
Flight over to HK I was recognised as a WP and asked what drink I wanted after we reach cruising altitude which was provided way before the drinks trolley came out. They then come over a couple of more times through out the flight to see if I needed anything.
My flight home as I got to my seat in Y I was met by the CSM who said follow me mr mjtomo and took me up to a seat in J. This was my first in-flight upgrade and was very well received after a couple of busy days in HK.
I had such a good experience I sent some feedback to qantas to ask them to thank the staff involved.
Inconsistence service I guess??

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

Interesting post as I flew QF29 and QF30 on the 747 a week before the incident and had a fantastic experience.
Flight over to HK I was recognised as a WP and asked what drink I wanted after we reach cruising altitude which was provided way before the drinks trolley came out. They then come over a couple of more times through out the flight to see if I needed anything.
My flight home as I got to my seat in Y I was met by the CSM who said follow me mr mjtomo and took me up to a seat in J. This was my first in-flight upgrade and was very well received after a couple of busy days in HK.
I had such a good experience I sent some feedback to qantas to ask them to thank the staff involved.
Inconsistence service I guess??

The service I have received on the three return flights I have taken on Qantas in Economy in the past 12 months between Australia & Hong Kong, very much resemble the same outstanding service as yourself.
Absolutely top notch service !

 

[robtemt]

I think making a profit of $1.5 billion for the year doesn't qualify as trying to stay in business.

In defence of airlines in general, they are just cutting every corner and attempting every efficiency to try to stay in business.

 

[TomVexille]

I think making a profit of $1.5 billion for the year doesn't qualify as trying to stay in business.

Although that's only because of the massive cost cutting that's already taken place

 

[MEL_Traveller]

That may apply to some airlines, but I don't think it does apply to Qantas at the moment. And they're not the cheapest airline around either.

I dunno? There's cost cutting across the board on QF... not repairing sloping MK2 skybeds, not providing PJs on day flights (yes... some pax don't want their clothes to be creased on a day flight, or spill food), downgrading amenity kits in F from Payot/SK-II to Aspar, second meal service on Asia flights cut back to a warm snack, limiting champagne in F (ie, running out), $2 meals for domestic business class (a bowl of soup, or a toasted sarni), cutting chauffeur drive to the USA, cutting full meals in Y to a main course only and tub of pudding.

Aside from the new business seats which they kind of had to do anyway given the competition, the only product enhancement has been the removal of meal trays on QFi J?