Less than favourable experience - V Australia Business class.

[extracta]

Does the card to be filled out for meals, actually list what is in the meals?

Jenifur Charne

No, the card is just a quick tick and flick affair.

I think there is an added weight allowance over and above the 14 Kgs allowed as cabin baggage for those who wish to take their own breakfast cereal on board.

 

[vt]

Hi jad01,

I havent been on the board for a while now...so dont know what the norm/demographic of the posters are now. But quick question...

Did you actually just ask "Can I have some wheatbix and milk please?"

I understand there may be some mystique about business class and all that, but flying in the pointy end does not give you the right to hold a DYKWIA attitude and expect the attendants to read your mind.

I read your post a few times, but didnt see the part where you asked the FA to get you some cereal.

Curious minds and all that

 

[tuppaware]

Hi jad01,

I read your post a few times, but didnt see the part where you asked the FA to get you some cereal.

Curious minds and all that

I get the same feeling. Not referring to the OP but I know many people who will cough and moan about something without actually asking if they can have it.

A firm and direct but polite question to the FA's might of got you what you want.

 

[jakeseven7]

I get the same feeling. Not referring to the OP but I know many people who will cough and moan about something without actually asking if they can have it.

A firm and direct but polite question to the FA's might of got you what you want.

I agree - I would have got up and blocked the aisle if they kept on flitting past and not stopping....

 

[jad01]

Thanks for the responses so far although some of you may have misunderstood the situation.

1. I filled in a menu like everyone else which was Weetbix, coffee, juice and I think toast or something like that.

2. As I had a vegetarian meal request in for the dinner, it seems a hot (vegetarian) breakfast was put on the flight

3. Rather than go with what I ticked on my menu, the crew gave me the hot meal.

4. When I didnt eat it and asked for something from the menu I selected, the crew member looked at my tray and said "that IS your breakfast"
Considering I did politely ask and she didnt come back with anything I take that as a refusal to provide me with a preferred breakfast.

5. Meanwhile all other J passengers were enjoying their selection.

6. AFTER my tray was taken, surrounding passengers were even brought round 2 and round 3 bits and pieces so there was definitely no shortage.he

I don't cause a scene and with a flight to/from USA know they are ultra jumpy and didnt fancy 6 hrs of interrogation by the AFP because I made someone cry who cant read the boxes I ticked on a menu card.

The basis of my complaint is:
1. the crew ignored my breakfast selection on the card
2. they failed to confirm or check any discrepancy with me
3. when I asked for something I ticked on the menu, I was shown my hot meal again and told THAT WAS BREAKFAST
4. The crew member seemed like she was annoyed she'd plated the hot breakfast and would have to go back and start all over again.
5. Her tone changed from smiley to very stern from that point (and I was polite and didnt snap at any stage to wind her up)

Here's an analogy .....imagine you had a dinner party with limited time to prepare and handed someone a list of things you needed from the supermarket/deli etc and the person returned with all these items that were not on the list and of no use or interest to your planned menu.........I'm sure you too would be annoyed and ask yourself why the person you sent didnt read the shopping list.

Tough call when you're tired on a long haul flight, jump up and down and carry on only to be arrested for 'threatening' the crew or just accept bad service.

JASON

 

[anat0l]

Thanks for the clarification jad01.

So the breakfast cards are the same as QF's, which is a room service style check-which-items-you-want.

If what you said is how it played out, I can't quite understand why the stuff up. I guess instead of asking, "Could I get something from the menu" as you did, you could say, "Could I please get a bowl of Weetbix".

I guess with special meal requests there would be a tray set aside for you. In saying that, not sure how markedly a vegetarian meal could be different from a similar meal that could be synthesised by ticking the right boxes on the breakfast card (mind you, if it was significantly different then that's points to the good for VA). The special trays would definitely have to be loaded for more specialised requirements, e.g. gluten free. In any case, you'd think that for VA J (indeed, any longhaul J) would have a lot of "standard" stock so if you wanted to change your mind, albeit perhaps a bit awkward, or when they've simply got your order wrong, then there would be no problem.

Once again, definitely you should consider submitting a complaint, and again it'd be a shame if this was the only thing which was wrong with the flight (and consequently soured the whole experience).

 

[hollydavid69]

''

Thanks for the responses so far although some of you may have misunderstood the situation.

1. I filled in a menu like everyone else which was Weetbix, coffee, juice and I think toast or something like that.

2. As I had a vegetarian meal request in for the dinner, it seems a hot (vegetarian) breakfast was put on the flight

3. Rather than go with what I ticked on my menu, the crew gave me the hot meal.

4. When I didnt eat it and asked for something from the menu I selected, the crew member looked at my tray and said "that IS your breakfast"
Considering I did politely ask and she didnt come back with anything I take that as a refusal to provide me with a preferred breakfast.

''

Why wait for the FA to come back, its called the ' call button ' ?
When in Economy i have no hestitation in using it when i need to wet my whilstle etc ?

 

[milehighclub]

I don't think that is acceptable in any class of travel.

Unfortunately though it would appear that Australian airlines do not care how they the treat customer. I hate cereal and muesli and want a cooked breakfast even if I am in economy. Wrote a letter of complaint to Qantas (for a flight SYD-LAX last year) and they think that it is acceptable to run out of the cooked breakfast choice after serving the first few rows of economy. How can you argue with that type of attitude?

Did the breakfast service start at a different part of the cabin? Not all services start at the front of economy. (Varies between aircraft configurations and the service start point could be altered if people missed out on their choice during the last service)

Breakfast is and has been for as long as I have been flying a ratio of about 80% Hot 20% Cereal. I have never ever had to tell a passenger there is no hot meals left, only cereal.

 

[anat0l]

Did the breakfast service start at a different part of the cabin? Not all services start at the front of economy. (Varies between aircraft configurations and the service start point could be altered if people missed out on their choice during the last service)

Breakfast is and has been for as long as I have been flying a ratio of about 80% Hot 20% Cereal. I have never ever had to tell a passenger there is no hot meals left, only cereal.

Well, at some point it is conceivable that there may not be any more hot meals left; unfortunately, that could well be to the detriment of the affected pax. Not to dispute JohnK's story (because he's told it before, so we've already discussed this), but can't be good if one choice runs out within "the first few rows" (although one wonders if you can't rush back to the galley to fetch more of the now-missing choice unless you truly run out).

A bit odd that service could start at any point in a cabin. I would assume service on a 744 starts at the front of a cabin area (i.e. demarcated at an exit row or class curtain divider) and then proceeds towards the back. At least, when I get a seat at row 40 on a 744, I'm guessing that I'll be one of the first to receive a meal (and hence full choice).

 

[milehighclub]

Absolutely, however for someone to be in the first few rows and miss out on a meal that is 80% catered most likely indicates that the service didn't start at the front.

If during dinner people missed out on their choice (which does happen from time to time) to ensure they don't miss out a second time, the service direction is usually reversed. So the start point will be the finishing point of the last service, and could be in the middle of the cabin.

 

[haydensydney]

On my J HKT-MEL flight on Friday, service commenced from row 5 and moved forward, but not sure if this is the same on US flights.

 

[anat0l]

On my J HKT-MEL flight on Friday, service commenced from row 5 and moved forward, but not sure if this is the same on US flights.

I guess since you have the suite row that might be a sensible idea.

I've heard on some USA-based carriers' flights in premium classes they vary how they serve the cabin. I think one or more airlines the FFP board on FT had a FEBO mnemonic to remind them of which row of the premium cabin got meal choices first (i.e. First Even Back Odd, i.e. on even numbered flight nos, first row got first choice; on odd numbered flights the back (last) row was served first).

Don't ask why they do it, but whatever. Doesn't sound quite intuitive, if only for the purposes of allowing everyone a chance to get a first dibs.....

 

[JohnK]

Did the breakfast service start at a different part of the cabin? Not all services start at the front of economy. (Varies between aircraft configurations and the service start point could be altered if people missed out on their choice during the last service)

The breakfast service started at the back of the only economy section on the aircraft. We were seated in the second row of premium economy and as I have posted previously that flight was a disaster and not good PR for Qantas.

Breakfast is and has been for as long as I have been flying a ratio of about 80% Hot 20% Cereal. I have never ever had to tell a passenger there is no hot meals left, only cereal.

I have never met you (or at least I don't think I have) and I totally respect your input on this forum but here you are wrong without a doubt. The breakfast service started at the back of the only economy cabin on the aircraft (Pacific configuration 747) and I could hear the crew apologising that they had run out of the eggs after the first couple of rows at the rear. I lost count of the number of times I heard the apology. How can you run out of eggs that early in the service if they load ~80%? There were 32 of us sitting in premium economy and not one of us had eggs. How could I hear? My IFE, nor my father's, were working for a 14 hour flight.

I had written a complaint to QF about the things wrong on that flight and the response I got from customer care was not good enough. By the way I did get compensated exceptionally well but only for the IFE not for the remainder of the poor service on the flight.

By the way this is not the first time I have been told that they have run out of the hot breakfast option on QF and would I like cereal or some fruit? Yeah right!

I don't know what it is with Qantas cabin crew or in this case V Australia cabin crew but they have a lot to learn from their Asian counterparts. I had an SQ flight BNE-SIN in June where we hit turbulence shortly after the meal service started. The crew only managed to get the first or second row of economy served. Can you believe that they started bringing out individual trays to each person from the trolleys now safely stowed in the galley during the turbulence? I was in the third row of economy and could see the crew go back and forth delivering meals. Eventually they were able to resume the meal service. I could not imagine Qantas cabin crew providing that level of service....

 

[samh004]

Why wait for the FA to come back, its called the ' call button ' ?
When in Economy i have no hestitation in using it when i need to wet my whilstle etc ?

Not everyone is so eager to press that button. I never do, don’t want to be a nuisance.

Breakfast is and has been for as long as I have been flying a ratio of about 80% Hot 20% Cereal. I have never ever had to tell a passenger there is no hot meals left, only cereal.

Depends where you’re flying from, and to. It could be completely the other way around for certain flights.

 

[anat0l]

Not everyone is so eager to press that button. I never do, don’t want to be a nuisance.

Kinda the same here. *raspberry* to all of those who think it is presumptuous to get up and walk to the galley to ask the FAs for a favour. Personally with all the sitting down during a flight I relish at the opportunity to get off my butt and stretch the legs.

 

[JohnK]

We've discussed this matter ad nauseum in another thread already, emphasis on nauseum; let's not have another outbreak here. It was a spot mistake (we hope) and let's leave it at that.

I was asked a question and I replied with my account of the event.

Daniel if it bores you so much then it is your choice to ignore the post. And since you did not bother to read the post this time around this is not an isolated incident on QF. So we will be discussing it again sometime in the near fiuture.

Apologies to the OP for hijacking your thread on poor service from V Australia....

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I had an SQ flight BNE-SIN in June where we hit turbulence shortly after the meal service started. The crew only managed to get the first or second row of economy served. Can you believe that they started bringing out individual trays to each person from the trolleys now safely stowed in the galley during the turbulence? I was in the third row of economy and could see the crew go back and forth delivering meals. Eventually they were able to resume the meal service. I could not imagine Qantas cabin crew providing that level of service....

So it's a case of service at any cost is okay even if it may be at the expense of the safety of the cabin crew. I don't see how it's safer to deliver meal trays individually to the pax during turbulence vs trolley service. Either way the cabin crew are not seated with their seatbelts fastened.

It appears to be a cultural thing where SQ don't want to lose face whether it be by not providing their famous inflight service, doing a go-round when warranted or not taking off in a typhoon when all other airlines have cancelled their flights. Rather than question SQ for taking off during cyclonic weather when all other airlines have cancelled their flights, people question the other airlines for not taking off because SQ have! Unbelieveable.

SQ6 - Pre Report Information — Civil Aviation Forum | Airliners.net

It never ceases to amaze me how teflon coated SQ are so much so that I'd say the the majority of the general public wouldn't believe SQ have had a fatal crash (SQ6 TPE killing 83 pax) whereas everyone remembers the QF1 incident in BKK despite no fatalities.

 

[JohnK]

So it's a case of service at any cost is okay even if it may be at the expense of the safety of the cabin crew. I don't see how it's safer to deliver meal trays individually to the pax during turbulence vs trolley service. Either way the cabin crew are not seated with their seatbelts fastened.

I did not say it was OK. The CSM and crew obviously felt that it was safe to provide meal service without the carts. Should I have told them to stop and look out for their safety instead?

It is all about the attitude and nothing to do with safety. Some Qantas cabin crew do not want to be doing what they are doing at the best of times. Sometimes I walk down to the back of a 767 to ask for an extra beer as they have not bothered to clear the meal trays and I get dirty looks. Other times it is OK.

It may not be the right thing to say, and I am not trying to be cruel, but the Qantas cabin crew with attitude should find another career for themselves as they are clearly not suited for the service industry. Work is not a place to come and socialise....

 

[pauly7]

Most Qantas cabin crew do not want to be doing what they are doing at the best of times. ..

John I'm sorry but that one of the most sweeping generalizations I've seen on here for a long time... I don't think that is fair.

 

[anat0l]

I did not say it was OK. The CSM and crew obviously felt that it was safe to provide meal service without the carts. Should I have told them to stop and look out for their safety instead?

Perhaps not. If they had spilled the whole tray on you, despite they might've comp'ed you your laundry bill and then some, you might've had a different response.

FWIW the CSM and the crew "felt safe" only because they would have had some directive from flight deck. Unless the flight deck is comprised of complete idiots, to say that the crew / CSM know better than the flight deck is presumptuous and idiotic. In any case, you are not there to tell them unless you strongly believe it compromises your personal safety, unless you so see fit to intervene for some other humane reason.

It is all about the attitude and nothing to do with safety. Most Qantas cabin crew do not want to be doing what they are doing at the best of times. Sometimes I walk down to the back of a 767 to ask for an extra beer as they have not bothered to clear the meal trays and I get dirty looks. Other times it is OK.

In which case this is the basis of your point and the example you gave about SQ serving during a "turbulence period" when everyone should be seated is a pretty bad one for illustration. (Either that or the example is incomplete.)

It may not be the right thing to say, and I am not trying to be cruel, but the Qantas cabin crew with attitude should find another career for themselves as they are clearly not suited for the service industry. Work is not a place to come and socialise....

If you haven't realised already, this point would apply to any cabin crew from any airline. Or for any service industry for that matter.

The Asian airlines are the closest in the world to flawless, but if one should get the freak "crew with attitude" as you say, then we'd be equally ready to tell that person to shove off and find another career, too...


Anyway, I'm just as guilty as a lot of people for diverting the course of this thread off the OP. But as I've said before a few times, it is not acceptable what happened and I hope you did make a complaint through the appropriate channel, especially if you bought this J ticket and you are a DJ Gold member. And, once again, I've said that if the breakfast was the only thing that went wrong during the flight, then it is unfortunate that it was that alone which soured the experience.