That is true, but the same applies on VA. Often they just load 3 of the popular meals and 5 of the vego ones. People miss out of their preferred choice on almost every flight I’ve been on with VA.
VA almost always seems to have an option to add meat to the vego dish, e.g. a cheese tortellini but with optional chicken that can be added.
Can't remember the last time someone said there was a cheese plate offered on VA J in the relevant thread, especially because VA throw in the cursory packet of cheese and crackers anyway.
The question is why airlines can’t get the equation/mix right?
It could be a new rotation of menu that they haven't done the analytics on and thus actually worked out what the balance might be. Sure, we all
think that anyone would take the pie over the cheese plate (i.e. only a fool would think the opposite proportion would be ever feasible). Of course, if feedback never gets to the caterers (via crew or customers), then nothing changes (nothing might change if feedback is offered, but it's a guaranteed nothing if there is no feedback).
Sometimes it's a case of what one can get versus what one will be content with. The average non-AFFer might not get a pie but be settled enough with a cheese plate. This is especially true when you think a lot of non-AFFers flying in J are quite ambivalent about the whole catering experience, viz. they don't care much about the food at all, so long as there is some and it doesn't poison them. As for whether anyone will get anything to eat that helps justify the high J prices, that's not gonna happen, on QF or VA, and it's silly to think one carrier justifies the price tag more than the other in regards to food.
I personally think QF shot itself in the foot when it sold off its catering division. It lost quite a lot of control over what it could serve, in what proportion and to which flight. I personally think the choice of catering cart going to a flight is almost a random draw, except that's not quite true otherwise SPMLs would never make their designated flights. I can bet that if QF request for a particular proportion of meals to be loaded on a particular flight or even for all carts, the catering company is not going to care if they - deliberately or accidentally - load the wrong proportion. Like airlines, there's not exactly a huge number of reputable catering companies to choose from, so how's that non-performance clause looking?
The irony that a cheese plate is more expensive than even a good pie is not lost on anyone. That cheese plate served by QF would easily cost at least $16 (a pie could cost that much if it were served with a garnish salad and sauce), but that's also why I can't bring myself to ask for a cheese plate when dining out on my dime.
Implementing pre-order online would certainly help. Not every pax would avail themselves of the option, but it would be a big improvement for those who do.
I wonder how that process would change the workings at the caterers. I'd imagine you'd have to have a 24 hour order deadline, like SPMLs.
It must increase workload or budgeting headaches quite a bit, otherwise why would they have not done it by now.
Of course, you could do like QFLink on some E90 routes, or like OS J on quite a few of their shorthaul routes: there is only one option. I flew OS J on a shorthaul once and everyone got sausages, potato mash and wilted Swiss chard. Another flight it was ravioli with pomodoro sauce.
...those to whom choice was important would get what they want.
And those who miss out would (hopefully) learn.
This is funny, because it's true.
I remember (maybe still a thing) a big part of discussing the AA domestic F experience was knowing that AA serves customers in a specific order. IIRC it was alternate rows, starting from front or back, depending on which direction the flight was going (viz. flight number). So selecting your seat on AA domestic F required some acumen if you wanted to maximise your chance of getting your choice of meal.
One could argue much the same acumen required when flying QF (or any carrier), i.e. since QF simply serve from front to back, if you wanted your meal choice, you sat near the front to maximise your chances. The further you sat back, the more you risked not getting your choice. And again, the whole thing about getting first choice vs being content comes in, i.e. a pie would be nice, but you could make do with a cheese plate.
