Qantas Food

[Russell Corr]

I think on reading of the above and on my own experiences in the last month the key word here is inconsistent.

Flew in J SYD-AKL and had probably the best service i have ever received on a flight (food good too). Then flew MEL-SYD J and had a beef dish I wouldn't feed to my dog!

Also done a few economy sectors of late and have noticed the nice cookies etc but I always think with QF the food is a bit of a lottery, although must say I have never had a real bad meal in J when the flying time was 3 hrs +

 

[chall03]

I think the aircraft type certainly has an effect.

Being Qantas there is fairly standardized arrangements for the different aircraft for different length flights. It pays to look at what aircraft your going to be on when you book....biggest difference ibe noticed is on medium haul flights between being on a 767 or 737.....

For example Ive done the trans-tasman a few times recently.....really like air nz on this route but last trip was done on QFF points.

On the way over I was on a 737 in business, and was disappointed.
The menu was identical to the what I had eated on a domestic flight a few weeks previous.....a bit of salad...the chicken or beef option.....and the' new look quick and healthy option'( read cost them less, smaller and doesn't need to be heated). For wines a choice between a riesling, chardy or shiraz. On the Qantas website they boast about a new level of service on this route including desert wines....entrees........an energizing smoothie drink.....plunger coffee( all the things air nz offer) but this was non existant on this flight.......we got the stock standard 737 menu.

On the way back however we were on a 767 and it was very different. The menu was the above mentioned 'newer fresher' trans tasman deal and it was all quite nice...............

I have also heard different people say similar things in regards to the the diffences between beings on a 737 to perth or an airbus for example.......

 

[thadocta]

Just returned from Bangkok. The Dinner and Breakfast were the two worst meals I have ever had on any airline.
It is apparent that Qantas is going cheap.

More information please. Class of travel? First, business or steerage?

Given it was ex-Bangkok, I would be looking at what was supplied to BA and TG passengers on similar flights at the same times in the same classes, before saying QF is going "cheap".

I am not defending QF here, I would just like to see a valid comparison. Qatas (an Australian company) obviously cannot totally oversee what is coming out of the BKK flight kitchens, just like JL cannot oversee what is coming out of the SYD kitchens, or UA oversee what is coming out of the NRT flight kitchens.

Those of us who travel often know which ports have better flight kitchens than others, and take that into account (I, for example, would happily flt SYD-MEL-SIN-LHR rather than SYD-BKK-LHR, firstly due to increased status credits, secodly because catering out of SIN is always better than catering out of BKK).

It does not tend to be an airline thing, it tneds to be a city thing, as far as catering is concerned.

Dave

 

[ronone69]

ood out of BKK has been really bad recently - on all airlines except SQ. We flew BKK->SYD in July in BA First and it poor. My wife even complained to BA. We even got a letter from BA apologising - doesn't help much if there is nothing decent to eat.

Flew QF to MNL on Saturday from SYD. Food in J was quite good.

Often fly Cityflyer routes. Sometimes the food is good - sometimes it is not. MEL->SYD it is often not hot enough - especially on the A330's because they use a convection oven and it does not have time to heat.

QF are definitely spending less on food. They even cut out fruit juices in J class until Molly Meldrum complained he could not have a bloody mary. Then they brought back Tomato Juice but still no OJ. They told me it was because customers complained they wanted more choice!!!!!!!

QF should have replace Neil Perry years ago with a panel of different people from different cultures to design their menus. This is what most good airlines do. QF however has to be trendy have an overrated chef from a very overrated restaurant in SYD. Makes the SYD based mgt feel good - hey maybe they get free meals at his Rockpool restaurant ?

 

[raccoon111]

Hmm... is Rockpool really overrated? Been wanting to try it.

Maybe they can have Tetsuya's Degustation menu for flights to Japan...

 

[ronone69]

Been to Rockpool twice. Went back the second time because I could not believe that a restaurant that had been acclaimed by so many so called critics could be that expensive and that average and that I must have gone on a bad night.

But the second time was just as poor as the first. The food was trendy and not worth the price and the service was simply pretentious. Maybe its because I was not wearing my Hugo Boss or Armani suit or was not a QF exec ??? Anyway, I would never go back

Funny but in some ways the food and service on QF reflect the restaurant !!!!!

 

[raccoon111]

Anyone here collects Qantas menus? I have a few from Business and Economy. None from First yet. What are the first class menus like? Is it alright the walk into the first cabin at the end of the flight and ask the FA's for a copy? I always help myself to the business menus when passing thru the J cabain on exiting, hence my little collection. Noone seems to bother about menus in J, but i've yet to see any F menus just lying around in the cabin.

 

[ronone69]

Don't think you would have a problem getting a first class menu. Just ask the crew.

They are just a few pieces of printed paper in any case.

The interesting First menu's are on Singapore - especially their US flights, Cathay, BA

 

[Platy]

Well if I was the esteemed ponytailed one from the stuffiest restaurant in the rocks I really wouldn't want my name plastered everywhere in association with some of the QF inflight food!!!

Some of the meals ARE great, but only in business class!

The main problem is lack of consistency...

Domestic Y went backwards with the last set of changes!

Went on AO CNS-OOL last monday (only Y) and the cooked breakfast seemed to be some omelette brick with tofu chunks - yuck! At least you get a (paper) tablecloth in AO, which is more than can be said for QF domestic J class.

Always take some food of my own just in case I hit a bad catering day

I do feel strongly that at the current pricing levels for QF domestic J class the meals need to be CONSISTENTLY excellent!!!

And yes that salmon quiche is terrible (dom J snack fare)

On a positive note some of the recent reds have been outstanding - I'm thinking the Cullens...

 

[NM]

You might even find the odd F menu for sale on eBay! They sell all sorts of airline stuff and menus are not uncommon.

 

[ronone69]

Hey if I knew that was the case I will have to start to keeping them !!!

 

[rosesplus]

Anyone here collects Qantas menus? I have a few from Business and Economy. None from First yet. What are the first class menus like? Is it alright the walk into the first cabin at the end of the flight and ask the FA's for a copy? I always help myself to the business menus when passing thru the J cabain on exiting, hence my little collection. Noone seems to bother about menus in J, but i've yet to see any F menus just lying around in the cabin.

I have an F menu from LAX- SYD from 2 weeks ago. If you PM an address I'll send it to you.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[FF Wannabe]

I have never had a problem with airline food and I have ALWAYS been in economy.

My only gripe is that the person who designs the kid's meals is obviously not a parent. Serving spaghetti bolognaise to a young child in a confined space is a recipe for disaster and results in the child and at least one parent disembarking looking like they have vomited on themself. Also the flight attendants who try to be nice to a child half way through a flight by giving them extra icecreams and freddo frogs are doing no one a favour as the sugar hypes the kids up for the remainder of the flight which then destroys the peace for all the other passengers. On the other hand if the parents jump in quickly and tell the child that the extra icecream is an adult treat then the parents are doubly happy with the food in economy.

 

[NM]

I can scan a few and send via email if you send an email address via PM

 

[QF WP]

Same as NM, I've been saving them for years (including some BA J ones) and can scan them and send to your email address - PM me.

 

[serfty]

Oxymoron?

This thead has been around for some time and it's title always generates a wry smile on my dial. :?

Find it quite incongrous.

I mean to say, it's not often the words Qantas & Food appear in the one Phrase/Title, let alone comprise the total .

 

[Damien]

Breakfast on this morning's BNE - SYD run included a delicious fruit bun that was actually hot enough to melt the butter. Possibly the best bread product I've ever experienced with QF.

 

[oz_mark]

Re: Oxymoron?

This thead has been around for some time and it's title always generates a wry smile on my dial. :?

Find it quite incongrous.

I mean to say, it's not often the words Qantas & Food appear in the one Phrase/Title, let alone comprise the total .

I have seen the term 'Airline Food' appear in oxymoron lists.

 

[JohnK]

I think the QF food on the lunch and dinner flights when you don't get left with the choice of fish is quite good.

On Wednesday lunch on the DRW-ADL flight was a really nice chicken meal and dinner on the ADL-SYD flight was a very edible beef pasta. I guess when you don't expect a gourmet style meal the meals they do serve are good in my opinion.

The choices of food at lunchtime in the DRW QP was more than I expected, but at dinnertime in the ADL QP, even though it is very big, was disappointing in comparison. You win some and lose some.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I think the QF food on the lunch and dinner flights when you don't get left with the choice of fish is quite good.

On Wednesday lunch on the DRW-ADL flight was a really nice chicken meal and dinner on the ADL-SYD flight was a very edible beef pasta. I guess when you don't expect a gourmet style meal the meals they do serve are good in my opinion.

The choices of food at lunchtime in the DRW QP was more than I expected, but at dinnertime in the ADL QP, even though it is very big, was disappointing in comparison. You win some and lose some.

At least you get meals in Australia. Here we get one small cookie/muffin/sickly slice even on the main business flights. A case of paying more than australia (comparing red-edeal with red-edeal) and get less (food, drink, points & SCs).