Special Meals on QF local/ international Flights

[fursten]

Is it me or am I missing something and being to sensitive, as a 18 year veteran of the club , I am a vegetarian but over the last 12 to 18 months I feel that I am treated as a second class citizen on flights. I am wondering if others have the same experience.
Once if you had a special meal it was treated the same way as a normal meal, delivered at same time with other meals, in this way you were able to get a drink, bread roll, etc with your meal and at least you did not stand out. Now it appears policy for the tray to be almost delivered immediately after take off and no drink or other service provided untill the rest of the cabin served, usually 20 minutes later to your seat. By that time either the food is cold or you have finished it , but drinks only last.
this adds to frustration also that you are locked into your seat for at least 20to 40 minutes longer than others.
So am I incorrect and too sensitive? Or perhaps it QF policy to make FF and not FF people not welcome and subtly tell you fly a budget carrier because they have no food to offer?:evil::!:

 

[Aggi]

My husband is a coeliac but has recently cancelled his gluten free meal preference with Qantas as he thought the food was awful and like you he hated the flight attendants making a fuss and serving his meal so much earlier than everyone else. The gluten free meals my husband got in J last week consisted of steamed chicken, steamed carrots and beans, whereas i had a choice of snapper with a beautiful thai style sauce. Not sure why the Qantas gluten free meals look like diet meals, my husband can't eat wheat - he's not on a diet! So now he'd rather take the risk and get sick eating a normal meal than request a special meal, which is a shame I think. Some flight attendants clearly don't understand what a gluten free meal is as they would offer him a bread roll!

 

[Taezar]

II must admit though, getting an awesome Indian/Asian vege meal 10-15mins before everyone else is such evil fun especially on the dinner flights. They generally smell outstanding and everyone is so jealous! Especially when they are tucking into pasta and mystery meat while I am eating a divine curry and a cute little heart shaped friande.

 

[Shelf]

II must admit though, getting an awesome Indian/Asian vege meal 10-15mins before everyone else is such evil fun especially on the dinner flights. They generally smell outstanding and everyone is so jealous! Especially when they are tucking into pasta and mystery meat while I am eating a divine curry and a cute little heart shaped friande.

I share a similar view. I also will time my toilet break when the rest are eating

 

[AirKat]

I've always thought the special meals look pretty good, particularly on breakfast flights, but I'm not sure which one the pax has ordered on each occasion. Any recommendations?

 

[nlagalle]

I've requested the fruit platter several times.. It was pretty good.

 

[markh]

My husband is a coeliac but has recently cancelled his gluten free meal preference with Qantas as he thought the food was awful and like you he hated the flight attendants making a fuss and serving his meal so much earlier than everyone else. The gluten free meals my husband got in J last week consisted of steamed chicken, steamed carrots and beans, whereas i had a choice of snapper with a beautiful thai style sauce. Not sure why the Qantas gluten free meals look like diet meals, my husband can't eat wheat - he's not on a diet! So now he'd rather take the risk and get sick eating a normal meal than request a special meal, which is a shame I think. Some flight attendants clearly don't understand what a gluten free meal is as they would offer him a bread roll!

I am gluten intolerant as well and agree the standard of special meals has deteriorated in the last few years. Seems that the gluten free meal is also low fat, halal, lactose free and sometimes vegetarian all rolled into one. I am sick of getting margarine instead of butter and soy milk with my gluten free meal !!! 9 times out of 10 it is some form of chicken and steamed vegetables. The dessert if always a fruit salad consisting of melon melon and more melon. I am allergic to wheat, not meat !!!

Cheers Mark

 

[ferdeline]

Is it me or am I missing something and being to sensitive, as a 18 year veteran of the club , I am a vegetarian but over the last 12 to 18 months I feel that I am treated as a second class citizen on flights. I am wondering if others have the same experience.
Once if you had a special meal it was treated the same way as a normal meal, delivered at same time with other meals, in this way you were able to get a drink, bread roll, etc with your meal and at least you did not stand out. Now it appears policy for the tray to be almost delivered immediately after take off and no drink or other service provided untill the rest of the cabin served, usually 20 minutes later to your seat. By that time either the food is cold or you have finished it , but drinks only last.
this adds to frustration also that you are locked into your seat for at least 20to 40 minutes longer than others.
So am I incorrect and too sensitive? Or perhaps it QF policy to make FF and not FF people not welcome and subtly tell you fly a budget carrier because they have no food to offer?:evil::!:

Interesting - I often order a special meal with the intention of eating before anyone else!

 

[rechoboam]

II must admit though, getting an awesome Indian/Asian vege meal 10-15mins before everyone else is such evil fun especially on the dinner flights. They generally smell outstanding and everyone is so jealous! Especially when they are tucking into pasta and mystery meat while I am eating a divine curry and a cute little heart shaped friande.

Asian vegetarian seems to be the best option generally in my opinion especially in nonpremium cabins. At the moment I am Hindu when flying SQ which surprised the OH.

 

[Rebekkap]

I've requested the fruit platter several times.. It was pretty good.

I always request the fruit platter on domestic flights at meal times - eat something in the lounge, then have the fruit platter as dessert on the plane... win.

 

[JessicaTam]

</Rant>

As I am usually towards the front of the whY cabin, my vego meal usually arrives only shortly before the others. I agree with markh that QAN seem to be combining all their special meals into one. I don't want to see another gluten free cake or a stale gluten free bread roll again.

I recently did a JASA MEL-xSYD-ADL return, and I was offered a sandwich - each time! Everyone else in J was getting a hot something - each time! And don't get me started on the dinners that when they are hot are the same thing time and time again.

</End Rant>

 

[RickyT84]

Asian vegetarian seems to be the best option generally in my opinion especially in nonpremium cabins.

I agree. The Asian vegetarian meal I had last month (and a couple of times before) was Braised tofu and mushrooms in oyster sauce with rice and vegetables, with a small cake and a mandarin. Certainly a refreshing change to the same old pasta with meatballs/curry with rice.

 

[MrJetset]

Yes, many of the special meals are now combined. I belive, globally, all of them are made by almost one company. Interesting story on BBC's fast:track BBC News - Fast Track - The secrets of making an airline meal

 

[serfty]

This combination "special meal" has been happening for at least 5 years ...

 

[milehighclub]

. Now it appears policy for the tray to be almost delivered immediately after take off and no drink or other service provided untill the rest of the cabin served, usually 20 minutes later to your seat. By that time either the food is cold or you have finished it , but drinks only last.
this adds to frustration also that you are locked into your seat for at least 20to 40 minutes longer than others.
So am I incorrect and too sensitive? Or perhaps it QF policy to make FF and not FF people not welcome and subtly tell you fly a budget carrier because they have no food to offer?:evil::!:

In terms of QF this certainly isn't a recently policy change. Special meals have always been served first in economy for as long as I have been flying (over 9 years).

This is not unique to Qantas either. Most airlines serve special meals first.

 

[milehighclub]

Yes, many of the special meals are now combined. I belive, globally, all of them are made by almost one company. Interesting story on BBC's fast:track BBC News - Fast Track - The secrets of making an airline meal

What do you mean by made by one company?

 

[rechoboam]

In terms of QF this certainly isn't a recently policy change. Special meals have always been served first in economy for as long as I have been flying (over 9 years).

This is not unique to Qantas either. Most airlines serve special meals first.

A parent has a dietary aberration and has definitely been receiving meals first in economy (way before others) for as long as I remember, at least 30 years. Long enough that I would never think twice about it happening.

 

[MrJetset]

What do you mean by made by one company?

I believe GateGourmet make most airline meals and they Halal and Kosher meals are extremely similar. Indeed this article states that most meals are actually Halal GateGourmet moves to halal for all - flights.co.uk

 

[milehighclub]

Well GG certainly make a lot of the worlds inflight meals but LSG Sky Chefs make 260 million more meals than GG.

Airlines negotiate locally though so while we use GG in HKG for example we don't use them in AKL (we use LSG) or SIN (we use SATS).

 

[NTflyer]

This is my first post so here I go. I am vegetarian and like the fact that Qantas brings out the special meals at the start of the meal service. I have never been disappointed with what has been served and generally it looks a lot better than the standard meals.