The Qantas Edge in First [ AJ: "Customers drool over our ...{Neil Perry} ... food!" ]

[Flying mermaid]

We all have opinions! We have tried SQ suites old and new .... mrsamaroo rates QF F food superior, that includes the SYD F lounge v TPR. I thought the salad was better on SQ SYD F lounge beats the TPR IMHO.

As you say we are different . While I would agree the Syd F lounge is visually beautifully, while the TPR is fairly ordinary. I prefer the TPR. It has a lovely quiet ambience with delightful service, while the Syd F lounge feels like a cafeteria at times.

 

[amaroo]

As you say we are different . While I would agree the Syd F lounge is visually beautifully, while the TPR is fairly ordinary. I prefer the TPR. It has a lovely quiet ambience with delightful service, while the Syd F lounge feels like a cafeteria at times.

IMO a cafeteria trumps the undertakers any day of the week. Saying that, the BA CCR makes the TPR look really good

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I flew Qantas J December 2018 Mel to Singapore and the steward said he had a nice champers for me. I got all excited but when he said it was Grant Burge, I was most disappointed as I was expecting something French. I told him I can have Grant Burge anytime (I am in ADL) so I requested something French, which he obliged me.

Awful if they referred to Grant Burge (or anything Australian) as champagne!

 

[rikkitikkitavi]

Hmmm I wouldn’t be upset to have Brown Brothers Patricia in J, but if it’s the same Grant Burge as they serve on domestic J I’d questioning my spend.
Personally I think Outside of the F lounges Neil Perry generally means cheap ingredients chopped up by the lounge cleaners trying pass as trendy Asian food, but not tasting like MsG, Mr Wong etc. In fact while I like Rockpool (Sydney and Perth), and the old 1984, Spice Temple has to be one of the worst meals I’ve had for the price. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that QF NP food focuses on cheap ingredients claiming to represent the weakest restaurant in their chain, not because the other menus would be expensive... Emirates food in J and F while never trendy is well presented (in a 1999 style but who cares), tasty, with premium ingredients. More importantly the wines are always good and it’s not unusual to see bottles on the retailing for several hundred dollars. Sometimes instead of regular vintage Dom there is P2 and Hennessy Imperial instead of the already indulgent Paradis. Allan must use hungry street dogs as the bench mark for drooling over food...
I have only had one Emirates staff member approaching rude in F due to not understanding that rosé in the context of that list was their pink champagne (no other rose of any type on list) rather than a random red wine. But she was very nice the rest of the flight and my meals weren’t poisoned haha.

 

[N860CR]

Really? Really Mr. Joyce? Have you seen what other airlines put their crew through to train them up?
Has he ever been on an SQ plane where the service is consistent? Hmmm...

I’ve always said Qantas’ weakest point is their staff. Yes some are great, but they have some who are out of this world terrible. I’ve had Qantas staff so incredibly rude, aggressive and intentionally confrontational that it’s hard to fathom. While I’ve had crew on SQ/CX/QR who haven’t been great, there’s certainly never been anyone awful.

While I’ve had some wonderful QF cabin crew over the years, I just won’t risk flying with them as they are simply too inconsistent and it can ruin an entire flight very easily.

 

[Flying mermaid]

IMO a cafeteria trumps the undertakers any day of the week. Saying that, the BA CCR makes the TPR look really good

Yes I would put the CCR behind the others. The TPR is what F lounges used to be before they turned them into massive zoos

 

[amaroo]

Unfortunately some airlines are compelled to comply with decent, honest, and just employment laws, and some other annoying things like fair wages and conditions, etc, etc .... it's such a shame QF can't fire and hire on age, looks, weight, attitude, and other subjective faults, like many other airlines can and do. Just saying....

 

[Flying mermaid]

Unfortunately some airlines are compelled to comply with decent, honest, and just employment laws, and some other annoying things like fair wages and conditions, etc, etc .... it's such a shame QF can't fire and hire on age, looks, weight, attitude, and other subjective faults, like many other airlines can and do. Just saying....

Couldn’t care less about age, looks or weight, but attitude can be addressed by training and counselling. And if you go through the hoops with counselling and documentation and it doesn’t improve, you can fire. I did it twice in 30 years and it’s very unpleasant but better than having my business dragged down by a bad attitude, especially as we were very client focused.

 

[amaroo]

Couldn’t care less about age, looks or weight, but attitude can be addressed by training and counselling. And if you go through the hoops with counselling and documentation and it doesn’t improve, you can fire. I did it twice in 30 years and it’s very unpleasant but better than having my business dragged down by a bad attitude, especially as we were very client focused.

Me thinks you’re missing the point. Many media reports on file that some airlines named on here can, and do dismiss on the spot for perceived poor attitude .... can you imagine what that does to the workforce - scared stiff comes to mind.

Not my cup of tea.....

 

[tgh]

.bbbbutt ..Amaroo..
Our recent long haul on EK gave us a cheerful , engaged and caring crew on all sectors.
This level of service was not expected because we had previous experience that staff were "under the pump".
What has changed ?

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Shares in kale companies just rose 100%

 

[amaroo]

Who knows, maybe a public flogging did the trick

 

[Flying mermaid]

Me thinks you’re missing the point. Many media reports on file that some airlines named on here can, and do dismiss on the spot for perceived poor attitude .... can you imagine what that does to the workforce - scared stiff comes to mind.

Not my cup of tea.....

No I haven’t missed the point. I didn’t find the staff on Qatar (or Emirates or Singapore), scared stiff at all - quite charming and engaging, Yes I agree the work practises are probably not great, but you know they are not alone in those sort of work practices. The contract Master FM signed with google, means he can be dismissed on the spot for any reason (or in fact no reason), with no pay compensation.

The point I was trying to make is that the poor attitudes and inconsistent service by some Qantas staff can be dealt with and they can be dismissed if they don’t improve, but Qantas just doesn’t bother, just like they don’t bother having consistent replies from Lounge angels or telephone lines. Just too much effort and we are the ones who suffer. I really like our very fair work laws, but they are not an excuse for poor service - that’s a management failing.

 

[amaroo]

No I haven’t missed the point. I didn’t find the staff on Qatar (or Emirates or Singapore), scared stiff at all - quite charming and engaging, Yes I agree the work practises are probably not great, but you know they are not alone in those sort of work practices. The contract Master FM signed with google, means he can be dismissed on the spot for any reason (or in fact no reason), with no pay compensation.

The point I was trying to make is that the poor attitudes and inconsistent service by some Qantas staff can be dealt with and they can be dismissed if they don’t improve, but Qantas just doesn’t bother, just like they don’t bother having consistent replies from Lounge angels or telephone lines. Just too much effort and we are the ones who suffer. I really like our very fair work laws, but they are not an excuse for poor service - that’s a management failing.

Apples and oranges. What do you think google pays compared to an airline crew member?

So many people are happy to accept or ignore repressive, harsh and third world conditions, and at the same time punish, ridicule, and rubbish a business that operates under laws that completely rejects these medieval laws and practices.

IMHO the choice is simple.... what you decide to accept is your choice!

 

[Flying mermaid]

Apples and oranges. What do you think google pays compared to an airline crew member?

So many people are happy to accept or ignore repressive, harsh and third world conditions, and at the same time punish, ridicule, and rubbish a business that operates under laws that completely rejects these medieval laws and practices.

IMHO the choice is simple.... what you decide to accept is your choice!

You continue to ignore the other side which is the complete lack of interest in fixing the problem by Qantas, it didn’t used to be like that - I was a devoted Qantas fan for many many years. Started flying F with them in 1989 and their staff and service was truly superb. Anyway we might need to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[amaroo]

You continue to ignore the other side which is the complete lack of interest in fixing the problem by Qantas, it didn’t used to be like that - I was a devoted Qantas fan for many many years. Started flying F with them in 1989 and their staff and service was truly superb. Anyway we might need to agree to disagree on this one.

No, I'm not ignoring

 

[notqantas]

Ever wondered what Qantas thinks its edge over its competitors is. Now we know

Alan Joyce Reveals Why Qantas' First Class Crew Has A Psychological Edge Over Their Competitors

Alan Joyce says there's more to first-class service than being friendly – and reveals why his crew has a psychological advantage over the competition.

www.dmarge.com

So, there you go

Last time I flew Q First the crew kindly forgot to cook my dinner and so after a 3 hour wait I went to bed hungry. Never again.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Last time I flew Q First the crew kindly forgot to cook my dinner and so after a 3 hour wait I went to bed hungry. Never again.

Lol. Only three hours? They hadn't forgotten to cook your dinner. They only just start preparing main courses at that time! (Qantas' glacial meal service is well known!)

 

[N860CR]

Lol. Only three hours? They hadn't forgotten to cook your dinner. They only just start preparing main courses at that time! (Qantas' glacial meal service is well known!)

That was one of the final deciding factors for me. When I was doing regular HKG-SYD on the overnight flights it was simply taking far too long to throw out the NP slop and I was getting home without enough rest to be productive. A few flights on CX with meals thrown out and lights off after 90 minutes was enough to seal them as the preference.

 

[Danger]

Why QF can't render a NP salad palatable with just a few simple additions, like this on CX J HKG-PER on Monday night, I'm stuffed if I know.

Because then they wouldn't be able to use the fancy French word mesclun to describe their F salad.

This has been a major irritant for me for years. I really like salad, in fact I would be happy to just have a big salad instead of a starter. But those pathetic green leaf mixtures are not salads

When I used to flyQFi I would refuse the NP "salad".Usually with the comment-"green leaves do not a salad make.'

Strangely, it is indeed a real thing, something I only found out after being outraged at having been served it in F DFW-SYD. But as esseeeayeenn alluded to, in what world a mesclun salad can be considered a suitable addition to an international F meal is absolutely beyond me.