Why does QF penny-pinch so much on domestic J catering?

[GoldCanyon340]

I have no issue with the soup being transported in the thermos, just don't want to see it being poured from said receptacle into the bowl before being served. If you are sitting in a premium seat in, we all assume, Australia's premium carrier then I don't want to feel like I'm getting served from a buffet in an RSL.

 

[medhead]

I suspect some people are unhappy because they see the thermos, not that the thermos is being used. That is, they want the thermos to be kept in the galley, away from public view.

That seems to be the main complaint of some - they don't like carts being used, and want each meal to be brought individually from the galley. That's fine for international services - and certainly seems to be generally how QF does international - but it really is impractical for the short domestic routes.

I know gormandising is supposed to be about 83% visual, but I only take that as far as the actually food myself.

I have no issue with the soup being transported in the thermos, just don't want to see it being poured from said receptacle into the bowl before being served. If you are sitting in a premium seat in, we all assume, Australia's premium carrier then I don't want to feel like I'm getting served from a buffet in an RSL.

RSL buffet's can be excellent. Many are moving away from buffet altogether into a la carte dining or pub grub. But in general, soup on a buffet will be self serve via a ladle. Much like the Qantas business lounge soup.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

The business lounge soup. Now we are talking

However, if we are supposed to experience an NP experience onboard then I fail to see how the thermos is providing that.

 

[Happy Trails]

Poor enthusiasm for soup in a thermos?

 

[marki]

Poor enthusiasm for soup in a thermos?

I don't © mind it so much ...... It fills a hole with some glass ( class) :

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Con: Serving a full meal at all times of day will cost a LOT of money (but I'm fairly sure there was somewhat of a large profit just announced).

Given the price of a MEL-SYD return Qantas business class is now regularly more expensive than MEL-LHR return in economy (which gets you at least 6 full hot meals for the return flight), I think the catering at $1-$2 for domestic business class is pretty poor.

 

[opusman]

I'm intrigued. How else should they transport soup?

I guess I feel like it shouldn't be an option in the first place.

ADL-MEL this arvo, again there was cheese, soup and some amazing variety from the flight over - antipasto instead of mezze! Outstanding.

It was clearly a pretty expensive dish for them because they'd only loaded 4 of them, meaning everyone from 2F onwards got to choose between cheese and soup for their $700.

 

[moa999]

Agree that it seems penny pinching not to align the Business Class service with the extended Y hot box service.

(Maybe catering limitations? - a few FTers can ask in a couple of weeks)

 

[Sprucegoose]

I have no issue with the soup being transported in the thermos, just don't want to see it being poured from said receptacle into the bowl before being served. If you are sitting in a premium seat in, we all assume, Australia's premium carrier then I don't want to feel like I'm getting served from a buffet in an RSL.

its trolley service and some short sectors they just gotta serve the stuff...

 

[russ]

I don't want to feel like I'm getting served from a buffet in an RSL.

Based on this and the J lounges, it's clear that Neil Perry has been taking inspiration from RSLs all around Australia.

QF: The flying RSL

 

[love_the_life]

I guess I feel like it shouldn't be an option in the first place.

ADL-MEL this arvo, again there was cheese, soup and some amazing variety from the flight over - antipasto instead of mezze! Outstanding.

It was clearly a pretty expensive dish for them because they'd only loaded 4 of them, meaning everyone from 2F onwards got to choose between cheese and soup for their $700.

That's another thing that gets on my goat - not loading sufficient stock of dishes for premium passengers (in particular). Something is wrong with their catering projections if they run out so quickly - it is not that uncommon.

 

[ReLoad]

Quite a few soup naz_s here! Whilst presentation counts, for me it's all about substance, here is what I'm looking for in a dom J meal;
3 choices. Soup, and 2 mains.
Salad to come with any of the above choices.
Any sort of fresh warm bread except sourdough.
Desert options; cheeses, ice cream or a little cake style desert.
Matching booze to suit the mains.

If it comes on a cart, hover board or hospital gurney I don't care, as long as it's the minimum irrespective of the time of day.

I'll make a generalising statement, but chances are pax in J are time poor and whilst you are stuck in a tin can, it's a great opportunity to get a good meal without sacrificing any time. I rarely bother with lounge anymore unless I'm there way early or there is a delay. The MEL J lounge is a zoo and a struggle to get a seat!

 

[PineappleSkip]

A FA told me (BNE-SYD) when the change first happened it was all day dining or somesuch, instead of the previous meal or snack depending on time of day. It was a bonus on the 'snack' flight on the way down, slim pickings on the dinner flight back.
Soup from a thermos served from a cart seems fine to me, esp pea+mint, I am mainly interested in having it hot. The toasted sambos I could live without, are they reheated?
Cheers skip

 

[Altair]

Based on this and the J lounges, it's clear that Neil Perry has been taking inspiration from RSLs all around Australia.

QF: The flying RSL

Well for an expat....
"Feels like home"
Definitely brings back memories of my teenage and early twenties....
For the record I am not too precious about seeing the cart or the thermos. I care more about the food, quality and presentation and being served quickly to allow me to catch up on work or relax with the IFE. The cart and thermos helps achieve this.
Finally, I have not had a bad soup while flying QF and it often is my preference.

 

[clazman]

What gets up my noise with J catering,

QF "Would you like the chicken or the beef"
Me "Chicken thanks"
QF "Sorry sir we are out of the chciken"
Me "What, i am the fourth person you have asked, out of 12, you have ran out already"

 

[RichardMEL]

Really how many (transcons aside) are paying for J?

I've been on about 18 domestic sectors so far this year and judging from seat maps, conversations in cabins and behaviour of CSM's, the number of real true blue paying pax, vs staff on passes and upgrades, is very few.

I think QF are treating domestic J (again transcons aside) much like AA/UA/DL treat their domestic "premium" cabin (ie: 2 class "First") - a glorified upgrade cabin more or less.

I got on a MEL-BNE on Sat lunchtime early (wanted to settle my stuff in) and the CSM remarked "You're on early. I would have thought you'd still be eating in the lounge" (if but I could, lunch was not yet out in the J lounge). Wish I had eaten more as the "LUNCH" options (stated as Lunch on QF flight details) was the usual soup (tomato), thai beef salad of some sort, and toasted chicken sanga. Now I am all for carb overload, but the sandwich was just not enough for lunch.

Now J ended up 2/3 full with rows 1 and 2 fully occupied. I moved from 2C to 3C and had the whole of 3 to myself. On observation of fellow pax it seemed about 3 others were revenue. 1 guy who was in 2A mentioned to the overly chatty CSM that his sister worked for QF and he was on a pass (CSM remark: "it's such a great system isn't it?") then the other couple of guys in 2DF were also on passes ("He works for QF" I heard) and again the CSM loudly said how good it was. So much so that I felt the need to comment when he got to me that I was a real fare paying passenger who didn't work for the airline. I think he got the non-subtle hint and said "Yes I see that ... I made sure to keep all the meal options for you" (thanks mate).

Now sure, Saturday lunchtime is hardly peak time I get that, and I don't begrudge staff their perks, though I think the CSM could have been somewhat more subtle about it (normally they are, and normally they serve NRSA or pass riders last, but I digress).

So anyway on return yesterday(sun) 1pm BNE-MEL - again "lunch" - cabin was showing J6 an hour before departure, and only a few seats allocated and went out 2 short - they were allocated, but did not show for some reason (suspect staff) and luckily I wound up with seat next to me clear. My conclusion? at least half upgrades (ODU)

Again no issue and we all got our choices - such as they were - soup (a REALLy tasty/hearty spicy lentil soup) with Naan bread (yes!), a salad and another toasted sanga but really QF could do better but I think they figure if it's mostly pass riders and upgraders..... meh

 

[trixydoza]

I felt the need to comment when he got to me that I was a real fare paying passenger who didn't work for the airline.

That said, I have also been disappointed with the standard on my past four or five (scumbag-peasant-points-using) domestic J flights.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Really how many (transcons aside) are paying for J?

I've been on about 18 domestic sectors so far this year and judging from seat maps, conversations in cabins and behaviour of CSM's, the number of real true blue paying pax, vs staff on passes and upgrades, is very few.

I think QF are treating domestic J (again transcons aside) much like AA/UA/DL treat their domestic "premium" cabin (ie: 2 class "First") - a glorified upgrade cabin more or less.

I got on a MEL-BNE on Sat lunchtime early (wanted to settle my stuff in) and the CSM remarked "You're on early. I would have thought you'd still be eating in the lounge" (if but I could, lunch was not yet out in the J lounge). Wish I had eaten more as the "LUNCH" options (stated as Lunch on QF flight details) was the usual soup (tomato), thai beef salad of some sort, and toasted chicken sanga. Now I am all for carb overload, but the sandwich was just not enough for lunch.

Now J ended up 2/3 full with rows 1 and 2 fully occupied. I moved from 2C to 3C and had the whole of 3 to myself. On observation of fellow pax it seemed about 3 others were revenue. 1 guy who was in 2A mentioned to the overly chatty CSM that his sister worked for QF and he was on a pass (CSM remark: "it's such a great system isn't it?") then the other couple of guys in 2DF were also on passes ("He works for QF" I heard) and again the CSM loudly said how good it was. So much so that I felt the need to comment when he got to me that I was a real fare paying passenger who didn't work for the airline. I think he got the non-subtle hint and said "Yes I see that ... I made sure to keep all the meal options for you" (thanks mate).

Now sure, Saturday lunchtime is hardly peak time I get that, and I don't begrudge staff their perks, though I think the CSM could have been somewhat more subtle about it (normally they are, and normally they serve NRSA or pass riders last, but I digress).

So anyway on return yesterday(sun) 1pm BNE-MEL - again "lunch" - cabin was showing J6 an hour before departure, and only a few seats allocated and went out 2 short - they were allocated, but did not show for some reason (suspect staff) and luckily I wound up with seat next to me clear. My conclusion? at least half upgrades (ODU)

Again no issue and we all got our choices - such as they were - soup (a REALLy tasty/hearty spicy lentil soup) with Naan bread (yes!), a salad and another toasted sanga but really QF could do better but I think they figure if it's mostly pass riders and upgraders..... meh

This is why the first rule of staff travel is never discuss staff travel.
At least not on board.

 

[RichardMEL]

This is why the first rule of staff travel is never discuss staff travel.
At least not on board.

EXACTLY!

I've flown on a buddy pass exactly once, many moons ago within North America, and I was made well aware of the requirements and responsibilities for using it (and for the record it was an all Y flight lol so that wasn't an issue)

this example the other day was .. well not extreme.. but enough for me to be a bit annoyed (while I was on a sale fare, I had paid to be in J) and the way they were going on about how good it was to have staff travel benefits and sit up the front was poor.. but it was more the CSM than the pax because he was talking load enough that I could hear (sure it's a 73H so everyone can hear right?) but he was laughing and chatting to the people about how great it was.

Be more discreet I reckon.

anyway OT to this thread

 

[Flying mermaid]

Really how many (transcons aside) are paying for J?

I've been on about 18 domestic sectors so far this year and judging from seat maps, conversations in cabins and behaviour of CSM's, the number of real true blue paying pax, vs staff on passes and upgrades, is very few.

I think QF are treating domestic J (again transcons aside) much like AA/UA/DL treat their domestic "premium" cabin (ie: 2 class "First") - a glorified upgrade cabin more or less.

I have felt this for awhile. We sometimes pay for J domestically, sometimes book awards and usually the cabin is pretty empty until the last minute. Now I know the conventional wisdom is J passengers book last minute, but you have to wonder how many revenue passengers are flying J. It does become a bit of a chicken and the egg situation. If Qantas is cheapening the offering because there are not enough real passengers to make it cost effective, then the few J passengers start reevaluating whether it is worth paying and down it goes. I feel the same about the Qantas F offering these days - service and food is not what it was and you have to wonder how much of the cabin is revenue F. Basically F food is J food with a few extra bits.