A photo of a Qantas economy class breakfast and lunch from a disgruntled passenger has gone viral, with debate raging as to whether the meals were disgusting. While the meal presentations won’t win any awards for aesthetics, they look pretty decent to me…and are a whole lot more than what she would receive on any US, British, or Western European airline of a flight that length.
Qantas Economy Class Food Looks Okay To Me…
The passenger was flying on Qantas from Brisbane (BNE) to Adelaide (ADL), a 2 hour, 45 minute flight. On the way out she was served this breakfast:
(a sloppy combination of scrambled eggs, a hash brown, a cooked tomato, and sausage)
On the way back, this lunch:
(potatoes with vegetarian chili)
The window shade was also dirty and the flight crew had stuffed napkins in the overhead vents to minimize the dripping (it’s summer in Australia and condensation often leads to dripping in air conditioning systems).
“All I can say with my recent experience is EW,” she complained.
“The breakfast was inedible and I’m not usually fussy with food. The potatoes were okay.”
The reddit threat went so viral that Qantas did respond:
“There are no flight details in the social media post so we don’t have specific information on what’s occurred, but all of our aircraft are cleaned with a disinfectant between flights and at the end of the day and undergo deep cleaning on a regular basis.
The presentation of one of the meals is not what they normally look like but generally we’ve had great feedback on the new dishes and the larger portions we’ve recently introduced.”
Qantas now serves domestic economy class meals in boxes as pictured above, but has increased portion sizes.
Everything Looks…Nice (Enough) To Me?
I suppose I’m one of those odd people who actually likes airline food, but the meals (particularly the breakfast) look pretty good to me.
And how cool is it that Qantas still serves hot meals on a 2.5 hour domestic flight?
In the USA and in Europe, flight double that length may have no complimentary meal service onboard.
Yes, planes should be kept tidy, but I would quite welcome a meal like the ones pictured above when flying in economy class.
I simply do not share the outrage. Were Qantas domestic economy class meals gourmet before this year?
CONCLUSION
Qantas passengers are outraged over the “pathetic” quality and presentation of meals served onboard, but from the perspective of this American who receives a cookie or bag of pretzels and nothing else when flying economy class, these meals still look quite decent…
Lots of 7 hour flights in the US receive no food, like BOS-SFO, MIA-SEA, EWR-ANC, PHX-HNL…
AA flights on the “no complimentary food” list don’t even have buy-on-board meals right now. If only that generated an equivalent level of public dissatisfaction
Maybe people were offended by the fine china?
It is pathetic that they’re making millions each year, and they won’t hire a good catering company. Qantas at one time was very good, years ago.
There are some things that can be served in a box and some that can’t. Qantas seems to have managed to serve two meals in a box that should have been on a plate. I agree, it was slop and I certainly wouldn’t have touched it.
@James … +1 .
Your post misses the context/reality that the cost of a domestic Qantas flight is likely significantly higher than a domestic American or United flight. There hasn’t been a race to the bottom in Australia like in the US and the prices reflect that – as should the experience.
Not true. Pricing is remarkable similar when you take in currency etc. Have found Adel-Brisabane flights for around $209AUS = $135US. Also Virgin charges similar and doesn’t offer any free meals. I have had that meal – it is tasty and filling. Combined with coffee and a soft drinks – you really can’t ask for any more. People who complain about the asthetic of it – should get a life. It is what it is – plane food. Enjoy and stop the bitchin.
As per Jon’s comment, I suspect that the pricing isn’t quite the same as what you’d pay in Europe or North America for a flight of that length (wasn’t that 5 hour Porter flight $145 in Y?).
As I have probably said before, the onboard experience offered by Lufthansa’s business class within Europe is effectively what Y was 15-20 years ago, and the pricing is remarkably similar in absolute terms- i.e. cheaper when inflation is factored in (although you might lose some flexibility).
You just can’t compare that to a quasi-monopoly; I bet ET and KQ also offer rather decent food and drink – fancy paying $600+ for an one-way ticket from Dakar to NBO in the back of the bus? Thought not.
DSS-NBO is 80 miles longer than JFK-DSS, so I think a lot of people would probably be happy paying $600 for that route, even in Y.
Wow, you’re right, I thought it was more like 2500 miles rather than 3800. Still, intra-Africa prices can be very high, I recall MPM-ADD-NBO yielding me an insane 5 pence per mile on a redemption.
@PM
Adelaide – Brisbane one way in March is showing up as ($Usd) $95 Jetstar, $115 Virgin and $135 Qantas for the 2 hour 45 minute flight
You’re right about how passengers on flights in Australia get more food onboard than they would in America or Europe. As an Australian, what I think many from the outside don’t seem to understand is how much Qantas has been regarded as a source of national pride. And it has copped a lot more flack than it otherwise would given what happened during the pandemic and in the aftermath including:
– The airline essentially ‘firing and rehiring’ baggage handlers.
– Taking the most taxpayers’ money of any company in Australia
– Cutting services in many respects despite the above – take for example replacing new 787s on the 13 hour BNE-LAX with older A330s that don’t even have a crew rest, the removal of the ability to pre-select meals in premium cabins, less frequent changes to menus (from quarterly to seemingly annually)
– The CEO famously blaming long queues on customers not being ‘match fit’ (i.e. forgetting to take laptops out of bags at security). Even if that is correct, it is something that just shouldn’t be said because it’s bad PR.
– The airline not ordering a single new widebody jet in roughly a decade during Alan Joyce’s tenure and now having a mostly old fleet with some planes in bad condition. I flew on an A380 where a fridge was out of service and while these things can happen, research I did found this specific plane was flying around for months on end without it being fixed.
– Air ticket prices being higher than pre-pandemic. ‘We want more money from you than before but giving you less than what you did pre-pandemic’.
And they made $AU2.4 billion last financial year – making it one of the world’s most successful airlines. You have extraopolated a lot out of some scrambled eggs served in a box by an airline ….
You are better off NOT EATING anything, NOTHING. Give your body a rest from the processed junk that they feed you. You can’t even call it food. “Food Fasting” is shown to be extremely helpful in getting rid of toxins in your body. And for 12 hours or longer, the metabolic benefits start. I don’t eat on an airplane and I feel great afterward except maybe for a few nuts and water that I bring.
Anyone eating eggs on a flight has to understand Salmonella is always a possibility. The room for error in handling them in temps leaves little room for error. Just not worth it.
Dave I think they are the powdered eggs ( usually disgusting) but safe.
Makes sense, thanks.
Reminds me of an amusing incident on Northwest circa 1999. Flying AMS-DTW on a DC-10 (too bad I wasn’t half the avgeek then that I am now to appreciate that better) in deep coach. The FA started handing out meals of scrambled eggs. The woman in front of me started complaining that she couldn’t eat it because she was vegetarian. A back and forth went on a couple of rounds. Finally, the FA started screaming at her, “IT’S NOT REAL MEAT, THEY’RE POWDERED EGGS!!!!”
Ohh NWA! That brings me memories (a very bad one) from NWA. Flew to Japan with a connection to Kuala Lumpur on business class and made the huge mistake of ordering their Japanese dinner. Enough to say I spent the next 3 days inside the bedroom at the Mandarin Oriental in KL crawling from my bed to the bathroom non stop. Doctor came to my room and I remember me opening the door and his words were “Wow, you don’t look good.” He gave me a bunch of pills and powders which allowed me to fly back home a few days later and 10lbs lighter. Never again.
It looks “Nice (Enough) To Me? (You)” Because you have Stockholm Syndrome from years of flying with United.
Food looks terrible, sad & sloppy.
I am surprised that Qantas even serves a hot meal in economy on this relatively short flight! Lets be honest, the meal is probably pretty similar to what it was years ago, except instead of being in a hard plastic tub covered in foil its been put into a cardboard box.
It obviously doesn’t look great, and maybe they should rethink their packaging, but it’s not the end of the world.
It is an aircraft. Why would someone find the need of being fed in a two hours and half flight baffles me .
Absolutely disgusting food. Main reason I use airplanes as an opportunity for fasting. Water and if needed nuts is all I need.
One would think that airlines would have more sense that to serve that kind of slop.
The Food on Qantas is atrocious!!!Period & they should be ashamed of themselves for serving it !!, I’m a FIFO worker & have done the run for years etc….”Qantas!, I’m embarrassed for you”
&As for the Author who works for the Aviation industry & Frequent flyer models to comment etc ” maybe, stick to trying to improve the meals on American Airlines….