Each week, my Meal of the Week feature examines an airline meal from my travels over the years. This may be a meal from earlier in the week or it may be a meal served over a decade ago.
A simple afternoon snack on Qantas proved to be a nice treat and a reminder of how nice it is to fly on a full service carrier.
First, I love flying a full service carrier like Qantas over Tigerair or Jetstar within Australia. I know a little snack is generally not worth paying double for a flight, especially with lounges available if you have Priority Pass, but it’s just nice to be offered a drink and snack without having to open the wallet again onboard.
This afternoon flight from Melbourne to Canberra offered a choice of beverage and snack. I enjoyed a ripe green apple, cranberry – almond – white chocolate cookie, bottle of water, and cup of tea.
The flight was less than an hour long, covering a distance of 292 miles. I’ve been on many flights in the USA that are even longer and the flight attendants don’t bother to get up (it’s always the “turbulence” that never ends up coming) or say there is only time for water.
One reason I like United’s new CRJ-550 is because it will offer similar snacks on-demands…but only to FIRST CLASS passengers. Qantas offered a full meal to front cabin passengers on this flight.
In short, I’m thankful that Qantas still offers snacks, even on very short flight. I was also impressed that there were healthy options like apples available.
You can read a full flight review here of my Qantas 737-800 flight to CBR.
That bottle of water fooled me for a second, It looks like those smaller bottles of liquor you can get when you’re trying to sneak into a football game or something.
The meals during breakfast/lunch/dinner are still pretty good too for a 1~2 hour economy run. Things like salads and hot noodle boxes and such with a complimentary alcohol service after 1600 or so.
I do miss the days of Qantas gone by but they were of course losing money back then. Even 10 years ago, AU$69 one way Sydney to Brisbane and if you booked for dinner, you’d get a full meal service. Hot dish like chicken casserole and sides, a bread roll, and a tiny Toblerone bar with a water then drinks service. Absolute bargain.
Lunch was something like a reasonably sized chicken caesar sandwich.
Idk, the buy on board food ive had on US carriers are of greater quantity, quality, and taste than the “free” stuff you get on Qantas. Really the only redeeming point about them is free wifi. The seat pitch in both J and Y suck. Its never fun for me flying domestically in Australia.