Dinner service in J
Oct 27, 2016, 4:53 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 13
Dinner service in J
Just wondering what other people's experiences of dinner service in J Class on 777 were like recently?
Flew EK164 from DUB (22.25hrs) last night to DXB & ended up a little perplexed & disappointed. Ultimately from time of take-off it was a full 4 hours (of an 8 hour flight) before final course/plate was cleared & could bed down for the night. Seemed to be an extremely slow start to the dinner service & which then dragged on unnecessarily. Left less time to sleep on the flight than would have liked having worked all day in Dublin, & requiring to work the following day in Dubai upon landing.
Have never flown that late evening route from DUB preferring previously to always take the afternoon service & have found it generally very good (if anything service in J on 777 was better than my experiences in a380 on other routes). My expectations were that service would be equally good on the 22.25hrs departure and that dinner would be served up & completed relatively swiftly after takeoff to enable sleeper service to begin (regrettably no EK lounge in DUB to facilitate pre-flight dining). Had never expected that it would be 4 hours before dinner service finished!
Some circumstance specific items which may be of note:
- no turbulence or other matters which caused crew to return to their seats & delay any service.
- plane was switched to a 2-class 777 a few days beforehand but it appeared to me that there were the same amount of J Class seats as in the 3-class configuration, with the only difference being that seats were closer to the front & all in one cabin.
- over 1 hour into the flight before post take-off drinks orders taken (in the past I have had an order for these take prior to take-off with drink delivered fairly soon after the seatbelt sign went out).
Am just wondering whether a long dinner service is normal these days on late night EK departures? Wouldn't appear to me to be a logical strategic decision where business travellers such as myself have come directly to the flight from a day in an office environment & simply seek their food service swiftly after take-off before bedding down for the evening.
Interested in peoples views in general. Have always been fond of EK J but last night's flight left me slightly disappointed.
Flew EK164 from DUB (22.25hrs) last night to DXB & ended up a little perplexed & disappointed. Ultimately from time of take-off it was a full 4 hours (of an 8 hour flight) before final course/plate was cleared & could bed down for the night. Seemed to be an extremely slow start to the dinner service & which then dragged on unnecessarily. Left less time to sleep on the flight than would have liked having worked all day in Dublin, & requiring to work the following day in Dubai upon landing.
Have never flown that late evening route from DUB preferring previously to always take the afternoon service & have found it generally very good (if anything service in J on 777 was better than my experiences in a380 on other routes). My expectations were that service would be equally good on the 22.25hrs departure and that dinner would be served up & completed relatively swiftly after takeoff to enable sleeper service to begin (regrettably no EK lounge in DUB to facilitate pre-flight dining). Had never expected that it would be 4 hours before dinner service finished!
Some circumstance specific items which may be of note:
- no turbulence or other matters which caused crew to return to their seats & delay any service.
- plane was switched to a 2-class 777 a few days beforehand but it appeared to me that there were the same amount of J Class seats as in the 3-class configuration, with the only difference being that seats were closer to the front & all in one cabin.
- over 1 hour into the flight before post take-off drinks orders taken (in the past I have had an order for these take prior to take-off with drink delivered fairly soon after the seatbelt sign went out).
Am just wondering whether a long dinner service is normal these days on late night EK departures? Wouldn't appear to me to be a logical strategic decision where business travellers such as myself have come directly to the flight from a day in an office environment & simply seek their food service swiftly after take-off before bedding down for the evening.
Interested in peoples views in general. Have always been fond of EK J but last night's flight left me slightly disappointed.
Oct 27, 2016, 6:45 am
#3
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: DUB / DXB
Programs: EK Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 2,471
Ive done this flight many times myself and can only add that it appears you got one of the slower crews operating last nights flight. I have in the past had crews that can read the passengers want to get something quick to eat and then bed down, and ive been finished dinner service less than 2 hours after take off. Likewise i once had a crew that were so slow and with a full load, i was sat in the last row, and was being served my main course about 3 hours into the flight. I usually can judge the crew by how quickly they take the first drinks orders and get it served. If it looks like theyre going to be slow and i want to get some sleep, i usually just skip the main and ask for starter and dessert to be served at the same time so that i can go straight to sleep after.
Oct 28, 2016, 3:00 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Kuwait
Programs: BA Gold, Qatar Platinum
Posts: 173
It's definitely a crew thing - as I've often been on this flight too, without any issues. A quick full dinner, then drink(s) and sleep 
I've had the really quick dinner service on full flights too.
I also thought it was a bit late for a dinner, but there's also a continental breakfast at the other end before landing. EK164 moves to just after 8pm when the clocks change.
I've had the really quick dinner service on full flights too.
I also thought it was a bit late for a dinner, but there's also a continental breakfast at the other end before landing. EK164 moves to just after 8pm when the clocks change.