They don't sell food on board. That's a pretty short flight. Early check-in (EBCI) might be worth it if you have a problem getting online at the 24-hour mark, such as if you'll be inflight from Australia then, but you can consider whether it's that much of a problem to be in scattered middle seats for that short a flight. RR points don't expire if you have activity in your account in 24 months; I guess your pre-tax fare is under $90 and would get you under $9 in non-full-fare travel. Consider whether there's a chance that you'll earn the points to get an award.