Originally Posted by
vinnyc
Speaking only about my experience at JFK, I was indeed frustrated that the Night Service was only offered to the AF011 & AF009 flights, at least that was my experiences a year and a half ago when I flew AF011. I did complain about it not available to the earlier AF flights.
And then... on my AF019 (JFK-ORY) flight at 7:30pm three weeks ago, I was very surprised to see a menu on the table, and when I inquired the lounge waitress about it, she did tell me that I could order whatever I wanted. I ordered the fish and it was delicious.
However, that was not the same menu as on-board. Inflight, I was still hungry and got the meal service. The flight attendant could not have known I ate in the lounge anyway, because the waitress didn’t ask for my name or my boarding pass at all, unlike a year and a half ago, where there were agents filtering and checking in business class pax on the 2nd floor for the Night Service.
I have to admit I am totally clueless about those:
1. Was it random and I was lucky to get a menu on my table and happened to ask about it? I was the only one, it seemed, to have ordered a dish à la carte, and not the buffet, and a lot of passengers looked at me with envy when they saw me served a nice hot dish. Or is it a hidden perk, and people need to ask about it? Maybe someone can ask if you happen to visit the lounge.
2. Was it because a lot of us complaining about the service not available for earlier flights prompted AF to allow the lounge to serve pax, but only on a on-demand basis?
I noticed that when I left the lounge to board my flight, there were two AF “guarding” the entrance of the 2nd floor, probably checking-in pax for the “official” Night Service.
Conclusion is that, if you know about it, you can ask for the menu and a hot dish even if you are not on the AF011/AF009 flights. Just ask the lounge waitress for the menu, and you will be served your hot dish in the official AF china, and cutlery wrapped in the napkin with the grey/blue string, exactly like the onboard service.
Confirmation from a fellow pax needed though!
Cheers,
-vinnyc
For AF023/007/019, there is indeed a menu available to order a main course and my understanding is that you are “on your own” for appetizer, cheese, desert and drinks using the buffet (while all those, including drinks, are served by the waiter at your table for AF011/009). There are some signs upstairs advertising the availability of hot main courses, but it’s not really advertised by the staff. So what you had is not an exception. It is available every day but in a more systematic fashion now since the renovation of the upper floor.