FAQ: Air Canada New meal offerings for International Business Class Customers
#916
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MLL / AC Cafe
Programs: It's hard to get status when the website won't let me book flights.
Posts: 5,702
Absolutely dead on. So, I will avoid repeating the details so well written by 24Left. What he (she) said about The Asian food offerings applies to the TATL. Here are my other beefs:
1. The plate is too small for the food they try to pack into it. That awful grilled chicken gravy flowed down into my shirt. Get a bigger plate and position the food at the center with significant room left around it.
2. That plating routine is not for me. Same food choice for 2, 2 different looks. Plating takes the heat off the food. The fish loin tasted much better/warmer on the domestic flight (unplated) than on International (plated).
3. Where have the prawns and smoked salmon gone? Can't stand that solid duck breast and processed meat in the appetizer plate.
4. Then there is that tray of processed cold meat offered as second (light) meal on day flights from Europe. Are you supposed to make a sandwich with it or what? There is no vegetable on the plate. Maybe, I am supposed to use the sliced fruit for the sandwich. That is if you can cut through that overcooked bread with the blunt knife.
5. What is this about chocolate cake? Flight in, flight out, it is chocolate cake in one form or another - with a chocolate garnish.
6. Will be nice if they spent more on the food than on adjectives in the Menu. They actually "cheapen" the menu.
1. The plate is too small for the food they try to pack into it. That awful grilled chicken gravy flowed down into my shirt. Get a bigger plate and position the food at the center with significant room left around it.
2. That plating routine is not for me. Same food choice for 2, 2 different looks. Plating takes the heat off the food. The fish loin tasted much better/warmer on the domestic flight (unplated) than on International (plated).
3. Where have the prawns and smoked salmon gone? Can't stand that solid duck breast and processed meat in the appetizer plate.
4. Then there is that tray of processed cold meat offered as second (light) meal on day flights from Europe. Are you supposed to make a sandwich with it or what? There is no vegetable on the plate. Maybe, I am supposed to use the sliced fruit for the sandwich. That is if you can cut through that overcooked bread with the blunt knife.
5. What is this about chocolate cake? Flight in, flight out, it is chocolate cake in one form or another - with a chocolate garnish.
6. Will be nice if they spent more on the food than on adjectives in the Menu. They actually "cheapen" the menu.
If the food was consistent I could find something I like and stick with it. But when I get a dish and I love it and the next time (sometimes the next day) get the same dish and it's horrible, that's what bothers me.
#917
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: sqrt(-united states of apologist)
Programs: *$ Green
Posts: 5,403
#918
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MLL / AC Cafe
Programs: It's hard to get status when the website won't let me book flights.
Posts: 5,702
#919
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Programs: AC SE100K, F9 100k, NK Gold, UA *S, Hyatt Glob, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 5,158
Maybe AC is strong-arming the Canadian maple syrup industry to get a 70%+ discount? If it works for buying Bombadier airplanes, maybe it works for everything else...
Imported by Smucker foods of Ontario, but it carries a fancier-$-sounding Dickinson's brand name.
#920
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC*SE 2MM
Posts: 16,578
Flew YYZ-DXB last Friday (which arrives at 7pm). The 2nd meal (pre-arrival) was an omelette, pancakes, or Chicken Strofanoff.
Nobody in J wanted breakfast at that hour. The Service Director stated there were only two Chicken Strofanoff meals catered, and they went to the SE MM'ers.
The blueberry pancakes came with a glass bottle of real Maple Syrup.... labeled, patriotically, Product of Cana. ... wait, what? Product of USA!
Nobody in J wanted breakfast at that hour. The Service Director stated there were only two Chicken Strofanoff meals catered, and they went to the SE MM'ers.
The blueberry pancakes came with a glass bottle of real Maple Syrup.... labeled, patriotically, Product of Cana. ... wait, what? Product of USA!
#921
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,183
#922
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Programs: AC SE100K, F9 100k, NK Gold, UA *S, Hyatt Glob, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 5,158
On Sunday I was on FRA-YYZ in a "classic A330 pod". While ordering my meal, I handed over my wife's ticket stub and politely asked to purchase a meal tray for my (also SE100k) wife in the front of the Y section, if there were any selections left over.
I was told it was not possible, and she double checked with a supervisor. Reasoning was that they are not allowed to do this on international flights.
Is this the norm? Seems senseless to me to just throw out the fancy meals.
-----------------------
arrival snack FRA-YYZ:
Chilled snack plate in J - Chicken & Pineapple skewers with oranges.
Hot snack/meal in Y - Grilled chicken wrap / burrito.
I was told it was not possible, and she double checked with a supervisor. Reasoning was that they are not allowed to do this on international flights.
Is this the norm? Seems senseless to me to just throw out the fancy meals.
-----------------------
arrival snack FRA-YYZ:
Chilled snack plate in J - Chicken & Pineapple skewers with oranges.
Hot snack/meal in Y - Grilled chicken wrap / burrito.
#923
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,183
On Sunday I was on FRA-YYZ in a "classic A330 pod". While ordering my meal, I handed over my wife's ticket stub and politely asked to purchase a meal tray for my (also SE100k) wife in the front of the Y section, if there were any selections left over.
I was told it was not possible, and she double checked with a supervisor. Reasoning was that they are not allowed to do this on international flights.
Is this the norm? Seems senseless to me to just throw out the fancy meals.
I was told it was not possible, and she double checked with a supervisor. Reasoning was that they are not allowed to do this on international flights.
Is this the norm? Seems senseless to me to just throw out the fancy meals.
The only thing they sell on international flights is duty free.
#924
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,741
On Sunday I was on FRA-YYZ in a "classic A330 pod". While ordering my meal, I handed over my wife's ticket stub and politely asked to purchase a meal tray for my (also SE100k) wife in the front of the Y section, if there were any selections left over.
I was told it was not possible, and she double checked with a supervisor. Reasoning was that they are not allowed to do this on international flights.
Is this the norm? Seems senseless to me to just throw out the fancy meals.
I was told it was not possible, and she double checked with a supervisor. Reasoning was that they are not allowed to do this on international flights.
Is this the norm? Seems senseless to me to just throw out the fancy meals.
If I am in front so is my wife. Occasionally though she is in front and I sit in the back.
Recipe for divorce otherwise.
#925
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Programs: AC SE100K, F9 100k, NK Gold, UA *S, Hyatt Glob, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 5,158
Reminds me of a few weeks ago on an AC flight to Dubai, a businessman in J seemed to think something else was for sale... He kept staring at the attractive (top-heavy) Flight attendant. She noticed and asked him if he would like to buy anything (from duty free). He replied loudly and repeatedly "YOU. I'll buy YOU and take you with me." awkward!
I knew someone would call me out on that!! She removed her pre-confirmed eupgrade due to the 12+ completely empty rows of 4-across seats in Y... Leaving me to keep our 7yr old SE100k (with me in J) entertained the whole flight.
Last edited by expert7700; Mar 1, 2016 at 7:26 pm
#926
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC*SE 2MM
Posts: 16,578
You are a very brave man to sit in J with your wife in steerage.
In terms of food, I naively ordered the tenderloin after asking if would come overcooked. FA assured me he would try to ensure such would not be the case. The bad news is when it arrived it had the consistency of pot roast - the good news is that pot roast tenderloin is a definite improvement over the shoe leather overcooked tenderloin I was offered the day before YVR-YYZ.
#927
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Programs: AC SE100K, F9 100k, NK Gold, UA *S, Hyatt Glob, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 5,158
Though departing back to any air carrier's home country, I've just learned to zero out my expectations.
I told my wife the meal was just an "international steak" and she knew exactly what I meant. The rolls we were freshly dumped out of a plastic bag... each one rearranged with bare hands to look presentable in the basket. Our son, on the other hand, is still trying to get over the disappointment of being told "they forgot to load any of the snack baskets" on board.
Last edited by tcook052; Mar 3, 2016 at 8:58 pm Reason: off topic
#929
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E50K MM * DL MM * HH Diamond * Marriott Lifetime Titanium * Queen's '92
Posts: 5,938
Good riddance!
#930
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Calgary, AB
Programs: AC SE 100k MM, SPG Platinum, Hilton, Hyatt Gold, Airmiles, AMEX
Posts: 144
Any thoughts on expanding non-meat options in J class and economy beyond their crap pasta? I've noticed that the non-meat option is horrific generally, just carbs and cheese pasta. I've been working on a food tech company that could have an interesting plant-based meat option for these types of dishes.