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FAQ: Air Canada New meal offerings for International Business Class Customers

FAQ: Air Canada New meal offerings for International Business Class Customers

Old Feb 21, 2016, 6:43 pm
  #916  
 
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Originally Posted by Lllahim
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.
My #1 Pet Peeve (excuse the irony of that term) is the inconsistency of the meal offerings.

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.
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Old Feb 21, 2016, 7:20 pm
  #917  
 
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Originally Posted by expert7700
The blueberry pancakes came with a glass bottle of real Maple Syrup.... labeled, patriotically, Product of Cana. ... wait, what? Product of USA!
That's too bad really
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Old Feb 21, 2016, 7:26 pm
  #918  
 
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Originally Posted by expert7700

The blueberry pancakes came with a glass bottle of real Maple Syrup.... labeled, patriotically, Product of Cana. ... wait, what? Product of USA!
Which was probably sold from Canada to the USA for processing and sold back to us cheaper than we could have done it.
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Old Feb 21, 2016, 8:00 pm
  #919  
 
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Originally Posted by Sean Peever
Which was probably sold from Canada to the USA for processing and sold back to us cheaper than we could have done it.
Maybe AC was convinced it was the real deal since it has a bi-lingual label meeting Canadian regulations

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.
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Old Feb 22, 2016, 2:39 am
  #920  
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Originally Posted by expert7700
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!
I really don'r understand AC's obsession with serving breakfast as the second meal when a flight arrives in the afternoon/evening.
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Old Feb 22, 2016, 11:09 am
  #921  
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Originally Posted by The Lev
I really don'r understand AC's obsession with serving breakfast as the second meal when a flight arrives in the afternoon/evening.
Depart evening, serve dinner, go to sleep, wake up, serve breakfast.

I assume that's the logic.

Not that I'm saying I agree with it.
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Old Mar 1, 2016, 4:18 pm
  #922  
 
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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.
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Old Mar 1, 2016, 5:31 pm
  #923  
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Originally Posted by expert7700
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.
That is how it works.

The only thing they sell on international flights is duty free.
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Old Mar 1, 2016, 5:32 pm
  #924  
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Originally Posted by expert7700
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.
Hmm...

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.
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Old Mar 1, 2016, 6:58 pm
  #925  
 
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Originally Posted by canadiancow
That is how it works.
The only thing they sell on international flights is duty free.
Good to know, thanks for clarifying!

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!

Originally Posted by Stranger
Hmm...

If I am in front so is my wife.
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
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Old Mar 1, 2016, 7:01 pm
  #926  
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Originally Posted by expert7700
On Sunday I was on FRA-YYZ in a "classic A330 pod"... wife in the front of the Y section...
I'm assuming you were on the flight that departed at 17:10 - which means we were on the same flight in J. I was in 2G

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.
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Old Mar 1, 2016, 7:51 pm
  #927  
 
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Originally Posted by The Lev
I'm assuming you were on the flight that departed at 17:10 - which means we were on the same flight in J. I was in 2G
Yes, same flight! Small world. We were in 10A/11A in the second business cabin. Although Friday night's "AAAA Alberta tenderloin" was excellent YYZ-MUC, we got the same filet--err---pot roast you did on Sunday.

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
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Old Mar 3, 2016, 8:47 am
  #928  
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Originally Posted by Stranger
Hmm...

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.
^
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Old Mar 3, 2016, 5:20 pm
  #929  
 
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Originally Posted by Lllahim
3. Where have the prawns and smoked salmon gone? Can't stand that solid duck breast and processed meat in the appetizer plate.
Thank God the smoked salmon is gone. This is the most over-served "premium" appetizer I've ever seen. Almost every international flight on every airline I've flown for the last 10 years has had some version of this.

Good riddance!
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Old Mar 3, 2016, 11:21 pm
  #930  
 
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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.
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