Business Class Menus?
Sep 30, 2019, 12:20 pm
#31
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,645
Well I had Garlic bread, soup, beef rib and dessert and it felt like any other meal service, except I had after a 6 hour sleep .... and I feel a pig saying this.... another beef sandwich and dessert again!! Beat the usual bacon roll!
i don’t think it is cost cutting. Purser said was in response to “why are you serving me a full meal at 11pm” which is a reasonable question and that it was more labour intensive as dining spread over wider period.
but agree with other comments variation and quality seems to be continuing down.
i don’t think it is cost cutting. Purser said was in response to “why are you serving me a full meal at 11pm” which is a reasonable question and that it was more labour intensive as dining spread over wider period.
but agree with other comments variation and quality seems to be continuing down.
Sep 30, 2019, 3:30 pm
#33
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
@jewree
Just a fyi, there is this thread which has menus and meal photos. Although it may not answer your specific question, the photos of menus and meals would be great if added to this thread.
Business Class Meals - Menus & Photos
Perhaps a mod can combine these threads to make is easier for search?
Just a fyi, there is this thread which has menus and meal photos. Although it may not answer your specific question, the photos of menus and meals would be great if added to this thread.
Business Class Meals - Menus & Photos
Perhaps a mod can combine these threads to make is easier for search?
Sep 30, 2019, 3:46 pm
#34
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: New Zealand (when I'm home!)
Programs: Air NZ Elite
Posts: 1,218
But I understand that opinions on this will always be split.
Sep 30, 2019, 3:46 pm
#35
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: NZ GE, QF
Posts: 390
I agree, a "book the cook" type service would help with this. I think that with the very high price of NZ J they should offer a full meal which is good quality. Another alternative would be decent lounge food for J passengers, ie an a la carte menu in a decent J lounge, then you have the option of eating a quality meal before the flight with a nice glass of wine. I've been so disappointed with the J food recently that I thought I would trial having a meal at the Novotel between domestic and international flights on my next late-night long-haul flight.
Sep 30, 2019, 7:59 pm
#36
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: NZ *E
Posts: 346
Well I had Garlic bread, soup, beef rib and dessert and it felt like any other meal service, except I had after a 6 hour sleep .... and I feel a pig saying this.... another beef sandwich and dessert again!! Beat the usual bacon roll!
i don’t think it is cost cutting. Purser said was in response to “why are you serving me a full meal at 11pm” which is a reasonable question and that it was more labour intensive as dining spread over wider period.
but agree with other comments variation and quality seems to be continuing down.
i don’t think it is cost cutting. Purser said was in response to “why are you serving me a full meal at 11pm” which is a reasonable question and that it was more labour intensive as dining spread over wider period.
but agree with other comments variation and quality seems to be continuing down.
These aren't being served on short 7 hour transatlantic red eyes but long 12 hour services with ample time for both sleeping and eating (and without the 'dine on the ground' table service setup at lounges Virgin, BA, United, etc have)
I suppose one could ask for the Premium Economy meal instead
Last edited by samjnz; Sep 30, 2019 at 8:10 pm
Sep 30, 2019, 8:52 pm
#37
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: SEA
Programs: NZ Elite (*G)
Posts: 657
I think this is the first time I have ever seen Gluten-free toast listed on the menu. As a coeliac, that encourages me. I hope it's the very edible gluten-free roll I had recently on the LHR-LAX and LAX-RAR flights and not the wretched inedible toast-in-a-bag I had on my RAR-LAX flight last month, which seems to be the usual offering on flights out of AKL as well.
Oct 1, 2019, 12:44 am
#38
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,118
For HKG in particular such a menu makes sense with the midnight departure - it's basically 1am by the time you get served so something like is a good option. Having said that HKG moves to a day flight at the end of the month,
Oct 1, 2019, 10:32 am
#39
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Emirates Skywards Gold, Priority Guest Rewards Platinum
Posts: 172
We left the ground at 11:07pm and didn't start getting our starters until 12:10am. For the high priced J on NZ, I don't think there is anything special about J apart from the fact you can lie-flat when sleeping. It doesn't seem like it's worth the higher price than some other airlines' cheaper J. Only good since I used an RU for it.
It will be a good comparison to when I fly business back to AKL from CPT in December on Emirates.
It will be a good comparison to when I fly business back to AKL from CPT in December on Emirates.
Oct 1, 2019, 10:58 am
#40
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 101
Totally agree - the SQ J bed on their current 777 and A350 product is the most diabolically uncomfortable business class flat bed I have experienced, period. Plus the angle makes it feel awkward and exposed, with a horribly bulky airbag-equipped seatbelt crushing your vital organs (so much so I had to leave it unbuckled if I wanted to sleep - and I'm a tall and slim guy... no idea how larger folk cope). Honestly I don't find it very comfortable as a seat either. The updated A380 product is fine, though NZ beds still much more comfortable.
However, and to get this back on track (sort of), on my last SQ flight in J SIN-SYD I requested Seared lamb loin from Book the Cook, and I have to say it was superb. Not a huge serving, but everything on the plate was delicious and the meat clearly of excellent quality, the tomatoes were properly vine-ripened and flavourful. The Bordeaux was great too. It's hard to see in the picture, but there were crushed potatoes underneath. Also, it's a large plate, unlike NZ's serving ware, so the serving is not as small as it looks. I'm far from an SQ fanboy, but this was in a different league to anything I've eaten on NZ for at least the last 3 years.
SQ BTC (J): Seared lamb loin
AirNZ please try harder - with your wine and your food.
However, and to get this back on track (sort of), on my last SQ flight in J SIN-SYD I requested Seared lamb loin from Book the Cook, and I have to say it was superb. Not a huge serving, but everything on the plate was delicious and the meat clearly of excellent quality, the tomatoes were properly vine-ripened and flavourful. The Bordeaux was great too. It's hard to see in the picture, but there were crushed potatoes underneath. Also, it's a large plate, unlike NZ's serving ware, so the serving is not as small as it looks. I'm far from an SQ fanboy, but this was in a different league to anything I've eaten on NZ for at least the last 3 years.
SQ BTC (J): Seared lamb loin
AirNZ please try harder - with your wine and your food.
SQ is usually cheaper than Air NZ for a superior daytime premium experience. But as someone used to western beds, their beds are very uncomfortable for me - I'll take the less than private but soft Air NZ bed any day! 😜 I genuinely found the SQ bed in both first and biz to be uncomfortable and hard.
But their nighttime flights leave at superior times so there is that too...
But their nighttime flights leave at superior times so there is that too...
This is from NZ283 a few months ago. I did this flight a couple of months later and it was exactly the same.
After a while I got tired of the herringbone layout and gave up on expecting good food on NZ.
I flew SQ after that. Their lobster and perfectly cooked fillet was a very nice change. Satay entree was fantastic. IFE screen was much larger than NZ, with good resolution.
Didn't give a toss about the Status Credits anymore. There is only so much low value mediocre food I can put up with paying large $$$.
Thank you all for great and useful input! Our upcoming NZ281/283 flights connect at SIN to SQ 25/26 so we do get the 12+ hours of SQ J too.
While I agree with all of you regarding the beds, I found (Two years ago) the food on NZ to be far superior to SQ book the Cook options. Maybe it was bad luck... mine looked nothing like the lamb pictured above.
I also find the NZ crew and approach service more enjoyable. At SQ they will almost bend their knees and ask permission to polish your shoes. Feels a bit uncomfortable to me. Much more into the “G’day! Let me know what you need and I’ll take care of it” attitude given by NZ and QF crews.
Is the lounge at AKL really that bad? Just experienced it before a 1am departure (with an hour delay) and it was what you expect at that hour. How are the late mornings? This time we have an 11 am departure going out of NZ
Oct 1, 2019, 8:51 pm
#41
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Auckland
Posts: 28
I’m always amazed at the discussion over airline meals. From my point of view I don’t really care, I’m much more concerned about getting from A to B safely, than contents of the menu. It fluctuates between ok to very good, but it’s not a Michelin star restaurant. It’s a reheated meal served by staff that are not chefs!
I flew J earlier this month to Japan, a choice of three meals.. cooked snapper in the Japanese option, lamb, and chicken, but in comment to an earlier post about wines being lower grades, I must disagree. I was served Craggy Range Sophia 2013, not a cheap
option anywhere. I had only just bought a bottle as a gift a few days before and paid $109 at an Auckland off licence store .
I flew J earlier this month to Japan, a choice of three meals.. cooked snapper in the Japanese option, lamb, and chicken, but in comment to an earlier post about wines being lower grades, I must disagree. I was served Craggy Range Sophia 2013, not a cheap
option anywhere. I had only just bought a bottle as a gift a few days before and paid $109 at an Auckland off licence store .
Oct 2, 2019, 11:33 am
#42
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: WLG/BKK
Programs: TG*G, NZ*GE, QF G, Accor Gold
Posts: 10,206
11am is a quiet time for departures. TG/SQ departures around 1-2:30pm.
Oct 8, 2019, 4:01 pm
#43
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,350
Leaving aside the contents for a moment, doesn't the menu itself look different to before? New typefaces for the headings, for starters?
(Edited to add: I live with a Graphic Designer and work in Marketing. Totally get it if nobody else notices / cares!)
(Edited to add: I live with a Graphic Designer and work in Marketing. Totally get it if nobody else notices / cares!)
Oct 8, 2019, 4:04 pm
#44
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,350
Totally agree, that's a fabulous wine... but if you look at the comments upthread, that's one of their special wine series which all too frequently "the caterers forget to load any of" (as happened on my flight. If those wines were reliably available I wouldn't be complaining either! But the price/quality of everything that's not part of that very limited fine wines program has dropped significantly.
