sbiddle

Here's the current BP menu for NZ6, NZ8 and NZ28



To be complely honest the menu simply didn't inspire me at all. I can't stand zucchini or capers so simply asked for the salmon without these which was merely salmon with potatoes and some sauce.

And the current NZ1, NZ5, NZ7 and NZ19 PE menu



Catering and service in general on NZ5 was night was incredibly average.

I picked the cherry tomatoes and bocconcini off the entree and didn't eat anything else as I can't stand eggplant or artichokes. Bread came out and the garlic bread cold and rock hard - when the F/A walked back offering more I asked it she could actually heat it she seemed surprised and went back and heated the bread. It was now warm and chewy.

Thai-Kiwi

Any acknowledgement from staff of the sub-par offerings?

jewree

Perfect, thank you!!! I fly NZ8 tomorrow, and ... well, now I'm not very excited for the food, but at least I know what I"m in for and can plan accordingly.

poopbunny

Briskets in business class = below average.

Nothing incredible here, food has been below par for a few years now.

I avoid NZ where there are better options.

LadyBell

Anyone has an updated BP menu for NZ281/283 and other Asian routes? (As I guess they are roughly the same!?)

Thank you

Hector99

Nz 23 last night

Hector99

Underwhelming volume with a new (inferior) version of the garlic bread. Fortunately the crews were happy to supply two or three options

sbiddle

My BP crew to SFO were happy to change things around for me.

What I don't understand is the obsession with some ingredients across so many different menu items. I hate the taste of capers (and I'm sure I'm not the only person who does!) yet on the the current BP menu I
posted there are both entree and main options with capers in them. It seems very narrow minded to include something with a flavour as strong as capers on multiple menu options.

After that flight I was looking back at many of my photos from a few years ago as I always take photos of the food on most flights thinking how good things used to be around 2014 - 2015 era

sbiddle

In BP or PE? In BP they were happy to make changes for me.

In PE after I commented how the bread was hard and cold she did go back and heat it up, but the fact it had already been heated once and gone cold it really was no better. To be completely honest I'm just a little tired of sub par 777 crews in general.

My crew up to SFO were lead by an awesome FSM who is a good friend of a friend and knew I was on the flight. I'd flown with him and had the same flight attendant looking after me on my flight back from ADL in July and found them to be the best 777 crew I've had in years. The crew back from LAX was just very average in general, and likewise my 777 crews both ways to HKG last month in PE were both very average.

Even when I was sitting in Koru in AKL yesterday morning there was a family next to me who had flown in from the US (unsure of what flight) commenting on how poor the service was and how old all the cabin crew were. I know Air NZ have made lots of the 777 crews unhappy with proposed FSM and cabin crew contract changes but IMHO if you're going to deliver a sub par customer experience you shouldn't be paid the big bucks. It's very clear the whole crew attitude does seem to depend on the FSM.

Compare that to the probably 8 or so 789 flights I've had in the last couple of years where the ISM and crew on every one of those flights has made it an amazing experience.

Whether it's food or service, the real problem with Air NZ right now is inconsistency.

JayKiwi

100%. The minute I walk onto a 777 flight, you can tell with good accuracy in seconds whether you are in for a great flight or an average/sub par one, and the FSM sets the tone for that - even the welcome at the door is your first hint.

Some FSMs look like they are going through the motions and don't care, some look like they are out of their depth, and some are absolute stars. The 'don't cares' are usually easy to spot when the landing cards are hurled at you, or held in front of your face....

nzkarit

Yep the 787 crews in my experience are better than the 777 crews.

gambda

On NZ28 last Friday, one of the FAs in BP took the menu from me since I had ordered specials Veg. meal & gave it to one of the passengers sitting in front since he didn't get a menu and the FA said they didn't have enough menus for everyone in BP (fair enough I thought since I didn't need the menu but would have like to have kept it in case I wanted to choose something from the menu for breakfast and given the fact that I'd get rice, beans and curry for breakfast which I can't really stomach after a substantial dinner).
I asked the FA if I could switch to a veg. option from the breakfast menu and he said it wasn't possible as most of the other pax had already ordered the waffles.

I then asked the FSM the breakfast options (when she came around to introduce herself and to say no arrival cards will be distributed on this flight since IAH has gone all electronic) and when she came to know that I was running a race in the US she was happy to do the cinnamon waffles with syrup as I was on carb heavy diet pre-race.

Overall service was good and prompt but I wonder why they don't have enough menus for everyone - is it due to last minute processing of upgrades ?

sbiddle

Slightly OT but you don't need arrival cards to any US destinations if you're traveling on an ESTA or in any way eligible to use APC. I don't know why so many crews continue to hand them out.

I've certainly never not had a menu - they're on every seat with the amenity kit normally.

poopbunny

The Yoghurt Marinated Chicken Tikka with rice was on last year's menu
It was one of the rare decent meals on NZ BP.

kiwifrequentflyer

NZ 6 On the leased 777-300 tonight. Oh dear, I can already feel these seats aren't as comfortable as the usual seats. Oh well! Luckily I don't have to work the day I land. The menu looks good. They asked me for my starter to ensure I got it despite being in the back of the plane. They didn't ask everyone, so I wonder if its because I am Elite.