Jan 7, 2013, 7:32 am
Last edit by: jackal
Moderator note:
This thread is a companion to the series of "What Will Alaska Be Serving On Your Flight?" threads (current edition, 2012 edition).
You may see some fragments of discussion in this thread that seem to come from nowhere. Those are posts the moderators have moved from the above-mentioned thread into this one in an effort to try to keep that thread centered strictly on reports. If you notice a post (or series of posts) in the REPORTS thread that isn't a report about an on-board meal, please feel free to click the "Alert A Moderator To This Post" triangle and let us know that there is some maintenance to be done and we'll get on it when able.
Regards,
jackal
Co-Moderator
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
This thread is a companion to the series of "What Will Alaska Be Serving On Your Flight?" threads (current edition, 2012 edition).
You may see some fragments of discussion in this thread that seem to come from nowhere. Those are posts the moderators have moved from the above-mentioned thread into this one in an effort to try to keep that thread centered strictly on reports. If you notice a post (or series of posts) in the REPORTS thread that isn't a report about an on-board meal, please feel free to click the "Alert A Moderator To This Post" triangle and let us know that there is some maintenance to be done and we'll get on it when able.
Regards,
jackal
Co-Moderator
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
What Will Alaska Be Serving In F On Your Flight? DISCUSSION (2012-13 archive)
Apr 22, 2013, 1:45 pm
#196
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Posts: 1,066
Lax-zlo 4/20/13
Pasta pesto served over a green salad. It was obviously supposed to be a side salad but really most of it was under the hot pasta.
Apr 22, 2013, 8:17 pm
#197
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Apr 25, 2013, 9:04 am
#198
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: SEA
Programs: AS Million Miler since 2011, Lifetime MVPG
Posts: 853
AS should just shut down the short-haul F catering and comp the Y hot dish or snack pack for F. At least then I'll know whether or not to buy food before boarding. As it is now I always think, "hmmmm, should I get something before I board? Naaah, even though I have no idea whatsoever what it will be, I'm in F so I'll get a meal." More often than not, that is the wrong decision.
Apr 27, 2013, 1:21 am
#199
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Looks like a brand new menu! Love the catering out of LIH by Kauai Pasta and I wish they did all the flights systemwide! The Bacon and Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breast was absolutely delicious, along with the garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. Felt like I was actually eating in a gourmet restaurant! Salad had a nice dressing, and the apple pineapple turnover for dessert was good too. No skimpy portions here, either.
Had an amazing meal ex-LIH last August. :-:
Apr 27, 2013, 9:51 pm
#200
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Posts: 1,066
Edible tonight! ZLO-LAX
We had a non-arid chicken breast in brown sauce with a nice little salad. As always the chocolate was spectacular.
Apr 29, 2013, 3:25 pm
#201
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Sounds like they should have gone with the cod. I've had some surprisingly decent cod this month on AS ^
Apr 29, 2013, 6:24 pm
#202
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AS #111 SEA-ANC April 15, 2013:
Evening snack (8:30pm departure) consisted of a small side salad, blue cheese dressing, and a small cold chicken breast. Not impressed, not worthy of a picture. Had similar on JNU-ANC back in March. I'm struggling to see the catering enhancements in Alaska...?
Evening snack (8:30pm departure) consisted of a small side salad, blue cheese dressing, and a small cold chicken breast. Not impressed, not worthy of a picture. Had similar on JNU-ANC back in March. I'm struggling to see the catering enhancements in Alaska...?
FWIW, I've happy enough with the upgrade and have all but given up on Alaska providing a satisfying meal on anything less than a mid-con. For the Denver flight, I went with my old standby - a bowl of fried rice with chicken and veggies from Waji's. It's a small price to pay for a satisfying meal which the diminutive chicken breast and side salad most definitely is not.
Last edited by Seat 2A; Apr 29, 2013 at 6:31 pm
Apr 29, 2013, 7:18 pm
#203
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This was the same meal I was recently served (April 16th) on Alaska's 7:10pm departure from Seattle to Denver. It was a definite downgrade from the hot chicken breast with pesto salsa I was served back in January. You would think that a 1448 mile route like SEA-ANC would qualify as a mid-con but I suspect the catering is driven by the competition (or lack of same). I believe SEA-MCI benefits from mid-con catering and it is 1490 miles.
) - second time I think it was tastier (lots of seasoning on chicken) and not too bad for a 9:15 departure.FWIW, I've happy enough with the upgrade and have all but given up on Alaska providing a satisfying meal on anything less than a mid-con. For the Denver flight, I went with my old standby - a bowl of fried rice with chicken and veggies from Waji's. It's a small price to pay for a satisfying meal which the diminutive chicken breast and side salad most definitely is not.
Maybe Waji's can cater someday :-:
May 1, 2013, 8:07 pm
#204
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: ANC
Programs: AS; Hyatt; Bonvoy
Posts: 1,718
Here's your first report on Alaska's transcon food offerings for the month of May, coming to you from high over Battle Creek, Michigan.
Date of flight: May 1st
Route flown: SAN-BOS
Class of service: First
Length of flight: Five hours and twenty minutes
Meal served: Luncheon
Description: Salad, followed by a choice of two entrees, then dessert
Le Menu
Comments: Having flown thirteen roundtrips between San Diego and Boston in April, I was looking forward to May's new menu offerings more so than most. This month's Nicoise Salad was - per my tastes at least - a big improvement over last month's salad with the nasty Lite Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing. The Nicoise salad is a delicious collection of mixed greens, green beans, potatoes, eggs, a tomato wedge and a small portion of albacore tuna served with an olive oil vinaigrette dressing. Best salad I've had on Alaska in a long time...
Niçoise Salad
I chose the Grilled Pork Chop for my main course. In its ongoing effort to cut food costs, Alaska's chefs evidently used a tomato slicer to cut and size these pork "chops" which looked more like pork flaps. While the thinner portion will no doubt contribute to continuing profits into the second quarter, the problem is that these 1/4" thick pork slices can't help but become dry and overcooked, especially in an aircraft oven. The BBQ Peach Sauce did little to offset the dried out meat. The polenta and green beans were tasty accompaniments.
I saw a plate of the Gemelli Ricotta pasta across the aisle. It looked like a decently sized portion and by appearances at least should please most vegetarians.
Back in Steerage, The Great Unwashed were dining on large, delicious cheeseburgers accompanied by a bag of chips. I would recommend this over the pork flap.
Grilled Pork Chop with BBQ Peach Sauce
Dessert was a Salted Caramel Budino. I'd never heard of such a concoction but it really was quite good. I'd compare it to a Crème Brûlée with crushed Oreos sprinkled on top. I really enjoyed it.
Salted Caramel Budino dessert
Date of flight: May 1st
Route flown: SAN-BOS
Class of service: First
Length of flight: Five hours and twenty minutes
Meal served: Luncheon
Description: Salad, followed by a choice of two entrees, then dessert
Le Menu
Comments: Having flown thirteen roundtrips between San Diego and Boston in April, I was looking forward to May's new menu offerings more so than most. This month's Nicoise Salad was - per my tastes at least - a big improvement over last month's salad with the nasty Lite Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing. The Nicoise salad is a delicious collection of mixed greens, green beans, potatoes, eggs, a tomato wedge and a small portion of albacore tuna served with an olive oil vinaigrette dressing. Best salad I've had on Alaska in a long time...
Niçoise Salad
I chose the Grilled Pork Chop for my main course. In its ongoing effort to cut food costs, Alaska's chefs evidently used a tomato slicer to cut and size these pork "chops" which looked more like pork flaps. While the thinner portion will no doubt contribute to continuing profits into the second quarter, the problem is that these 1/4" thick pork slices can't help but become dry and overcooked, especially in an aircraft oven. The BBQ Peach Sauce did little to offset the dried out meat. The polenta and green beans were tasty accompaniments.
I saw a plate of the Gemelli Ricotta pasta across the aisle. It looked like a decently sized portion and by appearances at least should please most vegetarians.
Back in Steerage, The Great Unwashed were dining on large, delicious cheeseburgers accompanied by a bag of chips. I would recommend this over the pork flap.
Grilled Pork Chop with BBQ Peach Sauce
Dessert was a Salted Caramel Budino. I'd never heard of such a concoction but it really was quite good. I'd compare it to a Crème Brûlée with crushed Oreos sprinkled on top. I really enjoyed it.
Salted Caramel Budino dessert
I concur the Nicoise salad was a refreshing change from AS usual offerings, but I disagree with the description of the pork dish. The "chop" was so thin that it must have been shaved off the little piggie with a micrometer ... and it turned out to be even drier and tougher that the typical chicken du jour dish.
The budino was (IMO) mistakenly billed as a brulee, because it had no "brulee" or caramelized crust. In Italian, budino is a creamy pudding-like dessert with name relating back to boudin sausage. This budino had the color and consistency of a blood pudding -- but was actually quite tasty.
May 1, 2013, 9:14 pm
#205
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Programs: AS MVP, Elevate, AAdvantage, Mileage Plus
Posts: 1,992
AS 574
PDX-SAN
4/30/13
"Evening Snack"
Last evening's presentation was reminiscent of a recent post by another FT member and seemed to be a cut-back in the level of service I've usually encountered on AS.
The lead FA handed out a fork and knife wrapped in a small paper napkin, then passed a plate that held a stone-cold bit of chicken (?pigeon?) breast with grill marks that served the sole purpose of pretending the piece of fowl had actually once been placed on a grill. Also on the plate was a small bit of mesclun and a little tub of salad dressing.
That's it. No warm food. No tray. No salt & pepper. Not even a Seattle Chocolate to soften the blow and give a bit of dignity to the dining experience.
For an F meal, that one deserves an F. At least they could warm up the poultry a bit and hand out chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
PDX-SAN
4/30/13
"Evening Snack"
Last evening's presentation was reminiscent of a recent post by another FT member and seemed to be a cut-back in the level of service I've usually encountered on AS.
The lead FA handed out a fork and knife wrapped in a small paper napkin, then passed a plate that held a stone-cold bit of chicken (?pigeon?) breast with grill marks that served the sole purpose of pretending the piece of fowl had actually once been placed on a grill. Also on the plate was a small bit of mesclun and a little tub of salad dressing.
That's it. No warm food. No tray. No salt & pepper. Not even a Seattle Chocolate to soften the blow and give a bit of dignity to the dining experience.
For an F meal, that one deserves an F. At least they could warm up the poultry a bit and hand out chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
For those without a long history of flying AS, I would like to point out that prior to about four years ago, flights departing outside of meal hours (including after 7 PM) use to receive a snack basket. Prior to the introduction of the snack basket, it was just a single bag of nuts! Personally, I'd still take a cold chicken breast and greens over packaged food.
Last edited by EIPremier; May 1, 2013 at 9:24 pm
May 2, 2013, 9:31 am
#206
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: ANC
Programs: AS; Hyatt; Bonvoy
Posts: 1,718
To be fair, that flight departs at 8:32 PM. I'm not sure what sort of meal you expected at that hour, but it's almost certainly less than what is served on daytime or early evening flights. The clue here is that there was no tray and no cloth napkin, just a fork/knife wrapped in a paper napkin. This means it's a light snack, as opposed to the normal evening snack service.
For those without a long history of flying AS, I would like to point out that prior to about four years ago, flights departing outside of meal hours (including after 7 PM) use to receive a snack basket. Prior to the introduction of the snack basket, it was just a single bag of nuts! Personally, I'd still take a cold chicken breast and greens over packaged food.
For those without a long history of flying AS, I would like to point out that prior to about four years ago, flights departing outside of meal hours (including after 7 PM) use to receive a snack basket. Prior to the introduction of the snack basket, it was just a single bag of nuts! Personally, I'd still take a cold chicken breast and greens over packaged food.
Some of us live to eat. I do fly frequently, and often the 'snack' served on evening flights from PDX to ANC is a heated snack. Of course, that flight is a bit longer than the PDX-SAN.And I, too, remember the old days on AS when even short hops around SE AK included champagne - in coach - and full course by course meal service in First on flights between AK and Outside.
So a girl can at least dream of better food and service, can't she?
May 2, 2013, 10:01 am
#207
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May 2, 2013, 4:38 pm
#208
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: TUS, SEA, OTP, OMR
Posts: 868
So based on some of the recent posts in the report thread, it sounds like the chocolates have been running short recently? I haven't been putting in reports, because I've not seen anything out of the rotation recently (apparently all people in the Southwest like grilled chicken sandwiches).
I will say that the Chocolate is the *BEST* part of the F meal tray. Absolutely, bar none, the best. Unfortunately, they only ever seem to cater just enough for the pax in F. I'd really like to see a stash of a few extra chocolates especially when I'm on an evening flight and all I really want is a couple of chocolates to go with my coffee and whiskey.
I've also got a question: what's the rule regarding food from the cart in back? Last week, while enjoying the same sammie for the third time in a week, someone across from me requested and got served something off of the Y food cart. AFAIK, he didn't pay extra for it (or if he did I missed it). Is this a perk of F? Can we request an alternate meal off of the Y cart?
I seem to recall discussion on here that you could but you had to pay for it, but maybe I'm imagining things.
I will say that the Chocolate is the *BEST* part of the F meal tray. Absolutely, bar none, the best. Unfortunately, they only ever seem to cater just enough for the pax in F. I'd really like to see a stash of a few extra chocolates especially when I'm on an evening flight and all I really want is a couple of chocolates to go with my coffee and whiskey.
I've also got a question: what's the rule regarding food from the cart in back? Last week, while enjoying the same sammie for the third time in a week, someone across from me requested and got served something off of the Y food cart. AFAIK, he didn't pay extra for it (or if he did I missed it). Is this a perk of F? Can we request an alternate meal off of the Y cart?
I seem to recall discussion on here that you could but you had to pay for it, but maybe I'm imagining things.
May 2, 2013, 4:41 pm
#209
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I've also got a question: what's the rule regarding food from the cart in back? Last week, while enjoying the same sammie for the third time in a week, someone across from me requested and got served something off of the Y food cart. AFAIK, he didn't pay extra for it (or if he did I missed it). Is this a perk of F? Can we request an alternate meal off of the Y cart?
I seem to recall discussion on here that you could but you had to pay for it, but maybe I'm imagining things.
I seem to recall discussion on here that you could but you had to pay for it, but maybe I'm imagining things.
May 2, 2013, 4:55 pm
#210
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 61
I once got an extra chocolate ... I knew my seat mate declined dinner and I asked the FA for his chocolate. mwahahaha.
I once also got an extra one later on the flight (different flight) when I went up and asked the FA. She found an unserved tray and gave me that one. They definitely put exactly the same number of chocolates as meals.
I once also got an extra one later on the flight (different flight) when I went up and asked the FA. She found an unserved tray and gave me that one. They definitely put exactly the same number of chocolates as meals.