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Originally Posted by maortega15
(Post 25748387)
Back to J meals, but any notice in one of yannix's photos that the dressing is still in a cheap container?! Still pretty tacky. Then again, SQ's nut service feels like Economy.
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Originally Posted by QRC3288
(Post 25748461)
I presume CX has decided Europeans care more about their salad dressing...
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Originally Posted by QRC3288
(Post 25748461)
Totally agree about the salad dressing. That "vinaigrette" or whatever they call it from that cheap HK supplier is just foul. I was surprised to see it remain as part of the new service. CX starting using that dressing a few years ago and it's vile. Presumably, it's significantly cheaper.
CX offers a much nicer olive oil / balsamic blend (in those tiny glass bottles, you shake it up) on most LH flights, but it is *usually* served with the bread basket and I've seen the loading #s, they don't load anywhere close to 1 per J pax. IIRC about 15 glass jars are loaded in J class on a 77H. So presumably CX gets away with cost savings on 30+ servings of salad dressing because most pax just use the cheapo stuff that comes with your tray. I cannot imagine CX mgmt has tried this stuff, it's gross. As for the olive oil that came with the bread, I guess CX had to load 1 for each pax on this trip. The bread holder board came pre-assembled with the oil bottle and the butter from the galley. |
Originally Posted by QRC3288
(Post 25748461)
Totally agree about the salad dressing. That "vinaigrette" or whatever they call it from that cheap HK supplier is just foul. I was surprised to see it remain as part of the new service. CX starting using that dressing a few years ago and it's vile. Presumably, it's significantly cheaper.
CX offers a much nicer olive oil / balsamic blend (in those tiny glass bottles, you shake it up) on most LH flights, but it is *usually* served with the bread basket and I've seen the loading #s, they don't load anywhere close to 1 per J pax. IIRC about 15 glass jars are loaded in J class on a 77H. So presumably CX gets away with cost savings on 30+ servings of salad dressing because most pax just use the cheapo stuff that comes with your tray. I cannot imagine CX mgmt has tried this stuff, it's gross. The exceptions are on some Europe flights I took this year, namely ZRH and ex CDG (but not LHR). On those flights, the nice glass jars were served with the salad whereas on ex-HKG to North American flights you get the foul plastic container cup of "vinaigrette" from the HK supplier, and the small olive oil / balsamic bottles are only in the bread basket. I haven't flown the other European cities lately but would be curious to know if the superior glass jars are the norm for salad. I presume CX has decided Europeans care more about their salad dressing... The AMS catering was actually very good. Good enough for me to hunt this thread out and see if the new J catering had been extended beyond JFK yet. |
I'm sorry to give a bump on this thread, but it`s not a 100% clear to me: is it confirmed that all flights ex JFK have the new service on J already? Or is it still a test?
Thanks, |
*BUMP*
Is the experiment over? Are they expanding to other routes? |
follow-up...what happened
I was disappointed to learn that this service didn't go anywhere.
From what I've since learned, the service was initiated by a catering consultancy / company and offered a trial-run to CX free of charge, or some very discounted price. In effect, CX was being the guinea pig and the company running the service got a live version to test this service and product, which they can then pitch to other airlines with real data. The crew overwhelmingly hated it due to meal service times being significantly lengthened. Pax also commented on how long meal service was taking. I can't imagine crew concerns were the main factor...my guess is, without knowing the precise #s, this specific catering flow would've cost more per J pax than the current cost per pax, and CX wasn't keen to up the budget by that amount. I'm not sure whether or not CX was ever seriously considering it at all. Basically, free trial and it was proposed by the outside firm. |
Originally Posted by yannix
(Post 25728596)
According to the ISM, they are doing it for 6 weeks as a trial to certain ports from HKG. They certainly wanted feedback as every pax was given a survey form. I was also chatting with the FAs serving our section and they complained that the new plates (hot entrees) are very hard to pick up and handle.
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Originally Posted by QRC3288
(Post 26383893)
I was disappointed to learn that this service didn't go anywhere.
From what I've since learned, the service was initiated by a catering consultancy / company and offered a trial-run to CX free of charge, or some very discounted price. In effect, CX was being the guinea pig and the company running the service got a live version to test this service and product, which they can then pitch to other airlines with real data. The crew overwhelmingly hated it due to meal service times being significantly lengthened. Pax also commented on how long meal service was taking. I can't imagine crew concerns were the main factor...my guess is, without knowing the precise #s, this specific catering flow would've cost more per J pax than the current cost per pax, and CX wasn't keen to up the budget by that amount. I'm not sure whether or not CX was ever seriously considering it at all. Basically, free trial and it was proposed by the outside firm. |
Originally Posted by HKGglobaltrotter
(Post 26383970)
Urgh...Looks like we will be stuck with the current, rather appalling catering...:mad:
Hopefully the introduction of AA on the LAX route is going to make CX pull up their socks. Say what you will about American Airlines quality, but if you look at their service on the Sydney flights it's hard to argue that quality and quantity is worse on AA. |
Originally Posted by sxc
(Post 26384099)
Service process is one thing. Quality of food is another. They can improve quality without changing the onboard flow.
Hopefully the introduction of AA on the LAX route is going to make CX pull up their socks. Say what you will about American Airlines quality, but if you look at their service on the Sydney flights it's hard to argue that quality and quantity is worse on AA. I just had a few domestic flights with AA a couple of weeks ago, 2 of which were in economy. I was being recognised and greeted by the FA on both of the sectors. And like their own EXP members, I was also offered free snack + 1 alcoholic drink as an OWE. So I don't think AA is all that bad. ^ |
Keeps going downhill.
Their J and F catering was better 10 years ago. Their F has really not been good in the last 5 years. Now in J, you get economy-class quality on their generic white plates. The same old salmon or shrimp "starter" that costs about HKG 21 dollars with some greens thrown on top. No soup. A miniscule "salad". Overcooked mains with sloppy presentation (sauces always dripping off the sides and splattered). They've got to hurry that up - no nice seat-side plating like they did pre-SARS. They even ditched the pebble salt and pepper pots - those were too special. Got to keep it generic-looking with no character. The cheap-looking plates are the only thing that sets the "meal" apart, really. If other airlines can manage better catering, why can't CX? The FAs need more time to gossip and read their magazines, after all, that's only a 14 hour flight, right? 2 hours to serve meals (times 2) is just too long for them - it only leaves 10 hours to do nothing. AA meals do look better in J, and now AA has the same J seats! |
Has there even been ever in the past where soup was served in J?? The pebble shakers were removed a longgg time ago.
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I remmeber flying in j first time ever in 2001 as a 13 year old on a then new 343 with the Z slope seats.
I distinctively remember J meals bring plated at your seat. A trolley with all the entrees in big casserole dishes would come down the isle and you would have the meal plated beside you Oh how things have changed these days |
Originally Posted by Flyingfox
(Post 26391957)
that's only a 14 hour flight, right? 2 hours to serve meals (times 2) is just too long for them - it only leaves 10 hours to do nothing.
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