LukasNied

Just landed in my in-box:

https://www.businesstraveller.com/bu...ure-swissness/

https://www.blick.ch/news/wirtschaft...d15342657.html

I guess this is a sad reality in the 'race to the bottom'

On a slightly similar topic, these weeks' First Class caviar tasting includes one caviar from Switzerland, one from France and one from ... China.

Dover2Golf

I've had some pretty disgusting food on short haul business recently.

Most recently on a dinner time service from ZRH-LHR as a VGML I was served a plate of red coloured, tasteless couscous topped with a parsley leaf. On the side were two thin slices of tasteless cheese and half a cherry tomato.

It all went straight back.

AlicorporateUK

Same here: I recently had a VLML on the morning service to Sarajevo and it went straight back (ditto with the 'standard' meal on the Zurich flight from Sarajevo). The purser didn't say a word, she served the other row and shortly after came back asking what had happened and if I wanted a sandwich (thanks, but no thanks - nice gesture, though). Not that I have particularly high expectations [nor do I care about] food on such short flights but Austrian & LOT are by far my preferred choice when it comes to that (I hear that Aegean are also pretty good so I may give them a try now that they've launched SJJ).

G

lhrpete

Swiss intra-European catering is probably about the poorest of the full service offerings at present. They really need to pull their socks up. No wonder the business cabins are so small and far from full.

chris63

AlicorporateUK

chris63

worldclubber

sophialite

AlicorporateUK

That would be my standard modus operandi but not always possible I'm afraid and for a number of reasons: my weekly air travel is strictly business related and, not working as a consultant or in a high-up-the-chain's role where (in normal circumstances) there's that degree of flexibility, I'm not always able to leave the office/manufacturing site (especially the latter and if there have been issues) and head to the airport 2 hours before my flight, not to mention that the airport I travel from on a weekly basis has virtually no catering at all (pre-packed cheese sandwiches but they're normally gone by the time I get there, which is normally when the Doha flight starts boarding, roughly half-an-hour before my 'usual' Lufthansa service to Munich ) and other frequently visited airports (e.g. Berlin, Graz, Birmingham just to mention a few from the last couple of weeks) follow (more-or-less) the same pattern (if not even worse) All valid reasons, I guess, to be slightly happier when booked on either Austrian or LOT

G

sophialite

Then pack some food? Or buy food? I don't know... I've always had time to get even a small, but decent bite, in a pinch. Presumably for shorthaul the flight time is 1-2 hours, so you can just hold off until you land. If there's a will to avoid airplane food, there's a way.

I've even had the FAs tell me after we land and I'm waiting to disembark that I made a good decision not to eat the food. Some of them say they wouldn't touch it.

AlicorporateUK

Absolutely - and thank goodness I'm not a big eater anyway (which is somewhat odd for a long distance runner ) so not really a big deal.

I often get the same comment about the standard meals whenever I get served the special meal (for which I normally go anyway).

G

worldclubber

AlicorporateUK

[OT] I wish there was a warm option in some of those lounges: Graz only had bread when I visited last time, plenty of scones in Birmingham and a family pack of roasted peanuts this past Tuesday at Sarajevo - spoilt for choice without a doubt Adding to misery, the Senator lounge in Munich (H) was packed to the brim however, on a slightly bright[er] note, I went to the other side (i.e. Business Lounge, fairly empty) and managed to get a nice(ish) feta/walnut/lentil/couscous salad together with the usual Franziskaner [/OT]

G

chris63