Crew Catering/Meals

[Tray Surfer]

Hello All,

Apologies for a slightly, well, odd question.

As I am building up towards a hopeful change from Commercial to Private/Corporate flying, it is something that I have thought about and wondered.

Obviously, working for a commercial airline, things just "turn up" on the aircraft to use. I am fully aware that as a private CC/FA, the catering is very often completely within your control in realms of planning/ordering/execution, and as commercial, the crew catering is just loaded, to a spec, by the catering company.

I am wondering if anyone would be kind enough to tell me a little about how it works on private aircraft?

Does it tend to be ordered by the FA?

Do they, if you know who you are flying with beforehand, ask if there is anything particular you want/like?

Or, does it come out of an excess of catering from the pax cabin?

I know it sounds an odd thing to ask about, but something I don't know about and would be thankful for any words from you all. I appreciate it will vary vastly from one operator/owner to the next.

Warmest Regards,

TS
:)

[galaxy flyer]

If you have CC, they'll do all the catering, order it, stow it and serve it. You just have to tell them what you would like to have based on time of departure and your tastes. You'll be lucky to only gain 10-15 pounds in yuru first year.

GF

[FLEXJET]

Generally (European ops) for flight duration in excess of 3 hours, our standard catering will consist of a full menu being offered to the pax.
If 2 pax and 3 crew: 5 starters, 5 main courses and 5 deserts will be ordered by the FA so the pax will have a good choice.
Consider extra food for ULR flights.
Our FA will also order a selection of small sandwiches so we can eat anytime.

My advice: Always try to inquire about pax wishes (allergies, religion, etc...).

[Tray Surfer]

Thanks GF... I will be the CC... The pointy end scares me too much. I can cope with galley equipment, but anything more technical and I am not so good... :O

But, thank you for the words.

[Tray Surfer]

Thanks for the reply FLEXJET,

I thought that is how it would be done. So, pax are offered the menu choices first, which is of course to be expected, then the remaining 3 options are then done for the crew?

And, forgive me for this one, but I am used to commercial "ways". We do everything from the top down, so Captain first, then FO, then us. Does that tend to follow the same in private? Not so much seniority in the airline sense, but by rank?

Or is that overly formalising things? :8

[flydive1]

As GF said, normally the FA ask the crew what they would like to eat.

And, forgive me for this one, but I am used to commercial "ways". We do everything from the top down, so Captain first, then FO, then us. Does that tend to follow the same in private? Not so much seniority in the airline sense, but by rank?


On all "my" operation, no ranks on food, whoever is hungry eats.

Or, does it come out of an excess of catering from the pax cabin?

That's always on addition.
You wouldn't let that good bottle of wine go to waste, would you?;)

[mutt]

things just "turn up" on the aircraft to use. That's how we do it :) Allows more time for the FA's to party during layovers :)

Mutt

[Tray Surfer]

That's how we do it Allows more time for the FA's to party during layovers

Mutt

Ha ha... :D

Thanks Mutt.

[500 above]

The cheeseboard is usually served first to the crew. Pax get seconds. We select the wines which we like also, for the flight bag. Miscellaneous chocolates/biscuits come with the second round of coffee/tea.

Failing that, M&S food halls and the like do great sushi/sandwiches/desserts in an ideal size for aircraft. Much much cheaper than hotel or FBO catering. However, don't offer it to certain Arabic pax.... I remember a certain Paris LBG FBO charging 50 Euros for one baguette which was wrapped in tinfoil and tasted well, indifferent. Then there is the 50 Euro bag of ice...

Mostly when we fly (without cc) we have to ensure a supply of catering for us up front (learned the hard way after an US east coast trans atlantic to Ireland, then on to the Eastern Med after a refuel) - our pax (owners of our aircraft) generally bring their own or request what catering they would like on board - and feed us.

[Tray Surfer]

Thanks 500 above,

I will make a mental note to take special care of the cheeseboard for the flight crew in future.

On a serious note, thanks to all for the enlightenment. Won't make me look as much of an inexperienced fool should I get to work onboard one of your flying machines... :)

[vjs]

Nice to hear that such things still exist in private ops.

In Vistajet you get nothing as a crew except a 30 Euro allowance for food for your 17 day rotation for all 3 crew(so 10 Euros for a 17 day rotation/crewmember). I personally never touched it because it is more or less instant soup or crap like that, stored in the cargo hold.

Of course no sandwich or such things. If we are lucky we get some leftovers if the pax don't eat because there are no excess orders for food.
Ferrylegs of course without anything if you don't buy it at the airport at your own expenses with our huge per diem(around 30 Euros up to a max of around 60 Euros if we are in Japan - but we all know how much are 60 Euros worth in Japan :( ).

Now you guys know where the money is coming for all the Vista aircraft orders ;). They don't waste it on crewfood, lol.

[Gulfstreamaviator]

Treat crew well, crew treat aircraft well, company makes money.
Rule 1 in corporate business. glf

[flydive1]

Well, Gulfstreamaviator, unfortunately that is the difference of working for an individual or for a "big" company.
An individual usually cares.

[Tray Surfer]

How does it work when you have contract FAs working with you?

As I understand it, a lot of the time, you obviously have the same flight crew on an aircraft a lot of the time, but owners won't necessarily have full time FAs employed, and get in contract people for longer sectors or trips. So, of course, they don't know any preferences of the flight crew etc... Do they get much notice in terms of food for crew? Or just have to "play it safe" so to speak?

Of course, I know some of you will have regular FAs, especially working directly for an owner or smaller operator, so I imagine that makes it easier.

Thanks,

TS
:)

[FLEXJET]

You could have a large bizjet operator assigning dedicated crew for a particular aircraft or for a particular operation so they are used to the pax.
Operators establish pax profiles so any new FA would have access to preferences etc...
Usually either the operator through its sales or other designated office, the lead FA or a personal assistant provide with catering information.

[vjs]

Large operators do that, agree fully. As well my company does that - nerves us before any "important" flight with complete pax profiles and what they would like to have. As normally the catering department is doing the (standard) order (because they don't trust our FA's to really order the cheapest things)then it always falls back to the crew when someone important flies.

Then suddenly the crew again is good enough to organize something last minute to please the membership pax. Of course , due to the generous pay ;), everyone is very motivated then to do that "little" extra for the company.

Sometimes I really wonder which **** business it became. Double and triple number millionaires or even billionaires renting jets from "low cost business operators"(as the one I am working for) just to save some peanuts. And of course there is never a tip at the end of the flight, some very few african customers only tipping(you can count them on one hand, always the same guys).

So, you guys still having an owner job - try to keep it. Nothing nice waiting for you at the other end(I am there already :ouch:).

[mutt]

And of course there is never a tip at the end of the flight, some very few african customers only tipping(you can count them on one hand, always the same guys). You guys operate a lot of flights into the ME, are you saying that you don't get tipped?

Mutt

[vjs]

Nope....

Rumors say that even the company contracts with the pax state something like "...tip is already included....".

Don't know if that is a fact, but facing the non existance of tips I am tempted to say that it is true.

[Tray Surfer]

In terms of bringing your own stuff with you... Are there as many restrictions bringing liquids through most private aviation terminals?

[dirk85]

It depends.

In many terminal you can take full catering, straight from the hotel (sometimes the best choice) or from the local shop to the plane with no problems.
In some places though you can only bring on board catering from approved companies. Olbia comes to mind, but there are others.

In order to avoid the ridicolous charges of catering companies (security and delivery fees can be as expensive as the food itself) it is funny sometimes to see poor bastards (like me) trying to sneak in humongous amount of food, meat, fish fruit and whatnot... "this is the crew snack!". Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't...

No big deal for water or this kind of stuff, for personal use.