Timmee, pax have a right to complain about QF's catering. These days, full fare MEL-SYD-MEL is around $700. This compares to around $550 full fare walk up with DJ. QF have to be able to justify the price differential. They can do this by things such as
- FF schemes (though the benefit of these is questionable)
- lounges (though you have often paid separately for these)
- better terminals (with DJ getting access to AN terminals, this won't be so decisive in the future.)
- newer planes (DJs 737NGs are far superior to tired old 762s and 737 classics).
- seat comfort ( still an advantage to QF though it ain't what it once was)
- catering
So catering is (or was) a differentiator but QF has chosen to downgrade catering to such an extent that you'd almost be better off flying DJ and paying $8 for a muffin and a cup of tea.
Full fare Y pax are where QF make their money on domestic services and it is precisely these people that they are pi$$ing off with the catering cut backs. QF have to decide what it is, if it is a premium full service carrier then it should behave like one, it it wants to be a discount carrier then it better drop its fares to compete. The trap full service carriers the world over are falling into is that they are trying to compete with lo-co's on price. They can't; where they can compete is on service. To downgrade service is to give away the only real advantage you had.
Maybe the answer is to create a new class between J&Y whereby full fare Y pax can get the service they feel they have paid for (ie. Y class seating with J class meals). The cattle who have paid discount fares probably wouldn't care if catering was downgraded but the full farer will.