aussie crew meals

[cabinboy]

Hi,

I am interested in learning about what we all receive as a crew meal, do you actually get a dedicated crew meal or just an allowance ? Keen to hear what Qantas LH, Qantas SH and Virgin Blue guys get ?

At our regional airline the best we get is the same old sandwhiches everday served with cheese and crackers and a small chocolate.

What about the rest of you ?

[cloud nine]

CabinBoy...are you sick of the sambo's already? :D

Our lunch packs have just changed. They were pretty ordinary, and most days I wouldnt eat it as the roll consisted of butter spread so thickly that it resembled cheese, about 7 slices of ham and one mini piece of tomatoe ( at least thats what it looked like)

I must say they are quiet nice now. We usually get a chicken or ham and salad turkish bread roll. A bannana, apple or pear and then there is a few little choccys that are great for a sugar buzz that you sometimes need on that last sector.

Alot of our catering has changed for the pax too. I must say it looks great now and the pax seem pretty impressed which is good.

:D

[skyways]

We used to get a ham & cheese herb croissant until a little while ago, now we get a breakfast bar, one of those 'break free' cookies and a tub of yoghurt for breakfast, any other time of the day is the standard four sandwich triangles and an apple.

Have to admit it can leave you a little wanting by the end of a longer trip!! :D

[ditzyboy]

At Impulse

Breakfast
Cereal (two choices)
Yoghurt
Fruit Tub
Muffin

Lunch
Sandwich/Roll (two choices)
Chocolate Bar
Piece of Fruit
Fruit Tub

Dinner
Cold Salad (two choices)
Cheese and Crackers
Chocolate Bar
Fruit Tub

Snack - given to us at random.. No real policy.
4 sandwich triangles
Chocolate Bar


We get really ****ty carob things instead of the chocky sometimes but generally are pretty good. Sandwichs are pretty bad but OK meal otherwise. Chocolate Bars are the big ones so not good for the waistline, honey. Some of the cold salads are a bit dodgy but at least it is edible and we get something at all. You'll never please everyone though I guess.... :-)

[ditzyboy]

Oh and the box they come in even says "Enjoy" :)

[Exotic-Temptress]

Ditzy....

:) and did you 'ENJOY'??

Is it such an issue who gets what on board. After reading everyones post...its basically the same everywhere.

CONCLUSION:... *hospital hand-me-downs
*Kids lunch boxes
*overall anything to fill up a temporary gap until they reach their hotels.

[Evacu8]

Never really thought much about crew meals - dont eat them !!

But here goes:-

QF Longhaul:-

'Pre-takeoff snack' consists of a choice of two different types of sandwiches plus a muesli bar or chocolate bar.

Meal depends on what time we are at... main meal usually consists of a choice of four hot meals, plus salad, dessert, cheese/bikkies.

We usually get a hot snack as well eg pizzas/ spring rolls etc.

We have different meals depending on departure time, flight time etc. They are usually not bad, some ports are better than others though !!

Oh and we usually allocate meal choice on seniority !!

If you have special dietry requirements eg vegan vegetarian, they will provide it for you specifically.

As I said, I dont eat them meself - I bring my own, that way I know what goes into my grub ;)

Crew meals = no more 'abs' showing !!!!

[cabinboy]

Exotic Temptress,

No-one said it was an " issue " what people get on board, however I was just interested to learn what others get. As they say " you are what you eat " and personally I do my best to take care of my nutrition when flying.

As virgin blue don't serve free food I guess I was just interested to see if you have to buy your own lunch or if you get an allowance instead.

Kind Regards
CB

[Exotic-Temptress]

Cabin boy

On Virgin, unfortunatley, we aren't given a meal allowance, which we all hoped we did, we are given as described above.

It's pretty difficult trying to bring lunch from home, if you are on a 4day trip, so i guess we gotta be grateful for what we are given.

I think as humans, greed conqueres our selfless inability to appreciate things. The more we get, the more we want. But if we were to stop for a second and value everything, we would become better people.

Food is food, and crew meals aren't meant to be extravagant. As long as they fill in that little gap, thats fine.

[Evacu8]

Exotic Temptress ... I think CabinBoy was just seeing what other crew get as a point of interest, nothing more.

And I go on (average) 9-15 day trips, and I can manage to take my own food on every sector - it's not that hard if you want to eat your own food !! ;)

[qfcabin]

It probably needs to be mentioned that Evacu8 is one of the VERY few who self caters on QF..I only know of two I've met who do...so don't think the crew meals are of a quality that can't be eaten! there will always be people who are unhappy with what thay are offeed but over the years QF has worked with cabcrews to try to make as many as possible happy. Of course Evac, I don't intend to mean that you are unhappy..just making a point.
And exotic..on long haul it's not a LITTLE gap...extravagant isn't important but good tucker is..when you're on the aeroplane for up to fifteen hours, you need good ammunition inside you!! good luck with your career by the way..you sound like a great VB asset!

[Evacu8]

Sorry QFcabin, didnt mean to sound as if the meals are of a low quality - badly worded response !!

The only reason I take my own meals is the fact I have a very strict diet (due to sporting commitments).

Most crew are very happy with the standard of grub we get !! And on occasion I will eat a crew meal (I can never go past the SIN chix curry ;) ) It's just that I prefer to take meals I have prepared myself, that way I know exactly what goes into them, and can fit it into my dietry requirements.

It's a personal choice, not a judgement on the QF grub :)

[Exotic-Temptress]

Qf cabin

Before i begin i would like to thank you for that sweet comment you snuck in down the bottom of your post. Much appreciated.

I guess in regards to my post, i didn't stop to think about long haul flights. Definately, a small gap is out of the question, when we relate to hunger. I was more refering to short domestic flights.

Evacu8

I to have dietery needs, and no, many airlines don't cater for us very well.

How long have you guys been with QF?

[qfcabin]

Over 30 years, and still like it!

[brunbero]

is this really important?
you sound like a brave new world ready to riot over watery cabbage! :p

[flapsforty]

Brunbero, is this really important?
Up to each individual really, isn't it?

My company provides us with a crew trolley full of food. We eat crew food for sometimes 6 days at a stretch.
Our union has just had all the hot meals tested at an independant laboratory.
The outcome didn't surprise anyone.
Too much fat, too many carbohydrates, too many questionable additives, too few quality proteins.
Do i think that this will kill me? Nope; the 20 cigarettes a day that I smoke will get me long before a stray E-number will. :p

Do I think that it would improve my quality of life and the quality of the work I deliver if I were fed properly?
Do I think that it's bad thinking of management to feed crews fattening & unhealthy food?
Do I feel like I'm being treated like a disposable commodity by the company?
Yes I do.

Does it bother me?
No, not more than that small stuff like this slowly and over time erodes my loyalty to the company.
I'll still do the job to the best of my ability because I want to be proud of what I do and how I do it.

But perhaps the many ways in which my employer tries to cut corners when it comes to my long term well being will lead to me calling in sick a bit sooner than I would otherwise?
Will lead to me not defending the company's name quite so vigorously when it comes under attack?
Will lead to me picking my own comfort over what's best for the company when push comes to shove?

If you eat crew food for a full 30 year career Brunbero, it does take on a bit of importance in the larger scheme of things.
:D

[cabinboy]

flapsforty - thanks for reading between the lines of what I was trying to get at, and for the record I totally agree with your comments.

Evacu8 - you sound like one very organised individual. You couldn't send us a few of your frozen home cooked work meals up this way could ya ? :D Good on you !

I think I would rather have my sandwhiches replaced with Vitamin C, Echinacea and Zinc tablets at the moment because I think they woud do much more for me healthwise at present, then of course I would also have time to eat them ! I could swallow them in a flash and then get back to work :D

[Tarantella]

LOL Poor CabinBoy!;)

I think I was sick every month for the first 18 months of flying till I built up an immunity to the myriad of coughs and splutters doled out to me everyday at work.
Now I rarely get sick - but I wonder if I am kind of a Typhoid Mary now - symptom free but highly contagious?... :o

Food is food I suppose, but it's not quite as easy as popping out to the shops if you don't like what's on offer.
We get a number of choices of Crew food at QF LH : this has to do with ensuring that if some terrible taint was in one meal - you don't incapacitate an entire crew - hence the fact that our Captains and F/Os aren't meant to eat the same choice of meal.

I'm highly impressed with crew that can bring their own food - I can barely decide what I want to pack for a week -let alone what I want to eat!

Take care all...
(CB -we still have to catch up!)

T

[cabinboy]

OMG ! Tarantella ! Welcome back babe !

A friend of mine just started 6 weeks ago with QF LH - MEL base, I have sent him on a mission to find you and here you are ! I'm sure you'll meet him soon.

I'll be touch re: catching up for a crown lager.

Cabinboy