Business Class Trip Report

[straitman]

Your flight today was scheduled to depart at 12:05 and yesterdays was for 12:55. Both inside the "lunchtime" window.

The issues that are being reported relate to 'sack flights' and are:

1) That the Business catering outside of meal times seems rudimentary and not as good as Qantas' offering, and,

2) Staff have apparently been told not to offer anything from the Economy menu to Business PAX. Previously business PAX had the option.

I'll test that next Tuesday. Flying MEL-CBR dep 1525 & arr 1630.

 

[serfty]

J class still have the option of the economy menu if they require additional items, it is on a request though

Not if the FA says "No!" :-| - see MichaelD's post #92 herein.

 

[notzac]

So - Thursday night DJ351 MEL-BNE was my first proper DJ J flight - and I must say that I was rather impressed. Boozy McBoozetown, population: me. Slightly older flight supervisor .. clearly knew his stuff, service was excellent, food mostly good, wine reasonable (I've certainly drunk better, but no real complaints). He had an iPad which he used to show me pictures of the food he had to offer, and later in the flight he showed me an app that he uses to log flight details / meal requests / feedback - apparently not an official use of technology, but I was blown away by the initiative and obvious passion he had for his job - have sent through an email complimenting his service and forward thinking.

The wine (at least, the red - the white was v v nice - Pewsey Vale Riesling om nom nom nom) was not quite up to the standard of QF domestic J, but everything else was. Vive la competition!

 

[jaspon]

Not if the FA says "No!" :-| - see MichaelD's post #92 herein.

Sounds like the question was said in the context of was there any thing else from the J menu, which in that case was a NO.
of course J class guests can request anything off the economy menu, although the crew can't actually OFFER that menu

 

[Moopere]

of course J class guests can request anything off the economy menu, although the crew can't actually OFFER that menu

Mmm. This offering of the Y menu must be unofficial then, though widespread (if you ask) because I can't find anything written on DJ's website about it. I only stumbled into this myself when no J food was loaded recently and the FA offered me whatever I wanted from the Y menu.

Since then I'd hit similar problems, though not as complete a failure as no food for J at all and have not encountered so much as a bat of the eyelid from FA's when I reach for the Y menu card and select things. So, if its not written up, and the FA's are not offering, how would the normal everyday J flyer even guess that the Y menu is open to them? I guess if frustration builds highly enough then the thought might naturally occur, but surely DJ don't want this level of displeasure in their J flying customers minds???

Who knows ... for the sake of a fistful of dollars on an already overpriced fare (as almost all dom J is on any airline) I find the whole situation remarkable.

 

[Mogul]

Never had an issue with ordering from the Y menu on the coast to coast on the A330.

It has always been offered to our kids (3 & 7) in case they didn't want anything from the J menu. I even had a pie on one flight.

All you have to do is ask.

 

[MichaelD]

Sounds like the question was said in the context of was there any thing else from the J menu.

Food service on the flight in question:

FA: explains that food is the scroll type thing
SWMBO: "Are there any other options?"
FA: "No"

SWMBO was not aware that choosing from the Y menu was possible and neither was this offered to her.


SWMBO is reluctantly giving Virgin one more go MEL-OOL and hopefully will get the proper Virgin J experience this time.

 

[hydrabyss]

I have a feeling they have updated the website as I am unable to find where I read the mention of Y menu as an option as well.

 

[dfcatch]

I have a feeling they have updated the website as I am unable to find where I read the mention of Y menu as an option as well.

I don't believe it was ever on the website as a J option.

Not since PE was replaced by J anyway.

On my two J flights (see post 1), I was not offered the option of the BOB menu, not did I know about it (except for this thread).

In fact the gentleman in row 1 on my first flight was perusing the BOB menu when the FA very politely explained to him that J pax get their own meals .

So with the exception of those of us on AFF, or those who have gotten used to PE previously, how would you know that the BOB menu was an option????

 

[Moopere]

Never had an issue with ordering from the Y menu on the coast to coast on the A330.

It has always been offered to our kids (3 & 7) in case they didn't want anything from the J menu. I even had a pie on one flight.

All you have to do is ask.

Yes, those lucky few who frequent here, or bump into this via a proactive FA will know that. Others may not even think of it. That isn't service _delivery_ thats service _extraction_ - quite a different beast

 

[jaspon]

I don't believe it was ever on the website as a J option.

Not since PE was replaced by J anyway.

On my two J flights (see post 1), I was not offered the option of the BOB menu, not did I know about it (except for this thread).

In fact the gentleman in row 1 on my first flight was perusing the BOB menu when the FA very politely explained to him that J pax get their own meals .

So with the exception of those of us on AFF, or those who have gotten used to PE previously, how would you know that the BOB menu was an option????

in j class , there is no longer a menu in the seat pocket, as they get specific j class meals offering etc.

however it seems as an unwritten option, that if j class pax specifially ask for something off the economy menu, it will be delivered.
The cabin crew will not offer the economy menu as a food option directly to j class pax , its only on request from the guest

of course, when there are last minute operational changes etc etc and catering is not assured for pax, any last minute upgrades etc, they will be offered the economy menu,

its worth noting that DJ do not load a full compliment of 8 j class meals, on every 737 flight.
I believe the catering is created around 4 hrs prior to departure based on j class loads, with a couple of spare meals just in case of last minute changes

 

[dfcatch]

in j class , there is no longer a menu in the seat pocket, as they get specific j class meals offering etc.

however it seems as an unwritten option, that if j class pax specifially ask for something off the economy menu, it will be delivered.
The cabin crew will not offer the economy menu as a food option directly to j class pax , its only on request from the guest

of course, when there are last minute operational changes etc etc and catering is not assured for pax, any last minute upgrades etc, they will be offered the economy menu,

its worth noting that DJ do not load a full compliment of 8 j class meals, on every 737 flight.
I believe the catering is created around 4 hrs prior to departure based on j class loads, with a couple of spare meals just in case of last minute changes

1/ I can assure you that on the 737-800 (see post 1), the BOB menu was in the J seat pockets.

2/ At the time of post 1, DJ had more problems with catering than worrying about how many J meals to load.

They may have sorted their catering company out since then. I wouldn't know - I haven't flown them since.

 

[markis10]

If DJ really have stopped access to the Y menu for J pax then they really have some B grade managers making the decisions when it comes to catering, as already evidenced by the spirits fiasco. If its true then I wonder if its because they are concerned about shrinkage or bottom line. Surely a J passenger wanting something off the menu could be flagged by the CSM or in the accounting machine as such, then followed up post flight by a catering "manager" to find out why they found the J offering unappealing, you could not get a better source of feedback that way, and by being flagged, the shrinkage issue would also be sorted!

 

[jaspon]

1/ I can assure you that on the 737-800 (see post 1), the BOB menu was in the J seat pockets.

2/ At the time of post 1, DJ had more problems with catering than worrying about how many J meals to load.

They may have sorted their catering company out since then. I wouldn't know - I haven't flown them since.

The economy menu has recently been removed from 737-800 j class, i think early Feb

 

[jazza1971]

If DJ really have stopped access to the Y menu for J pax then they really have some B grade managers making the decisions when it comes to catering, as already evidenced by the spirits fiasco.

What spirits fiasco?

 

[markis10]

What spirits fiasco?

This thread when the menu was pruned:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-sky-suggestions-new-32102-14.html#post478067

 

[jazza1971]

Thanks markis, for a minute there I thought there were no spirits in DJ J as well!

 

[muppet]

Is anyone able to report on the meal service CBR-SYD-CBR?
What do they manage to get out in that time?
m

 

[Virgin Bart]

Is anyone able to report on the meal service CBR-SYD-CBR?
What do they manage to get out in that time?
m

I was on last Sunday at 1700. Got a delicious ice-cream cake, cheese platter (Brie and Cheddar - was ok, but then I'm a cheeso), some crackers to go with the cheese and of course the usual wine/beer/water combo. Certainly not worth the money outright, but as a connection it's ok when accompanying a 738 flight in J.

 

[maninblack]

If DJ really have stopped access to the Y menu for J pax then they really have some B grade managers making the decisions when it comes to catering, as already evidenced by the spirits fiasco. If its true then I wonder if its because they are concerned about shrinkage or bottom line. Surely a J passenger wanting something off the menu could be flagged by the CSM or in the accounting machine as such, then followed up post flight by a catering "manager" to find out why they found the J offering unappealing, you could not get a better source of feedback that way, and by being flagged, the shrinkage issue would also be sorted!

Please enlighten me. What is this "shrinkage" issue you refer to?
I assume you are not talking about this; Seinfeld - The Shrinkage - YouTube