I’m sitting in the Qantas Business Lounge at Melbourne Airport. The food is designed to prepare you for the inflight experience. Actually, I think the food on my flight might end up being better. The “Malaysian Chicken Curry” is one of those thick-with-starch sweet curiously-moist-chicken affairs with lots of turmeric for effect. The rice is seriously overcooked broken (why?) long-grain rice. I’m glad I stopped at a tablespoon of each.
Dessert, meanwhile, was a firm-cream lemony hazelnut-daquoisey thing, exactly like those insipid creamy “cakes” you get inflight. It’s staring at me now.
And why would you have a wireless network in the lounge which is called “Telstra” rather than something relating to Qantas? At least the Malaysian Airlines wireless access is clearly labelled (and, incidentally, accessible for non-lounge travellers sitting at the gates, though the signal can be weak).
I’m off on a trip. Look out for strange reports of better food!
Bon voyage Duncan!! Hope you have a fabulous time!!!
“The food is designed to prepare you for the inflight experience.”
Oh dear god NO. Who in their right mind would want to do this?! (Granted I’ve only ridden in a few airlines but it’s enough.)
Have a lovely trip, Duncan. Wish I could be in Europe again, sigh.
Hope you have a good trip!
If you’re coming anywhere near Barcelona, please contact me!
Duncan,
Re Qantas, the First Class Lounges are the only way to go, sadly, The gulf in quality of food and service is immense. Maybe this is because the First Lounges are only accessible to people flying First (not me) or people with QFF Platinum (again not me, but I try to fly with them whenever I can!) i.e. plutocrats or very loyal customers.
The First Lounges offer a casual version of Neil Perry’s food, along with French champagne and some pretty decent Aussie wines. Instead of broken rice, they will serve you good sourdough with Lescure butter. And if dacquoise is not your thing, depending on the season, you may get a luscious sticky date pudding or a very alcoholic tiramisu. They also provide complimentary spa treatments if you have time to burm before your flight.
On the Richter scale of Qantas service, between earth-shattering(ly bad or good) and solid, we were treated like royalty on a recent flight.
@nzm: unfortunately Barcelona isn’t on the itinerary this year, though it would have been great to meet! Pity — I haven’t been to BCN for about seven years!
Dare I mention that JB’s Platinum status, although under review, won’t be completed until we return from our impending European holiday! Oh_dear – will have to scoff champagne and Perry’s delights before squashing into my extra-cattle class seat!
(Actually – the best bit will be accessing powerpoints easily in Singapore to recharge iPods etc and lovely lovely empty showers!)