Intro
Four weeks after Qantas announced its economy class upgrade with much fanfare about “30% bigger meal trays” and “expanded menu options,” I found myself on QF79 from Melbourne to Hong Kong, curious whether this was a meaningful change or clever marketing.
Turns out it’s both.
What Changed
The redesigned meal tray is immediately noticeable – it’s larger and has a textured, non-slip surface that should prevent your dinner from sliding into your neighbour’s lap.
The theory works better than the practice on the A330’s slightly angled tray tables, where my meal still shifted around despite the design.
Watching the crew navigate the new service routine was an interesting experience.
Depending on which flight attendant served, some passengers received their trays horizontally, while others received them vertically.
The promised additions are modest: a packet of cheese and crackers now accompanies every meal, and longer flights get a pre-packaged salad.
The main meal portions remain the same size, which is generous enough that you won’t leave hungry.
Meal Service Timeline
Here’s the problem:
Coffee and tea reached my row at 3 hours and 20 minutes
Water service started 15 minutes after takeoff
Aperitifs and snacks at 30 minutes
Main meal service began 2 hours and 35 minutes in
That’s right – the entire first service took over three hours from start to finish.
Most Asian and Middle Eastern carriers complete similar services in under two hours.
The crew was professional and friendly, but they were clearly working harder, not smarter.
Constant trips back to the galley for forgotten items, running out of service pieces, and general chaos suggested the new system needs refinement.
Main Meal Service
The actual food hasn’t changed.
It’s the same suppliers, preparation methods, and reheated-at-altitude reality.
I chose the stir-fried noodles from three options (the others being kung pao chicken and a beef dish).
The noodles came in a generous portion with mixed vegetables in a glossy sauce that tasted like standard airline Asian fusion – inoffensive, slightly sweet, with vegetables that kept their texture.
The addition of cheese and crackers felt like an afterthought, a small packet of crackers and processed cheese that added bulk but not much else.
A pre-packaged Murray St Ice Creamery chocolate salted caramel ice cream was perfectly adequate for dessert.
Despite press releases mentioning fresh items and side salads, these were notably absent from the meal trays I observed.
For perspective, Swiss International’s recent economy overhaul includes a proper starter, fresh cucumber salad alongside the main course, actual cake for dessert, and cheese.
One detail Qantas gets right: they serve tea and coffee in proper Bodum carafes, which makes even instant coffee feel intentional rather than functional.
Exactly the kind of small touch that shows they understand presentation matters.
Second Meal Service
The pre-landing meal offered spinach and ricotta ravioli or beef.
The ravioli didn’t look great, but tasted better than it appeared.
The ricotta filling was creamy, and the portion was substantial enough to satisfy.
Again, the dessert was another pre-packaged item that felt like a missed opportunity.
Crew Service
Qantas cabin crew are professional, genuinely friendly, and skilled at managing difficult situations.
But the new service design doesn’t match their strengths.
Instead of meaningful passenger interaction, they rush through complex logistics and troubleshoot inventory problems.
This isn’t the crew’s fault – it’s a service design issue that hopefully will improve as procedures are refined.
Conclusion
Qantas deserves credit for investing in economy improvements when many airlines cut costs.
The larger trays and generous portions demonstrate good intentions, and touches like pre-meal aperitifs and mid-flight snacks show an understanding of passenger psychology.
But calling this a significant upgrade oversells what’s essentially an incremental change.
The extended service times, operational complexity, and lack of fresh components suggest this is more about marketing positioning than fundamental improvement.
I have a history with Qantas – I worked for them over 20 years ago, so I want them to succeed.
But when your major upgrade is bigger trays and cheese crackers while competitors reimagine the entire economy experience, you’re not setting ambitious goals.
The food is filling, the crew is excellent, and you’ll arrive fed and reasonably satisfied. Whether that constitutes a “new” experience is another question entirely.
