Stretch 8 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 2561 posts, RR: 19 Posted (4 years 5 months 1 week 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 3978 times:
Anyone have an idea of how the various airlines with very long flights take care of those in cattle class?
Last year, on flights from the UK to South Africa on SAA, there was a dinner and breakfast meals service, plus water/juice during the night. Other than that, the cabin crew did not appear to want to be bothered by the passengers.
I have heard that on Singapore and other top Assian carriers, there are "snack stations" where one can get drinks, food, without bothering the cabin crew. I know BA has smoething like this in their CW class.
Maggs swings, it's a drive deep to left! The Tigers are going to the World Series!!!
B747forever From United States of America, joined May 2007, 16574 posts, RR: 11 Reply 1, posted (4 years 5 months 1 week 4 days 10 hours ago) and read 3917 times:
WAC From United States of America, joined Nov 2008, 253 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (4 years 5 months 1 week 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 3864 times:
AF does for economy on flight over 12 hours usually drinks and some sandwiches noodles aand ice cream but they tend to go quick and it not really much of anything...
FlySSC From France, joined Aug 2003, 7313 posts, RR: 61 Reply 3, posted (4 years 5 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 3817 times:
Quoting WAC (Reply 2): AF does for economy on flight over 12 hours usually drinks and some sandwiches noodles and ice cream but they tend to go quick and it not really much of anything...
The "buffet" is on all AF long haul flights over 11 hours. In Y : Ice creams, sandwiches, snacks, peanuts, noodles soups (on lights to ASIA).
"Drink Stations" are available in Y on every long haul flights but only with soft drinks / juices / sodas. For alcoholic drinks, you must to the Cabin Brew.
OtagoHarbour From United States of America, joined May 2008, 19 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (4 years 5 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 3816 times:
Quoting FlySSC (Reply 3): "Drink Stations" are available in Y on every long haul flights but only with soft drinks / juices / sodas. For alcoholic drinks, you must to the Cabin Brew.
That was not my experience. I flew AF economy each way across the Atlantic in May. There were plenty of free alcoholic drinks if you wanted them. Have they changed since then?
Mortyman From Norway, joined Aug 2006, 3228 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (4 years 5 months 1 week 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 3781 times:
I flew Air New Zealand 747 400 from London - Los angeles - Auckland on economy class ( I belave that is Y ) and was happy with that.
Great food ! One of the very, very few airlines where I have actualy liked the food. ( I had among other things a wonderful lamb casserole and also hot sandvich with ham / chese or chicken. Nice service and full media center ( games, TV, radio, films,music etc )
This was however in 2006.I am not sure how it is today...
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38503 posts, RR: 80 Reply 6, posted (4 years 5 months 1 week 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 3776 times:
United Airlines has good coach service on their long-haul flights.
I've done a 12.5 hour long flight from Los Angeles to Toyko in coach on a 747-400.
Two meals were served as well as a light snack.
Plenty of free booze too.
Soxfan From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 854 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (4 years 5 months 1 week 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 3760 times:
What is CO's service like on ultra long-haul (i.e. EWR-NRT and HKG, or IAH-NRT)? Their website says business first gets a main meal, a mid-flight refreshment, and a meal before landing. Are there "snack stations" for Y as well?
Pilot: "Request push, which way should we face?" JFK Ground: "You better face the front, sir, or you'll scare the pax!"
Sfuk From Canada, joined Sep 2005, 152 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (4 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 3701 times:
I flew SQ SIN-LAX in June this year on a A345 and it was amazing!
SQ use(d) 'Executive Economy Class' on these flight. There is only room for 180 passengers on this flight, compare that with EK A345 that hold 260 then you get an idea of the space.
The seat pitch was great, the seats were very comfortable and considering this was economy the food was great. I've flown international business many times and this food kicked it's ass!
PITIngres From United States of America, joined Dec 2007, 957 posts, RR: 12 Reply 9, posted (4 years 5 months 1 week 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 3612 times:
Quoting Soxfan (Reply 7): What is CO's service like on ultra long-haul (i.e. EWR-NRT and HKG, or IAH-NRT)? Their website says business first gets a main meal, a mid-flight refreshment, and a meal before landing. Are there "snack stations" for Y as well?
EWR-PEK Y earlier this year had the same, although I'm sure the meals were less fancy. I thought the Y meals were OK though. There was a snack basket in the back with chips and stuff in it. I don't recall about booze, oddly enough. All in all, I thought CO's Y was perfectly decent if unexceptional.
Andz From South Africa, joined Feb 2004, 8298 posts, RR: 11 Reply 10, posted (4 years 5 months 1 week 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 3596 times:
Quoting Stretch 8 (Thread starter): Last year, on flights from the UK to South Africa on SAA, there was a dinner and breakfast meals service, plus water/juice during the night. Other than that, the cabin crew did not appear to want to be bothered by the passengers.
UK-SA is hardly "ultra long haul". Apart from what you describe, what else do you expect during the night in cattle class?
After Monday and Tuesday even the calendar says WTF...
Stretch 8 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 2561 posts, RR: 19 Reply 11, posted (4 years 5 months 1 week 10 hours ago) and read 3474 times:
Andz: Don't get me wrong, the flight was okay, and the A346 was a treat. But the food was poor, and again, the cabin crew only perfunctory in their service. I plan to travel again to SA, and I am thinking of taking the ultra-long IAD-JNB flight down and back.
Will the SAA service in Y be any better across the Atlantic v. to/from LHR? 15-16 hours is a very long time, and SAA does not appear to make the accommodations that Singapore makes on its ultra-long haul flights.
Maggs swings, it's a drive deep to left! The Tigers are going to the World Series!!!
Futureflight From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 12, posted (4 years 5 months 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 3425 times:
On my last longhaul flight with SQ in Y, along with the two meals and numerous water/juice rounds there would also be a selection of snacks offered to pax such as fruit, bags of chips and chocolate bars at various stages. However it was no problem at all for the crew for a passenger to request a drink or a snack at any other time during the flight.
HOOB747 From United States of America, joined Nov 2006, 420 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (4 years 5 months 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 3264 times:
Quoting Futureflight (Reply 12): On my last longhaul flight with SQ in Y, along with the two meals and numerous water/juice rounds there would also be a selection of snacks offered to pax such as fruit, bags of chips and chocolate bars at various stages. However it was no problem at all for the crew for a passenger to request a drink or a snack at any other time during the flight
This was my experience exactly on United 896 to Hong Kong last November. Very attentive cabin crew, offering many rounds of drinks, snacks, wet, hot towels and a lunch and dinner service, very tasty. Very compassionate service, seeing as how we were stuck on a plane for 15 plus hours. And also very friendly during their down times at the rear galley area.
A340ANDRE From South Africa, joined Nov 2008, 24 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (4 years 5 months 2 days 1 hour ago) and read 3242 times:
Quoting Andz (Reply 10): I plan to travel again to SA, and I am thinking of taking the ultra-long IAD-JNB flight down and back.
I am traveling quite often on the JNB-JFK-JNB and JNB-IAD-JNB flights in both Y and C Class. SAA has got a fantastic product as far as seats and IFE goes. The problem is, sometimes you will experience excellent service and and on some legs the service lack.
To answer your question, SAA serves dinner on take-off from the USA, a mid flight snack (on the non-stop from IAD), a breakfast (on the 1 stop from JFK) and lunch before landing in JNB. In between these servings water and juice are available in the galley.
In C you can choose between the scheduled food servings or food on demand.
The service on the no-stop from IAD seems a lot better than the service on the stop-over in DKR.
Stretch 8 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 2561 posts, RR: 19 Reply 15, posted (4 years 5 months 7 hours ago) and read 3095 times:
A340ANDRE: Thanks for the tips. I was on one of the last SAA 744 flights from LHR to JNB in late October 2007. A fantastic trip to the Eastern and Western Cape provinces of incredible, beautiful SA. So looking forward to going back in 2009, and the SAA N/S from my home airport of IAD saves so much time v. connecting through LHR.
Maggs swings, it's a drive deep to left! The Tigers are going to the World Series!!!
Elite From Hong Kong, joined Jun 2006, 2760 posts, RR: 10 Reply 16, posted (4 years 5 months 6 hours ago) and read 3093 times:
My favorite and most often route on my favorite and most often carrier:
HKG - JFK on CX
Aside from the regular meals, they will give you a snack bag, which includes a sandwich, cookies, drinks, and some fruits. In addition to that, you can order extra snacks at any time you want (just walk to the back galley or hit the F/A button). Those include anything in the snack bag or instant noodles and any drinks that they might have. The F/A's are very nice and seem to be happy in showering you with food.
Quoting Stretch 8 (Thread starter):
I know BA has smoething like this in their CW class.
But they dont have anything like that in Y class.
Actually depending on the length of flight there is a "tuck box" in the galley in economy with chocolates, crisps and biscuits and on flights to Narita, Hong Kong, Singapore to Heathrow and v.v (and maybe Bangkok I can't remember) there are cup noodles aswell.
BNE From Australia, joined Mar 2000, 3156 posts, RR: 13 Reply 18, posted (4 years 4 months 4 weeks 21 hours ago) and read 2979 times:
All from my previous RTW all in economy; yeah I should do a trip report.
On a 10 hour flight from KIX-HEL AY served a hot lunch soon after take off and another wam snack before landing in HEL, drinks were available during flight. You could buy a cup of noodles during the flight if you got hungry.
On a 10 hour flight from LHR-DFW BA served a lunch soon after take off; and a snack box just before landing, There were snacks and drinks available from the galley during flight.
On a 14 hour flight from LAX-SYD Qantas served a meal soon after take off; there was a mid flight snack pack; and a breakfast before landing. Drinks were available in the galley at most all other times.
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