CharlesMD From United States, joined Dec 2005, 67 posts, RR: 2 Posted (3 years 3 months 2 weeks 2 days ago) and read 10278 times:
Many thanks to the FAs who let me observe them on my recent LAX-HKG trip:
Before takeoff the FAs put the rice in the rice cooker and add water. The rice cooker comes on a retractable stand so that it can safely be stowed in the galley cabinet. After they pass through 10,000 feet the first thing they do is turn on the heating element so the piping hot fresh rice will be ready to serve to passengers. Next, they turn on the ovens. Usually on climbout the FAs write out the little placards given to each passenger. If you would like the premium tea advertised on the card, just ask the FA and they will give it to you!
Hopefully orders have already been taken during taxi so they can load the entrees into the oven straight away. It takes a while to heat the ovens and prepare the cold entrees, so in the meantime a FA can distract passengers with an elaborate silverware setup on the table in the center of the cabin.
Unlike in J, the entrees are plated after reheating and come pre-packed in aluminum foil tins. The tin is opened and any cold items are set aside. The tin is then resealed and the hot items are loaded into the oven for reheating. Once reheated the FAs assemble the entree into the desired configuration according to a book of photos and then present it to the passenger.
Before the entrees are presented the caviar cart is prepared. Do you see those wrapped things in the upper right corner? If you want to look like a pro those are lemons and you are supposed to squeeze them through the mesh filter wrapping to prevent seeds and bits going on your caviar. One of the FAs will come around with the inflight manager and serve you some delicious salmon and caviar.
Sadly, no ice cream sundaes here! But would you like to look like a first class veteran again? CX uses dry ice packs to cool cold items, so the ice cream tends to be rock hard. Pros know before ordering the Haagen Daz to ask the FA to heat it in the oven so that you don't have to wait half an hour to be able to eat it with a spoon as it is frozen solid when it comes out!
It can be hard to work as a FA. They have to inspect and clean the bathroom after each passenger uses it and fold the toilet paper into a little V.
After landing since I was continuing onto TPE they let me hang out on the plane and watch the cabin cleaning as the aircraft was prepared to head back to LAX. One of the last duties of the departing crew is to open all the overhead bins and check all around that premium passengers did not forget anything! The carpet in the F cabin is dusted and everytime the aircraft undergoes a maintenance check gets steam cleaned! All the linens and pillows are changed, too. Each first class seat is carefully disinfected and checked to make sure everything is in order. Next, a truck pulls up and loads all the meals for the return flight. The Y cabin is cleaned as well and all those headrest things are replaced.
Xtra1 From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2005, 76 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (3 years 3 months 2 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 9594 times:
Thanks for that tip with the ice-cream.
I have always found CX Ice-cream served in FC to be hard as a rock.
My only complaint with CX First Class is the quality and choice of their desserts. On some flights you only get the solid ice-cream. I , having a 'sweet-tooth', always look forward to the desserts!
SQ, in my opinion, have some of the most imaginative and tasty desserts. Here is an example from a recent flight I took, FRA-JFK, 29/06/2006:-
767747 From United States, joined Jan 2005, 843 posts, RR: 11 Reply 7, posted (3 years 3 months 2 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 9396 times:
Amazing photos! How great that you were able to see the inner workings of a First Class galley of Cathay Pacific! The plates, and silverware on CX are really nice as well.
Fbgdavidson From United Kingdom (England), joined Oct 2004, 3409 posts, RR: 34 Reply 8, posted (3 years 3 months 2 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 9367 times:
Interesting stuff! Not sure the food seems so appetising now, although I am aware most airline food, even in F and regardless of what it says on the menu, begins it's life in some industrial estate around the back of some airport
Despite that am definitely looking to incorporating some CX front cabin action on a AONE5 next year
[Edited 2006-07-31 05:10:41]
"My first job was selling doors, door to door, that's a tough job innit" - Bill Bailey
What's happening? You should see the BA food when it is in the tin before they plate it-- even worse! I have some pictures but am at work right now. When are you flying on the AA cheapo F fares?
Mikebg From Israel, joined Jan 2005, 67 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (3 years 3 months 2 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 9214 times:
Great trip report. I have seen the EL AL First food preparation and the system is pretty much the same. They also suffer from 'hard ice cream syndrome'! On one of my flights the ice cream was so hard that they couldn't serve it with the meal at all!
Fbgdavidson From United Kingdom (England), joined Oct 2004, 3409 posts, RR: 34 Reply 11, posted (3 years 3 months 2 weeks 14 hours ago) and read 9043 times:
Quoting CharlesMD (Reply 9): When are you flying on the AA cheapo F fares?
I didn't book any of those, although my parents needed to go to New York in November so I booked them a couple of tickets.
How many dozen did you buy?
Quoting CharlesMD (Reply 9): You should see the BA food when it is in the tin before they plate it-- even worse!
I can believe it
"My first job was selling doors, door to door, that's a tough job innit" - Bill Bailey
DALelite From Switzerland, joined Jun 2000, 1687 posts, RR: 38 Reply 13, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 8313 times:
a different report, yet very interessting and great pics. were you a regualr pax and asked to whatch them while preparing the food?
i once sat next to the galley an whatched the FA preparing food for c-class.
it wasn't very tempting.
regards: DALelite
Be part of the next ZRH Summer Meet in 2008...the ONLY Team takes You there is SkyTeam
JAGflyer From Canada, joined Aug 2004, 2897 posts, RR: 3 Reply 14, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 15 hours ago) and read 8132 times:
I really enjoyed the report and pictures. I didn't know that they actually carry a rice maker onboard. I guess that because rice is a staple of Chinese cuisine that the airline wants to present perfect rice for F pax. Do they have rice cookers in Y too?
I'll take 100 litres a side AVGAS with Prist - C172 pilot
AY104 From Canada, joined Nov 2005, 442 posts, RR: 8 Reply 17, posted (3 years 3 months 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 7691 times:
Thanks for all the detailed pics and descriptions! I really find all this stuff fascinating, and always get a surprise when I read about new things served in the air! I can't even remember the first time I had ice cream onboard, it was so long ago, but I remember being so surprised! I had soup on Canadian Pacific Airlines in F-Class in the 70's, among other wonderful things - their F-Class service was amazing! I was working for Finnair in AMS at the time, and had to buy an ID50% ticket (that is 50 percent of the regular f-class fare) to be guaranteed a seat for my Brother's wedding at YVR in the middle of the summer. I think that was close to a thousand bucks even then, but to have that experience at age 23 in those days was really something! Can't even imagine buying an F-Class ticket now.
Thanks again, love looking at the pics.
Cheers,
Carl (AY104)
The only thing a customer should expect for his/her loyalty is good service