Australian national carrier Qantas has decided not to offer vegetarian meals on some domestic flights.
The airline said in a statement that passengers on domestic flights under three-and-a-half hours in duration would only have one meal option, such as a chicken pie or a zucchini and onion frittata.
Jon Dee who was flying from Adelaide to Sydney on Sunday night was told by staff that there was only chicken pie on the menu. He tweeted:
A spokesperson told the media that this reduced meal option began in June 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic.
“During Covid we made some changes to onboard food and service offerings to simplify the service delivery for our crew. We now offer a single meal/snack option per flight on our shorter flights, such as a chicken pie or a zucchini and onion frittata. If the option on a particular flight is not suitable for vegetarians, we try to offer an alternative of a small sweet or savoury snack which is vegetarian.”
It is being reported that Qantas would also stop serving kosher and other special meals on shorter domestic routes.
However, the Qantas spokesperson added that its passengers could still book special meals, including vegan or gluten-free and dairy-free options, on longer domestic and international flights.
Scrapping of the vegetarian food option may have added to Qantas’ alleged troubles caused by flight delays, cancellations, and lost baggage. Although, in a recent tweet, Qantas claims that its “operational performance has continued to improve.”
Meanwhile, Virgin and Jetstar, key competitors of Qantas in the Australian domestic market, are still offering vegetarian options on all flights.
