The end of tray service on planes

Neil Perry has redesigned Qantas's business class meal. Picture: Jane Dempster Source: News Limited

QANTAS has ditched the tray on flights to Perth. Business class passengers on Australia's longest domestic route will now get international standard table service. And economy is changing too.

Qantas and Neil Perry unveiled their new Perth business class a-la-carte menu in Sydney yesterday. The menu, including hot smoked salmon salad with green tea noodles and sesame dressing will be served on all Sydney-Perth, Melbourne-Perth and Brisbane-Perth flights from later this month. 

What other changes would you like to see happen on planes? Tell us below. 

Qantas Domestic CEO Lyell Strambi said the airline had decided to ditch the trays in response to customer needs. Flight attendants will now take orders and serve dinners to customers on plates just like in a restaurant, rather than a food court. 

"Passengers can choose what they want and when they want it," Mr Strambi said. 

Hot smoked salmon salad with green tea noodles and sesame soy dressing (left), carrot and dill soup. Picture: News.com.au Source: No Source

That includes being left alone to sleep. 

The airline has already announced that they intend to install lie flat beds into all mid-week business class services to Perth from next year. 

The moves shows the battle for the WA airline market is heating up. From 2000 to 2008 domestic air travel was largely fuelled by the budget airline boom. Since the global financial crisis, Qantas says that it is business class that is really booming.

Passengers lucky enough to fly business class to Perth will experience a mouth-watering Neil Perry menu that includes two small entre sized meals and five main meals plus the option of small canapés to start and cheese and desert. 

Baked vanilla custard with basil and balsamic strawberries (left), seasonal cheese of the day. Picture: News.com.au Source: No Source

"The new menu gives customers a more contemporary dining experience while still taping into local produce and providing enough variation from frequent fliers," Mr Perry said. 

Not cashed up enough to fly business class? Mr Strambi said there will be changes happening in economy, too. But they will be announced later this year and he's staying very tight lipped.

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