Qantas reinstates vegetarian meals following backlash

Qantas Airways is reinstating vegetarian meals and snacks on all domestic flights. At the start of the pandemic in 2020, the airline ‘simplified’ its meal offerings on certain flights, so they did not always contain a vegetarian option – a practice that is now being reverted. 

The announcement comes following a backlash to the lack of vegetarian options on some flights. Earlier in September 2022, a disgruntled passenger took to social media to complain about receiving the “chicken pie or nothing tonight” food option on a domestic flight, sparking international attention.

Now, the airline says it is moving to increase vegetarian meals and snacks on all domestic services, including those on domestic flights under 3.5 hours in economy cabins. It is also reintroducing fresh fruit on board, which was previously suspended due to ‘high levels of wastage’. 

Meal options in all cabins on international flights, business class cabins on domestic flights and economy cabins on domestic flights longer than 3.5 hours already contain a “range of dietary” options, the airline says. 

“We’ve heard the message loud and clear about having vegetarian offerings on all of our flights and so we’re making that change as a priority,” Phil Capps, Qantas Executive Manager of Product and Service said in a statement. 
Capps said the airline is still working to reinstate its pre-Covid services and is in the middle of a broader menu update for the domestic network, which is due to be rolled out from October 2022.