Everyone loves the free buffet food in an airline lounge. Frequent flyers flock to these islands of goodness, ready to lock and load another plate full of satisfaction. Imagine pigs at the trough and you will have some idea of the scene.
The pandemic has put the brakes on the free for all. Social distancing means the buffet is gone completely in some cases, while in others it has been replaced by something else.
Where’s My Buffet?
Virgin Australia has just opened a brand new lounge in Adelaide, and instead of the ubiquitous buffet, there is table service. You scan the QR code on your table with your mobile, choose items from the menu that pops up, and staff bring your food to you. There is also a trial of this at the airline’s Melbourne lounge.
Will Table Service Stay Around?
Quite frankly, the table service option feels far more luxurious than the buffet. There is something about being served food directly that feels right, perhaps it’s because it’s more akin to a restaurant experience.
It’s never fun to see tired food that’s been sitting under heat lamps for god knows how long either. Not to mention witnessing the unwashed hordes all sharing the same utensils to scoop the goop onto their plates. It doesn’t feel very premium, does it?
While potentially cleaner, it also allows the space utilised for a buffet to be repurposed for something else. I would also argue it would reduce food consumption and especially food waste. People will probably think twice about ordering 15 of the same dish to get their moneys worth. Airlines may need more staff, but that really depends, as all people won’t be asking for food all the time.
Overall Thoughts
When it comes to the buffet, I am personally a fan of the more upscale facilities. You know, the ones with little plates or jars of food for you to take back to your seat. That is a cleaner option than the shared greasy spoon.
Regardless of that, table service is more akin to what a lounge tends to advertise, which is a premium experience for an airlines best and most loyal clients. Clearly my vote is for it to stay, as the QR code scan, order and delivery is seamless when done correctly.
What say you? Are you a fan of whacking on a bib and chowing down at the buffet for a couple of hours before your flight? Or would you rather pick and choose from a menu and have it brought to you like a Roman waiting for his servant to peel him a grape? Thanks for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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IMO the best lounges have both options. The Singapore Private Room, JAL Haneda First Class Lounge and Cathay’s The Wing first class lounge all do this on at least a small scale. Personally I’m good with something like the Turkish business class lounge that offers kind of a hybrid.
Yes, the Cathay Pacific first class lounges certainly do have a combination of both and they do it very well. I guess it partly depends on the way the food is being offered. When it’s scoop out your curry from tray, it comes across as less premium than small plates being offered to take to your table, for example.
If lounges took a page from the grab-n-go kiosks at US airports it could make a comeback. Now pre-packaged food in containers may not seem so “premium” compared to previous offerings, but times have changed and my local gas station/mini-mart has some to-die-for sandwiches in plastic containers which are quality and fresh. Pre-packaged salads and sides, a la grocery store delis is also a decent option. There’s certainly a middle ground that can satisfy (most) tastes and expectations. And less we pampered little prima donnas forget, it’s airport food.
This is true, you can get some really premium pre-packaged sandwiches nowadays. There’s an upscale supermarket near where I live that does some very good ones. I think people are demanding better quality food in general these days, so a clunky three day old cheese sandwich isn’t going to cut it. And yes, at the end of the day, it is airport food!!
Qantas domestic lounges in PERth are all still self service. (Remember to all extents and purposes Perth has been covid free since the middle of last year, even though they recently shut the whole city down for 5 days when a single quarantine worker caught it, there was actually no further spread.)
The only concession to change, which these lounges have made, is to have a staff member standing at the entrance to the buffet area and squirting all hands with sanitiser as they enter the food area. But, communal serving tongs, spatulas… etc are still in use!
Good to know they are still self service in Perth. I went to the QF lounge in Adelaide on 31 December and the food was handed to you from a server behind a counter, rather than self-service. I’ll be interested to see if Virgin move to table service across the board, considering they’re giving it a trial in two cities. I’ll also be keeping an eye on BA to see if the table service stays or goes. Thanks for the comment – good to know what’s happening elsewhere too.
I agree 100%. I’ve always hated buffets. You can’t trust how long the food has been sitting out and you have no idea if others have stuck their fingers into anything! I once saw a woman lick a spoon and stick it back into a bowl of coleslaw (not in an airline lounge mind you). Good riddance, I hope they never return!!
That is the stuff of nightmares – how disgusting! It’s always bad if the spoon has food too far up and you see it getting on people’s hands. Proper service is definitely the way forward. Thanks for the comment!