This was published 6 years ago
Qantas meals on Perth to London 787 Dreamliner flights: New menu to help reduce jetlag
By Annie Dang
Qantas is launching a new long-haul menu designed to help reduce jetlag on its first 787 Dreamliner non-stop flight from Perth to London later this month.
The new menu, designed by chef Neil Perry and the Qantas and Rockpool team using research from the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre, contains ingredients said to increase hydration, encourage sleep at optimal times during the flight and reducing jetlag.
This translates into a menu with less spice, which stimulates the metabolism and encourages hunger, less protein, meaning lighter meals, and a whole lot of probiotic drinks. And of course coconut water, which is said to be the most hydrating.
Salad of cumin spiced beef with zucchini, corn and a citris dressing will be served in economy and premium economy.Credit: Elke Meitzel
Business passengers can expect Tuna poke salad, a raw fish salad originating from Hawaii, served with sesame soy dressing; seared barramundi with herb garlic potatoes, brocollini and olive and almond salsa; and poached egg, kale, quinoa, grilled haloumi and tahini dressing.
Premium economy passenger can expect tomato and mushroom puff pastry tart and corn salsa; marinated beef, cumin and zucchini salad (also served in economy); and roast chicken with red rice and mediterranean vegetables (also served in economy).
There's also a selection of herbal tea and cold-pressed juice offerings to increase hydration and help reduce jetlag. But don't worry, there are red and white wines available and also hot chocolate, after all it is a 17-hour flight.
Tuna poke salad with wakame and sesame soy dressing served in business.Credit: Elke Meitzel
The new menu is the touch point for a broader study Qantas and Rockpool are conducting with sleep specialists, nutritionists and metabolic scientists from the CPC, aimed at better understanding airline passenger behaviours, their sleep patterns, meal choices and how their body is functioning during the flight.
A group of Qantas Frequent Flyers on the inaugural 787 Dreamliner non-stop to London will be part of a trial that will see them hooked up to wearable technology and apps developed to collect data on sleeping and activity patterns, eating patterns and hydration before, during and after their long-haul flight. The group will also fill out a questionnaire at certain points during the 14,498 kilometre flight to record how they feel.
Professor Stephen Simpson, academic director of CPC, says the menu, which incorporates the latest scientific knowledge on nutrition and hydration, provides an opportunity to discover how factors around flying influence and work together during long-haul flights.
Tomato and mushroom puff pastry tart with corn salsa served on premium economy.Credit: Elke Meitzel
Qantas hopes the quantitative and qualitative study will provide valuable research that it can use to improve its future flight experiences. Other airlines, including Air France, have also shown an interest in conducting a similar study after hearing about the Qantas and CPC research project. The findings of this study could provide Qantas with intel that could be a game changer, especially for Australians who have to endure long-haul flights to get pretty much anywhere in the world.
Passengers on the overnight flight, taking off on March 24, 2018, from Perth at 6.50pm, will be served dinner and breakfast, and a "massive snack" in between, before the plane arrives in London at 5.10am the next day. The new menus will debut on Qantas' 787 Dreamliner services from Perth to London on March 24.
See also: Qantas Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner seat review
Chicken with red rice, roasted Mediterranean vegetables, soya beans and thyme jus served in economy and premium economy.Credit: Elke Meitzel
See also: Airbus A350 vs the Dreamliner: Which new plane is best on a long haul?
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