Big change coming to Qantas flights – and it’s more bad news for some Australian travellers

Qantas is updating its inflight service for travellers with special dietary requirements.

From October 1, the national airline is making major changes, and people with certain allergies and intolerances won’t be happy about it.

A number of specially ordered meals on board are no longer nut-free, the gluten-free meal is no longer dairy-free and there will be a separate meal for people with lactose intolerance.

The items that will now contain nuts are the diabetic meal, the non-vegetarian Hindu meal, the kosher meal, the Muslim meal, and the Jain vegetarian meal.

One disgruntled passenger told Daily Mail Australia that the switch to a gluten-free meal will leave ‘people with intolerances to both (dairy and gluten) going hungry’.

“This is a scandalous decision by our national airline and they should be held accountable for this,” said the passenger, known as Brownie.

‘I used to love that they were such an accommodating airline with a wide variety of specialty meals.

‘How hard can it be for Qantas to create one meal that covers all the most common allergies (gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts), just like Singapore Airlines?

From October 1st, people with special dietary needs should look more closely at meal options. Several meals now contain nuts. There is no longer a gluten-free or dairy-free meal.

“Are they going to refund the money to passengers who booked a flight with them on the assumption that they would get a special meal that they could actually eat?”

Qantas added that ‘Qantas and its caterers take all reasonable steps to limit exposure to peanuts during the flight and on the ground, but Qantas cannot guarantee an allergy-free environment on board or in our lounges’.

‘It is always possible that other passengers may bring peanuts or other nuts on board or into the lounges. Passengers may also be served a range of other nuts including almonds, cashews and macadamia nuts as bar snacks or after dinner snacks,’ the airline said.

‘We therefore advise passengers to carry any medication they may need with them in the aircraft cabin and to be ready to administer it if necessary.’

The overhaul of in-flight dining is the second change announced by Qantas this week, after the company quietly increased the price for changing bookings.

The airline is raising the fee for changing a flight, changing the name on a booking or cancelling a flight from $99 to $119 for various fare types, starting October 9.

The increase affects flight changes for ‘Red eDeal’ economy tickets, name changes and cancellations for economy ‘Flex’ flights and all changes and cancellations for premium economy ‘Saver’ tickets.

Qantas has also recently increased fees for changing or cancelling flights and changing passenger details

This applies to group tickets, tickets purchased through Qantas Business Rewards and all tickets purchased or issued from 9 October onwards.

The other tariff conditions remain unchanged.

Qantas also announced that the first change to a domestic flight booked before October 9 will be subject to the $99 fee, even after the change has been made.

Last Friday, the airline made its first change since 2017, uploading an FAQ with relevant information, but not announcing it in a statement.

“Qantas continually monitors fares, surcharges and operating costs and has made adjustments to these … costs as a result,” the FAQ states.

The change was announced shortly before the publication of Qantas’ annual report and sustainability report on Thursday.

The reports were aimed at improving customer confidence after the airline posted a pre-tax profit of $2.08 billion for the 2023-24 financial year.

Changes have been announced to Qantas’ executive remuneration framework to make executive bonuses more transparent.

Customer results will also carry more weight in annual bonuses, while brand reputation is being introduced as a performance measure for long-term incentives.

“Qantas has made significant progress over the past 12 months, but we know there is much more to be done to restore our customers’ confidence,” Qantas chairman Richard Goyder said in a statement.

‘We have seen strong improvements in punctuality, customer satisfaction and reputation for both Qantas and Jetstar, and the Group is performing strongly financially.

‘This financial strength allows us to continue investing in new aircraft, improving the experience for our customers and employees.

‘The Board has listened to feedback on our executive compensation structure and has implemented a number of changes that we believe will deliver better outcomes for our stakeholders.’