Travellers slam Qantas Good Friday menu

Passengers on board Qantas domestic flights on Good Friday were disappointed to find there was little to order from the menu that did not contain meat.

It’s Good Friday, and you should be fasting. Not unless you’re flying Qantas.

As it turns out the airline has little to offer for domestic travellers who want to abstain from meat and dairy products on this Christian holiday.

Nor does the airline offer a fish option — a custom observed by some Christians — particularly Catholics — on Good Friday to mark the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

So it’s no surprise a passenger on board a Qantas flight from Sydney to Melbourne took to Twitter to vent his frustration.

Phil Bower from Sydney complained he was only given the option of pork or beef.

“Get your act together,” he tweeted to Qantas.

Qantas replied: “Hi Philip, please let us know the flight number via DM so we can pass on your feedback. HC”

Philip B was on board a Sydney to Melbourne Qantas flight. Picture: Twitter

There was a similar complaint from a business class passenger on board a Qantas flight from Perth to Sydney on Good Friday.

News Corp Australia viewed a copy of the menu, which according to their website is created in collaboration with chef Neil Perry, from that flight.

Aside from the seasonal fruit, everything else on offer contained meat or dairy.

Mr Bower told News Corp it was “very strange”.

“The flight attendants were very apologetic saying they expected a suitable option would have been available,” Mr Bower said.

“I was on a flight a couple of weeks ago that served a vegetarian pie.

“I am not a devout Christian but still don’t eat meat on Good Friday.”

Qantas menu on board a Perth to Sydney flight on Good Friday.

The Christian holiday must have escaped the Qantas social media team too.

An AWOL article dating back to July 13, 2018 on “Australia’s 10 Best Burger Places” was posted on the airline’s Facebook Page on Good Friday with the question: Did your favourite make the list?

The inappropriate post on the Qantas Facebook page on Good Friday.

That was later trumped by an article on staycations in Sydney with a photo of two chocolate Easter bunnies.

Another post shared on the Qantas Facebook page on Good Friday.

Australian Catholic University senior lecturer Michael Trainor says Christians fast for a number of reasons.

From the 4th century onwards, people preparing for Easter would spend time fasting or, alternatively, go without meat, because it was the food of the elite.

“To fast and abstain from meat was an act of self-denial to be in commune with God,” Rev Trainor told AAP.

Additionally, Christ has long been linked to fish partly due to the Greek word for fish, Ixthus, representing Jesus, Christ, God, Son and Saviour when read as an acronym.

“The designation of fish is a way of symbolising the nature of the Christ — so on Good Friday, when the focus is on the death of the Christ, fish becomes the symbol of that,” Dr Trainor said.

Qantas has been contacted by News Corp Australia for a response.