First-Class Meal: Omni International Air

Yesterday, I told you about a good experience I had in Hawaiian Airlines' first-class section. Here's another experience, this time it's about my Vacations Hawaii trip in Omni International Air's first-class section.

A week or so ago, I hosted my brother-in-law to a vacation in Las Vegas, and in order to make the trip as comfortable as possible for him, I booked us in first-class, taking advantage of the great package offered by Vacations Hawaii: Round-trip air, hotel room, meals and transfers for a very reasonable price. Plus the cost of the upgrade.

On the way over, they served us grilled chicken on a stick – three nice skewers, tender, moist, very tasty, very nicely done by the catering contractor in Honolulu. It was right up there with some of the better airline food I’ve had. My brother-in-law was impressed as well.

It was a different story on the return trip. Vacations Hawaii really should fire their Las Vegas-based catering contractor and get someone better. It was the worst first-class meal I’ve ever had in my entire life, and believe me, I’ve had quite a few.

They called it “Country-Fried Steak.” I could have had their Chicken with Mushroom Sauce, but that choice was gone by the time they got to us.

Here … take a look at the meal they gave me:

This is Chicken-Fried Steak?

Chicken-fried steak, my ass. It looked like an over-cooked 2.5-square-inch piece of cube steak breaded and chopped up with a dark gravy. It tasted horrible. I was expecting a golden-brown piece of meat, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, smothered in white country gravy. Instead, it was mostly over-cooked breading chunks.

Ewww. I only took a couple of bites, then turned the rest in. I complained to the stewardess. She said make sure I complain to the Vacations Hawaii representative on board. I complained to the representative. She said she’d forward my complaint, but that I should call the office or write a letter to the Vacations Hawaii management.

I did just that.