Feeling ripped off by Virgin advertising - we now serve food and beverage

[Grimace1]

I don't think VA provides free soft drinks, tea/coffee/water/juice maybe, grog definitely have to pay, but I don't think they provide "free" soft drinks.

They do provide free tea/coffee/water/juice on all the domestic flights I've been on... Of course it's poured into a 250mL (Approx) plastic cup but it's still free.

I've also had free soft drinks -- been offered it in the can or in a cup -- on the east/west coast flights... So it does happen

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Theres no free soft drink other than trans con.

As stated its tea coffee juice and water. Water and juice poured into plastic cups... not individually packaged

 

[Princess Fiona]

plus any flight BNE/SYD/MEL to PER (anytime of day ) plus any AUST-DPS flight (anytime of day)

I think SYD/MEL-CBR is another flight that gets this. Maybe called Capital Connect IIRC?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Theres no free soft drink other than trans con.

As stated its tea coffee juice and water. Water and juice poured into plastic cups... not individually packaged

It's pretty ordinary really. Especially if you are on a flex fare. Should definitely get a soft drink or beer/wine with that IMO.

 

[Mattg]

I think SYD/MEL-CBR is another flight that gets this. Maybe called Capital Connect IIRC?

Ah, this explains. it. All of my VA flights to date have been to/from CBR. I clearly remember being offered free wine on a weekend flight, but as you say that would have been on the "capital connect".

 

[blackcat20]

Couldn't even get a can of coke on a flexi ticket.

 

[Revolio]

As per the CapitalConnect 'thingy', last week SYD-CBR, I was offered and accepted, a poured Coke. (and they even took a full can around later offering seconds!) {saver fare: for me there is no difference between purchasing saver & flexi}

 

[Warks]

Yes the soggy Kraft Processed cheese plus tomato on white bread one third sandwich (crusts cut off) holds zero appeal once it comes around the second time. What was the other? Egg and lettuce? Feels like primary school again.

I think I'll stick to grabbing a big ham or chicken salad roll from my favourite takeaway in Townsville and eating on the plane making others rather envious. Seven bucks.

 

[medhead]

They do offer free soft drink at the same same time as they offer free booze, between 5 and 7 pm weekdays. Have had free soft drinks. On my last VA flight I even got 2 free wines. Ask and you shall receive.

As for Coke, VA have sold their souls to pepsi haven't they?

As already quoted:

Food

No matter what time of day you’re flying, you’ll always be offered something complimentary from our carefully selected food and beverage menu. While the menu varies from flight to flight, what we can guarantee is that you’ll always get to enjoy something delicious. Please also join us for a complimentary beer, wine or soft drink by flying Monday to Friday evenings between 5pm and 7pm.

I don't think VA provides free soft drinks, tea/coffee/water/juice maybe, grog definitely have to pay, but I don't think they provide "free" soft drinks.

Theres no free soft drink other than trans con.

As stated its tea coffee juice and water. Water and juice poured into plastic cups... not individually packaged

Couldn't even get a can of coke on a flexi ticket.

 

[blackcat20]

They do offer free soft drink at the same same time as they offer free booze, between 5 and 7 pm weekdays. Have had free soft drinks. On my last VA flight I even got 2 free wines. Ask and you shall receive.

As for Coke, VA have sold their souls to pepsi haven't they?

As already quoted:

Thats just it, you can only get a free soft drink during "wine hours". QF I can get one at any time, on any flight. I like Virgin but I just can't quite love them...

 

[medhead]

Thats just it, you can only get a free soft drink during "wine hours". QF I can get one at any time, on any flight. I like Virgin but I just can't quite love them...

I guess that's the price of cheaper airfares. Don't get me wrong VA have their issues, just im not completely convinced they need to be mini- Qantas

 

[blackcat20]

I guess that's the price of cheaper airfares. Don't get me wrong VA have their issues, just im not completely convinced they need to be mini- Qantas

True. To be honest though, we fly BFOD and its quite often QF....

 

[pauly7]

Yes the soggy Kraft Processed cheese plus tomato on white bread one third sandwich (crusts cut off) holds zero appeal once it comes around the second time. What was the other? Egg and lettuce? Feels like primary school again.

It's carefully selected though :/

 

[terryeveritt]

yep - just got my free wine - VA879 6 pm Melb-Syd. Also got food - two small crackers and a bit to tomato dip; so they do serve food. Pity it is so small you could almost miss it.

 

[Jousams]

if anyone here has got the survey that been mentioned in other discussions on this site, can they please say they would like 24 hour soft drink service. Maybe of they get 10 responses they will see that the current system is BS. Nothing irks me more at virgin than paying $300 for a one hour flight (and many thousands annually...) then being asked $5 for a coke (zero).....

 

[ozstamps]

I have a Diploma In advertising and worked in Advertising for many years.

The TV ads and double page current “VOYEUR” ads, and massive billboards all around Sydney airport I saw last night are a flagrant breach of the LAW in this country, making a very deliberate and totally misleading advertising claim.

It is an offence in this country to run ads that deliberately mislead a reasonable person. "A reasonable person" seeing all these ads with no fine print would assume they got a free wine on a Virgin flight if they wanted one. No question. Tuesday 8pm, Saturday 4pm on Monday midday etc. The ads impute that clearly. There are no time slots in fine print

There is NO complimentary wine or beer on ANY Virgin flight to ANYWHERE on weekends. For Platinums - or anyone else.

We flew this Saturday evening SYD-MEL-ADL and asked then, and got told – “Weekend now – does not apply”

The TV ads have a FA sweetly asking "You have a choice of a Pinot Grigio or a Merlot, Sir”

All totally and deliberately deceptive, as in practice that does not occur on most Virgin domestic flights in each week. If the ACCC were to get wind of this, Virgin would be in all the trouble in the WORLD, trust me.

A $100,000 fine, placing public apology ads etc, and the ACCC just LOVE taking on Tall Poppies like Virgin, and making a public example of them. @

The "Happy Hour" 5-7pm free alcohol on certain (but not all) Virgin domestic flights is nothing new whatsoever, and has been around for years.

These new ads are inputing checked baggage and booze is a NEW policy of some kind. "NOW complimentary" clearly imputes it previously was not complimentary. The free checked baggage piece is new, the booze policy is not new, and is in fact totally unchanged from some years back.

I suggest Virgin takes a leaf out of United's songbook, and mails all Platinums with 20 x paper Drink chits with their member accreditation entitling them to a wine or beer whenever they feel like one on a flight. Near zero real cost to them, and again a tangible BENEFIT of getting to Platinum that others Tiers do not get.

THAT is smart business, and smart leadership.

​

 

[UP4014]

I have a Diploma In advertising and worked in Advertising for many years.

The TV ads and double page current “VOYEUR” ads, and massive billboards all around Sydney airport I saw last night are a flagrant breach of the LAW in this country, making a very deliberate and totally misleading advertising claim.

It is an offence in this country to run ads that deliberately mislead a reasonable person. "A reasonable person" seeing all these ads with no fine print would assume they got a free wine on a Virgin flight if they wanted one. No question. Tuesday 8pm, Saturday 4pm on Monday midday etc. The ads impute that clearly. There are no time slots in fine print

There is NO complimentary wine or beer on ANY Virgin flight to ANYWHERE on weekends. For Platinums - or anyone else.

We flew this Saturday evening SYD-MEL-ADL and asked then, and got told – “Weekend now – does not apply”

The TV ads have a FA sweetly asking "You have a choice of a Pinot Grigio or a Merlot, Sir”

All totally and deliberately deceptive, as in practice that does not occur on most Virgin domestic flights in each week. If the ACCC were to get wind of this, Virgin would be in all the trouble in the WORLD, trust me.

A $100,000 fine, placing public apology ads etc, and the ACCC just LOVE taking on Tall Poppies like Virgin, and making a public example of them. @

The "Happy Hour" 5-7pm free alcohol on certain (but not all) Virgin domestic flights is nothing new whatsoever, and has been around for years.

These new ads are inputing checked baggage and booze is a NEW policy of some kind. "NOW complimentary" clearly imputes it previously was not complimentary. The free checked baggage piece is new, the booze policy is not new, and is in fact totally unchanged from some years back.

I suggest Virgin takes a leaf out of United's songbook, and mails all Platinums with 20 x paper Drink chits with their member accreditation entitling them to a wine or beer whenever they feel like one on a flight. Near zero real cost to them, and again a tangible BENEFIT of getting to Platinum that others Tiers do not get.

THAT is smart business, and smart leadership.

​

Agree, the ads are a con.

 

[medhead]

Sorry exactly where does that ad say booze is now complimentary? It doesn't. It says beverages, and beverages are available for free on every flight. In addition the big words say food (not a meal), baggage and entertainment. Food has not been free for years, so that is a new policy. The picture shows someone holding a tray with food and wine, but the words only say food is now free. Not booze.

Take it to the ACCC, let us know how that goes.

 

[ozstamps]

Sorry exactly where does that ad say booze is now complimentary?

1. Turn on your TV.

2. Don't plan a career in law.

The TV ads have a FA sweetly asking "You have a choice of a Pinot Grigio or a Merlot, Sir”

All totally and deliberately deceptive, as in practice that does not occur on most Virgin domestic flights in each week. If the ACCC were to get wind of this, Virgin would be in all the trouble in the WORLD, trust me.

 

[UP4014]

Sorry exactly where does that ad say booze is now complimentary? It doesn't. It says beverages, and beverages are available for free on every flight. In addition the big words say food (not a meal), baggage and entertainment. Food has not been free for years, so that is a new policy. The picture shows someone holding a tray with food and wine, but the words only say food is now free. Not booze.

Take it to the ACCC, let us know how that goes.

Beveridges with a photo of a glass of wine, Virgin should perhaps use a can of Pepsi if that is the case.

When I see food and beveridge I think beer or wine. But others here may think water. With virgin I now thing beveridge is water.

I vote with my wallet, so QF it is.