Virgin Australia Business Class - Meals, Menus & Service

As I have posted before, is it fair to make such statements when QF have very similar serving sizes outside of meal times? Are you comparing VA J snacks to QF J meals?

A better and more accurate comparison would be a meal time J flight of a similar length leg on both carriers. Even then it's a pretty small sample size for such a dramatic conclusion, but it would give a realistic insight.

Noob, I am comparing MEL-SYD with both carriers and travelling outside mealtimes. Even travelling longer legs - MEL-OOL or MEL-BNE QF are still streets ahead on the food offering. I travelling SYD-MEL in J the other week and the food was much better. The way QF serve the food is much better too. Choice of meal, what drinks would you like etc. I travelled VA yesterday and I was left totally underwhelmed by it again. The only consolation was they offered my daughter her choice of the Y menu for snacks.

I haven't compared say MEL-PER as I haven't travelled it in VA.
 
I think that's a bit harsh.

Rubbish? There are some examples in here of some pretty good food on 738s.

Yes, fair call - poor choice of word by me. When there is food that isn't cheese on the 738 service its not bad, its usually good and edible. I've only ever been disappointed by being fed cheese and crackers or no J food at all on the 738's though ... its also only been the the 738 that I've only got part of a meal too, missing desert, or only desert and missing main, etc, etc. I've never failed to get a decent offering on the 332.
 
Noob, I am comparing MEL-SYD with both carriers and travelling outside mealtimes. Even travelling longer legs - MEL-OOL or MEL-BNE QF are still streets ahead on the food offering. I travelling SYD-MEL in J the other week and the food was much better. The way QF serve the food is much better too. Choice of meal, what drinks would you like etc. I travelled VA yesterday and I was left totally underwhelmed by it again. The only consolation was they offered my daughter her choice of the Y menu for snacks.

I haven't compared say MEL-PER as I haven't travelled it in VA.

Thanks for elaborating, some really fair points - I just like to know what is being compared otherwise it's a bit unclear.
 
bullerdude - nice first report.

had the pasta bake. I would only suggest that they dial down the amount of breadcrumbs and add a little more sauce.
Much like my first experience with this dish (photos previously). I had it again last week and there was a little more sauce, albeit no where near enough, and at least the top pasta wasnt crispy!
 
777, lovestotravel
On the upgrade question. At the moment as a Plat, I am earning 2000-4000pts per Flexi flight and it is costing me 2490pts to upgrade (at half price). So on the whole I am flying business and still earning points -- I view it as a no cost option.
The business food is definitely better than the flexi food, and unless in row 3 the legroom in business is much much better.

Anyhow a few more breakfast meals for SYD-BNE.... I must almost have a full set now.

This one I think was described as the Zucchini Fritata
IMG-20120612-00035.jpg

And I think this one as Tuscan Style something (described as Vegetarian but containing bits of ham :-( )
Better picture coming soon on a different flight where there was more ham and less sauce.
IMG-20120614-00046.jpg

Also must say love the Caramel Slice in the Brisbane lounge in the afternoons
 
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FWIW my most recent J flight on VA (and what will be my last flight on VA for some time) was a 17.45 flight and yes the cheese plate again. Offered one white wine only, Jacobs Creek! (or a mini bottle from the back) Get real VA :!:
 
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I had awesome food from Mel-Per


Very likely to be posted via iPhone or iPad :)
And PER-MEL on the brand spanking new A330 last night:

17JUN_ARTI.jpg
(This looks familiar....)

17JUN_MENU.jpg
Le Menu

17JUN_SALMON.jpg
The Trout starter (was delish)

17JUN_BARRA.jpg
Barramundi main (the sauce was lovely and the fish not at all dry). I saw the beef and it looked amazing

17JUN_WINE.jpg
And the wine list (there was a particularly nice Tempranillo last night).

Overall, it was simply brilliant for aircraft food. The starters were all bought out from the galley on trays one by one, no trolley to be seen. Plates were collected, and then mains served to people one by one also from the galley on a tray. Desert (not pictured as it was uneventful; although the crumble was good) was bought around on trays. Offering of Port, Desert Wine, Baileys, Cointreau, Espresso, or other plunger coffee as well. Cheese looked amazing but I wasn't in the mood for heavy afters.

VA have lifted their game that's for sure (and the new J seats are awesome; like a more modern comfortable version of the AA transcon F product (in a two class a/c).

Crew mentioned it was the second day of the new menu cycle, so this is the PER-MEL 330 menu for the next 3 months.
 
Theres a subtlety in customer motivation when you hit a certain level of service and product in my opinion. I travel the DJ 738 in J mainly because I don't want to be in Y, I'm unhappy about the price, but Y is pain and I really don't like it. Switch to the 332 and I travel in J because I really _want_ to be there and I don't whinge about the price because I feel like I've received value for money ... yes sure, everyone always wants everything cheaper, me included, but I don't usually feel underwhelmed on the 330.
 
PER menu looks great.

Got a better shot of the Tuscan Breakfast with spinach and ham this morning - less sauce and more ham than my previous photo

IMG-20120618-00048.jpg
 
In regards to why it's smart to upgrade from Flexis to J class, I did three trips to Sydney last week from Melbourne, and it feels like a bus, wether your sitting in 1A or 3A. It's such a short flight, and I'm sure the meal is nice... but I'd much rather use the points on long haul J flights.
 
Mmmm appetising. It probably ended up in the bin by the look of it. Do you think that Luke Mangan would really be proud to have his name on this rubbish. I think that I will send him an email and ask him. Sydney Restaurant | glass brasserie | Menus by Luke Mangan Sydney Restaurants | glass brasserie | Restaurant Contact Details

You do that.

Luke prepared me a Greek salad wrap for breakfast the other morning. I mean how bloody stupid is that. A salad wrap for breakfast. God almighty.

When you get his number pass it to me please
 
I personally think that it is time to get a new head chef consultant, the Luke Mangan name means nothing in the world of good food to me, I think he got lucky. There is plenty of other chef's with their associated restaurants that actually win awards for their great food and in turn have a strong clientele. Like it or not Neil Perry is a winner and his food is great and what you cook out of his cookbooks tastes great, so Virgin needs someone like him. (I do fly Virgin not Qantas so nothing about Neil Perry is in regards to that). I am sure a new chef star could come up with some great ideas and menu for Virgin. Virgin has changed most things under JB however I think they have missed the boat on this one. I mean being served a Bakers Delight scroll as a business class snack is very poor form, I can't believe a chef would allow that or make that decision.

It's time for Tony Hancock to step up to the plate!!
 
PER menu looks great.

Got a better shot of the Tuscan Breakfast with spinach and ham this morning - less sauce and more ham than my previous photo

If only all the breakfasts were the same. From ADL-BNE on Sat I was given a similar fruit bowl and a bacon/egg pie thingy.

This PER offering looks much better
 
A little OT but this is the breakfast on SQ ex-Perth. Was rather good - eggs perfectly runny. The SQ service was absolutely impeccable. I did think the SQ J legroom was slightly greater than the DJ A330 equivalent seat.

20120619_084449b.jpg
 
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