Virgin Australia Business Class - Meals, Menus & Service

MEL-OOL
Friday 10 August, 2.20pm departure.
Pre departure water, juice or sparkling wine offered. Snack service was excellent. Lamb 'balls' (ready for the jokes), which was nice.
Service appalling. No orders for meals or drinks were taken until 40 minutes after take off. No turbulence, seat belt sign off the whole time.
J cabin 8/8.
Was allowed to finish my chardonnay on descent by pouring it into a paper cup. The young woman next to me had to do the same. no problem with this at all, but it was amusing.
Shortbread biscuit for 'dessert' was ordinary.
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OOL-MEL
Sunday 12 August, noon departure
Lunch service was good. Service was pleasant but again slow.
Choice of water, juice or sparking wine pre-departure.
Choice of a salad with apple, celery and smoked trout or a green chicken curry. I hate celery, so I chose the curry.
It was quite good. The cheese was a welcome addition to replace the god awful 'salads'.

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VA786 CNS/BNE 17/8 16:30 departure

Pre take off drink
Choices: empanadas or salad. Salad choice all gone by row 2.
Drink came with meal rather than while waiting.


Afterwards CS came round with a basket containing pantry snacks (chips, popcorn, olives, chocolate etc).

I suppose that's a novel way to offer pantry items with every CS doing it slightly differently

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VA779 BNE/CNS 20/8 9:40 departure

One thing which stood out was priority boarding was done very well!

Choices:
Smoked salmon (ran out by 1D. Must have only loaded 3 of these. Was in 1F)
Spinach and ricotta slice.

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Missing out in row 1 - that's not good.

Haven't experienced the pantry basket from CSM on VA yet but it was quite common on AA flights a couple of years ago -- the non-meal times on shorter sectors, with fruit, sandwiches, chips, nuts, chocolate bars etc on offer.
 
serfty said:
The "Pantry" menu should be available for the asking - even on shorter flights.
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Sorry, yes I've been offered items and asked once for some chips. Never been offered to me via the CSM or other FA carrying a basket around, that's all. Only done a handful of flights though.
 
serfty said:
The "Pantry" menu should be available for the asking - even on shorter flights.
Click to expand...
Yup. People - just ask. A lot of FAs literally blink when you do, as in they completely forgot about it. Want something from Y menu? Just ask. As I keep telling my wife - you want something, just ask.
 
VA693 MEL-PER 19AUG18 A332 J Transcon

Far better service received on this flight once the CSM Holly finally arrived (we were delayed about an hour waiting for her).

Sparkling PDB, the good mixed nuts (with macadamias) with the predinner drink, a full three courses ex MEL (something the opposition cannot achieve due to 'lack' of time) and the pantry offered after dinner.

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VA950 BN-SY 29/8 DEP@13:05
Was offered a pre dep drink. Knowing VA wine, I asked for a beer. No! "We are not allowed to serve beer on the ground"
Open pie for lunch, again. Pie and a beer - I should have worn a fluro shirt!
Boxed desert cake stating "a kitchen that bakes wheat yeast gluten and dairy free" but no list of ingredients nor allergy advice (nut anaphylaxis issue).
Not unpleasant service, but just basic. I know toowongman mentions above "you want something, just ask" but it would have been nice service if things are offered...instead this FA spent a lot of her time reading a magazine.
 
Brissy1 said:
VA950 BN-SY 29/8 DEP@13:05
Was offered a pre dep drink. Knowing VA wine, I asked for a beer. No! "We are not allowed to serve beer on the ground"
Open pie for lunch, again. Pie and a beer - I should have worn a fluro shirt!
Boxed desert cake stating "a kitchen that bakes wheat yeast gluten and dairy free" but no list of ingredients nor allergy advice (nut anaphylaxis issue).
Not unpleasant service, but just basic. I know toowongman mentions above "you want something, just ask" but it would have been nice service if things are offered...instead this FA spent a lot of her time reading a magazine.
Click to expand...
The FAs should have access to a list of ingredients for everything served.
 
Brissy1 said:
VA950 BN-SY 29/8 DEP@13:05
Was offered a pre dep drink. Knowing VA wine, I asked for a beer. No! "We are not allowed to serve beer on the ground"
Open pie for lunch, again. Pie and a beer - I should have worn a fluro shirt!
Boxed desert cake stating "a kitchen that bakes wheat yeast gluten and dairy free" but no list of ingredients nor allergy advice (nut anaphylaxis issue).
Not unpleasant service, but just basic. I know toowongman mentions above "you want something, just ask" but it would have been nice service if things are offered...instead this FA spent a lot of her time reading a magazine.
Click to expand...

I have had mixed service and assistance in J over the last couple of years. Phenomenal service MEL-PER on the A330, endless refills of bubbles, great multi course meal, and offer of extra snacks after dinner. Same again HBA-SYD-OOL Greta service of wine and food, and lots of extra snacks. BNE-HBA almost no service, no refills on wine, no offer of snacks, not even a choice of meal, as had run out of other option, was not able to eat meal offered as allergic to main ingredient, no other food offered. So luck of the route? Or luck of the crew? Luck of the day? No idea, we probably need to be more proactive as customers, that Is easy for some, much harder for others. I an not angry at lack of service, more bemused, but if I ask for service and do not get it, I would light my angry fire and complain. VA is not SQ, though many VA staff are SQ level, others are not.
 
Tassieoptom said:
e probably need to be more proactive as customers, that Is easy for some, much harder for others. I an not angry at lack of service, more bemused, but if I ask for service and do not get it, I would light my angry fire and complain.
Click to expand...

If you don’t complain (I.e. provide constructive feedback), then nothing will change. While I don’t know about Virgin specifically, I do know that a lot of companies have customer sentiment as a key KPI, something that is very visible to very senior management. Customer sentiment is captured and conveyed.
Can we make a commitment on this forum that before anyone posts a negative review, they start by stating ”I’ve lodge my feedback, but...(express yourself here).
I have experienced both wonderful and woeful service in VA J, so I think it may be a personal capability issue than a company competency issue.
P.S. It is ok to “name and fame” and “name and shame” in your feedback.
 
VA470 BNE-PER 02SEP18 332 J Transcon

No menu provided on this flight (like the last one flight with these dishes). Service order was a little odd as the tray table was semi prepared prior to orders being taken for the pre dinner drink. Everything worked out in the end however. With a couple small corrections being made during the service by the CSM, I assume that the FA on my side of the aircraft had her L plates on...

Starter - Peking duck
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Main - Deconstructed beef pie with mushy peas
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Dessert - Blackberry roulade with date slithers
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