Virgin Australia Business Class - Meals, Menus & Service

[BNEFlyer]

Was fortunate to be able to use a platinum upgrade certificate today flying PER-MEL. Choices were the lentil salad with Halloumi or Chicken souvlaki with mixed vegetables. Thankfully a couple didn't eat so I got the last chicken dish.

It was absolutely delicious! As was the little side plate of feta and artichoke, and the carrot cake dessert was yum. Really good effort.

Unfortunately I could not have alcohol this time, but did overhear there was also a choice of three different white and red wines, each.

That's a new dish! Looks good. And if they've now got a lentil salad instead of quinoa, that's a change too.

 

[serfty]

Chicken souvlaki with mixed vegetables.

As indicated it looks a new one.

Are you sure in not a "Chicken Pastie"?

 

[Must...Fly!]

As indicated it looks a new one.

Are you sure in not a "Chicken Pastie"?

View attachment 245104

Yes, it was in a pita bread, not pastry. And a good hit of garlic sauce!

 

[AIRwin]

And a good hit of garlic sauce!

That would have been a good COVID test of taste/smell...

 

[Rangalad]

Mon 29/3 VA221 MEL/ADL

Surprised when I heard it was going to be lunch menu given 11.15am departure, but wasn’t complaining. Chose the turkey, Brie and fig jam sourdough melt. The subtle flavor of the turkey was there but the fig jam zing was missing, the (flavour and size of the) piece of Brie was the saving grace in this dish. You’ll need the cutlery to eat it.

The side dish of cheese and crackers was tasty.

QF WP rating: 7.5/10

View attachment 243782

Same meal, same flight VA 221 yesterday.
(Was booked on the same flight as QF WP, 29 March. Client cancelled at the last moment.)
Service was non existent. I was the only person (out of five in the cabin) that ate.
Crew disappeared down the back for the rest of the flight.
(Flight was not fully booked in Y, only mid 50 when I checked the boarding control screen as I passed.)

Return flight today had the quinoa salad for a change.
Crew can't be bothered (pardon the language).
After the service, congregated outside the coughpit, drinking (water) and chatting.
Call bells mostly ignored.
No PDB offered on either flight.
Very disappointing.

QF staff told me they must never eat or drink in view of passengers.

 

[PlaneCrazy]

Same meal, same flight VA 221 yesterday.
(Was booked on the same flight as QF WP, 29 March. Client cancelled at the last moment.)
Service was non existent. I was the only person (out of five in the cabin) that ate.
Crew disappeared down the back for the rest of the flight.
(Flight was not fully booked in Y, only mid 50 when I checked the boarding control screen as I passed.)

Return flight today had the quinoa salad for a change.
Crew can't be bothered (pardon the language).
After the service, congregated outside the coughpit, drinking (water) and chatting.
Call bells mostly ignored.
No PDB offered on either flight.
Very disappointing.

QF staff told me they must never eat or drink in view of passengers.

A shame to hear! The crew really do make or break a flight. I've had great crews across virgin and QF recently. Think I've just jinxed my next flight in saying that...

 

[serfty]

Return flight today had the quinoa salad for a change.
Crew can't be bothered (pardon the language).
After the service, congregated outside the coughpit, drinking (water) and chatting.
Call bells mostly ignored.
No PDB offered on either flight.
Very disappointing.

I would suggest feedback is appropriate.

Velocity Help and Support

We've got your back with frequently asked questions, how to guides and details to get in contact with us.

www.velocityfrequentflyer.com

Best not to delay.

 

[jakeseven7]

I would suggest feedback is appropriate.

Velocity Help and Support

We've got your back with frequently asked questions, how to guides and details to get in contact with us.

www.velocityfrequentflyer.com

Best not to delay.

Totally agree, every experience on any airline that needs to be corrected, I put in feedback almost immediately.

Without feedback there can be no change.

A couple of years ago I had a serious complaint filed against a VA FA who was subsequently formally disciplined (it was really serious event) and VA took it really seriously, back then at least.

I also had an issue, not as serious with QF and got a very satisfactory outcome.

So give feedback and give specifics - I take down name badges, everything - all the specifics and send it non-emotionally and factually - gets the best response.

 

[Rangalad]

I would suggest feedback is appropriate.

Velocity Help and Support

We've got your back with frequently asked questions, how to guides and details to get in contact with us.

www.velocityfrequentflyer.com

Best not to delay.

Think I will.
Cabin crew actions prior to departure at best "unprofessional".

 

[NoName]

Had to go BNE-SYD on short notice yesterday morning so booked a J award as no Y available. Full J cabin which surprised me a little.

Offered water or juice before takeoff and tea or coffee during the meal. Food options were scrambled eggs and ham on a brioche bun with a Danish or the avocado and feta on toast that someone else posted recently. I went for the brioche and was happy with it. Tasted great. Only negative was the bun wasn’t your typical brioche. Didn’t have the same texture that I would have expected, perhaps had just been heated up to much as it had a harder toast-like crunch to it if that makes sense. But still enjoyed and would have again. Danish was good too.



Overall happy with the experience. Wouldn’t pay cash for a flight like this but would definitely redeem points again.

 

[BNEFlyer]

Had to go BNE-SYD on short notice yesterday morning so booked a J award as no Y available. Full J cabin which surprised me a little.

Offered water or juice before takeoff and tea or coffee during the meal. Food options were scrambled eggs and ham on a brioche bun with a Danish or the avocado and feta on toast that someone else posted recently. I went for the brioche and was happy with it. Tasted great. Only negative was the bun wasn’t your typical brioche. Didn’t have the same texture that I would have expected, perhaps had just been heated up to much as it had a harder toast-like crunch to it if that makes sense. But still enjoyed and would have again. Danish was good too.

View attachment 245167

Overall happy with the experience. Wouldn’t pay cash for a flight like this but would definitely redeem points again.

The brioche roll looks really good, would be great if that was an all day option. Interesting that bubbles weren't available as a PDB, they're meant to be.

 

[Stealthflyer]

Does anyone have any experience with business class catering for coeliacs? I want to take a family member business class, but it’s not worth it if VA doesn’t cater for gluten free diets. I’ll never hear the end of it!

 

[bam71]

Does anyone have any experience with business class catering for coeliacs? I want to take a family member business class, but it’s not worth it if VA doesn’t cater for gluten free diets. I’ll never hear the end of it!

VA business class does not cater for any special meals .... ;-(

Special meals

Special meal requests are not available on Domestic and International Short Haul flights. Instead, purchase from our food and beverage menu, including vegetarian and gluten-free options, or bring your own food and non-alcoholic drinks.

www.virginaustralia.com

 

[Astro]

I got the turkey on sourdough coming up to Sydney late last week around lunchtime. It's not a bad dish to eat - all the ingredients become one and the bread is quite soft. I'd classify this one as gut luggage.

 

[mad_atta]

I flew SYD-MEL on Friday evening and MEL-SYD this evening, both in business and both on completely full flights. (VA's loads both evenings on the flights before and after mine seemed to be at or very close to 100%.)

The positives:
- Great service on both flights
- Enthusiastic welcomes from the FAs, and generous and frequent pours of wine
- Selection of predeparture beverages including a reasonably drinkable sparkling wine
- Despite sitting in 2A both flights I got my first choice each time - lamb and rosemary pie on the way down, and (after a heavy weekend of eating too much) the haloumi and quinoa salad on the way back
- The pie was very tasty, and the wines (Taku pinot noir southbound; unnamed chardonnay northbound) were drinkable, though certainly nothing special (and not up to QF biz standards).

The negatives
- When I asked for a G&T on the flight down, not only did they not stock any lemon or lime, they also had run out of tonic. A gin and soda with no lemon is a sad drink indeed. FA was very apologetic though
- The haloumi salad is lacking moisture and flavour
- Both meals are very small - the pumpkin accompaniment to the pie is minimal. If you put the pie *and* the haloumi salad together, that would actually make an excellent dinner
- No sign of 'antipasto plate' (just pre-packaged cheese and crackers) and nothing sweet, not even a token chocolate
- Lounge catering is dire. Melbourne lounge was taking 20+ minutes to fulfil simple orders like a cup of tea - clearly they were overwhelmed, and many orders were arriving after people had already left the lounge

It's great to have business class back, and for the prices I paid (points upgrade on a $79 fare on the way down; biz saver for $257 on the way back; both booked only a week out) I don't have too many complaints. Both were on shiny Boeing Sky interior jets which felt clean and fresh, and it was a good way to make the intercity hop over dinner time without arriving completely starving. But the catering is obviously cheap and pretty stingy, and the lack of variety would get very old very quickly.

 

[jonboixxx]

- When I asked for a G&T on the flight down, not only did they not stock any lemon or lime, they also had run out of tonic.

I am CNS-BNE on Wednesday and will provide my collective feedback to VA also if there was not a minimum of tonic available. FWIW, VA CNS lounge is gone forever, so usually I am back QF, but sometimes can't achieve that because of crew shift etc.

 

[Carrots]

It's great to have business class back, and for the prices I paid (points upgrade on a $79 fare on the way down; biz saver for $257 on the way back; both booked only a week out) I don't have too many complaints. Both were on shiny Boeing Sky interior jets which felt clean and fresh, and it was a good way to make the intercity hop over dinner time without arriving completely starving. But the catering is obviously cheap and pretty stingy, and the lack of variety would get very old very quickly.

I think you've nailed it on the head there - the pricing is pretty damn sharp in the scheme of things, especially when compared to QF. The money saved on the seat can certainly go to a decent meal and wine somewhere else.

 

[Bundy Bear]

I flew Virgin Melbourne to Brisbane, Sunday 18 April 8:20pm.
The lounge was fuller than I expected but the food service app was so far overwhelmed that orders were turning up after people had left, a drink that previous person had ordered showed up 25 minutes after I ordered mine, I think having an ordering system for food is good but I think there should be a way to get a drink without a 20 minute wait.
The J onboard service was a bit unpolished maybe it more a Virgin style which is acceptable, a choice of a pie or a couscous salad, I had the couscous salad which some people would say was a bit plain but I found it light and tasty, but where was the sweet option even a small chocolate would have been a nice touch without overdoing it. the cheese and crackers side was bit slack.




Beer wine but not red for some reason there was a supply issue

 

[jakeseven7]

I flew Virgin Melbourne to Brisbane, Sunday 18 April 8:20pm.
The lounge was fuller than I expected but the food service app was so far overwhelmed that orders were turning up after people had left, a drink that previous person had ordered showed up 25 minutes after I ordered mine, I think having an ordering system for food is good but I think there should be a way to get a drink without a 20 minute wait.

I went in with a colleague on Monday and we had the same experience, runners were bringing drinks and food out, desperately looking for people who had already left. Such a waste of food, would have all been thrown out as well.

So hot tip - order the very second you get into the lounge if you want a chance of getting anything in the busier times.

 

[dk4]

First up, the spirit of Australia is back in business... (But needs a label upgrade - into the black, out of the red.)

And so is The Pantry... but not with a set menu, rather they just seem to be getting rid of any excess left over items from the covid-boxes they were handing out before. So, that means Pantry is like a lucky dip for the moment - who knows what might be available on any given flight.


I found the move from "restaurant style" to "cafe style" just as filling, the chicken souvlaki wrapped in pita, with the side of veggies, was substantial, and didn't over do the carbs (like Qantas does). I asked the "leader" (no longer CS) about the tray to plate real estate situation, and as I surmised before - length of flight dictates how many items are placed on your tray. Transcon, pictured above, gets 4; main plate, side plate, dessert and cheese+crackers.


I am assuming there are left over tray linings?


Gone are the extra knife and fork, down to 4 cutlery items wrapped in the serviette (without a button hole). And, the salt and pepper has gone cafe style as well, and ditched the shakers.


Bonus pic of lounge sandwich at PER T1