Virgin Australia Business Class - Meals, Menus & Service

[dk4]

But the block time is over 3 hours. Isn't that what they mean when they say 'flights over 3 hours'?

Well SYD-CNS is scheduled as 3:05 (VA1429 18:40-20:45) and I've only ever received the single tray meal service...

No one knows what the actual flight time of a flight is!

Yes, VA means the actual flight time in the air, not the scheduled flight time (gate to gate)... very consumer unfriendly way of describing their service offering IMO!

Here's a comparison between QF and VA from around a year and a half ago (pre-pantry). http://www.australianfrequentflyer....otos/premium-midcon-domestic-qf-vs-53249.html

 

[serfty]

Here's the pantry menu offered after breakfast on a BNE-MEL flight last Tuesday:

 

[Grimace1]

I'll upload some pictures of the menu tomorrow night

I decided to catch up on sleep lol, but here it is anyways.

 

[Grimace1]

VA697 16/03/2015:

For the starter meal, they had the Smoked salmon or the Sweet Corn and ginger soup, both of which I didn't feel like, so I opted for some Pink Salt and Sea Salt potato chips from the pantry menu until the main meal was served.



Main meal service: Vegetarian green curry with Jasmin rice and Asian Herbs.


And the good old cheese platter!

 

[hydrabyss]

Have they stopped closing off the business cabin from economy recently .Flew Syd-Cns in row 1 with economy pax lining up to use the front toilet on regular occasions. I checked the website and am sure it used to mention something about dedicated business class cabin.I would have to say it was one of my worst flights sitting so close to the toilet with a constant smell and people lined up next to you waiting for the toilet.

 

[Grimace1]

They should still be using the rope to block access off. Seems like the cabin crew didn't enforce that policy of blocking access.

 

[VA777]

hi I flew SYD-BNE-POM and return last week. Rope and announcement on all sectors that forward toilet was for J class pax.

 

[carwashhair]

Have they stopped closing off the business cabin from economy recently .Flew Syd-Cns in row 1 with economy pax lining up to use the front toilet on regular occasions. I checked the website and am sure it used to mention something about dedicated business class cabin.I would have to say it was one of my worst flights sitting so close to the toilet with a constant smell and people lined up next to you waiting for the toilet.

Definitely time to provide some feedback...

 

[kevrosmith]

Have they stopped closing off the business cabin from economy recently .Flew Syd-Cns in row 1 with economy pax lining up to use the front toilet on regular occasions. I checked the website and am sure it used to mention something about dedicated business class cabin.I would have to say it was one of my worst flights sitting so close to the toilet with a constant smell and people lined up next to you waiting for the toilet.

Was this a Boeing or Embraer aircraft? I often fly SYD-CNS and front Business toilet is nearly always protected from Y Pax. Sounds like your experience was impacted by those particular crew.

 

[hydrabyss]

Was a 737 and had noticed staff going through a few of the lockers early in the flight trying to find something.Sent off my complaint to VA and also included the lack of wifi on a business class flight back in january from cairns to brisbane which meant no inflight entertainment.

 

[kevrosmith]

I'm doing MEL-CNS-MEL in J in a few weeks. It's one of VA's longest 737 dom routes (I think it blocks 3:25 each way) - I assume its just a one-tray affair still like SYD-CNS? Would you recommend asking about this pantry items thing? I may get a little peckish if the meal is served shortly after take off.

Confirmed with a friend who recently traveled between CNS and MEL in J, and the meal service was only a one-tray affair like SYD-CNS.

As I've previously posted, you can make it a pseudo three-course meal by ordering something from the Pantry to start with (e.g. olives or cheese/crackers) while they prepare the meal, followed by something sweet from the Pantry (or Y cart) after the main. Sure, it's not as good as trans-con service (from what I've heard - never experienced that yet), but it makes it a bit nicer.

 

[kevrosmith]

Friday SYD-CNS

Chicken with capsicum and cauliflower with (butter?) sauce.



It was absolutely delicious. So much so, I had to have it twice...

 

[Grimace1]

Has Virgin rolled out a new menu recently?

 

[Plutonus]

All these photos actually make me look forward to my next J flight with intrigue. My recent meal on Qantas J was a "prawn salad" which consisted of a few iceberg lettuce leaves and three prawns. I went with no.

 

[Denali]

Very nice egg and bacon burrito for syd>Brisbane this morning. I would pay for that in a Cafe. Sorry. Forgot to take photo.

 

[smit0847]

Very nice egg and bacon burrito for syd>Brisbane this morning. I would pay for that in a Cafe. Sorry. Forgot to take photo.

I got the same on MEL-CNS on friday. Was good- not too heavy or rich

 

[smit0847]

I got the same on MEL-CNS on friday. Was good- not too heavy or rich

Flew the return CNS-MEL in J yesterday (afternoon flight). The meal was nice (steak with mushrooms and pumpkin mash) but I am really struggling to see the value in 737 J anymore. Yes its nice to get a nice meal and a bigger seat and have someone checking on you but its really not that special and I cannot believe anyone would think there is value in the price they charge (which I think is around $2500 return on this route). After the $20 meal service on both legs the CSM disappeared and for the next 2 hours its basically a slightly bigger seat and less queue for the toilet. I love earning and burning but I don’t think I’ll bother aiming for J on a 737 anymore – I just don’t see the point.

 

[Moopere]

I love earning and burning but I don’t think I’ll bother aiming for J on a 737 anymore – I just don’t see the point.

Yes I agree with you. Back when the 737 J was introduced it was a different value equation, dollar price was lower and the various points paying options and co-pay options where _significantly_ lower. Even then it wasn't outstanding value, but compared with today it was perhaps acceptable. I 'earned and burned' a lot back then - though I fairly quickly realised that more than about 2 hours or so on a 73H wasn't fun, even in J (try 6.5 from HKT! Yikes, didn't enjoy that).

The big mistake, in my view, is pretending that the 330 and 737 product is the same and charging the same for it. The 330 product is a premium offering in my view, I've done any number of transcon flights using it and though the price is now a fair bit higher than I think is reasonable, it does broadly match the competition and delivers a better end product (imho). To justify the current pricing for the 73h they'd need to change the seats to flat or tilt (at minimum) and offer a _far_ better f&b experience.

 

[QF WP]

VA1392 BNE/ADL 11 April ( 10:00am - snack flight)

Options were fruit platter or panini - I chose the latter and was disappointed with the taste. I can't recall what was in it but I wouldn't have it again. By contrast, loved the yogurt.

 

[QF WP]

VA362 ADL/SYD 12 April

Without doubt a better flight than yesterday. Karren had to contend with 8/8 in Business and 3 tosser in Row 2 (including one who had me moved to 1A).

I had Barramundi with salad (beans, olives and lettuce). Delightful. Otherwise same as yesterday's offering (dessert and side salad).