Virgin Australia Business Class - Meals, Menus & Service

[RooFlyer]

We dumb it down to a ham and cheese toastie because some don't know what a croc monster is and it takes less time to explain.

Wish Qantas would do that for some of the ridiculously pretentious J menu descriptors on their intl flights. When I've flown long haul with them (pre covid) there was usually 2 or 3 items I didn't understand and had to ask. As often as not, the FA didn't know either

 

[twinaisle]

Ah, yes. i was in 1A, so if the person next to me was FCNA, that would have made the pattern 1AC,1DF, 2DF, 2AC. Sort of a pattern! I was the only person whose order was taken before take-off!

Could also be that there was just enough time to take 1 or 2 orders on the ground as we have higher priorities at that time

 

[Ade]

beyond member

What/Who is a *beyond member* ? Is it VA's equivalent of QF's CL ?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

What/Who is a *beyond member* ? Is it VA's equivalent of QF's CL ?

Yes! Although allegedly attainable by 'the ordinary' flyer as well. Criteria not published

 

[simmomelb]

What/Who is a *beyond member* ? Is it VA's equivalent of QF's CL ?

Invitation only, with access to their Boyond lounges in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Usually very frequent flyer CEO's, celebs, well known influcers etc.
As mentioned by @MEL_Traveller above, criteria not published

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Invitation only, with access to their Boyond lounges in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Usually very frequent flyer CEO's, celebs, well known influcers etc.
As mentioned by @MEL_Traveller above, criteria not published

Indeed. Really waiting to see how the ‘ordinary’ flyer can qualify! I should end out the year with 4000+ SCs, earned solo and without any DSCs. so will be interested to see if that gets me a Christmas card!

 

[twinaisle]

Indeed. Really waiting to see how the ‘ordinary’ flyer can qualify! I should end out the year with 4000+ SCs, earned solo and without any DSCs. so will be interested to see if that gets me a Christmas card!

Invite only. If people have to ask then they don't need to know

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Invite only. If people have to ask then they don't need to know

Oh yes, invite only, but the CEO is on record as saying that the Beyond Club under the new Virgin *will* be accessible by ordinary flyers… not just celebs, CEOs and politicians.

The Beyond Club would be one way to keep high-earning flyers given there is no equivalent of P1 or OW emerald status.

 

[jase05]

Indeed. Really waiting to see how the ‘ordinary’ flyer can qualify! I should end out the year with 4000+ SCs, earned solo and without any DSCs. so will be interested to see if that gets me a Christmas card!

Mrs Jase and myself should get well over 3000 each this year so it would be nice to see if regular frequent flyers get an invite. I wouldn’t mind getting just a one off lounge pass to check it out

 

[simmomelb]

Mrs Jase and myself should get well over 3000 each this year so it would be nice to see if regular frequent flyers get an invite. I wouldn’t mind getting just a one off lounge pass to check it out

Many of us got a (small) taste of it during Covid In Melbourne last year when the regular lounge was closed for upgrades and these VIP lounges were closed at that time (for their intended purpose).
The 25k Italian leather imported chairs were a nice touch, although a silly waste of dollars from John Borghetti

 

[jase05]

Many of us got a (small) taste of it during Covid In Melbourne last year when the regular lounge was closed for upgrades and these VIP lounges were closed at that time (for their intended purpose).
The 25k Italian leather imported chairs were a nice touch, although a silly waste of dollars from John Borghetti

Yeah, we visited it quite a few times during Covid era but I believe it has had a face lift and fresh menu now

 

[simmomelb]

Yep, the menu certainly has now, I was advised the interior/furniture is much same? Which was very, very nice
Although, I personally preferred the view from the regular lounge compared with no view (Melbourne only).

 

[QF WP]

VA1384 BNE/ADL 19/4/23

Nothing like a 6:15am flight but J really helps.

Can’t remember the other hot option but I had the corn fritters with goats cheese. As usual, the chutney gave the dish flavour, the fritters would have been bland without it

 

[Harrison_133]

Flew OOL-CBR yesterday. Options have all been shared here before so no pictures, but it’s worth mentioning that *four* choices were offered for lunch: reuben sandwich, Middle Eastern platter, Thai green chicken curry and onion tart. Not sure why there were four options, but at least everyone got their first choice for lunch.

Finally got around to trying the reuben. Tasty enough and quite filling, but not my favourite of the sandwiches VA have had in J recently. The CM was a little cold and not the most attentive, but the service was by no means bad.

On a side note, the priority security lane at OOL works a treat. Eligibility enforced with boarding pass checked for status and I breezed to the front of the line. Although some in the normal queue did feel the need to complain to staff about why I got to cut the line.

 

[MooTime]

On a side note, the priority security lane at OOL works a treat. Eligibility enforced with boarding pass checked for status and I breezed to the front of the line. Although some in the normal queue did feel the need to complain to staff about why I got to cut the line.

I agree re priority lane at OOL, it's a gem.

Being a leisure route, very few status holders so it's a real slip stream.
Love it.

 

[kerfuffle]

Same thing on VA826 SYD-MEL (but this time the ham and cheese toastie was sold as a croque monsieur). Orders taken and served in same order (1F who had a baby didn't seem to order a meal, and nor did 2C who just had a coffee), but because 2C and I in 2A also asked for sparkling wine, that was delivered to us first before the meals.

Same thing on VA820 SYD-MEL. Cabin was half full and was not sold as a croque monsieur. 1A and myself in 2A both got the ham and cheese toastie; 1F and 2F were sleeping so the CM didn't disturb them for meals (but did give them each a bottle of water prior to landing).

They also enforced toilet use for Business Class only; a man in Economy got rejected when he tried to use the front toilets. Good flight; left five minutes early and arrived 15 minutes early

 

[simmomelb]

They also enforced toilet use for Business Class only; a man in Economy got rejected when he tried to use the front toilets. Good flight; left five minutes early and arrived 15 minutes early

I was in row 3 last week and witnessed a passenger from economy who started arguing with the cabin manager about how "stupid" it was that he couldn't use the front lavatory and how he was desperate and that the back ones were busy.
The passenger was quite angry and eventually the CM let him use it.
I don't blame the CM for doing so in these situations as he was starting to cause a scene.

 

[MH_fan]

I was in row 3 last week and witnessed a passenger from economy who started arguing with the cabin manager about how "stupid" it was that he couldn't use the front lavatory and how he was desperate and that the back ones were busy.
The passenger was quite angry and eventually the CM let him use it.
I don't blame the CM for doing so in these situations as he was starting to cause a scene.

Ask politely if it is "urgent" and the CM will probably let you use it if indeed the back ones are occupied and there is a queue or if the cart is in the way. Seriously...it is not that hard to be polite. You get more with honey, as they say. That passenger was simply being entitled and I'd put money on the fact that he'd be the first one to complain if he were in business and an economy passenger tried to do the same. These people...seriously!

 

[simmomelb]

Ask politely if it is "urgent" and the CM will probably let you use it if indeed the back ones are occupied and there is a queue or if the cart is in the way. Seriously...it is not that hard to be polite. You get more with honey, as they say. That passenger was simply being entitled and I'd put money on the fact that he'd be the first one to complain if he were in business and an economy passenger tried to do the same. These people...seriously!

Yes, I completely agree.
I feel for the crew and the types of passengers they have to deal with sometimes.
The CM was very polite given the attitude he had to deal.with.

 

[Pele]

In the last week i flew J on both QF and VA and one of the things i thought put Virgin ahead was the rope to block access to the forward dunny. Seriously on the QF flight there was no attempt to stop economy passengers use the business class dunny and people were taking the p*ss. One girl used the dunny three times in the first 90 minutes of the QF flight.

And annoyingly a never got sent a customer survey after the QF flight.