Virgin Australia Business Class - Meals, Menus & Service

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks in advance.
Is there a drinks menu for business class now following on from the new food menu?

Posted by Luke B on the previous page of this thread:

Vodka changes from Smirnoff to Absolut
Gin changed from Gordons to Beefeater
Beer is Asahi and Pirate Life
Johnnie Walker replaced by Chivas Regal 12yo
Rum? replaced by Havana??

 

[ols]

Posted by Luke B on the previous page of this thread:

Vodka changes from Smirnoff to Absolut
Gin changed from Gordons to Beefeater
Beer is Asahi and Pirate Life
Johnnie Walker replaced by Chivas Regal 12yo
Rum? replaced by Havana??

Thank you

 

[jase05]

Posted by Luke B on the previous page of this thread:

Vodka changes from Smirnoff to Absolut
Gin changed from Gordons to Beefeater
Beer is Asahi and Pirate Life
Johnnie Walker replaced by Chivas Regal 12yo
Rum? replaced by Havana??

As a big Vodka drinker it’s a great move. Smirnoff is rubbish

 

[QF WP]

VA701 MEL/PER Sun 23/11 7.55pm

The J cabin was full but thankfully, PDB were offered and gratefully received (I chose the bubbles as she was already at row 2 and none had left her tray). My female seatmate did the same.


Dinner was tasty and the alcohol flowed as I wasn’t driving at the other end (an Uber to my hotel room).

Focaccia was a nice touch and the chicken was nicely cooked. The rice was a little hit and miss, a couple of grains were very crunchy. Overall would be happy to eat it again.

Was a great use of 2 Plat upgrade credits on a flex fare.

 

[BCons]

Hot, cooked food ! Luxury..

Was asked last night on delayed Mel/Hba flt if I had any allergies - yes I said, cold dinners served after 8pm. Got a sympathetic laugh from cabin staff but that was all. Why cant you just keep as pie, pastie or quiche warm FFS VA !

 

[twinaisle]

Hot, cooked food ! Luxury..

Was asked last night on delayed Mel/Hba flt if I had any allergies - yes I said, cold dinners served after 8pm. Got a sympathetic laugh from cabin staff but that was all. Why cant you just keep as pie, pastie or quiche warm FFS VA !

Ultra short flights are cold dishes only. There's no time for hot meals. Service time is too short. Food is hot, people eat slow. Snack in the lounge beforehand if you want hot food.

If it's your first time flying then VA don't do any allergy or dietary requirements. If it's not your first time then it's a reminder that VA don't cater to dietary requirements.

 

[BCons]

Ultra short flights are cold dishes only. There's no time for hot meals. Service time is too short. Food is hot, people eat slow. Snack in the lounge beforehand if you want hot food.

If it's your first time flying then VA don't do any allergy or dietary requirements. If it's not your first time then it's a reminder that VA don't cater to dietary requirements.

Thanks, aware Mel/Hbt is short flt.. Probly done it 100 times in the last 20-odd yrs - and it’s only the last few yrs that dinners come cold. As for dietary reqmts; the cabin manager asked all of us individually, one by one, in biz, if we had any food allergies (which allowed me my little joke about cold dinners after 8pm) Nong..

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks, aware Mel/Hbt is short flt Mel/Hba. Probly done it 100 times in the last 20-odd yrs - and its only the last few yrs that dinners come cold. As for dietary reqmts; the cabin manager asked all of us individually, one by one, in biz, if we had any food allergies (which allowed me my little joke about cold dinners after 8pm) Nong..

Those aren’t short flights! lol.

Years ago we used to have hot breakfast and dinners on SYD-CBR, and that was with 20+ first class and another 30 business class.

My Bangkok Airways flight last year from Bangkok to Koh Samui, and all economy a319 with 144 seats (and not one spare) had a hot meal and side for everyone, followed by a separate tea and coffee service with fresh milk poured by the crew from the trolley (no handing you little tubs of milk). Wheels up to wheels down… 44 minutes.

I mean even qantas… they’re not fast, by the time they get to the last row of business on a 737 you’re lucky to have 30 mins of the flight left. Yet folk manage to eat their full meal

 

[anat0l]

Hot, cooked food ! Luxury..

Was asked last night on delayed Mel/Hba flt if I had any allergies - yes I said, cold dinners served after 8pm. Got a sympathetic laugh from cabin staff but that was all. Why cant you just keep as pie, pastie or quiche warm FFS VA !

So what did you accept or turn down in place of a "hot dinner"? Was it tasty?

Years ago we used to have hot breakfast and dinners on SYD-CBR, and that was with 20+ first class and another 30 business class.

We've talked about this many times, but I still am amazed how that could happen. Surely planes haven't been that slow to allow that, but I also doubt that one (let alone two) FAs could take care of all of that on such a short flight.


To put a bit of perspective on this, I've flown BNE/GLT and BNE/NTL this year on QantasLink. BNE/NTL has a similar mileage to MEL/HBA, while BNE/GLT is quite a bit shorter. In all cases, I've had a hot meal on QantasLink, no matter the time of the day. To add a bit of context, in many cases there was only one choice (i.e. you took the hot dish on offer or nothing), and the only other accompaniments were a Lindt ball - no bread, no proper dessert - if that.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So what did you accept or turn down in place of a "hot dinner"? Was it tasty?


We've talked about this many times, but I still am amazed how that could happen. Surely planes haven't been that slow to allow that, but I also doubt that one (let alone two) FAs could take care of all of that on such a short flight.


To put a bit of perspective on this, I've flown BNE/GLT and BNE/NTL this year on QantasLink. BNE/NTL has a similar mileage to MEL/HBA, while BNE/GLT is quite a bit shorter. In all cases, I've had a hot meal on QantasLink, no matter the time of the day. To add a bit of context, in many cases there was only one choice (i.e. you took the hot dish on offer or nothing), and the only other accompaniments were a Lindt ball - no bread, no proper dessert - if that.

The meals CBR-SYD were single tray, but multi course. and no doubt the meals were being heated before takeoff!! The flying time was around 25 minutes.

This is going back to the 727s and 737-300/400, and I think the 727s might have had a cabin crew of 6?

Of those 6 there would have been 2 or 3 in the premium cabins and one in galley to serve 55 pax.

 

[twinaisle]

Dude you're talking about years ago when it was the golden age of flying with like 8 crew onboard a narrow body which would have allowed it with a lot of manpower vs now 4 crew minimum one in business class basically LCC.

Stop comparing 1980 to 2025.

Thanks, aware Mel/Hbt is short flt.. Probly done it 100 times in the last 20-odd yrs - and it’s only the last few yrs that dinners come cold. As for dietary reqmts; the cabin manager asked all of us individually, one by one, in biz, if we had any food allergies (which allowed me my little joke about cold dinners after 8pm) Nong..

Yes I indeed remember the pre COVID days with the hot meals. It was a struggle with people not finishing vs the crew needing to clear in the trays for landing.

How odd of the cabin manager to do that though. Consistently inconsistent.