New VA Economy Retail Menu

[AirlineGuy]

Personally, I'm disappointed. Obviously the rumours of free snacks and drinks for everyone weren't entirely true. It'd be nice if VA offered even just some small snack and a drink in Y, and supplemented it with other items for purchase if you wanted extra...a small packet of peanuts or similar wouldn't go astray either with that evening wine in Economy too. Just my opinion. Continuing to charge $3 for those small cans of softdrink isn't a great step forward either.

Retaining PAYG service in economy still resembles the old Virgin Blue. If they truely don't want to be regarded as a LCC anymore, they need to evolve their Economy service further. Not all corporates travel Business Class. Infact I would hazard a guess and say majority fly Y?

A roll out of the 'Capital Connect' inflight service currently offered on the SYD/CBR/MEL across VA's the capital city network would be a great competitive offering to the Qantas Cityflyer product, IMO.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

If they truely don't want to be regarded as a LCC anymore, they need to evolve their Economy service further.

But they do want to be regarded as LCC......and full service. QF decided to create JQ to compete with DJ/TT whereas DJ have stated they wish to service both the full service and the LCC markets on the same aircraft.

Personally, I think it is a big ask, but I hope they succeed. I fly as a business traveller, but my business model revolves around affordable flying. I like the niceties of what DJ are offering, but their LCC base fares are most definitely creeping higher and higher. Given the choice, I much prefer to buy my in flight requirements (food, drink, entertainment) and have the LCC (or close to it) fares.

DJ are walking a very, very fine line with what they hope to achieve and what they are able to deliver and so far they are managing it very well with the crème de la crème.....their status programme (far better than JQ are with their pay-for-status scheme and TT are to a far lesser extent with their "stripes club").

 

[lovestotravel]

Yet another boring menu........

Virgin need to get proper breakfast's happening and proper dinner's

Not everyone is going to pay the more expensive fares, so let them buy decent food on board

That being said, and probably the main reason behind the poor menu, is that these items can be left on flights and have a longer use-by date than a decent food selection.

The Capital Connect idea is great though

So on a Flexi fare, what type of meals do you get for breakfast/lunch/dinner ?

 

[awilcockson]

However going out these days good luck getting a Mixer and Spirit for under $10.

Where do you drink?

$5-6 will get you cough and coke, $7.50 will get you Jack Daniels & Mixer in Brisbane.

 

[awilcockson]

Retaining PAYG service in economy still resembles the old Virgin Blue. If they truely don't want to be regarded as a LCC anymore, they need to evolve their Economy service further. Not all corporates travel Business Class. Infact I would hazard a guess and say majority fly Y?

Bingo. No J for me on flights paid for by work.

And having to pay for food on board reaks of LCC, whereas I thought the whole revamp over the last 12 months was supposed to shed that image?

edit: The fares definitely aren't LCC anymore, it's usually line ball between a QF red e-deal and DJ Saver fare.

 

[lovestotravel]

And having to pay for food on board reaks of LCC, whereas I thought the whole revamp over the last 12 months was supposed to shed that image?

edit: The fares definitely aren't LCC anymore, it's usually line ball between a QF red e-deal and DJ Saver fare.

Exactly right, but they have gone the way of Air NZ which is expected really.....

 

[DSFlyer]

Personally, I'm disappointed. Obviously the rumours of free snacks and drinks for everyone weren't entirely true. It'd be nice if VA offered even just some small snack and a drink in Y, and supplemented it with other items for purchase if you wanted extra...a small packet of peanuts or similar wouldn't go astray either with that evening wine in Economy too. Just my opinion. Continuing to charge $3 for those small cans of softdrink isn't a great step forward either.

Retaining PAYG service in economy still resembles the old Virgin Blue. If they truely don't want to be regarded as a LCC anymore, they need to evolve their Economy service further. Not all corporates travel Business Class. Infact I would hazard a guess and say majority fly Y?

A roll out of the 'Capital Connect' inflight service currently offered on the SYD/CBR/MEL across VA's the capital city network would be a great competitive offering to the Qantas Cityflyer product, IMO.

This was announced today

Virgin Australia also confirmed that Economy Class guests travelling on Saver fares will receive complimentary tea; coffee and water from today on all domestic flights. Furthermore, Saver fare guests travelling between Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney on Monday to Friday will be offered complimentary beer and wine between 4:00pm and 7:00pm (AEST).

 

[bullerdude]

This was announced today

Virgin Australia also confirmed that Economy Class guests travelling on Saver fares will receive complimentary tea; coffee and water from today on all domestic flights. Furthermore, Saver fare guests travelling between Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney on Monday to Friday will be offered complimentary beer and wine between 4:00pm and 7:00pm (AEST).

Well that's certainly nice and it brings the 'saver' fares a little more in line with the qantas red-e deal fares which also offer alcohol on weekday cityflyer evening flights.

However, given that you can saver+baggage+food pretty much costs the same amount (infact sometimes more) than a qantas red-e deal ticket that already includes these extras then Qantas is better value. Come on virgin - you need to up your game to compete against Qantas in cheap economy.

 

[blackcat20]

Looks very much like a "change" issue. No coinage needed.

Unless someone decides to pay for a $5 item with three $2 coins...

 

[anat0l]

Is there a problem in simply saying "No cash - cards only?" (credit and debit) Especially if you can combine it with the "under $35" process commonplace in mostly fast food restaurants and supermarkets.

I suppose there are some schlubs on board (bogan types I suppose) who don't have a credit card and / or shouldn't be using one......

Even better, make all VFF cards hold credit that can be used on board. Credit can be loaded in various payment means (including cash, or even VFF points) via staff at the airport, online or with kiosks. That gives you at least 2 ways to handle money without needing to resort to handling change or shrapnel.

Of course, we live in a society where it "costs more" to process credit cards, which is why it is regularly surcharged......

 

[Princess Fiona]

On my flight today the eftpos machine was "broken".
OT there were no $5 chips available either as according to the FA they were "not on the new menu".
That was until I pointed to the very expensive chips in the new menu and received apology as they hadn't been loaded

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Unless someone decides to pay for a $5 item with three $2 coins...

Well when I buy my wine for eight bucks, I could pay with a fiver and 3 x $1 coins......then they'll be sweet!

Naw stuff it, I pay with a card, so much easier!

Maths was never my strong suit!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

there were no $5 chips available either

Sounds like you were in a mile high casino, Princess.

 

[MadFairlane]

What happened to normal food...

Why does everything have to be "gourmet" this etc.

I just want a ham/cheese/tomato sandwich...

 

[smit0847]

edit: The fares definitely aren't LCC anymore, it's usually line ball between a QF red e-deal and DJ Saver fare.

Thats a very good point.

I fly MEL-ADL-MEL monthly and the VA fare used to be a good $20 - $30 cheaper than the QF Fare. As I am VA silver and get free checked baggage if VA and QF are roughly the same price I will choose VA for the points. It's only a 1 hour flight so you dont need to buy anything. If it was a longer flight and VA saver and QF e-deal were the same price I would probably choose QF because of the free meal. I have no desire to pay $10 for a 'gourmet' ham and cheese sandwhich.

Almost all of my domestic flights are less than 2 hours (MEL-BNE/OOL is about the longest I do) but I've never understood why people need to be fed/purchase f&b on such short flights. I dont eat every 2 hours so dont need to if Im on a plane. If I'm taking a mid-morning or mid-afternoon flight I will eat a proper meal at home and then a proper meal at my destination city where I can find much more choice, quality and value. I've always laughed when I read about the Capital Connect service - why do they need to run around giving out juice and cookies on a 35 minutes flight? Can passengers not survive 35 minutes without eating?!?

 

[MarkD]

Thats a very good point.

I fly MEL-ADL-MEL monthly and the VA fare used to be a good $20 - $30 cheaper than the QF Fare. As I am VA silver and get free checked baggage if VA and QF are roughly the same price I will choose VA for the points. It's only a 1 hour flight so you dont need to buy anything. If it was a longer flight and VA saver and QF e-deal were the same price I would probably choose QF because of the free meal. I have no desire to pay $10 for a 'gourmet' ham and cheese sandwhich.

Almost all of my domestic flights are less than 2 hours (MEL-BNE/OOL is about the longest I do) but I've never understood why people need to be fed/purchase f&b on such short flights. I dont eat every 2 hours so dont need to if Im on a plane. If I'm taking a mid-morning or mid-afternoon flight I will eat a proper meal at home and then a proper meal at my destination city where I can find much more choice, quality and value. I've always laughed when I read about the Capital Connect service - why do they need to run around giving out juice and cookies on a 35 minutes flight? Can passengers not survive 35 minutes without eating?!?

I agree 100% personally, however from a business perspective, VA had to offer these things to try to lure travellers across, Especially on the CBR Route. I do think that in time, we will see the same service across all flights, we already have it on CBR-SYD/MEL, and all regional ATR Flights, plus tea coffee etc now, its the next logical step. I feel if they do take that next step, and provide equivilent catering to QF (Not too hard to do), then QF will have real cause for concern.

 

[oz_mark]

I feel if they do take that next step, and provide equivilent catering to QF (Not too hard to do), then QF will have real cause for concern.

Actually, I am not so sure how hard or easy it is. I am not sure how much of the infrastructure is in place for them to compeletly match Qantas catering (hence the lack of extensive hot options on DJ)

 

[Justinf]

Thats a very good point.

I fly MEL-ADL-MEL monthly and the VA fare used to be a good $20 - $30 cheaper than the QF Fare. As I am VA silver and get free checked baggage if VA and QF are roughly the same price I will choose VA for the points. It's only a 1 hour flight so you dont need to buy anything. If it was a longer flight and VA saver and QF e-deal were the same price I would probably choose QF because of the free meal. I have no desire to pay $10 for a 'gourmet' ham and cheese sandwhich.

Almost all of my domestic flights are less than 2 hours (MEL-BNE/OOL is about the longest I do) but I've never understood why people need to be fed/purchase f&b on such short flights. I dont eat every 2 hours so dont need to if Im on a plane. If I'm taking a mid-morning or mid-afternoon flight I will eat a proper meal at home and then a proper meal at my destination city where I can find much more choice, quality and value. I've always laughed when I read about the Capital Connect service - why do they need to run around giving out juice and cookies on a 35 minutes flight? Can passengers not survive 35 minutes without eating?!?

It's a good point you make. I drive 70 minutes to work three days a week. I don't feel the need to have to stop halfway and buy a sandwich and a can of soft drink.
But I do think our brains are conditioned in certain ways. When you are in a car commuting to work, you just get on with it and get there.
When you are 35,000ft in the air our brains have been conditioned to eat and/or drink something. It's expected.
My 70-minute commute to work is about the same time as a MEL-SYD flight. But yet there is something that has been programmed in my brain to want something to eat and/or drink when I am in an aircraft seat.
The other thing is, that it's not just an hour in the air that you are preoccupied with getting to your destination. Unlike driving a car to work, you don't just leave the front door and in an hour or so, you are where you need to be. It's the commute to the airport, and the waiting time for your flight and the time at the destination it takes to getting to where you want to go. It often works out to be at least three hours of your time spent getting from A to B.
Not everyone has Lounge access or wants to eat or drink at the actual airport.

 

[simongr]

I am not overly impressed - I am also still confused about flexi fares. When I flew SYD-MEL-SYD on a flexi fare I was given some snacks rather than anything I would consider a meal/food - it is not clear if I am on a flexi fare if I get the warp given that the pie isnt an option MEL-SYD...

The other thing is, that it's not just an hour in the air that you are preoccupied with getting to your destination. Unlike driving a car to work, you don't just leave the front door and in an hour or so, you are where you need to be. It's the commute to the airport, and the waiting time for your flight and the time at the destination it takes to getting to where you want to go. It often works out to be at least three hours of your time spent getting from A to B.
Not everyone has Lounge access or wants to eat or drink at the actual airport.

Two great points here - first it isn't a 1 hour journey - this morning I left the house at 5:15AM and I got to work at 8:50 - some food in that time frame would be normal. If not flying I leave the house at 7:27 and get into the office at 8:40 - I can live that length of time without food.

Secondly in a flight unlike driving you are sitting around not concentrating on the journey (that is jb747's job).

 

[DSFlyer]

Flying from Sydney back to Brisbane this afternoon, it was mentioned that they had trouble with catering prior to leaving. Once in the air it became apparent their were not enough meals for flexi passengers so I ended up with a red wine, bag of morish nuts and a full size toblerone with an apology. I quite liked the nuts with my wine and ended up with a chocolate bar to take home to my son.