Two reasons I can't take Virgin & Velocity seriously

[yohy?!]

Kill the snack - provide simple meals at meal times (buy snacks at all other times). Free soft drinks from bottles, tea/coffee, juice all day with booze weekdays from 4pm on non-leisure routes

 

[ozmille]

Flew VA for the first time in years recently on a SYD MEL, as I lost my status with them years ago I had breakfast at Movida which was a lot better than what I had in their lounge and because I paid for their economy X I got priority boarding and a decent seat. The snack was "interesting". Flying them from DRW to SYD in a couple of weeks so I hope I'll get a meal there!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

on non-leisure routes

Why non-leisure routes? Not everyone flying leisure route are leisure travellers.

 

[Daver6]

Excluding Perth runs does Virgin actually offer 'meals' to Y Pax at all? My last probably dozen domestics have been all a 'snack' so I assume there is no such thing as a 'meal'?

Usually blow $10-$20 on the inflight buy on board instead.

PER - ADL sector is just a snack, not a meal too.

 

[cambriamarsh]

You are correct, and I did notice this when I purchased the ticket so I knew what to expect.

My point is that this is the kind of thing a LCC would do. I find it hard to believe VA when they say they're a full service airline, when I have to pay an extra $50 to get a meal.

Air NZ pull the same stunt but at least you can buy on board.

 

[eastwest101]

Flying them from DRW to SYD in a couple of weeks so I hope I'll get a meal there!

Please get back to us - but I have never seen anyone mention a proper meal served to any VA economy pax except on transcon services from the east coast to Perth.

Maybe DRW-SYD or DRW-MEL services may be the only other possibility of getting something that approaches a decent meal on VA?

 

[Saab34]

Quote from about 4 years ago

"Asked how this time was settled upon as the cut-off for free meals, the Virgin Australia spokesperson said “the 2h 45m mark has been identified as a key flight time when our guests would like a meal as part of their flight service.”

So it sounds like it's East/West and Denpasar. Fiji/Pacific no idea. Got nothing on a recent CNS-MEL flight though. I wonder what they are planning for HKG.

 

[flydoc]

Was served a tiny egg sandwich and a packet of apricot bites on VA1465 MEL-DRW last month. Marginally better than pretzels, but nowhere near the QF hotbox. Ate in the VA lounge prior, happily.

 

[cove]

I go on the A330 in J coast to coast so we have never experienced this no meal thing.

 

[llamaesque]

Kill the snack - provide simple meals at meal times (buy snacks at all other times). Free soft drinks from bottles, tea/coffee, juice all day with booze weekdays from 4pm on non-leisure routes

I don't disagree, but the lime chick pea snack they serve sometimes in the evening goes exceptionally well with a cold Corona (my standards are low perhaps).

 

[grubbidok]

Please get back to us - but I have never seen anyone mention a proper meal served to any VA economy pax except on transcon services from the east coast to Perth.

Maybe DRW-SYD or DRW-MEL services may be the only other possibility of getting something that approaches a decent meal on VA?

SYD-DRW;DRW-SYD was snack only in December.

 

[basso]

Snacks are a joke. Severe cost control. Last flight was a Gumnut Oatmeal Cookie. I checked, a box of 100 is less that $20.00.

 

[pauly7]

I actually like the suggestion of them canning their measly snack service all together and investing into providing actual breakfast / lunch / dinner options!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

It's all a bit bizarre. They seem to think a token crumb and a half thimble of water somehow justifies a claim of full service airline. I can only assume they fool the infrequent flyers. That in itself is the hallmarks of a LCC.

 

[grubbidok]

Snacks are a joke. Severe cost control. Last flight was a Gumnut Oatmeal Cookie. I checked, a box of 100 is less that $20.00.

For me the snack concept itself isn't so problematic as much as the fact that most of their snacks are cough and I usually decline them on this basis alone.

I'd be quite happy with a decent snack like cheese and crackers and decent beverage options (the little Bundaberg Ginger Beers is pretty much the only thing I miss from QF) over a "real meal" option that is executed poorly, and probably over-laden with salt, carbs and fat (like most airline meals are).

 

[mrmerc500]

Interesting comments by all, I actually didn't think the snacks on VA were this bad. I've just let my Gold Status expire but still have 6 VA Lounge passes. Being PER based, VA & QF offer a similar high level of service for Coast to Coast but having limited experience on the remaining VA network, don't see this limited snack service that is offered. I think travelling domestically, if your not chasing status & simply want the cheapest direct route, then JQ & TT can offer good value & there onboard menus provides variety with reasonable prices for their snacks.

 

[Lemon_Party]

For me the snack concept itself isn't so problematic as much as the fact that most of their snacks are cough and I usually decline them on this basis alone.

I'd be quite happy with a decent snack like cheese and crackers and decent beverage options (the little Bundaberg Ginger Beers is pretty much the only thing I miss from QF) over a "real meal" option that is executed poorly, and probably over-laden with salt, carbs and fat (like most airline meals are).

Maybe it's rose tinted glasses, but I feel like the old flexi meals on VA were a decent offering on the short flights. I preferred them to the rubbish I now eat on the coast to coast routes...

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Maybe it's rose tinted glasses, but I feel like the old flexi meals on VA were a decent offering on the short flights. I preferred them to the rubbish I now eat on the coast to coast routes...

The flexi wrap became very boring after a while. VA has never been able to come to grips with a meal in flight. Either so pathetically small they may as well not bother, or the same thing week in, week out without variation. They've totally missed the idea that small but nice meals may well win them many additional flyers. On QF the other day, I had a nice trout thingy with some garden weeds on the side which was actually really nice. This was in J but would cost almost nothing and it could be applied to Y, probably to positive feedback rather than the overwhelming negative reports they currently get.

 

[oz_mark]

Interesting comments by all, I actually didn't think the snacks on VA were this bad. I've just let my Gold Status expire but still have 6 VA Lounge passes. Being PER based, VA & QF offer a similar high level of service for Coast to Coast but having limited experience on the remaining VA network, don't see this limited snack service that is offered. I think travelling domestically, if your not chasing status & simply want the cheapest direct route, then JQ & TT can offer good value & there onboard menus provides variety with reasonable prices for their snacks.

Coast to coast, in my opinion, is fine. Similar offering, in a way, to Qantas.

However, get off those routes, and I am firmly in the 'give a decent snack, or don't bother' side on this one.

 

[Muppet501st]

Coast to coast, in my opinion, is fine. Similar offering, in a way, to Qantas.

However, get off those routes, and I am firmly in the 'give a decent snack, or don't bother' side on this one.

This ^^^^
a simple crackers and cheese for short flights, and don't advertise "included food"