Travelled over the weekend with Virgin from Bris to Syd and return. I was a big fan of the pre-Covid Virgin Business Class and dismayed at the contemptuous attempt at providing business class during Covid.
The verdict - it was good - not at quite the excellent standard of before, it has made me rethink my decision to to potentially switch to Qantas. I liked that they offered a choice of drinks before takeoff (including sparkling wine) and that the rope went up allowing us to disembark without that huge line forming in the aisle. Service was good on the way down and excellent on the way back, something that always changes depending on the crew.
I thought the choice of food in the lounge was better than before. While served by an attendant, the choice has been expanded to include fresh sandwiches, salads, cheese and crackers and pita an dips. The stacks of toasted ham and cheese sandwiches reminded me of the kiosk at the drive-in circa 1981, but they were very popular.
Initially nervous with going with Virgin again, I look forward to my next flight with them.
For me, the onboard catering is not as good as it used to be but the lounge experience is much better.
I dont drink alcohol, and the range of juices and soft drinks onboard my flight the other day was very poor. They used to serve fresh OJ, for example, now it is the long life processed stuff. I asked for a ginger beer, they said they couldnt offer it in business but I could buy it off the economy menu. The cheese platter used to be fab (I loved the Luke Mangan fig paste) but now it is really lean, and there was no dessert offering at all.
I think the lounges have been upgraded with newer furniture and carpet (eg in Sydney) and the food is much better than pre-covid times. The new Adelaide lounge is lovely too. So that is a big win. I was in the Virgin Sydney lounge yesterday and would rate it higher than the Qantas business lounge in the adjacent terminal. The Club lounge in Melbourne is really first class quality, it would be nice if that could remain available in the longer term.
So overall, the business experience is pretty good and of course great value overall. Just the onboard catering is a bit lacking. Not bad, just not as good as it used to be. The service is still great on the ground and in the air. We are very lucky in Australia.
BrisLuxe
BrisLuxe
Member since 17 Jan 2019
Total posts 5
Travelled over the weekend with Virgin from Bris to Syd and return. I was a big fan of the pre-Covid Virgin Business Class and dismayed at the contemptuous attempt at providing business class during Covid.
The verdict - it was good - not at quite the excellent standard of before, it has made me rethink my decision to to potentially switch to Qantas. I liked that they offered a choice of drinks before takeoff (including sparkling wine) and that the rope went up allowing us to disembark without that huge line forming in the aisle. Service was good on the way down and excellent on the way back, something that always changes depending on the crew.
I thought the choice of food in the lounge was better than before. While served by an attendant, the choice has been expanded to include fresh sandwiches, salads, cheese and crackers and pita an dips. The stacks of toasted ham and cheese sandwiches reminded me of the kiosk at the drive-in circa 1981, but they were very popular.
Initially nervous with going with Virgin again, I look forward to my next flight with them.
spacecadet
spacecadet
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 25 Jul 2013
Total posts 33
For me, the onboard catering is not as good as it used to be but the lounge experience is much better.
I dont drink alcohol, and the range of juices and soft drinks onboard my flight the other day was very poor. They used to serve fresh OJ, for example, now it is the long life processed stuff. I asked for a ginger beer, they said they couldnt offer it in business but I could buy it off the economy menu. The cheese platter used to be fab (I loved the Luke Mangan fig paste) but now it is really lean, and there was no dessert offering at all.
I think the lounges have been upgraded with newer furniture and carpet (eg in Sydney) and the food is much better than pre-covid times. The new Adelaide lounge is lovely too. So that is a big win. I was in the Virgin Sydney lounge yesterday and would rate it higher than the Qantas business lounge in the adjacent terminal. The Club lounge in Melbourne is really first class quality, it would be nice if that could remain available in the longer term.
So overall, the business experience is pretty good and of course great value overall. Just the onboard catering is a bit lacking. Not bad, just not as good as it used to be. The service is still great on the ground and in the air. We are very lucky in Australia.
Steladon
Steladon
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 13 Jun 2018
Total posts 6
Funny story - ordered what I thought was a warm turkey sandwich. What arrived was a vegetarian pesto sandwich on “Turkish bread”.
This was a communication issue with the staff verbally providing the options but the face masks muffling the words somewhat.
The service however was very attentive and the other passengers who were loading up on wine and spirits never ran dry.
Next time I will listen very attentively!