View Full Version : Virgin Atlantic New Economy Meal Service
Received email today re Virgins new meal service.
"Two years of thorough research, expert design and extensive onboard trialling have all lead up to 1 November, when we unveil the innovative, new Virgin Atlantic Economy meal experience. Our goal? To make sure that everything we came up with made your journey better.
The result is our best ever meal experience. An innovative, exciting, new take on dining that we're very proud of. You can look forward to something that feels much more like what you’d experience on the ground, with loads of those perfectly considered surprises you’ve come to expect from Virgin Atlantic.
When the plane takes off, you'll be handed our brand new menu. It's packed full of things to whet your appetite.
On most flights, it’s then time for our drinks service, including the new Welcome Cocktail. A refreshing mix of fruit juices with or without vodka, it’s served in our fabulous new purple glass with a stylish, quirky, new swizzle stick. You can also choose from our usual wide selection of beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks too.
When we start serving your meal, you'll not only notice that the tray is smaller, giving you more space on your tray table, but somehow we've managed to give you even more food. And it's tastier too, because we've enhanced our selection of produce.
There's another quite important difference. There's no longer a dessert on the tray. One of our most exciting improvements is the fact we've separated everything into courses. The entrée and main are served first. Then, after we've cleared your tray away, we serve a delicious dessert with coffee, tea, or, our new addition on night flights, hot chocolate. On our shorter night flights, you'll still find dessert on your tray so you can maximise your sleep time."
Hope anyone travelling on Virgin post 1st November will give details if any improvements re food/service.[msnwink]
sammibabe
03-11-2011, 19:36
Lets hope they have also sorted the food better for peeps with special dietary requirements. My daughter is gluten free and it is poor on the way out and breakfast is practically non existent on return. I think last time she had a fruit bag! The chief stewardess went and found her an individual box of frosties. Why can't they offer that as a matter of course? She knew she could have them as her Dad is coeliac but otherwise........
freddiehollie
03-11-2011, 20:04
I wouldn't worry about food on airlines (its all poor at best, in any class) take your own. We always do & have never had a complaint yet[msnwink]
Its great watching people opening airline food & pushing into a pile to be taken away[xx(], while we tuck in to something nice[msntongue]. I can never understand all the fuss its only a way to keep you in your seats.
steph_goodrum
03-11-2011, 21:06
Lets hope with the revamp on planes promised
"Over the coming year we’re investing £100 million to give you a sensational flying experience – you’ll find changes to our service and throughout our planes. Plus we’re sprucing up some of our Clubhouses and getting ready for more A330-300’s to join the fleet.
We’re spending £56 million on a fabulous makeover of our Gatwick Boeing 747 fleet. So if you’re travelling to/from Orlando, Las Vegas and the Caribbean, you’ll be treated to new seats, a revolutionary inflight entertainment system and gorgeous refreshed cabins.
the service gets back to what it used to be. No all we have to do is get them to reinstate the luggage allowance or at least match BA hand luggage allowance.
Laurel Oak
04-11-2011, 01:39
Flown in today on VS75 from Manchester in PE and the food by airlne standards was good. My daughter and her fiance were in Economy and said the food was good (again by airline standards).
Katys Grandad
04-11-2011, 03:35
Does anybody actually take the food service into account when they decide which airline they choose? I don't agree that it's all poor and can't criticise Virgin for trying to make it better but I'd never pay extra just because they gave me a free drink or a piece of fruit.
erowlands
04-11-2011, 05:17
We fly on the 16th on vs 75 so we can't wait!! (to get to the villa)
Eric
steph_goodrum
04-11-2011, 05:57
Does anybody actually take the food service into account when they decide which airline they choose? I don't agree that it's all poor and can't criticise Virgin for trying to make it better but I'd never pay extra just because they gave me a free drink or a piece of fruit.
It's all about the overall experience to me and over the last 10 years Virgin has degraded theirs down to the bare minimum so the only bonus was the extra luggage over a charter flight, now that has eroded as well (from 64kgs to 23kgs) and now BA has a more generous hand luggage allowance there is no benefit over a charter imo so price will be the deciding factor .
Does anybody actually take the food service into account when they decide which airline they choose? I don't agree that it's all poor and can't criticise Virgin for trying to make it better but I'd never pay extra just because they gave me a free drink or a piece of fruit.
As we do not fly first class where we would expect the food to be 'enjoyable' we never take the food service into account and base our choice on schedule, cost and baggage allowance
I like the idea that the new food service will come as a set of courses rather than just one tray with everything tightly packed together.
If only they would just put an extra couple of inches between each seat ...
luckylady
04-11-2011, 12:47
Personally I don't take the food into consideration when choosing my flights. Meals are just a distraction for me to relief the boredom. I eat what I like, the rest I give to my better half he will eat anything!!
The food I had on the VS15 last Thursday from Gatwick was acceptable. I don't even think about the food when I book a flight.
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
04-11-2011, 13:41
It's got to be a positive move as the food on Virgin has not been good for quite a long time.
We always have a big meal before we get on the plane and never touch any of the food on-board. It works for us and on the way home means you don't have to eat at about 2am UK time when they serve the evening meal about an hour or two after take-off from Orlando. Eating at 2am does not help with the jet lag at all and we've all found by missing out the food they serve you on the way home, our bodies adjust back to UK time *much* quicker than before.
Eating before the flight is a big help John. It kicks off your digestive system, which in turn takes a lot of energy and makes you feel tired and so it helps you sleep on the flight home which helps with the jet lag.
Eating before the flight is a big help John. It kicks off your digestive system, which in turn takes a lot of energy and makes you feel tired and so it helps you sleep on the flight home which helps with the jet lag.
I'll give that a try next year and see if it works.
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
04-11-2011, 16:45
It's worked really well for us the last few times we've tried it :). I am not usually able to sleep on flights but that has now changed :).
Also, there seems little point in keeping yourself awake (for up to 3 hours, depending on how quick the cabin crew are with the food) just to have some food that is practically inedible anyway and at a daft time of the night UK time. Much better to settle down and get some sleep on a full meal from a nice restaurant before the flight.
I'll give that a try next year and see if it works.
This is exactly what I have done the last few flights and what a difference it makes to jet lag! That and melatonin when I get home helps to reajust
It's worked really well for us the last few times we've tried it :). I am not usually able to sleep on flights but that has now changed :).
Also, there seems little point in keeping yourself awake (for up to 3 hours, depending on how quick the cabin crew are with the food) just to have some food that is practically inedible anyway and at a daft time of the night UK time. Much better to settle down and get some sleep on a full meal from a nice restaurant before the flight.
Katys Grandad
04-11-2011, 17:31
So it looks like the answer is not to bother with the food on night flights. Maybe Virgin should have read this thread before going to the trouble of improving what's on offer.
Madabouttigger
04-11-2011, 17:32
I may give that a try. Have never managed to sleep on a flight and arrive home shattered. Thanks for the advice.
My husband is the only one that manages to sleep on a flight home .... but then he could fall asleep on a bed of nails !! Virgin's meals definitely needed improving but is the cost of this revamp being passed on to the passengers.... I somehow think it will be !!
Food is not and is highly unlikely to become a consideration for us when it comes to booking a flight. I usually decline food when travelling economy with Virgin, as their economy service has become so bad over the years. They hide behind their curtain and leave the empty tray in front of you for hours (it's probably not hours but it feels like it) before coming to collect, and it drives me mad, so I prefer not to bother with the meal.
sammibabe
08-11-2011, 08:55
They are unlikely to do it out of their pockets so will be passed on for sure. After reading about melatonin on here have taken it for the last few trips and it has helped. I will also try eating before the flight next time (but by the time we go it will probably be gourmet meals on china it is so far in the future!!)
florida4sun
08-11-2011, 10:24
Me too, never consider the food, here is only so much they can do with what is basicly a packed warmed up lunch. As for clearing, just ask them, i do on just about every flight as i am busy on my laptop and need the space. Obvioulsy they like to collect stuff all in one go but I have never had a polite request turned down.
Food is not and is highly unlikely to become a consideration for us when it comes to booking a flight. I usually decline food when travelling economy with Virgin, as their economy service has become so bad over the years. They hide behind their curtain and leave the empty tray in front of you for hours (it's probably not hours but it feels like it) before coming to collect, and it drives me mad, so I prefer not to bother with the meal.
My husband travelled to MCO yesterday with this new service. The time between eating the main course and them delivering the desert was so long, he fell asleep and missed it. He said the 'afternoon tea' was much better than previously. Sandwich and a cream tea.
SteveandJan
08-11-2011, 15:30
This is exactly what I have done the last few flights and what a difference it makes to jet lag! That and melatonin when I get home helps to reajust
ditto
tonyjameswright
12-11-2011, 22:36
We always take our own food, Virgin would have to do much more than merely revamp their offerings if they were to tempt us to touch it!
I must admit I very much doubt a few nicer meals are gonna make people want to book with virgin.
However I do think virgin realise they have lost the one thing they had over BA and that was the whole experience. If this one factor added to a re-vamp of their 747 means they become no1 choice again then this cam only be good.
I for one have not enjoyed our 2 previous flights with them since flying with BA so will be happy if they up their standards.
I like the idea that the new food service will come as a set of courses rather than just one tray with everything tightly packed together.
If only they would just put an extra couple of inches between each seat ...
The new Airbus service has about 1 inch extra legroom (which does make quite a difference), but if you get a bulkhead seat (with extra legroom) you lose about 1.5 inches in seat width, due to the folding TV screen and lap tray, both of which are in the armrest. The entertainment system is much improved from what was offered on the 747. The food is still nothing to get excited about; we still take our own.
We returned from Florida on the new Airbus yesterday. I am only 5' and I found the space to 'feel' smaller than before. I was absolutely crammed in and could not even pick my bag up which I had under the seat in front of me. The food was okayish, but even smaller portions than normal. The breakfast was not to my liking. A dried up croissant in a plastic bag, jam, (no butter which was needed as it was so dry) a yoghurt and orange juice. Will definitely be taking some food on the flight with me next time and I don't normally do that. Nice TV console with plenty of self selection films, games, news, TV etc., and the toilets were much nicer as they were new. The lack of space though - very disappointing.
I have found in the past that sometimes you can wait ages for your tea/coffee after you have finished your meal even though you still have your tray, if they have to come round collecting up all the trays before they start serving your dessert etc how long is that going to take?