Virgin Australia plates up new business class menu
The airline leans into a cafe feel with fresh seasonal offerings.
By David Flynn, November 13 2024
Chicken noodle salad with nuoc nam dressing, beef quesadilla with charred corn salsa and ‘southern-style’ chicken with potato wedges are just a few of the highlight dishes in Virgin Australia’s newly-refreshed business class menu for summer.
Taking flight from Wednesday November 20, these business class mains are complemented by indulgent treats such as a passionfruit & mango pancake stack, white chocolate and macadamia cake, and salted caramel slice.
Some of Virgin Australia's new business class spread for summer 2024.
Nothing on Virgin’s latest “globally-inspired” business class menu would look out of place in a trendy cafe, and that’s exactly the vibe Virgin wants; the airline even promises there’ll be a vegetarian option and “protein selection” on every flight.
“We’ve curated a diverse selection of meals and snacks that highlight premium Australian produce and cater to a variety of tastes,” explains Ali Dunn, Virgin Australia’s General Manager for Product and Customer Strategy, adding that both the business and economy menus offer “something for everyone.”
Some of Virgin Australia's new business class spread for summer 2024.
Of course, economy passengers have to pay for their meals and drinks (except for complimentary Grinders coffee, Madame Flavour tea, and water).
But even that buy-on-board menu sees an uplift from today, with new additions including
- spinach and ricotta cannelloni
- honey chicken fried rice
- hot Belgian chocolate waffles
- grapefruit margaritas and gin palomas
Chocolate waffles and cocktails: who said flying in economy can't be fun?
Click here to browse Virgin’s new economy menu for summer 2024; Virgin has also introduced digital receipts for onboard purchases, offering passengers an easier way to track their transactions.
As for business class, here’s the full menu which you’ll see on flights starting November 20.
Breakfast (menu items available on a rotating basis)
- Mixed berry and coconut chia
- Banana bread with hazelnut spread, mascarpone, fruit and coconut
- Spiced oats with coconut and fruit compote
- Breakfast quesadilla
- Scrambled egg with potato and mushroom with optional chorizo
- Greek Yoghurt with summer fruits
- Bircher muesli with fruit
- Passionfruit & mango pancake stack
- Sausage & frittata with beans
- Waffle with rhubarb mascarpone, strawberries and maple syrup
- Fruit salad
- Fresh fruit chia pudding with summer compote
- Apple loaf with custard and berry compote
- Bacon, scrambled eggs, beans and potato
- Vegetable frittata with bean ragout and vegetables
Passionfruit & mango pancake stack.
Lunch/Dinner (menu items available on a rotating basis)
- Spiced chicken mezze with pitta
- Creamy pasta salad with optional chicken
- Spiced chicken with rice and salsa
- Tomato pesto macaroni with vegetables and optional chicken
- Beef rendang with aged rice and vegetables
- Mac and cheese with ratatouille and optional chorizo
- Chicken noodle salad with nuoc nam dressing
- Summer potato salad with salsa and optional sliced chicken breast
- Singaporean-style chicken curry with rice and vegetables
- Pasta Napolitana with ratatouille and optional chorizo
- Pork in sticky lemon sauce with aged rice and vegetables
- Creamy pasta with mushroom sauce and optional prosciutto
- Chicken pasta salad with tzatziki
- Roasted vegetable and couscous salad with optional prosciutto
- Beef quesadilla with charred corn salsa
- Vegetable and chickpea tagine with aged rice and optional sliced chicken breast
- Southern-style chicken with potato wedges, vegetables and boscaiola sauce
- Yellow vegetable curry with optional sliced chicken breast
Chicken noodle salad with nuoc nam dressing.
Dessert (items available on a rotating basis)
- Salted caramel slice
- Lemon cake
- White chocolate and macadamia cake
Follow your Pasta Napolitana with a salted caramel slice.
It’s been a busy few months for Virgin Australia – as we’ve previously reported, the airline’s Velocity Frequent Flyer program is moving to spend-based status earning with one status credit for every $12 spent on most fares, so that Velocity Gold will require a $6,000 spend and Velocity Platinum a $12,000 spend.
As part of that overhaul, there’ll also be lifetime Velocity status and a new Velocity Platinum Plus tier, a shake-up to points-based Velocity reward seats on Virgin and its international partners, and new American Express Velocity credit cards offering unlimited lounge access.
Meanwhile, Virgin also looks set to change its long-standing partnerships with Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways if Qatar Airways gets the go-ahead for a 25% stake in Virgin – a move which would see more Qatar Airways flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth to Doha, and potentially even a return for Virgin Australia’s 777s.
Also read: Your fast-track to Gold grade perks on Virgin Australia, Star Alliance
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Jan 2018
Total posts 775
WoW! Impressive.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 1024
Yes Well Done Ali Dunn 🥳
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 1024
I'll also add sometimes I just want a Chicken Wrap, surely this can be accommodated from the buy on economy menu!!!!
09 Aug 2015
Total posts 107
Yeah, you would think VA would let you choose some free things from the economy menu as an alternative, eg a main, a side, a dessert and a drink. Same make-up as the business class meal.
31 Mar 2014
Total posts 397
Nice sounding menu.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Sep 2015
Total posts 31
Looks very nice indeed
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 483
Looks great, my flights in VA business have all been great meals. Honestly Qantas, is it so hard to step away from the fancy stuff and just deliver solidly on the basics like this? When VA brought back proper business class meals they were all about this 'cafe-style' menu and when it's done well, like this, that's all you need, at least on a domestic flight.
29 Mar 2017
Total posts 32
Looks good. They could get rid of the cheese and biscuit in a packet - I find it so tacky and particularly underwhelming. A nice piece of cheese on the plate (that is already on the tracy for the packet cheese and biscuits) would be far more appealing, less waste and less detracting from the otherwise very pleasant meals.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 Nov 2019
Total posts 88
Virgin Australia business has been far superior than Qantas for two years now. From pricing, service, friendly faces, no fuss clean meals, good booze, and now Qatar part control, who on earth would fly Qantas?
18 Sep 2015
Total posts 140
Good stuff. Now to fix the lounge food...
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 May 2013
Total posts 69
Looks delicious, I look forward to trying this new menu out when I fly to Perth Thursday week.
28 Sep 2022
Total posts 24
That looks so good - legit way way better food than Qantas business
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
26 Nov 2012
Total posts 127
A lot of that stuff isn’t new. Their portions are always measly and it never arrives looking like that. BUT it is better than Qantas and the team always look after you. The BIGGEST issue they have is that they never cater for choice I usually sit in 2C and rarely get a choice unless the crew know their service standard is to serve WP and Beyond first (which is hit and miss)
17 Nov 2023
Total posts 45
Meat meat and more meat (preferably beef or lamb) is what I want to eat when I fly.
None of the this vego rubbish either thanks.
09 Aug 2015
Total posts 107
Out of interest, what sort of beef or lamb dishes would you like to see and on the inflight menu?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Mar 2024
Total posts 2
Bad luck if you do not eat chicken and are not overly partial to vegetarian meals. What ever happened to red meat?
28 Apr 2021
Total posts 32
It will be most interesting if anyone one from Qantas with responsibility takes a look at what Virgin are offering to Passengers in Business Class for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and in-between.
Recently a big 'Hoo-Ha' was made about the bar being lifted for the Economy Passengers, but alas for those in the 'pointy end' Domestic J Class travelers, as we found recently on a couple of 4 hour sectors, the offerings were miserable and lacked imagine.
It was good to see the option of Scrambled egg with potato and mushroom on the Virgin menu for Breakfast and once upon a time it was Poached egg with bacon and tomato, before Qantas embarked on renditions such as Curried pork or Pizza, that are not exactly the best type of options to start the day.
Can those choosing to travel in the QF front cabin, live in hope changes will soon be made to match the Virgin J Class meals?.
UA
30 Jun 2015
Total posts 36
Row 1 usually gets a choice and Row 2 the remaining vegetarian meals.
VA should implement online pre-order improving satisfaction yet still achieve no-waste catering.
23 Oct 2014
Total posts 239
It’s hard to fathom people wanting to fly Qantas and then hold hopes QF look at VA to match their J new meals all whilst paying double for the tickets on QF - I mean really !
29 Jan 2020
Total posts 37
I would suggest it is now meat lovers who are being discriminated against, and given minimal choice.
Bring back pre order if you want vegetarian or vegan!
21 Apr 2019
Total posts 22
Portions require a 25% increase especially deserts. They are so tiny it is like an after thought.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Mar 2015
Total posts 232
The new menu's do look great that is if you can actually get one you like!! As a couple of people have stated those sitting in row 2 get what's left of any choices!!
Surely in this day and age of technology it would not be very hard for VA to implement a meal request service for a full fare passenger ( not practicable for last minute upgrades ) . Time for VA to have a good look at this with a few provisos such as only full fare and made at least 48 hours in advance.
I usually fly 3-4 / year J Class full fare from Brisbane to Perth and it's very annoying to only get what is left of the choices as happens nearly all of the time if you are in row 2 which has better leg room and under seat storage.
This should not be too hard to implement.
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