Virgin Australia trials 'grab and go' airport lounge breakfasts
By David Flynn, December 5 2017
EXCLUSIVE | Virgin Australia will offer 'Grab & Go' meals at its Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane lounges, allowing passengers to quickly bundle up a light breakfast or brunch to bring on board their flight.
The concept will be introduced today, Wednesday December 6, and run through to March 2018 as a three-month trial of the concept.
However, the airline says this will not result in changes to either the regular lounge menu nor inflight meals.
From when the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane lounges open until 10.30am, travellers will be able to grab a take-away espresso coffee and a breakfast item such as a muffin, pastry or a piece of fruit, from a 'Grab & Go' station, stow them into a small carry bag and head to their flight.
If you'd rather a travel-friendly toastie, there'll also be a toasted sandwich station with grease-proof paper bags to take away.
Virgin predicts the concept will be particularly convenient for business travellers who don't have much time to spend in the lounge before their flight.
"We know that sometimes our guests are in a hurry in the morning and don’t have time to spend in the lounge before their flight," says Virgin Australia's General Manager for Inflight Experience, Tash Tobias. "So we’ve come up with a way that guests can have their coffee and favourite breakfast items from the lounge, and still make their flight."
Grab-and-go lounge meals was one of several ideas floated by the airline to in July 2017 to a series of focus groups on Virgin's meal and drink service.
Other options discussed, and potentially still to be rolled out by Virgin, included more substantial 'complimentary snacks' for economy class passengers and the introduction of buying meals and snacks from kiosks at the departure gate, in partnership with airport retail outlets such as Sumo Salad.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Turkish Airlines - Miles & Smiles
08 Jun 2014
Total posts 262
Budget Airline?
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 174
In what way, Matt? Cathay Pacific has a 'grab and go' arrangement at what it calls The Pantry at its Pier lounges in Hong Kong and also in London, and I think you will see that CX is not a 'budget airline'.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jul 2014
Total posts 143
Yes but Cathay gives you more than a snack onboard
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 174
A few early comments once again over-reacting without thinking this through. VA says no cuts to lounge meals or inflight meals so this is an addition to the current service offering, which no doubt some people will find useful. How many people remains to be seen, one reason why this is a 'trial'. Agree that juggling a take-away container with a snack and coffee along with your bag and boarding pass and phone while trying to navigate narrow aisles and trying to put your bag in the overhead locker could lead some some coffee spills though.
12 Aug 2017
Total posts 75
Oh no, a recipe for disaster!
27 Aug 2015
Total posts 26
Calm down doomsayers.....its a "trial" lol
23 Feb 2015
Total posts 260
Lipstick on a pig me thinks. A “trial” of something already permitted and done by many due to lousy on board catering. Grease proof bags are a nice touch though.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 1010
Hey wasn't it Qantas that introduced takeaway coffee "Doomsdayers" Let's bash someone for trying to push forward
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Jul 2011
Total posts 60
I have a strong preference for Qantas, but this sounds like a great idea if it is in addition to their existing offering. Especially for those trips where you want to pretty much walk straight on the plane - go grab a small bag of food and coffee.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
19 Jun 2017
Total posts 41
That sounds like an interesting idea; however, it concerns me the amount of waste that the takeaway cups will produce. If VA comes up with something about it, it will be a winning idea.
12 Sep 2017
Total posts 17
How about improving the on-board catering instead ?
Virgin Blue - Velocity Rewards
12 May 2011
Total posts 23
They're gearing this offer to Gold and Platinums as access is presided you have lounge access. I think it's clever. Will lead to a small increase in costs due to more items getting used but not a huge investment from their end.
02 Jun 2013
Total posts 57
This was in the BNE lounge this morning - muffins, fruit etc. all in addition to the existing lounge and on board offering.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
12 Jun 2016
Total posts 45
More re-arranging of deck chairs on the Titanic!
07 Mar 2017
Total posts 63
Username checks out.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
30 Nov 2015
Total posts 729
Grease proof bags, yikes, they don't go well with suits or decent clothing. Can you imagine the smells permeating the cabin with this trial and all the butter trails. No thanks. Keep toasties in the lounge.
23 Oct 2014
Total posts 238
Haha now I’ve heard it all!
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
30 Nov 2015
Total posts 729
It only takes one toastie in that butter dripping so called grease proof bag to ruin an entire flight. As for an improvement, I find that very hard to believe.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
08 Mar 2017
Total posts 3
The person next to you cold spill a coffee on you as it is today from the coffee provided on board. How is this any different? Calm your farm.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
15 Aug 2012
Total posts 171
Interesting move by VA. Mainly from the perspective that it's kind of communicating that they're inflight service isn't sufficient.
22 Dec 2012
Total posts 35
This seems surprisingly sensible. Everyone knows that on-board catering is pretty lousy on Virgin. But providing food in the air is probably a lot more expensive than providing some grab-an-go meals on the ground. This way Virgin focuses its catering on loyal fliers.
07 Nov 2017
Total posts 28
This seems like the death throes of what was, not so long ago, a respectable airline.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
22 May 2013
Total posts 24
Wow a moral panic over a trial. I've seen it all now.
07 Jan 2017
Total posts 30
Some airlines have a policy of no byo hot drinks on board.
11 Dec 2016
Total posts 11
@Damien, I'd say it's catered on Lounge Using passengers, as even Nothing Reds can gain Lounge Access by paying $65.
07 Nov 2017
Total posts 28
How does it add a "premium" feel? You can grab a pastry, toastie and coffee in just about any airline lounge in the world.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
26 Nov 2017
Total posts 16
Well done VA for at least trialing this. Seems many people looking to knock them without reading the detail. Nothing is being removed. Just an added convenience. However I do share the concern re the potential for a more painful boarding process. However, any potential pain in boarding with a sandwich and coffee would be countered by limiting hand luggage. Seriously, the amount of hand luggage I see is crazy. It should be one piece and maybe a suit bag absolute maximum.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
26 Nov 2017
Total posts 16
Since when did allowing you to take a sandwich on-board equal the end of an airline? I bet if once the trial is over and they withdraw it the same people will be howling again!
23 Oct 2014
Total posts 238
Declanr exactly!
21 Dec 2012
Total posts 44
it might be mostly just adding a stand of greaseproof paper bags - but I hope the trial is a success. I'd much rather have the bags than trying to wrap a sandwich or something in a couple of paper serviettes.
07 Dec 2017
Total posts 4
Much ado about nothing!
29 Jan 2012
Total posts 182
Lets take Virgin to a new low. Its now selling its self as a grab and go tuck shop food outlet. They say there trying to gain market ground with decisions like this - perhaps time to give up all together and join Easy Jet as a partner airline. Time for Virgin to replace their Marketing Team for one that works!
14 Jan 2013
Total posts 19
I think this is a great idea when in a hurry.
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