Virgin Australia Offers Snacks on Domestic Flights

13th Mar 2014

Virgin Australia is now offering a free snack for its domestic passengers on economy class between the country's three major cities of Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. The free food and drinks will be offered on all domestic flights across the country's busiest routes.

Economy passengers taking any of Virgin Australia's domestic flights between the cities of Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney will now enjoy a free snack and drinks on board.

While the menu selections vary depending on the route and time of day, the new service offering is, nonetheless, a welcome service improvement to most economy passengers on domestic flights who are used to flying across Australia for years without free in-flight food.

What, exactly, would you expect to munch on during your flight between Brisbane to Sydney? That depends, as mentioned earlier, on the time of day. If you fly from Brisbane to Sydney on a morning flight, say VA916, that departs at 7am, you will be treated to a choice of carrot and ginger muffin in addition to muesli and honey slice, with either coffee, tea or juice for your drinks.

If you want to imbibe soft drinks or alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine, you can opt to take an evening service on your return flight starting 5pm. Food choices during evening flights include Mainland Tasty cheese and crackers. As usual, coffee, tea and water are still bottomless for all flights throughout the day.

Wine selections include both red and white wine from New South Wales' Talinga Park vineyard in Riverina. You can also have either Pure Blonde Premium, Carlton Dry and Strongbow Cider (Original), if you want cider instead.

Don't expect the crew to spoil you on any of the alcoholic drinks as they won't offer you a second glass.

In contrast, Qantas crew offers its passengers on similar flights, second round of alcoholic drinks. It is also worth noting that Virgin doesn't offer soft drinks and alcoholic drinks on daytime flights or outside 5pm-7pm period.

Virgin Australia also offers similar service, sans alcoholic beverages, on flights between Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney; within Western Australia (that includes flights to Christmas and Cocos Islands); ATR-operated flights between Port Headland and Denpasar (Indonesia); and Melbourne to Kalgoorlie flights.

Though the airline offers full range of food and beverage service to 'coast to coast' flights between Perth and the East Coast cities of Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, they are not offered free to the passengers.

Economy passengers on domestic flights across the country's major capital cities (mainland only) will enjoy the new service offering by Virgin Australia on weekdays. Most other domestic flights on routes outside these capital cities only offer the usual coffee, tea or water to its economy passengers as freebies.

The new offering is part of the airline's trial service for its inflight menu that will soon be expanded to include all domestic routes across the country before the year ends.

Virgin Australia's recent move is a counteraction to Qantas' own free meal service on board which has been the latter's edge over the former.