When airlines start thinking of how to create a memorable experience for their customers, things often end up coming back to food.
Save for the most extreme examples, few will remember how comfortable the seat was or how long the plane sat on the tarmac even a few days after the flight. But when it comes to food, many have stories ranging from the horrible (the proverbial rubbery airplane chicken) to the excellent (several generations of United Airlines (UAL) -) travelers associate the airline's long-haul flights with being served ice cream.)
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The latest to shake up its food offering for the fall is the luxury airline Virgin Atlantic (SPCE) -). On Oct. 4, Virgin Atlantic will roll out its Fall 2023 menu tailored to different traveler classes.
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For Economy Delight (this is an upgraded economy class that is called Economy Premium at most airlines), the airline is adding new snacks such as Walker's shortbread fingers, Vanilla Oreo cookie and Cadbury Mini Fingers and also adding autumn-themed chicken, leek and tarragon casserole and creamy spinach and butternut pasta to its selection of entrees.
Fancy cheeses and calamari and breakfast bar, oh my!
Those traveling in Premium class will also be able to choose between Savoursmiths champagne and Serrano ham-flavored British crisps (potato chips) and LoveRaw vegan caramelized biscuit bars as their in-flight snack option and have a slightly fancier choice of lunch and dinner options — chicken lasagna, sage and thyme pork stew and panko-coated tofu with katsu vegetable curry along with a plate of British cheeses with any of the entrees.
The fanciest menu choices will, naturally, be available for those traveling in the equivalent of first, or Upper Class. Those Upper Class travelers who are in the air during either the departure or arrival city's breakfast hours will be given a "build your own breakfast" card that lets them pick between different types of yogurts, fruit and pastries.
Lunch and dinner entrees include stilton and walnut salad, lobster, clam and calamari paella with saffron and paprika rice, golden beetroot tartare with candied beet, roasted trout fillet and four cheese agnolotti pasta with tomato sauce.
'Contemporary and extensive selection of dishes' (for those traveling in first class)
Little touches in all the traveler classes include a selection of British scones and more "wellness" drinks such as matcha, sparkling iced tea and kombucha. New alcoholic drinks added to the menu include a Côtes du Rhône red wine and Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand although the finer wines will only be available to higher traveler classes.
A key difference that will affect those in Economy Premium is the new ability to pre-select one's meal. While this is increasingly common between airlines, those in economy previously had to wait until the flight to choose between the entree options.
"We're delighted to introduce our new onboard menu, marking the return of the season that makes our customers crave some winter sun," Virgin Atlantic's Chief Consumer and Operator Officer Corneel Koster said in a statement on the new menu. "At Virgin Atlantic we're always looking to create memorable moments onboard, which is why we strive to offer an unmatched, contemporary and extensive selection of dishes across our cabins."
