12 April 2022 | Customer

Virgin Australia launches exclusive new in-flight and Lounge menu with Betty's Burgers and Boost Juice

  • Virgin Australia will bring Noosa’s favourite burger restaurant to its lounges in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, with a mouth-watering new menu featuring specially-created Betty’s Burgers items.
  • On board, Virgin Australia will launch an enhanced Economy menu that features products from Boost Juice, Australia’s favourite juice and smoothie bar, and a new Kids’ Reverse Menu.
  • To celebrate, Virgin Australia will give away FREE Betty’s burgers for the first 100 guests and 25 Velocity Frequent Flyer Pilot Gold memberships from 9.30am-10.30am at Betty’s Burgers Noosa (Hastings Street), today.

Virgin Australia has today revealed mouth-watering new additions to its Lounge offering, giving travellers a chance to sink their teeth into tasty new menu items created exclusively in partnership with Australia’s iconic burger restaurant, Betty's Burgers.

The unique collaboration, reimagining airline food, is the first time that Betty’s Burgers has created exclusive menu items with another brand, bringing a little taste of Noosa into Virgin Australia lounges in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane from this Thursday.

Menu items designed exclusively for Virgin Australia guests, include a luxe Betty’s Truffle Cheeseburger and Betty’s Crispy Popcorn Chicken.

The Betty’s menu items will be on offer for Lounge members for dinner on Thursday and Friday each week as part of airline’s extensive Lounge food and beverage menu offering.

Virgin Australia flights Boost(ed) with enhanced Economy buy onboard menu

Virgin Australia has also lifted the curtain on its revamped in-flight buy onboard Economy menu, featuring a range of fresh juices and snacks as part of a new partnership with Boost Juice.

Available from tomorrow (Wednesday), Boost will stock Virgin Australia flights nationally with a “Getaway” and “Tropical Landing” juice, as well as healthy snacks including Boost Chickpea Lime & Chilli Crisps and Boost’s Smoothie Bites bars in flavours Mornin’ Mango and Pineapple Berry Sunrise. 

The Boost Chickpea Crisps are exclusive to Virgin Australia flights and packaging for the Boost products has been designed with aviation at the forefront of the creative.

Kids’ Reverse Menu

In a twist sure to keep children happy at 30,000 feet, Virgin Australia has also launched a new Kids’ Reverse Menu, where dessert is served before the main meal!

In what is another example of Virgin Australia’s modern and unconventional airline food, the Kids’ Reverse Menu can be purchased onboard as part of a bundle package for $16 (+ $1 additional for a drink), and comes served on an interactive placemat with coloured pencils to keep the kids entertained.

Little ones (and big kids alike) can choose a sweet snack, a cold drink (optional) and a sandwich or wrap, and eat them in whichever order they want. The idea being that in the air, the normal rules don’t apply!

Commentary

Virgin Australia Group Chief Customer & Digital Officer, Paul Jones said the new partnerships with Betty’s Burgers and Boost Juice are a game-changer for the Virgin Australia guest offering. 

“Betty’s Burgers and Boost Juice are such vibrant and energetic brands with an awesome range of products that Australians already love, and we are so proud to welcome them to the Virgin Australia family,” said Mr Jones.

“We are incredibly focussed on delivering great experiences our guests love and these partnerships are a testament to the value and commitment Virgin Australia is bringing to every step of the journey.

“From airfare pricing, to rewards through Velocity Frequent Flyer, and great travel experiences in our lounges and on board our flights, we are really turning the historic airline customer offering on its head to bring something new, fresh and vibrant to the market.

Commenting on the Betty’s Lounge menu offering specifically, Mr Jones said “Our lounges are highly valued by our Velocity Frequent Flyer members, and today is just the start of a new journey to elevate the guest experience in these spaces,” he said.

Betty's Burgers Managing Director Troy McDonagh said the brand synergies are a genuine fit. 

“We see the Betty’s brand as experimental and similar to Virgin Australia, it’s a brand that likes to do things differently and keep things fresh. We love the idea of shaking up traditional lounge food with something fun and memorable,” said Mr McDonagh.

“Our restaurants are uniquely Betty’s, with a strong Aussie beach vibe and a sense that you’re on holiday seven days a week. Travel should start from the moment you leave your door and arrive at the airport, so we’re so excited to be able to provide Virgin Australia Lounge guests with a little taste of beautiful Noosa right at the very start of every trip,” he said. 

Betty’s and Velocity Frequent Flyer giveaways galore from 9.30am-10.30am today

To celebrate the exclusive Betty’s Burgers’ Lounge menu, Virgin Australia will take up residency within the flagship Betty’s Restaurant on Hastings Street, Noosa today – offering the first 100 guests a FREE trial of the NEW Betty’s Truffle Cheeseburgers and Betty’s Crispy Popcorn Chicken from 9:30am - 10:30am.

PLUS, the first 25 adults to arrive will receive complimentary Velocity Frequent Flyer Pilot Gold memberships*, immediately elevating them to Gold status when they fly Virgin Australia.

Velocity Gold members are among Virgin Australia’s most loyal guests and receive perks like access to Virgin Australia lounges, Fly Ahead on selected fare types, to priority check-in and boarding, extra baggage allowances, and 75 per cent more Velocity Points on eligible Virgin Australia flights.

To retain Velocity Gold on a rolling 12-month membership, Velocity Pilot Gold members will simply need to fly on one Eligible Virgin Australia service and earn at least 80 Velocity Status Credits during the first three-months of membership*.

The launch of the Betty’s Burgers and Boost Juice collaboration follows a long list of customer enhancements since Virgin Australia was relaunched in 2020, including, but not limited to: 

  • A simplified fare structure, providing customers with some of the best value airfares in the market, including Business Class fares up to 60 per cent better value when compared to pre-COVID pricing**; 
  • New Velocity Frequent Flyer everyday earn partnerships, making it easier for members to earn Points to get to their next dream reward faster; 
  • The resumption of international airline partnerships, including the announcement of a new partnership with United Airlines, connecting customers and Velocity members to hundreds of destinations around the world;
  • A schedule of short-haul international services to Fiji, Bali and New Zealand; and 
  • A commitment to re-open Virgin Australia Beyond lounges in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane on 20 April 2022.

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Footnotes:

*Velocity membership and status are subject to the Velocity Terms and Conditions, as amended from time to time, available at velocityfrequentflyer.com. For information on Velocity Gold including earning Status Credits and maintaining membership status visit the Velocity website.

**Based on a comparison of all domestic Business Class fares available on 19 November 2019 and 31 March 2022. By way of example, these fares on the following routes have been reduced by around 60% (both directions): Perth-Hobart, Brisbane-Melbourne, Brisbane-Mackay, and Sydney-Darwin. Full announcement: https://newsroom.virginaustralia.com/release/virgin-australia-has-cut-price-one-way-business-class-fares-seats-299-selected-routes