Inflight Drinks Service

Hi everyone. First post on this forum after just finding it. I'm usually just on Trip Advisor

I have flow VA to various destinations and recently flew LGW to MCO. I seem to remember on previous VA flights that alcoholic drinks were offered more often during the flights. On the most recent flight to MCO we got a drink at start of the flight, wine with dinner (nothing else offered) and then a water or juice later on.

Have they scaled back their offering or do you have to go to galley now if you would like another drink?

Thanks

Which cabin are you flying in?

All flights have been in economy.

Been a couple of years since (I found the joy of miles +) flying in economy but found all FA more than happy to serve you more if you go and ask (or use call button, which I always felt uncomfortable using)
As long as your polite and more importantly “not drunk” they should be fine. I’m sure they have removed a drinks service or two over the years in order to cut costs and stay competitive.

I will add that as soon as your in PE or UC it’s really not an issue to crew and are always happy to serve you and you don’t cause them issues or disturb other passengers (at the end of the day it’s you with a saw head not them)

I seem to recall that alcohol is limited on Orlando and Las Vegas flights, due to the behaviour of other passengers...

I also think it depends on the crew. We fly upper class LGW to MCO a couple of times a year - sometimes the drink can flow and measures are rather large, other times, I feel like I am an inconvenience. Hoping for the large measures next week

I seem to recall that alcohol is limited on Orlando and Las Vegas flights, due to the behaviour of other passengers...

I've never had a problem on Vegas flights

My last Vegas flight they announced that the service will be limited, I didn't go short though !!

The seat service is good enough but the CC have always been accommodating when I walk up to the back and nicely ask for a drink.

Last few flights I took to Vegas alcohol was very limited. They actually claimed on one outbound flight that after the first drinks service they didn't have any more they could serve. On a separate note on multiple occasions now I have found that the cabin crew completely ignore the call button. The service is definitely not what it used to be.

In my experience it does depend on the crew and also on what is available.

Let’s not forget that they have to round trip the bar trolleys, so, if you have a particularly generous outbound crew and a plane full of former AA members/your average v-flyer, stocks will be a little on the low side for the inbound.

They may genuinely only have enough for one alcohol run through the cabin, and most of those might not get their first choice drink.

On a separate note on multiple occasions now I have found that the cabin crew completely ignore the call button.

Never experienced this.... what did you do to traumatise the crew so much that they avoided you? In truth there a whole host of reasons why a call may be missed or go unanswered. It’s very rare that you will be deliberately ignored.

In my experience it does depend on the crew and also on what is available.

Let’s not forget that they have to round trip the bar trolleys, so, if you have a particularly generous outbound crew and a plane full of former AA members/your average v-flyer, stocks will be a little on the low side for the inbound.

I'm 99% certain the round-tripping of bar trolleys is only on certain routes / destinations - typically ones that have a low frequency of VS flights (e.g. 1 a day). In such cases it's easier to round-trip the bar trolleys as it saves VS having to get their down-route caterer to hold bonded alcohol stock for them. If the alcohol stays onboard & is not consumed on the ground, then the customs duty bond is not broken. (Hence why the only alcohol pre-take off in Upper is the champagne as that has had customs duty paid on it).

At the destinations where VS have multiple flights each day, they either get the caterer to source the alcohol locally & hold it as bonded stock. Or, Virgin fly out the alcohol for the caterer to hold in bond & replenish the bar trolleys. All the bar trolleys containing alcohol are always sealed before landing with seals that cannot be removed accidentally. What happens to the bar trolleys then depends on the destination. At busier destinations the trolleys will be offloaded & replaced with full ones, on other routes the trolleys will be left in situ and the stock used for the return flight.

So how about the numerous stories we have personally heard (first hand) from cabin crew (won't mention any names of course!!!) about the grog being held-back / mysteriously disappeared into their luggage for consumption at the hotel later that evening...

I think this is less common than you think especially after a few high profile sackings a few years ago for this exact thing.

It’s more prevalent on BA where the crew can buy unused stock at a fraction of the price.

I think this is less common than you think especially after a few high profile sackings a few years ago for this exact thing.

It’s more prevalent on BA where the crew can buy unused stock at a fraction of the price.

Agree - a VS crew member has told me they cannot take anything off the aircraft. Apparently even a newspaper a passenger has left behind is technically a no-no (even of it is a newspaper that VS did not hand out).

This does seem very "black & white" - but if crew could take unused alcohol, there would be the temptation to open more bottles of wine late on in the flight in Upper (in the knowledge it would unlikely be needed) so the crew could remove it as it had been opened. This would obviously cost VS money. I have seen the remainder of opened bottles of wine going down the drain in the galley as the crew start to secure the cabin & galleys for landing.

Also worth noting that on a 1 night-stop trip, the crew will typically only have just over 24hrs from landing until they have to be getting ready to head back to the airport. They have to be under the aviation alcohol limit (a quarter of the UK driving limit) when they report at the airport. So they cannot party & drink hard into the evening / night. Most UK airlines have a policy along the lines of "24-12hrs before duty, consume alcohol only in moderation. 12-0hrs before duty, no alcohol to be consumed".

Sounds like the stories we have heard (from still-employed cabin crew) must have been from a year or so ago...

Although I will say that that isn't how the stories were presented!

Maybe some 'spice' was added to make a better story...who knows.

Also mentioned was the number of hotels/resorts in Antigua that Virgin crew had been banned from due to rowdy behaviour...and that there were not many left that would still accept them.

Maybe some 'spice' was added to make a better story...who knows.

I've always found it best to take what is said with a pinch of salt; gossip flies around a lot between all the crews and just like Chinese whispers the stories undergo several evolutions along the way.

Hypothetically speaking, a simple report of an off duty crew being asked to leave a bar due to said bar closing becomes:

Also mentioned was the number of hotels/resorts in Antigua that Virgin crew had been banned from due to rowdy behaviour...and that there were not many left that would still accept them.

Got to love good galley gossip, I am still holding out hope for the VS A380s

In my experience it does depend on the crew and also on what is available.

Let’s not forget that they have to round trip the bar trolleys, so, if you have a particularly generous outbound crew and a plane full of former AA members/your average v-flyer, stocks will be a little on the low side for the inbound.

I'm 99% certain the round-tripping of bar trolleys is only on certain routes / destinations - typically ones that have a low frequency of VS flights (e.g. 1 a day). In such cases it's easier to round-trip the bar trolleys as it saves VS having to get their down-route caterer to hold bonded alcohol stock for them. If the alcohol stays onboard & is not consumed on the ground, then the customs duty bond is not broken. (Hence why the only alcohol pre-take off in Upper is the champagne as that has had customs duty paid on it).

At the destinations where VS have multiple flights each day, they either get the caterer to source the alcohol locally & hold it as bonded stock. Or, Virgin fly out the alcohol for the caterer to hold in bond & replenish the bar trolleys. All the bar trolleys containing alcohol are always sealed before landing with seals that cannot be removed accidentally. What happens to the bar trolleys then depends on the destination. At busier destinations the trolleys will be offloaded & replaced with full ones, on other routes the trolleys will be left in situ and the stock used for the return flight.

Cheers for this info Kraken, it has been some time since I have had a chat with the crew on this subject. As there is only one LHR-LAS a day, would the round tripping of the bar trolleys still not be done? Or do they use the DL suppliers in these low frequency US cities to swap out the trolleys for full ones?

I do recall hunting down the mini JD bottles that they used to have to round trip from the UK, even on the JFK route. At one point I believe that they only had 6 mini bottles for the outbound and inbound flights.. madness. - Buns and myself could easily finish that off before the main meal service begins.

In my experience it does depend on the crew and also on what is available.

Let’s not forget that they have to round trip the bar trolleys, so, if you have a particularly generous outbound crew and a plane full of former AA members/your average v-flyer, stocks will be a little on the low side for the inbound.

I'm 99% certain the round-tripping of bar trolleys is only on certain routes / destinations - typically ones that have a low frequency of VS flights (e.g. 1 a day).

I've done some digging and actually it is in 99% of the cases... VS round trip not only the bar trolleys, but everything.. even their UC bedding and W/Y blankets and pillows.

I am reticent to reveal my sources but DL management have been on at VS to improve this section of the business for a fair while.. clue as to my sources there..

VS also apparently wasted a ton of bank on a management consultancy to 'instruct them on faster turnarounds' without asking DL for help - who do over 5000 turnarounds a day.. you'd think they'd know a thing or two about that.... ha ha ha ha.

Let's blame Oli Byers... down with Oli Byers

Not sure about the bedding because I remember coming back from Johannesburg in UC and the bedding was damp because we were told it hadn’t been dried probably after being washed. While on the subject of drink service, on my past two UC flights the pre departure champagne was served in PE glasses and not the usual champagne glasses, has anyone else had this or is it just my luck?

No, its the new service standard, the flutes have gone, to make it easier for crew apparently.

No, its the new service standard, the flutes have gone, to make it easier for crew apparently.

Had these coming back from MCO the other day - wasn't a problem.