How true is this statement? (Freedom Menu)

Taken from Virgin website. Has anyone any comments on this?
Thanks

"In Upper Class there are no set meal times. You’re free to eat what you like, when you like.

A three course meal after take off? Coming right up. A bacon sandwich and a fresh juice at the bar after a little snooze? No problem.

Your choice from our Freedom menu will be individually and freshly prepared to your order and served up in style on fine china.

You'd be forgiven for thinking you were in a restaurant, not a plane".









Edit to title by mod to assist future searching..... Nick

[Scrooge]

Well,yes the statment is 100%n true,though it seems from the recent TR's that the crew seems to push for a uniform meal time..however you can each at anytime you want..

As to the resturant not a plane statement..resturants come in all shapes and sizes.

I would say that perhaps the statement is a little 'over-egged', but essentially true.

Paul

[Decker]

I eat later than most of the pax most of the time. I have never had an overtly hostile reaction to this.

The crew serve the meals at the same time unless you state otherwise. For example, on the VS009, everyone in UC is offered dinner at a certain time. However, you can opt to have it later or even not at all.

Cheers,
VS045

[mcmbenjamin]

Maybe be a good idea to ask the crew to reserve your food for you if you choose to eat later than the normal times.

I have experienced no problems at all - in fact the crew offered this service to me.

If you're vegan, believe me, the above statement is untrue. But, in fairness, I don't really expect VS to start carrying Tofu on its flights.

I generally eat when most other PAX eat as I'm a bit of a sheep, but doubt I would get a hostile reaction if I didn't.
In regards to the restaurant, it is better than an angus steakhouse, but the Waterside it aint..

Dean

[HighFlyer]

Originally posted by AndyK
I don't really expect VS to start carrying Tofu on its flights.

I had Tofu on an SQ flight last year, fab! Although its understandable that Asian airlines offer a little more diversity menu wise than our British carriers

In reference to the OP's original question, i would agree that the crews general preference seems to edge towards offering meals at the usual interval, although i have never had a problem in eating outside of these times. I have had a couple of flights where i missed the main meal round (because i was sleeping i think) and had the crew actively asking me if i wanted anything to eat apon waking, and this wasnt limited to light bites either.

Id say that its great advertising gloss, and a fair bit of gloss, but in essence yes the statement is true.

Thanks,
Sarah

I just wish they carried bacon sandwiches as snacks on as many flights as possible (and not just breakfast flights). How about cheese toasties?

I think the pasta bowls (like BA or CO offer) or noodles like SQ (and most other Asians) offer would make great "regulars" as light bites/snacks, and pretty cheap too.

Yum...

Mike

Yes, I agree, you can eat when you want, but I'd ask for it to be saved.

Mike, on most of the Asian flights there's some rather good pot noodles in the economy galley, take a stroll rear and ask nicely.

I think the statement is true for day flights however I dont think the night flight service would have anyone thinking they were in a resturant

I think its pretty much true.

Have eaten later just the once but seemed to be no real issue. I got the feeling they would have preffered me to eat with everyone else, but it certainly wasn't a grump.

Also sometimes I have eaten off the breakfast menu when i dont like the starters offered. Bacon sandwich then steak! Its the kind of dinner combo you made up when you were 12!!![:p]

There is certainly a considerable ammount of flexibility - I remember on recent red eye being woken well after breakfast, as I had asked and then still being offered a bacon roll to go with my coffee.

Do you get many options on the freedom menu?

Originally posted by nibbs
Do you get many options on the freedom menu?

depends on the route.

Some routes (eg SFO) have "lite bites" available in addition to the main menu, others (eg MCO) just have the main menu - i.e. starters, main, cheese and desert options.

The Freedom service is true.

We dont insist the customers eat when we want them too but 99% of the time people want to eat after take off and again before landing so they can rest in between.

With the new clubhouse open at LHR now though I would say more and more people are eating in the lounge and when they get on board they just sleep!!

I love having my dinner at the airport on the US side beofre setting off - I think that food on the ground is 100% better than in the air - as Winner says "why do we expect fine food at 36,000 feet in a long aluminium tube"