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Tuesday 27 October 2026: Hot chips are taking to the skies, with Virgin Australia today adding the much-loved comfort food to its new onboard Economy menu in what is believed to be a first for an Australian airline.
The latest addition to Virgin Australia’s Economy menu is the perfect pairing for the hugely popular TikTok-inspired Cheeseburger Toastie, which is also making its return (think a mid-air cheeseburger and fries combo!) after the airline sold more than 50,000 since its launch earlier this year.
While hot chips are a familiar favourite on the ground, serving them in the air has been a logistical feat for Virgin Australia, with the cooking process tested and evolved over many months to ensure they arrive to guests hot and crispy.
The new menu also brings some of the biggest food and drink trends onboard, including cult-favourite matcha lattes, Virgin Australia’s take on the viral Chicken Caesar wrap, BOSS Iced Latte Coffee, chai lattes and a Jose Cuervo Sparkling Margarita.
Business Class guests are also in for a treat, with a refreshed menu featuring new breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes shaped by guest feedback and extensive taste testing.
The new Business Class menu line-up includes dishes such as an egg and cheese breakfast quesadilla, seared beef with roasted vegetables, potato and rosemary jus and stir-fried beef in black bean sauce with rice and Asian greens.
Virgin Australia continues to offer complimentary tea, coffee and water to Economy guests^. All premium food and beverage menu items served in Business Class are included in the Business Class fare*.
Commentary
Virgin Australia Chief Customer Officer, Andrew Cleary said the refreshed menus reflect the airline’s continued investment in enhancing the travel experience.
“We’re always looking for ways to bring the food people love on the ground into the air. Hot chips are a great example, with no Australian airline believed to have served them onboard before. It’s taken months of testing to get them hot and crispy in the air. They’re also the perfect match for our Cheeseburger Toastie, which we launched a few months ago and have already sold more than 50,000 of. Now guests can order the two for cheeseburger and fries at 35,000 feet, which we think is a pretty fantastic combo,” said Mr Cleary.
“We’ve also taken inspiration from the food trends people are sharing online, with our own take on the viral Chicken Caesar wrap and matcha lattes joining the menu.
“We’re continuing to innovate with what we serve in the sky, bringing new and exciting food and drink options onboard to make flying with Virgin Australia even more enjoyable for our guests,” he said.
Pay with Points for Onboard Purchases***
Velocity Frequent Flyer members can continue to use Pay with Points to redeem their Points on eligible onboard food and beverage purchases, giving members another way to use their Points while flying.
Velocity Frequent Flyer remains Australia’s only airline loyalty program offering inflight Points redemptions on eligible food and beverage purchases.
To view the full Virgin Australia Buy-On-board Economy Menu, visit here.
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT
Virgin Australia Group Corporate Affairs: corporateaffairs@virginaustralia.com or 1800 142 467.
NOTES TO EDITOR
Hot chips with aioli dipping sauce and the Cheeseburger Toastie are available for purchase on eligible flights over 1.5 hours, subject to availability.
The new Virgin Australia Economy menu is available from today, with the refreshed Business Class menu available from 11 November 2026.^^
How Virgin Australia cooks hot chips at 35,000 feet
Business Class Menu Highlights (included in the Business Class fare)*
Breakfast
Lunch & Dinner
Dessert
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
*Virgin Australia Economy and Business Class menu items are available on eligible domestic and short-haul international services. The full Economy menu is available here. All premium food and beverage menu items served in Business Class are included in the Business Class fare.
**Virgin Australia was named Australia’s Most Trusted Travel & Tourism Brand in the 2026 Roy Morgan Trusted Brand Awards, marking the fourth consecutive year the airline has received the prestigious recognition.
***Pay with Points is available for Velocity Frequent Flyer members (‘Velocity Members’) who use a linked Visa debit or credit card for purchases made from the Virgin Australia Onboard Menu on Virgin Australia operated domestic and short haul international flights (excluding flights to/from Doha and those operated by other airlines on behalf of Virgin Australia, including Link Airways). Pay with Points may be used to cover the full or a partial amount of an eligible transaction. Velocity Members must have enough Velocity Points to cover the minimum spend. A minimum spend of $1 and a maximum spend of $200 per transaction applies. Purchases can take up to 5 business days to process. Use of Pay with Points is subject to the Pay with Points T&Cs.
^Complimentary water is available to Economy Class guests on every flight. Complimentary tea and coffee are available on most flights over 55 minutes. Hot drinks may not be served due to turbulence or other operational considerations. Food and beverage offerings on flights operated by partner airlines may differ.
^^Menu items are subject to availability and may vary by flight, route and time of day.