How to pre-order your meal on Virgin Atlantic flights using Pre-Select
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I only recently found out that it is possible to pre-book your meal when flying Virgin Atlantic.
And no, I don’t mean the usual dietary / special meals that you can order when you log into Manage My Booking – I mean a full, proper menu, with the same dishes (and more) that you find on board.
The only reason I found out was because it was mentioned in the menu on my return flight from Shanghai on Virgin Atlantic recently. So, I thought I’d give it a try the following week on my next Virgin Atlantic flight!
What is the benefit of pre-ordering your meal?
Assuming you don’t mind losing a bit of the spontaneity and surprise of choosing on board, pre-ordering your main course lets you choose from a much wider range of options.
In my case, on a flight from London Heathrow to Male in the Maldives (my coverage of that trip will appear next week) I had a choice of ten different main courses. This is a huge increase from the usual three offered on board.
Which flights are eligible for meal pre-ordering?
Anyone flying in Upper Class, Premium or Economy Delight can pre-order their meal in advance. It is available between seven days and 24 hours in advance.
Virgin Atlantic makes it clear that the service is available on all flights departing from London Heathrow as well as all inbound flights returning to London from the US and Caribbean.
It is NOT available when returning from other destinations including Asia, Africa and the Middle East, which included my return flight from Male.
How do I pre-select my meal on Virgin Atlantic?
Annoyingly, it’s not quite as simple as it ought to be.
You won’t find it in Manage My Booking together with the option to pre-order special, dietary meals. That would make far too much sense! No, you need to head to this special mini-site and re-enter your booking reference and name.
Once you’re in you’ll be able to pre-select meals for all the passengers on the booking individually.
What are your options with Virgin Atlantic pre-select?
Here is what I was offered when I logged in for my flight to the Maldives.
As you can see, there are a large number of options – ten in total. The last three are ‘exclusive’ to pre-select and would not otherwise be available on my flight.
Here are the choices I was given in Upper Class:
- Herb roasted chicken breast with fondant potatoes, broccolini, wild mushrooms and madeira sauce
- Roasted trout fillet with jasmine rice, pickled radish and carrot, charred bok choy, coriander cress and a light Thai green sauce
- Spinach and ricotta tortellini with sage butter sauce, grilled baby courgettes and artichoke topped with a parsley panko crumb (vegetarian)
- Sweet and sour pork with jasmine rice, crispy onions and bok choy
- Chicken achari with cabbage and carrot thoran, basmati rice and paratha
- Cauliflower sweet potato and chickpea curry with pea pilau, mushroom garlic palak and naan bread (vegan)
- Spiced apple and parsnip soup with a gouda cheese and chilli jam toastie (vegetarian, Express Meal)
- Herb crusted North Atlantic cod fillet with a lemon caper butter, new potatoes and broccolini
- Roasted pork belly with cauliflower and truffle purrée, boulangère potatoes, baby carrots, wilted kale and a cider sauce
- Panko coated tofu with katsu vegetable curry, jasmine rice and pickled ginger (vegetarian)
Three of the dishes are vegetarian whilst one is vegan. You can also pre-order an Express meal which is served within an hour of take-off, usually as a one-tray service.
You can also, if you choose to, skip your main meal. I’m not sure what this means in practice: can you still change your mind on board or has Virgin Atlantic literally not loaded a meal for you?
Pre-select only applies to the main course. You’ll still be able to choose a starter from the menu on board, as well as a dessert.
Given the wide range of cuisines available, what I suspect happens here is that – apart from three ‘online exclusive’ options – you are offered the full range of meals that Virgin Atlantic is offering across its network on any particular day. Main courses offered on-board on your particular flight are usually tailored to the destination country.
You can pre-select your meal on the Virgin Atlantic website here.
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How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (April 2025)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Virgin Points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.
You can choose from two official Virgin Atlantic credit cards (apply here, the Reward+ card has a bonus of 18,000 Virgin Points and the free card has a bonus of 3,000 Virgin Points):
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard
18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review
Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard
3,000 bonus points, no fee and 1 point for every £1 you spend Read our full review
You can also earn Virgin Points from various American Express cards – and these have sign-up bonuses too.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for a year and comes with 20,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 20,000 Virgin Points.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express comes with 50,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 50,000 Virgin Points.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
The Platinum Card from American Express
80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
Small business owners should consider the two American Express Business cards. Points convert at 1:1 into Virgin Points.
American Express Business Platinum
50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Virgin Points.
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