Virgin Australia’s new economy menu is built on what we love on the ground.

Hot chips are now on sale in economy on Virgin Australia flights, in what the airline believes is a first for an Australian carrier. They’re available on domestic and short-haul international flights longer than 90 minutes – Sydney–Melbourne included – until they sell out.

They’re designed to pair with the cheeseburger toastie, the TikTok-inspired menu item Virgin says has sold more than 50,000 since launching in May. Virgin Australia chief customer officer Andrew Cleary isn’t shy about the pitch, saying the hot chips are the perfect match for the cheeseburger toastie.

“Now guests can order the two for cheeseburger and fries at 35,000 feet, which we think is a pretty fantastic combo," he says.

According to Cleary, it took months of testing to get the chips arriving hot and crispy in the air. They’re made from skin-on potatoes, which Virgin says cuts food waste, and heated in the aircraft’s onboard ovens in packaging designed to let air flow around them as they cook. They’re served with aioli, salt and pepper.

What else is on the menu

The chips lead a refreshed buy-on-board menu that borrows heavily from what people are eating and sharing on the ground. There’s a chicken Caesar wrap, Virgin’s take on the viral version, plus new matcha and chai lattes, a canned BOSS iced latte and a Jose Cuervo Sparkling Margarita.

“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," Cleary says.

Complimentary water is still available in economy on every flight, with tea and instant coffee on most flights over 55 minutes. Up front, business class passengers get a new menu from 11 November, including 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.

Why Virgin is following the feed

It’s a different playbook to Qantas, which has built its domestic menu pitch around named Australian producers and includes hot items in economy on flights over two hours. Virgin’s economy food is entirely buy-on-board, and that changes the brief. A complimentary menu only has to satisfy; a paid one has to sell. Stocking it with food passengers already crave – and have already seen all over their phones – takes some of the guesswork out of what they’ll pay for at altitude. 50,000 toasties in around five months suggests the approach is working.

What it actually costs

The chips are $12 a serve and the toastie $14, so the full cheeseburger-and-chips combo will set you back $26 – and there’s no bundle for it. The chips aren’t classed as a classic snack, so they don’t count towards Virgin’s $22 Make it a meal deal. Add a soft drink and you’re at $31.

Payment is by card only, with no cash or EFTPOS. Velocity members can use Points to cover all or part of a purchase, with everything priced at 200 Points per dollar, so the chips are 2400 Points. You’ll need to link an eligible Visa card before you fly, and purchases can take up to five business days to process. Pay with Points isn’t available on flights to or from Doha, or on flights operated by other airlines on Virgin’s behalf. Virgin says Velocity is the only Australian airline loyalty program offering inflight Points redemptions on food and drink.

Is it worth it?

At $12, the chips aren’t a bargain, but they sit in line with the rest of the menu: wraps and toasties are $14, hot meals $16. As a standalone snack on a quick flight, they’re an indulgence. As a side to the toastie on a longer flight – Sydney to Perth, say – they turn a sandwich into more of a meal.

The real test is whether chips cooked in an aircraft galley can still arrive crisp. If they do, this is one food trend that might stick around. I’ll be flying Virgin in just under two weeks, and you best believe I’ll be back with my verdict.