economyx now has zones

[samas]

Noticed when booking a flight during today's happy hour that there are now zones for economyx
As Platinum all zones are still complimentary.

Pricing below is as was shown for an ADL-SYD flight
Economy X
Zone 1: Row 3 $59
Zone 2: Row 4-5 $57
Exit row: Rows 13-14 $20

Preferred seating
Zone 1: Row 6 $24
Zone 2: Rows 7-8 $15
Zone 3: Rows 10-12 $12
Standard: Rows 15-30 Free

The screenshot shows pricing when not logged in velocity and then further to the right whilst logged in as Platinum.

If you do a longer flight like PER-SYD all types of economyx are $85 and "Preferred" Zone 1 and 2 become $27, with Zone 3 up to $22.

Haven't looked at any other length flights to see how the different zones change by distance. Was amazed SYD-ADL just $20 for exit row.

 

[ozstamps]

I'd take (the reclining) exit row over row 5 ANY day!

Who'd pay $57 for row 5?

 

[Steven of Mysore]

3A every time. Having said that, 1A was crazy cheap Melb to Syd today - booked about 2.5 months ago. Made sense for the Bus credits vs choice. Saved 2.4 flights - in my case.

 

[PERLHR]

Do they offer a discount for windowless Row 9? I think it's windowless no?

 

[Human]

I think it's windowless no?

Certainly 9A is windowless in the old configuration. Not sure about 9F.

And I assume that the new configs might change things a little? Certainly at the moment I wouldn't be booking 8A, 9A or 10A if you want to be guaranteed a window seat!

 

[twinaisle]

Reconfigured windowless is 11A/F

 

[AIRwin]

Reconfigured windowless is 11A/F

Both A and F? Good to know just in case... Thanks @twinaisle!

 

[twinaisle]

Both A and F? Good to know just in case... Thanks @twinaisle!

Yup!

 

[henrus]

They've clearly been experimenting with pricing for a while. I've even seen a heavy discount offered on the middle seats of economy X which on some routes have been cheaper then a preferred seat.

 

[PERLHR]

They've clearly been experimenting with pricing for a while. I've even seen a heavy discount offered on the middle seats of economy X which on some routes have been cheaper then a preferred seat.

Yeah great..so when you really want a spare middle seat to be there...let's offer it up for a peanut! Way to go VA .,

 

[henrus]

Yeah great..so when you really want a spare middle seat to be there...let's offer it up for a peanut! Way to go VA .,

It appeared to just be a trial. Pricing of Economy X has been all over the place as they clearly try to find the best price for each route!

 

[samas]

From today's marketing email:

Economy X

Available on all domestic and international flights, Economy X is an upgrade to your standard Economy seat that gives you added benefits – and only costs a little bit extra.

www.virginaustralia.com

 

[drron]

From today's marketing email:

Economy X

Available on all domestic and international flights, Economy X is an upgrade to your standard Economy seat that gives you added benefits – and only costs a little bit extra.

www.virginaustralia.com

View attachment 412887

View attachment 412888

So I looked this up for our upcoming flights and they were exactly the same price as before the announcement.

 

[eastwest101]

It appeared to just be a trial. Pricing of Economy X has been all over the place as they clearly try to find the best price for each route!

Yeah they seemed to jack up the prices of Economy X late last year (or maybe earlier this year?) with many short domestic legs doubling in price and long haul Perth-East Coat legs even more, and obviously found out that the market isn't paying that, so back to the drawing board for them. They jacked up the prices and with the cabin refurbs have made the product more scarce and they still can't sell them so back to the original reasonable pricing. Their further voyage downmarket has probably alienated higher-yielding pax who might have been prepared to pay for Economy-X (which started out as a great idea and a great product) so I expect Bain/Virgin to be whingeing and moaning about how Jetstar are now eating their lunch....

 

[kamchatsky]

Yeah they seemed to jack up the prices of Economy X late last year (or maybe earlier this year?) with many short domestic legs doubling in price and long haul Perth-East Coat legs even more, and obviously found out that the market isn't paying that, so back to the drawing board for them. They jacked up the prices and with the cabin refurbs have made the product more scarce and they still can't sell them so back to the original reasonable pricing. Their further voyage downmarket has probably alienated higher-yielding pax who might have been prepared to pay for Economy-X (which started out as a great idea and a great product) so I expect Bain/Virgin to be whingeing and moaning about how Jetstar are now eating their lunch....

That's also why they are refurbishing their aeroplane refurbishment to remove 1 row of Economy X on every plane. They expect fewer Platinum and Plat+ to take advantage of it. They also added 1 row of Y to it so that they could remain price-competitive and still make money with the watered-down Velocity program.

If I am going to pay that much for YX I may as well go for J via Upgrademe auction.

 

[samas]

What I did like for the excessively priced Economy X in the past was it was as a WP was easy to get an exit row for late bookings/fly ahead/changes. Being a tall person if I couldn't get an economyx seat I would skip flying ahead.

 

[kamchatsky]

Noticed when booking a flight during today's happy hour that there are now zones for economyx
As Platinum all zones are still complimentary.

Pricing below is as was shown for an ADL-SYD flight
Economy X
Zone 1: Row 3 $59
Zone 2: Row 4-5 $57
Exit row: Rows 13-14 $20

Preferred seating
Zone 1: Row 6 $24
Zone 2: Rows 7-8 $15
Zone 3: Rows 10-12 $12
Standard: Rows 15-30 Free

The screenshot shows pricing when not logged in velocity and then further to the right whilst logged in as Platinum.

If you do a longer flight like PER-SYD all types of economyx are $85 and "Preferred" Zone 1 and 2 become $27, with Zone 3 up to $22.

Haven't looked at any other length flights to see how the different zones change by distance. Was amazed SYD-ADL just $20 for exit row.



View attachment 411050

I just checked my virgin booking on SYD-ADL return and the YX seats are now $64 instead of $59, for all 3-5 + exit rows.

Row 6-9 costs $24, and row 10-12 cost $19.

I really wonder if anyone is going to pay that much to sit in YX seats.

 

[Human]

I really wonder if anyone is going to pay that much to sit in YX seats.

The people who do so, have their reasons. They might be elderly, or keen to be one of the first to disembark, or apprehensive about flying, or treating themselves ... or simply tall.

The only time I've ever paid for Economy X was a couple of years ago when I flew my elderly father, who at that point was waiting for a knee replacement, to visit me, along with my daughter as his carer. He needed row 3! Paying for it was a no-brainer and I'd do exactly the same thing today.

 

[samas]

The people who do so, have their reasons. They might be elderly, or keen to be one of the first to disembark, or apprehensive about flying, or treating themselves ... or simply tall.

The only time I've ever paid for Economy X was a couple of years ago when I flew my elderly father, who at that point was waiting for a knee replacement, to visit me, along with my daughter as his carer. He needed row 3! Paying for it was a no-brainer and I'd do exactly the same thing today.

Being tall myself the complimentary economyx is one of the main benefits of retaining Platinum for me. I would pay for it on most flights if I wasn't platinum, but would study the pricing more to see how to get it for the best price.

I've also got a westpac card which has 2x complimentary economyx per year, but impossible to use them as always been Velocity Platinum since having this card.