New A332s: 2-2-2 in J?

[notzac]

Haven't seen this posted as definitively elsewhere, but in a recent Plane Talking post:

It isn’t clear when this will extend to all A330 flights, but the new seats are wider than those in current Virgin Australia use, and will eliminate the three middle seats currently found in the 27 seat forward cabin of the -200 version of this Airbus flown by the airline.

Virgin Australia launching new business class on latest A330s | Plane Talking

I was actually quite happy with the J seats on the A332, but wider seats in a 2-2-2 configuration does sound rather good.

 

[Justchecking]

It should be remembered that Plane Talking is a personal commentary blog, not recognised by airlines as a legitimate news channel, and therefore kept out of the loop of sanctioned leaks otherwise known as press releases. So anything written there needs to be taken with a gain of you know what. I seem to recall Mr Sandilands being pointedly excluded from the Virgin launches on the grounds he wasnt legitimate press. Accordingly I somehow doubt this lastest comment has anything to substantiate it other than Mr Sandilands best guess. Like all commentators he will sometimes be right and other-times not. Unless it's being published in AusBT (virgin's preferred channel) think you can assume its nothing more than the kind of hearsay one might get in any pub.

I'm sure Virgin will want a bit more press coverage than a blog when they unveil a new product.

 

[777]

It should be remembered that Plane Talking is a personal commentary blog, not recognised by airlines as a legitimate news channel, and therefore kept out of the loop of sanctioned leaks otherwise known as press releases. So anything written there needs to be taken with a gain of you know what. I seem to recall Mr Sandilands being pointedly excluded from the Virgin launches on the grounds he wasnt legitimate press. Accordingly I somehow doubt this lastest comment has anything to substantiate it other than Mr Sandilands best guess. Like all commentators he will sometimes be right and other-times not. Unless it's being published in AusBT (virgin's preferred channel) think you can assume its nothing more than the kind of hearsay one might get in any pub.

I'm sure Virgin will want a bit more press coverage than a blog when they unveil a new product.

Interesting theory but I guarantee you Crikey's readership is much larger than AusBTs.

 

[markis10]

Interesting theory but I guarantee you Crikey's readership is much larger than AusBTs.

Especially from those looking for accuracy or have a professional interest in Aviation, while I dont always agree with Ben's articles or thoughts he does credit sources, and is often regarded as being spot in by insiders, and has been recognised by the Aviation Press Club for his work, something other publications can aspire to !

 

[Justchecking]

Especially from those looking for accuracy or have a professional interest in Aviation, while I dont always agree with Ben's articles or thoughts he does credit sources, and is often regarded as being spot in by insiders, and has been recognised by the Aviation Press Club for his work, something other publications can aspire to !

And yet whether or not Crikey was popular or had a greater readership wasnt my point. My point was that Crikey is an unlikely place for a
company leak, as the airlines themselves dont tend to favour Ben with such material. I've yet to see Virgin make a press release via Crikey. They have however made press releases via AusBT and AFF. Ben might be lauded amoung aviation enthusiasts and journo's but there is nothing in this latest comment to suggest they are substantiated. Merely his assertion that it is so.

He also asserts in the comments of this blog post that Virgins e190's have 12 J seats. Last time I looked they only have 8, same as the 737. Maybe not everything Ben says is fact....

Until I see something that smacks of an official press release I wont be quick to call it 'news'. Virgin has a habit of launching products that arent what the public expected.....no IFE, no curtain for the J cabin, no star alliance, no international upgrade redemptions etc.

Sure 2-2-2 is what we all hope but this comment really isnt anything more than that.

 

[lovestotravel]

"This means Virgin Australia is rapidly bringing together a consistent domestic business class product across its jet fleet"

Does that include some planes with Live2Air and some with nothing at all

 

[777]

And yet whether or not Crikey was popular or had a greater readership wasnt my point. My point was that Crikey is an unlikely place for a company leak, as the airlines themselves dont tend to favour Ben with such material. I've yet to see Virgin make a press release via Crikey. They have however made press releases via AusBT and AFF. Ben might be lauded amoung aviation enthusiasts and journo's but there is nothing in this latest comment to suggest they are substantiated. Merely his assertion that it is so.

I don't know where to start with this... I think you misunderstand Journalism. People who do no more than reprint press releases aren't journalists they are PR people. For all Ben Sandilands faults no one can accuse him of rewriting marketing gumf and pretending that it's a news story. Following on from that a leak by definition is not a press release. FWIW I'd be surprised if Ben Sandilands isn't on the media lists for major airlines but the fact he doesn't fill his blog with uncritically printing their press releases is a good thing.

As for the 2-2-2 thing i would be surprised if Virgin didn't move to a 2-2-2 config but as with most of their other announcements (and those of most major companies) they will hold off confirming that until they are in a position to extract maximum PR value from it.

 

[markis10]

News does not have to be official, considering the discussion over this issue with the first few A330s, a whisper that there is such a config is news!

 

[777]

He also asserts in the comments of this blog post that Virgins e190's have 12 J seats. Last time I looked they only have 8, same as the 737. Maybe not everything Ben says is fact....

You might want to count that again when you're next on an E190. Under the old config the E190 does indeed have 12 "extra-leg room" Premium economy seats.

 

[Justchecking]

I do understamd that a press release is the most reliable indicator of what a product will be, since it comes from the actual company, even if it is marketing gumf. I wasnt challenging the definition of journalism, just the implication that Bens comment was fact or to be taken as such. At this stage its unsubstantiated opinion. I'll be happy to call it fact when Virgin confirm it as such.

 

[TonyHancock]

FWIW when I was chatting to the CSM on my PER-SYD with DJ last week he intimated that the new 330's would only have two middle seats. I have know idea how much info the CSM's have but he seemed pretty certain.

 

[MarkD]

Wait for all the whinges and moans when they cut 10-15 inches of legroom so they can add an extra row in the j cabin to replace lost middle seats. We can't have it all ways

 

[Mh4k]

You probably can have it all ways as I'm not sure there's currently sufficient demand for the J product to fill the current A330 config on the east coast commuter routes. But we shall see.

 

[dk4]

...add an extra row in the j cabin to replace lost middle seats.

Which is, in effect, a loss of two seats. Row 1 doesn't have a middle seat, and 2E (the middle seat in row 2) is permanently blocked from allocation. That leaves 3E & 4E to go, as trade-offs for seats throughout the cabin with better elbow room.

 

[777]

I guess it's official now:

Virgin Australia drops the 'middle seat' in Airbus A330 biz class - Flights | hotels | frequent flyer | business class - Australian Business Traveller

 

[Coathanger]

The article seems to imply the new A330s will only operate MEL-PER:

The new A330s will debut in mid-May on two new 'Coast to Coast' flights between Melbourne and Perth, as well as a 'morning peak hour' service between Melbourne and Sydney.

Hope they'll be on SYD-PER too!