Update on the Virgin Australia (NZ) 737-800s

[lovestotravel]

Shortly I am flying on the Virgin Australia (NZ) 737-800's, which I totally despise! but I needed to to pick this flight over Air NZ to fit my schedule :evil:

Have they actually updated the seats/interiors to be closer to NZ yet ?
Have they installed business or is still just the Y+ setup ?

I am Plat, any chance of being upgraded to row 1/2 ?

 

[Justinf]

Last flight I did was in July but it was the same coughpy Y+ in rows 1 and 2. I got row 3 and my daughter hijacked my iPad to watch movies, and it was a long three hours over to Auckland.

 

[haydensydney]

From memory the aircraft won't have J installed. I recall hearing something about an agreement with NZ about not installing premium seats on its aircraft (presumably to not outshine our kiwi cousins).

 

[lovestotravel]

Yes it will be a long 3 and a bit hours over, luckily some nice wine in the NZ MEL lounge will help before hand....

I have read/heard lots of things, but I did read recently that the planes were getting refitted to be of a similar standard to NZ, however that won't be IFE so just having better seats doesn't change much....

 

[straitman]

From memory the aircraft won't have J installed. I recall hearing something about an agreement with NZ about not installing premium seats on its aircraft (presumably to not outshine our kiwi cousins).

Hayden,

Fortunately either your memory is wrong OR they have changed their minds on this.

On Friday we flew MEL-NAD (the a/c flew AKL-MEL-NAD) on an Oz a/c with Biz seating as the designated NZ a/c was off having its upgrades done. The service was still PE but the Biz seats made it a whole lot better. I have no idea if this is the first or last a/c to be done.

 

[lovestotravel]

Hayden,

Fortunately either your memory is wrong OR they have changed their minds on this.

On Friday we flew MEL-NAD (the a/c flew AKL-MEL-NAD) on an Oz a/c with Biz seating as the designated NZ a/c was off having its upgrades done. The service was still PE but the Biz seats made it a whole lot better. I have no idea if this is the first or last a/c to be done.

But you flew an OZ a/c and not a NZ aircraft

So there is no confirmation of what exactly is happening with the NZ a/c besides some sort of "upgrade" or maintenance!

VH-VOX - Seems to be the only OZ a/c used on MEL-AKL

 

[93D]

I believe the "upgrade" is to change the colour of the seats and to add the coloured headrests, like the oz based fleet. There was a photo going around somewhere showing the cabin and it was the old premium economy recovered in grey.

Dom,

 

[haydensydney]

Hayden,
Fortunately either your memory is wrong OR they have changed their minds on this.

Ouch. Thanks for the cranky tone straitman - I won't take it personally.

Australian aircraft were always to be refitted and these fly domestic routes and also to DPS and HKT (maybe even NAN?).

But I was always under the impression that the trans-tasman birds were not going to be refitted for the reason i've already noted.

 

[brad330]

I just don't understand why the wont put J on TT! The 73H has 180 Y seats when you take out the 4 middle seats in W you have 176 total. J ac have 176 also so you are effectively not loosing any seats.

 

[Fruitcake]

I just don't understand why the wont put J on TT! The 73H has 180 Y seats when you take out the 4 middle seats in W you have 176 total. J ac have 176 also so you are effectively not loosing any seats.

NZ was willing to spend money to refurbish their fleet to remove narrowbody business class. I can't see DJ wanting to spend money to add it.

In any case the VA/NZ alliance is supposed to offer similar experience on both carriers. So although VA might end up subbing in a VH aircraft with J seats occasionally I doubt they'll ever sell J trans-tasman. NZ only sells J only on its relatively few widebody trans-tasman flights.

 

[k3nnis]

I'm going in Y with my wife and 22 month old daughter to ZQN from SYD on the 737-800... No IFE. What should I do? a long 2.5 hours

 

[smit0847]

NZ was willing to spend money to refurbish their fleet to remove narrowbody business class. I can't see DJ wanting to spend money to add it.

In any case the VA/NZ alliance is supposed to offer similar experience on both carriers. So although VA might end up subbing in a VH aircraft with J seats occasionally I doubt they'll ever sell J trans-tasman. NZ only sells J only on its relatively few widebody trans-tasman flights.

Why did NZ remove A320 J? Do more people fly J to places like the Sunshine Coast, coughet and Cairns than Auckland?!?

In any event, VA and NZ offer vastly different products across the Tasman. NZ Works is an absolutely terrific product - very comfortable seats, gate to gate IFE, full hot meals etc. From what I have heard VA is more like JQ on these routes.

 

[Fruitcake]

Why did NZ remove A320 J? Do more people fly J to places like the Sunshine Coast, coughet and Cairns than Auckland?!?

Well, NZ doesn't offer J on their AKL-CNS or AKL-MCY routes. Removing eight business class seats enabled them to install an extra 19 economy seats. I suspect that was a large part of the equation.

Regarding DJ J services to CNS/MCY/HKT, my opinion is that DJ only offers domestic J because QF does, and they need domestic J as a carrot for corporate contracts. HKT/DPS sneak in because they're operated by J-equipped aircraft, and on routes that long J is probably more attractive. The bulk of NZ's A320 work would be a max of 3.5-4hrs where they have no J competition. Why offer high yield pax a high-cost product if there's no competition? Just charge them a lot for a product that doesn't cost that much more to offer ;-).

In any event, VA and NZ offer vastly different products across the Tasman. NZ Works is an absolutely terrific product - very comfortable seats, gate to gate IFE, full hot meals etc. From what I have heard VA is more like JQ on these routes.

NZ Works is definitely a superior product because of the IFE, and greater availability of extra legroom seats to premium pax, but I'd disagree that "VA is like JQ". VA offers the same hot meal options that NZ does.

For what it's worth, I found the NZ experience more enjoyable under the "full service economy" model. Dramatically fewer crew announcements and significantly faster service.

 

[yohy?!]

if sat in Y on the VA 738 these seats were for me better than NZ A320 Y (which is pretty much JQ in terms of pitch and comfort).

Works Deluxe on the NZ A320 seemed to have less pitch than old VA PE seats so if you can get them on the 738 theyre probably you're best bet.

 

[k3nnis]

Is there IFE on the VA 737-800 for Y class Syd-zqn ?

 

[Fruitcake]

Is there IFE on the VA 737-800 for Y class Syd-zqn ?

Not in sense of a fixed IFE system. Dig-e-players can be hired (or are included for Y+ pax, maybe Flexis too)

But do not under any circumstances even consider thinking about using the supplied headphones. Your ear canals will be shredded and the audio quality is so poor that dialogue is nearly unintelligible.

 

[Jama]

Your better of flying AirNZ. Even as BIS Platinum your just a number with VA these days. Flying AirNZ with VA Platinum status though the experience is far superior. I am always put in Premium and usually the cabin manager will come up during the flight and introduce themselves and show some personal interest.

 

[straitman]

Is there IFE on the VA 737-800 for Y class Syd-zqn ?

Your better of flying AirNZ. Even as BIS Platinum your just a number with VA these days. Flying AirNZ with VA Platinum status though the experience is far superior. I am always put in Premium and usually the cabin manager will come up during the flight and introduce themselves and show some personal interest.

That is you are better off flying AirNZ on the B777. The A320s are all Y :!:

 

[k3nnis]

I had to fly DJ as the free Amex flight needs to be on DJ metal.

That is you are better off flying AirNZ on the B777. The A320s are all Y :!:

 

[Jama]

That is you are better off flying AirNZ on the B777. The A320s are all Y :!:

Yes. And specificaly 777-300 for the best experience. I was on the 777-200 for the last 2.