VAustralia Economy seat and legroom

[AndyMac]

How have people found the VAuustralia economy seating, they are soppose to have seats slightly wider and with more legroom than Qantas 747's.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

from what i've read their economy is 3 3 3 rather than the standard 3 4 3 for the 777

i flew there PE last month and have to say it was well worth the extra money for that length of flight. you certainly get a much higher level of service than in the standard economy.

 

[oz_mark]

from what i've read their economy is 3 3 3 rather than the standard 3 4 3 for the 777

i flew there PE last month and have to say it was well worth the extra money for that length of flight. you certainly get a much higher level of service than in the standard economy.

I regard 3-3-3 or 2-5-2 as standard for the 777. 3-4-3 is used by some airlines.

 

[odysseus]

It's not that it seems incredibly spacious, but it's comfortable enough for the flight, and you don't feel constrained and cramped as you can on some other airlines like QANTAS.

 

[mannej]

9 Abreast is standard for the 777 (3-3-3, 2-5-2). Carriers such as EK sit 10 across in a 777 and it is seen as narrow.

 

[crazydave98]

9 abreast on a B777 is significantly more width per seat than 10 abreast on a B747 and slightly wider than the A380 10-abreast on the main deck any way you cut it (and 10-abreast on a B777 is narrower than the B747 or A380 and aisles are also slightly narrower).

I believe you will find the pitch on V Australia, at an average of 32" is greater than the average on any QF aircraft too (I believe they average 31" although some seats are 32").

CrazyDave98

 

[vet]

After being squeezed like a sardine into Qantas' economy seats in 08, we tried United's and V's economy and a free 1st class on AirNZ in 09.

V's legroom was palatial compared to Qantas (and United's legroom was great too btw). The width felt better than Qantas. The service was superb - and staff were waiting with our bags and ski bags for 1 1/2 hours whilst we battled LAX's queues in Customs. They gave a row to each of us so we slept like babes.

 

[JohnK]

V's legroom was palatial compared to Qantas (and United's legroom was great too btw). The width felt better than Qantas.

I cannot see how the difference between 32" pitch compared to 31" pitch can be described as "palatial" unless you were lucky enough to sit in VA's special WHY seats with 37" pitch and unlucky that you got QF's bad WHY seats with only 26" pitch.

I would be extremely surprised if you sat different people down in an airline seat with 32" pitch and then put them in the same airline seat with 31" pitch whether they could tell the difference. Yes both seat pitches would be uncomfortable but essentially the same. And knowing the seat pitch before making a comparison (most people believe what they read) is cheating.

The service was superb - and staff were waiting with our bags and ski bags for 1 1/2 hours whilst we battled LAX's queues in Customs. They gave a row to each of us so we slept like babes.

And this happens to every passenger on every flight? I don't think so. Glowing, false, lucky once in a lifetime experiences, reviews like this should not be posted as they can make other people very disappointed when they do not receive similar service.

 

[vet]

Qantas's seats on flights in 08 felt so close together they were claustrophobic. My knees were squeezed into the back of the guy in front. The tv moniitor was unviewable because it was so close- I'm long sighted (and didn't have the same problem on V's flight). Indeed, on V's flight I could squeeze past my daughter and +1 to get to the loo, whereas on Qantas they have to get out of their seats.

My 12 year old (at the time) is in the 25th percentile at the short end and +1 is 5'4" and both said never again would they fly Qantas. We'd always flown Qantas in the past but, in 08, Qantas truly went cattle class imo.

Then I flew United. UA felt like it had way more more room between seats than Qantas but I had the option to use (and sleep) on a 5-row or use the exit row to myself. I used both. Legroom between seats felt way more than Qantas.

Then there was the AirNZ flight in the cacoon things up the front.

Then V offerrred its first promo flights in early 09, a 47,000 point fare to LA in the last week of March, and then there were the VA flights April - every flight on VA was the same with heaps of legroom and great service.

I don't think it was luck and we won't be using our QFF points whilst the V Group and/or Delta give us decent legroom .

 

[Flashback]

I don't think it was luck and we won't be using our QFF points whilst the V Group and/or Delta give us decent legroom .

Have you flown Delta yet, on their SYD-LAX?

 

[vet]

No I haven't. Should I be worried that V might put me on Delta???? Or, worse, make me fly via Sydney???

What's Delta like in the legroom, ife, food and bev department for cattle class fliers.

 

[Flashback]

No I haven't. Should I be worried that V might put me on Delta???? Or, worse, make me fly via Sydney???

What's Delta like in the legroom, ife, food and bev department for cattle class fliers.

You mentioned you'd be happy to fly VA or Delta, so was inquiring why you'd mention Delta implying that you were happy with their product when you've not flown it

 

[vet]

my comment was qualified with 'whilst ....' we get decent legroom.

It'd be helpful to know what Delta's like because the new VA/Delta announcement might mean we end up on a Delta plane.

 

[crazydave98]

And this happens to every passenger on every flight? I don't think so. Glowing, false, lucky once in a lifetime experiences, reviews like this should not be posted as they can make other people very disappointed when they do not receive similar service.

What qualifies you to say it was a once in a lifetime experience when you have never flown V Australia?

Funny I don't hear you saying that reviews of bad experiences should not be posted as they can make other people pleasantly surprised when they do not receive similar service?

 

[Flashback]

What qualifies you to say it was a once in a lifetime experience when you have never flown V Australia?

Funny I don't hear you saying that reviews of bad experiences should not be posted as they can make other people pleasantly surprised when they do not receive similar service?

I'm afraid I have to agree with crazydave98 on that one. That's the point of reviews!

 

[vet]

There are similar glowing reviews on other sites, eg one today about the ease a family with a 2 year old had with 8 bags, ski bags and a stroller. Others spoke well of being placed on other airlines when the Boeing strike caused delays in V's start up to the US. I'm yet to hear anything but good reviews.

 

[Travel Guru]

I'm looking forward to reviewing them myself when I fly them in a few weeks BNE-LAX in Y+, looking forward to trying out their product.

Will post a review on my return.

TG

 

[JohnK]

What qualifies you to say it was a once in a lifetime experience when you have never flown V Australia?

Are you saying that it was not a once in a lifetime experience? I will definitely fly V Australia everytime if the expectation is that the legroom will be palatial, the staff will wait for me with my bags and ensure that I have a row of 4 seats to myself. If you cannot provide that service to every passenger then the review is meaningless.

There are people posting on AFF who for some reason think/believe CX provides exceptional service. Perhaps their definition of exceptional is different to mine as I have yet to experience it. Personally I think AY cabin crew provide freindly consistent service everytime and I have flown them many times.

How anyone can describe 32" pitch vs 31" pitch as palatial is beyond me. Anyway I hope more people have once in a lifetime experiences so I can read about them on AFF and dream that it may happen to me one day....

 

[docjames]

At 6'5" any Y seat is far from palatial (although Click MX was close at 35"), but there is a noticable difference between 31" and 32".


JohnK, you seem to imply that single negative experiences shouldnt be posted?

You dont have to agree with the experience / opinion, but it's ok for others to voice their (single) positive experiences. Otherwise there would be far less people posting their experiences and this forum would be a less interesting place.

I'd struggle to think many (particularly on this forum) would read that post and believe that would be the universal experice. But it is perhaps (without experiencing VA first hand) a sign of how hard VA are trying (met with bags etc), but also unfortunately a reflection of current load factors (57% iirc was the published LF) so currently travelling in Y there'd be a decent chance of getting at least one spare seat next to you on that load factor.

If they can improve their load factors (and the deal with DL should help this to some degree), hopefully their service does not drop away too much. It's too early to tell, but the culture exhibited by the post you're criticising would seem to suggest they're trying very very hard, which as a customer is what I (many?) would want.

 

[oz_mark]

At 6'5" any Y seat is far from palatial (although Click MX was close at 35"), but there is a noticable difference between 31" and 32".

If it is the difference between you knees being embedded in the seat in front, and not touching the seat in front, then indeed, the difference has a huge on your general comfort.

Nothing wrong with people writing about their positive experiences with airlines.