PERLHR
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So..it's now 2025! ,"2025"
So..it's now 2025! ,"2025"
New air divider & curtain are being tested on a couple of aircraft in the first quarter of this year.So..it's now 2025! ,
lol.. the “air divider”… is that like air guitar? Completely invisible?New air divider & curtain are being tested on a couple of aircraft in the first quarter of this year.
Once testing is complete, roll out to the rest of the fleet this year.
Others on here (such as twinaisle) may have more updated info on this.
Could have been going on their break and checking up on the team. You can't just not see your team and stay hiding at the front of the aircraft.For the first time in ages I was not in biz (cost was crazy) but I was in a very spacious legroom row 3 seat on a 11 year old 737 today from PER to MEL ...well it's tennis time!! It was beautifully furnished with a rope divider that actually worked and detered all those pax thinking about using the front loo. The lucky biz passengers had their own toilet....shame the CSD seemed to.diaappear down the back for.half the flight though!! Glad I was not on Row 1 or 2..
As part of business class experience you would expect that you don't really need to press the call button as the crew member would scan and check every 15 minutes or so.Call bell is there for a reason so I'm sure if J needed something they could have pressed it.
What do you think testing of 'air divider' and 'curtains' includes?New air divider & curtain are being tested on a couple of aircraft in the first quarter of this year.
The determination of Y breaching the "threshold" into Biz! ...who knows ...but no doubt VA will do it all the hard way.What else is there to test?
I guess it includes things like ease of use (deploying and securing in an ‘on board’ environment), checking for passenger comfort (for example, during climb, does the curtain angle mean it intrudes on seat 3C), testing whether crew can still perform their duties while the curtain is closed, both safety-wise, and service wise (when the cart is brought to row 3 to start service, could it knock a passenger standing at row 2?), ease of opening overhead lockers with the curtain rail… does it impact, or not.What do you think testing of 'air divider' and 'curtains' includes?
Staff training can be done on the ground, safety material all done in the office, engineering plans can be drawn up on the ground, installation will be done in the hangar. What is there to test?
I suppose only VA would know for sure but these scenarios do seem like something that could be done on the ground if they put in the effort to do so - use FAs in training as 'dummy' customers in seats and have the crew perform their duties and observe the outcomes.I guess it includes things like ease of use (deploying and securing in an ‘on board’ environment), checking for passenger comfort (for example, during climb, does the curtain angle mean it intrudes on seat 3C), testing whether crew can still perform their duties while the curtain is closed, both safety-wise, and service wise (when the cart is brought to row 3 to start service, could it knock a passenger standing at row 2?), ease of opening overhead lockers with the curtain rail… does it impact, or not.
Lots of feedback, but nothing that couldn’t be done in a week give. the number of flights and number of crews operating the planes in those times.
That sounds awful. What was the response from the FAs?We had people queuing beside our business seats - we literally had business class seats become the 'seats beside the toilet'.
Exclusive: Virgin crew have been forced to physically prevent economy passengers from using business class bathrooms after “a failed experiment” to remove cabin dividers from its planes.
The security concern comes after an investigation by this masthead exposed claims that young and inexperienced workers were put into unsafe working conditions.
Employment Minister Murray Watt issued a stern warning on Tuesday to the airline to put “people before profits”, saying “aviation workers have a right to be safe at work”.
Mr Watt, whose portfolio also covers workplace relations, said he was extremely concerned by reports of the poor treatment of workers after the airline was bought by US investment firm Bain Capital.
“Profits can never be considered more important than worker safety, and every business has a responsibility to ensure that their workers are safe,” he said.
“It’s important that Virgin appropriately addresses the concerns raised in recent media articles. Aviation workers, like all workers, have a right to be safe at work.”
Workplace conditions and culture at Virgin Australia, which has denied turning a blind eye to risks, have come under intense scrutiny since a 21-year-old air hostess was allegedly raped by a fake Fijian farmer on New Year’s Day.
The airline went into administration owing about $7bn during Covid before it was bought by Bain and sacked about 3000 workers.
Deteriorating working conditions then triggered an exodus of experienced workers before the airline started hiring young and inexperienced workers under a brutal cost cutting regime.
This masthead has been told cabin crew have been forced to fly planes with malfunctioning airconditioning, Wi-Fi and refrigeration despite making formal reports about the plane issues.
The poor flight temperature, patchy internet and warm food has led to Virgin workers copping complaints from irate passengers.
Another decision that has contributed to passenger hostility towards crew was to remove the cabin dividers between economy and business class.
Without the cabin dividers, Virgin crew have been instead forced to tell economy passengers they are not allowed to use the bathrooms at the front of the plane.
Transport Workers Union national secretary Michael Kaine branded the decision to remove cabin dividers between economy and business class as “a failed experiment” that needed to be reversed as soon as possible.
“Cabin crew already have demanding roles as aviation’s first responders — the least they deserve is a safe workplace,” he said.
“TWU members have been patiently consulting with the company on this issue for longer than necessary and now they are expected to wait too long, which means continuing to deal with unsafe situations in the meantime.
“Virgin’s first priority should always be the safety of its staff and it needs to ensure cabin dividers are urgently reinstalled to protect crew and passengers.”
A Virgin Australia spokesperson said the cabin dividers had been removed as part of $110 million refurbishment program and about 39 planes were due to be refurbished in 2025, which include installing new dividers.
“Virgin Australia is currently progressing with a $110 million cabin refurbishment program,” said the spokesperson.
“This program includes new business class seats, new or refurbished seats in economy class, in-seat power for every guest, and Wi-Fi and in-flight entertainment enhancements across our 737 fleet.
“It will also include the introduction of a new cabin divider between business class and economy.”
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