Virgin Australia Fleet Update Thread.

[MomoWang]

There are 5x Boeing 777-300ERs in the fleet.

Simplisticly they are deployed as follows:

• 2x SYD-LAX-SYD for daily flights
• 1x BNE-LAX-BNE for three flights a week
• 1x MEL-LAX-MEL for three flights a week
• 1x SYD-AUH-SYD for three flights a week

V Australia is coming up to 3 years old so some of these aircraft are going into maintenance. I heard Ethiad are taking over the SYD-AUH-SYD flight for a few months during this maintenance period.

Additionally: anyone booked VA to AUH in Premium Economy is being upgraded to Ethiad Business during this period as they do not have Premium Economy.

 

[The Rok]

Things are a little cold on the Virgin front

From VA's Facebook page...

 

[markis10]

Re: Things are a little cold on the Virgin front

VH-YIG arrived in BNE yesterday, sent straight to the Hanger to thaw out!

 

[docjames]

Re: Things are a little cold on the Virgin front

Yeah, I'm tipping that's not parked in LAX, AUH or pacific islands!

Was it SEA pre delivery?

 

[markis10]

Re: Things are a little cold on the Virgin front

Yeah, I'm tipping that's not parked in LAX, AUH or pacific islands!

Was it SEA pre delivery?

RNT pre delivery I am guessing, delivery flight was from BFI.

Unless it was YFG before her first flight at RNT on Friday.

 

[The Rok]

It was VH-YIF

It was VH-YIF

 

[markis10]

Re: It was VH-YIF

Yes, YIFs first flight was delayed due to WX at RNT

 

[NM]

Re: It was VH-YIF

&^%#*&@ global warming .....

 

[Nigelinoz]

Re: It was VH-YIF

Stunning photos no matter where they were taken!
Cheers
N'oz

 

[777]

Re: It was VH-YIF

&^%#*&@ global warming .....

Yes, the extreme warming at the North pole is pushing quite disruptive cold fronts further south and with greater intensity than they are usually seen. The whole interplay between the arctic (where sea ice is disappearing fast) and the temperate regions further south is seriously out of whack.

Although i fear that wasn't point you were trying to make.

 

[wallaby1]

Boeing 737-700
There are 15 in the fleet. 11 have Business Class seating, 4 don't. Although the 3 rogues are gone by March either by sale or lease return.

Boeing 737-800
There are 46 in the fleet and only 1 of those does not have Business Class seating. The rogue 800 is also meant to be gone by the end of March.

Overall, after March, in theory only 1x 737 wont have Business Class seating.

And yet for flights in and out of MCY the Virgin website doesn't show Business Class ( or even Premium) at all, even looking as far ahead as October.

 

[markis10]

And yet for flights in and out of MCY the Virgin website doesn't show Business Class ( or even Premium) at all, even looking as far ahead as October.

This is popping up on a regular basis, MCY like ROK, HVB etc is not part of the J network

http://www.virginaustralia.com/cs/groups/internetcontent/documents/webcontent/~edisp/u_024308.jpg

 

[wallaby1]

LOL, so they're flying planes equipped with Business but not selling the seats?
In that case I may as well just keep flying Qantas out of Brisbane.
And if I do that domestically there's really no reason for me to switch to Virgin for flights to the USA either.

 

[kevrosmith]

LOL, so they're flying planes equipped with Business but not selling the seats?
In that case I may as well just keep flying Qantas out of Brisbane.
And if I do that domestically there's really no reason for me to switch to Virgin for flights to the USA either.

I know you're generally comparing to routes which mainline-QF do sell J seats on, but I guess it is comparable to Qantaslink routes, which don't have J class. However, you do make a valid point about DJ having aircraft on those routes which have J seats, but not selling the J fares. Perhaps it's not economically to provide the catering and extra crew on those routes...:?: And what's even more odd, often 4 of the 6 services BNE-CNS don't have proper J seats (between 737-700, F100 and E190) :!: and yet they advertise this as one of the J routes. Go figure.

 

[MichaelD]

However, you do make a valid point about DJ having aircraft on those routes which have J seats, but not selling the J fares.

See this thread (http://www.australianfrequentflyer..../virgin-business-class-lottery-now-36235.html) for extensive discussion of what problems Virgin got themselves into for selling Business and delivering Premium Economy.

They figured out pretty quickly that it is better to underpromise and overdeliver rather than the other way around at the premium end of the market.

 

[markis10]

I know you're generally comparing to routes which mainline-QF do sell J seats on, but I guess it is comparable to Qantaslink routes, which don't have J class. However, you do make a valid point about DJ having aircraft on those routes which have J seats, but not selling the J fares. Perhaps it's not economically to provide the catering and extra crew on those routes...:?: And what's even more odd, often 4 of the 6 services BNE-CNS don't have proper J seats (between 737-700, F100 and E190) :!: and yet they advertise this as one of the J routes. Go figure.

I suspect a lot of the non J destinations are going to be serviced by an ATR, at least in the case of HVB, ROK etc, MCY is a puzzling one because it's flights are to SYD etc, I would have thought J would be a leg up to DJ against the competition, maybe it will change when they get more aircraft, they are averaging almost 2 deliveries a month.

 

[wafliron]

I spoke to a friend who worked at Virgin today about the fleet upgrade.

Boeing 737-700
There are 15 in the fleet. 11 have Business Class seating, 4 don't. Although the 3 rogues are gone by March either by sale or lease return.

Boeing 737-800
There are 46 in the fleet and only 1 of those does not have Business Class seating. The rogue 800 is also meant to be gone by the end of March.

Overall, after March, in theory only 1x 737 wont have Business Class seating.

Can someone clarify for me: is this the fleet DJ use for domestic only, or for all flights with a DJ airline code (incl. short-haul international)? Wondering if I book DJ MEL-DPS in J later this year whether it will be the new interior / new business class.

Thanks.

 

[markis10]

Can someone clarify for me: is this the fleet DJ use for domestic only, or for all flights with a DJ airline code (incl. short-haul international)? Wondering if I book DJ MEL-DPS in J later this year whether it will be the new interior / new business class.

Thanks.

DPS has seen a lot of the new new aircraft being used, I dont expect you will have an issues getting a refitted aircraft and its likely to be a newbie.

 

[MomoWang]

By August/September, there will only be 4x 737-700s remaining in the fleet and they should be fitting with full J class.

 

[Jack Melon]

VH-VBY & VH-VBZ are the 737-700's that are definitely staying. VH-VBL looks really sad at the moment, part of the roof was so bad they put a new skin on it and looks really bad, faded red and the rest new patch of red. They are really tired and need to be repainted and re-furbished and a god damn clean! VH-VBY is sure looking sexy at the moment! But i do love the 737-700, there so cute