Virgin Australia to lease more 737s

Seems Bonza has a better inflight product. (Not joking, it’s true)
Well, yes and no, if you are comparing apples with apples, all the 737-8 Max's from Bonza and Virgin will have USB charging, obviously, VA has an existing fleet that'll take a while to retrofit USB charging into.
Bonza doesn't have a proper BYOD in-flight entertainment system (limited to a very small audio selection and a couple of TV shows), no plans to launch WiFi internet and no inflight mapping on your device, so the charging is of not much use unless you are planning on watching/listening to some pre-installed entertainment on your device, or just want it charged for when you arrive at your destination.
 
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Sorry haven't kept up with the VA J lottery

Have several J flights coming up and all seat maps currently show 8 x J seats..

However, what aircraft/registrations do NOT have J ?
 
Sorry haven't kept up with the VA J lottery

Have several J flights coming up and all seat maps currently show 8 x J seats..

However, what aircraft/registrations do NOT have J ?
Any 737-700 (73G), except for the 2 legacy VB birds, which are VH-VBY and VH-VBZ.
Any of the 6x Airbus A320s which are based in PER/WA.
The remaining Fokker 100s in WA (They generally don't venture outside WA except the occasional ADL).
 
Has anyone heard any update on the 737 Max 8's due for delivery (shortly)? :)
Recently reaffirmed them being used, that's about it.

Article published yesterday (1st March) (few other interesting points there too!)
 
Recently reaffirmed them being used, that's about it.

Article published yesterday (1st March) (few other interesting points there too!)
What does that even mean, more NZ and Pacific flying? ZQN numbers don’t look so hot
 
That article is behind a paywall if you can post it that would be decent.
It isnt for me. I guess you've read your quota, maybe?

Bullish Virgin Australia eyes international ramp-up​

By Alfred Chua1 March 2023
Virgin Australia is to focus on a significant international ramp-up in the coming year, with the airline also seeing strong inbound travel demand from Chinese travellers.

Airline commercial chief Dave Emerson, who was speaking at the Aviation Festival Asia in Singapore on 28 February, said the airline “can probably grow” 50% in capacity by the 2024 fiscal year, which ends 30 June 2024.

“We still have a lot of growth there,” says Emerson, who notes that traffic to and from Japan will play a “big part”, alongside an expansion of its Pacific Islands network. The airline is marking its return to the Japanese market in June with daily flights between Cairns and Tokyo Haneda, operated by newly-delivered Boeing 737 Max 8s.

Emerson says the airline is also seeing healthy demand in inbound traffic from codeshare partnerships. Virgin Australia has codeshare agreements with airlines like United Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways.

“We are almost at the same volume pre-Covid of international passengers [from codeshare partnerships] flying domestic with us, and we actually see that going past, so we’re quite bullish,” says Emerson.

Chinese inbound demand, in particular, is set for a significant increase in the coming months, following Beijing’s decision to drop most of its ‘zero-Covid’ restrictions in January.

Virgin Australia does not fly to China, but taps on its airline partners for feeder traffic. Emerson says in February, demand is only at about 30% pre-pandemic levels, but is forecast to be around 70% by mid-year.
he airline hopes to grow the number of international airline partners in the near-term, though Emerson declines to state which airlines it is looking to work with.

On domestic operations, Emerson says the airline is already close to pre-pandemic capacity, and is still set to grow about 5 to 10% in capacity over the next year.

Since exiting administration in 2020 under new owners Bain Capital, Virgin Australia has changed its operating model to a mid-market operator, focusing on domestic and short-haul operations with a fleet of Boeing 737s.

Emerson’s comments come as the airline is seeing its operations turn profitable two years after restructuring, and as it mulls being relisted on the Australian stock exchange. The airline in October 2022 said it was on track to return to profitability for the year to 30 June.
 
It isnt for me. I guess you've read your quota, maybe?

Bullish Virgin Australia eyes international ramp-up​

By Alfred Chua1 March 2023
Virgin Australia is to focus on a significant international ramp-up in the coming year, with the airline also seeing strong inbound travel demand from Chinese travellers.

Airline commercial chief Dave Emerson, who was speaking at the Aviation Festival Asia in Singapore on 28 February, said the airline “can probably grow” 50% in capacity by the 2024 fiscal year, which ends 30 June 2024.

“We still have a lot of growth there,” says Emerson, who notes that traffic to and from Japan will play a “big part”, alongside an expansion of its Pacific Islands network. The airline is marking its return to the Japanese market in June with daily flights between Cairns and Tokyo Haneda, operated by newly-delivered Boeing 737 Max 8s.

Emerson says the airline is also seeing healthy demand in inbound traffic from codeshare partnerships. Virgin Australia has codeshare agreements with airlines like United Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways.

“We are almost at the same volume pre-Covid of international passengers [from codeshare partnerships] flying domestic with us, and we actually see that going past, so we’re quite bullish,” says Emerson.

Chinese inbound demand, in particular, is set for a significant increase in the coming months, following Beijing’s decision to drop most of its ‘zero-Covid’ restrictions in January.

Virgin Australia does not fly to China, but taps on its airline partners for feeder traffic. Emerson says in February, demand is only at about 30% pre-pandemic levels, but is forecast to be around 70% by mid-year.
he airline hopes to grow the number of international airline partners in the near-term, though Emerson declines to state which airlines it is looking to work with.

On domestic operations, Emerson says the airline is already close to pre-pandemic capacity, and is still set to grow about 5 to 10% in capacity over the next year.

Since exiting administration in 2020 under new owners Bain Capital, Virgin Australia has changed its operating model to a mid-market operator, focusing on domestic and short-haul operations with a fleet of Boeing 737s.

Emerson’s comments come as the airline is seeing its operations turn profitable two years after restructuring, and as it mulls being relisted on the Australian stock exchange. The airline in October 2022 said it was on track to return to profitability for the year to 30 June.
All sounds a bit bullish to me.
 
Yair, without any 787s/777s/350/330s, or even 340 (wry grin)...
How can they say they are going to focus on int?
Do they mean close by countries where the 737-800 max can reach?
CNS - HKG?
Edit: to add:
Sorry haven't kept up with the VA J lottery

Have several J flights coming up and all seat maps currently show 8 x J seats..

However, what aircraft/registrations do NOT have J ?
Watch out for the saab that link flies on behalf of VA, esp to and from CBR.
If you have any need to fly to the capital, or from, best to fly via MEL.
Granted even for MEL, they might swap in either of their 2 737-700s, without a J cabin.
Rather than watching for plane regos, watch for forward bookings on your planned route, if its "business is not available", you know there has been a swap to a 737-700 without a J cabin.
Otherwise keep an eye on flightaware/flightradar, and see what sort of plane is used, over the past few days, and current.
 
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Yair, without any 787s/777s/350/330s, or even 340 (wry grin)...
How can they say they are going to focus on int?
Do they mean close by countries where the 737-800 max can reach?
CNS - HKG?
I think they will focus on short haul international for now. Bali, Fiji, NZ, Vanuatu, Samoa etc with the CNS-HND route.
I still think that even once NH come on board they still have another partner or two up their sleeve
 
Sorry haven't kept up with the VA J lottery

Have several J flights coming up and all seat maps currently show 8 x J seats..

However, what aircraft/registrations do NOT have J ?
Watch out for the saab that link flies on behalf of VA, esp to and from CBR.
If you have any need to fly to the capital, or from, best to fly via MEL.
Granted even for MEL, they might swap in either of their 2 737-700s, without a J cabin.
Rather than watching for plane regos, watch for forward bookings on your planned route, if its "business is not available", you know there has been a swap to a 737-700 without a J cabin.
Otherwise keep an eye on flightaware/flightradar, and see what sort of plane is used, over the past few days, and current.
 
I think they will focus on short haul international for now. Bali, Fiji, NZ, Vanuatu, Samoa etc with the CNS-HND route.
I still think that even once NH come on board they still have another partner or two up their sleeve

I think its about furthering their ties with HA and AC. Absolute mess when it comes to benefits with partners.

AC only grants lounge access, QR gives everything but extra luggage, HNA group gives everything but lounge access, and then EY throws the kitchen sink at us.

Not counting the airlines that only give access to their own lounges when others gives access to third parties… SQ really is a not a nice a partner to VA, Airpoint Elites even get Silverkris access..
 
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Watch out for the saab that link flies on behalf of VA, esp to and from CBR.
If you have any need to fly to the capital, or from, best to fly via MEL.
Granted even for MEL, they might swap in either of their 2 737-700s, without a J cabin.
Rather than watching for plane regos, watch for forward bookings on your planned route, if its "business is not available", you know there has been a swap to a 737-700 without a J cabin.
Otherwise keep an eye on flightaware/flightradar, and see what sort of plane is used, over the past few days, and current.
Checking regos is the easiest way to tell if a 737-700 has J or not. VBY and VBZ do, the others don't.

And there are 5 737-700's without a J cabin (3 in service, one getting painted in TSV and one parked).
 
Then having to phone up every booking for comfort seat booking is best?
Not sure what the VA call cent(er) calls them in MNL tho.
One time when I wanted it on an a320 PER - ADL, I had to explain, and the CSA asked if it was for a music instrument, so I would say that they have an inkling of what it means when we want the extra seat, sort of.
The comfort seat booking/extra seat, also benefits the other person, so you are paying for 1.5 actually, instead of 2, as the person next to you on that 737-8/737-7/320 will also gain by not having someone next to them.
 
Then having to phone up every booking for comfort seat booking is best?
Not sure what the VA call cent(er) calls them in MNL tho.
One time when I wanted it on an a320 PER - ADL, I had to explain, and the CSA asked if it was for a music instrument, so I would say that they have an inkling of what it means when we want the extra seat, sort of.
The comfort seat booking/extra seat, also benefits the other person, so you are paying for 1.5 actually, instead of 2, as the person next to you on that 737-8/737-7/320 will also gain by not having someone next to them.
You can quote this:
And you will be able to earn Velocity Frequent Flyer points for the extra seat.
 
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