When are all the 737's due to be refitted?

[dsotm]

Just checked my Christmas family PE flight and saw we are still on one of the old jets. Bummer. I thought all the 'planes would have been converted by now. Is there a chance DJ749 could end up with a refit-737 on the day?

 

[markis10]

A lot can happen in two weeks, you could be lucky!

 

[dsotm]

Here's hoping. I don't think Virgin should even be selling those old seats as "Premium" for the price they are charging. On a trip back from Brisbane last week it felt anything but premium.

 

[maninblack]

Just checked my Christmas family PE flight and saw we are still on one of the old jets. Bummer. I thought all the 'planes would have been converted by now. Is there a chance DJ749 could end up with a refit-737 on the day?

I got that old style seat map for online check in a few weeks ago departing OOL but got a refitted aircraft with the new J seats on the day. I don't think they would have many aircraft without the new J seating anymore so there is a good chance for you I reckon.

 

[Mh4k]

Mmm... they are still out there. At least 25% of my SYD/MEL sectors are still on the old interior. We know all services on the BNE/SYD/MEL run will have the new interior by the middle of next month but I think that the rest of the fleet will take many months longer than that to get converted over, given the pace over the last few months.

 

[maninblack]

Mmm... they are still out there. At least 25% of my SYD/MEL sectors are still on the old interior. We know all services on the BNE/SYD/MEL run will have the new interior by the middle of next month but I think that the rest of the fleet will take many months longer than that to get converted over, given the pace over the last few months.

Most (perhaps all) 738 routes are being sold as with J from Jan 18 so they better have the aircraft :!:

 

[Noob]

Network wide Business Class begins on the 18th of January as stated in the Virgin Australia Media Release: Virgin Australia Business Class on Sale across Domestic Network | Virgin Australia

It doesn't take long to refit 737s they have been pumping out two a week - shouldn't be much longer.

 

[Mh4k]

Hmm fair enough. Was the original announcement Jan 18th for the Mel/Syd/Bne routes only? Or perhaps I imagined it. Either way there are more of the old interior still operating than you'd expect at the moment given the cutover.

What will happen to the 737-700s after January 18th? AFAIK none of them have been refitted as yet.

 

[markis10]

What will happen to the 737-700s after January 18th? AFAIK none of them have been refitted as yet.

They wont be refitted, some routes are seeing the removal of premium cabins, such as ROK-BNE.

 

[AdMEL]

Hmm fair enough. Was the original announcement Jan 18th for the Mel/Syd/Bne routes only? Or perhaps I imagined it. Either way there are more of the old interior still operating than you'd expect at the moment given the cutover.

What will happen to the 737-700s after January 18th? AFAIK none of them have been refitted as yet.

The original announcement was for MEL/SYD/BNE from Jan 18, but was followed a few days later by a further announcement of network wide J from Jan 18.

 

[LiamR]

Mine have changed around a fair bit lately, so seat maps and aircraft do change. There's a chance you might end up on a newer aircraft.

Good luck! Just don't steal one from me!

 

[dandandan]

I flew premium economy Sydney to Gold Coast, up Friday and back Sunday. Flight up had presumably the old cabin with the 3 seats and tray in the middle seat and flight back had to nice big new seats. So when you get the nice 2 new big seats are these business class seats and will Sydney/Gold Coast have a business class service then?

 

[Noob]

I flew premium economy Sydney to Gold Coast, up Friday and back Sunday. Flight up had presumably the old cabin with the 3 seats and tray in the middle seat and flight back had to nice big new seats. So when you get the nice 2 new big seats are these business class seats and will Sydney/Gold Coast have a business class service then?

They are in the process of refitting the aircraft with new Business class seats (the 2 big ones either side) - this is ready for when they start business class from the 18th of January i.e. service, food and other business perks.

Information from the Media Release: http://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/about-us/media/2011/D_020317/

 

[lovestotravel]

Still no announcement on IFE either.... Not surprising really!

 

[Noob]

Still no announcement on IFE either.... Not surprising really!

It has only been barely six months since the relaunch.
Would you rather the IFE product half done and released quickly, or cutting edge and taking a bit longer?

They could have done a QF and slapped in relatively old IFE technology in their new 737s...

 

[markis10]

It has only been barely six months since the relaunch.
Would you rather the IFE product half done and released quickly, or cutting edge and taking a bit longer?

They could have done a QF and slapped in relatively old IFE technology in their new 737s...

Nah, announce it and put it in place without testing it properly, thus failing to learn from others mistakes, it would give us more to talk about :mrgreen::

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....t-flyer-program/qantas-ife-failure-25955.html

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....discussion/qf-compensation-ife-u-s-21469.html

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....uent-flyer-program/crashing-the-ife-9200.html

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....news/problem-qf-ife-system-admitted-8949.html

I would much rather know there is no IFE and make arrangements to suit rather than rely on a system that has been implemented hastily and becomes unreliable!

 

[djfuzz]

They could have done a QF and slapped in relatively old IFE technology in their new 737s...

That's a little unfair - while I don't mind (too much) VA taking the time to get their IFE right, I wouldn't call the on:Q IFE Qantas has put in their new 737s (the same product as on their A380s and A330s) 'relatively old' (no comment on its reliability however!) or in any other way problematic for domestic flying - it has a reasonable variety, decent screens an adequate interface, and USB connectivity. Really the only significant thing that is missing is inflight WiFi (again, no comment on reliability).

I'd be more than happy if QF rolled out their 737 product across the rest of their fleet - cf the older A330s, 747s and 767s - and focused on ensuring it worked properly, than looking to bring in a new product for now.

And as for VA, they do have a proven, readily workable and more than adequate product themselves - Red.

 

[lovestotravel]

It has only been barely six months since the relaunch.
Would you rather the IFE product half done and released quickly, or cutting edge and taking a bit longer?

They could have done a QF and slapped in relatively old IFE technology in their new 737s...

Was meant to be announced Aug/September from memory

The "old" IFE on the new 737's is still better than a portable device

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Resurrecting an oldie here, but have I missed a refit thread? I believe I was on a white 737-800 but it wasn't a BSI. All seats were the grey with no screens (at least not in row 6 forward), so is this a completed product of the old aircraft?

This morning I was on a red one with grey seats and no screens (at least not in row 8).

I wasn't aware they had started painting them yet and changing the seats?

 

[Steve Dyer]

They have commenced painting older 737's with the new Livery. New interior but not the BSI... With the exception of the BSI, the rest should now be a standard product!