introduced on Australia’s
east coast from 2011. The
acquisition not only gave
Virgin a significant footing
in the regional market, but
also introduced Fokker 50s,
Fokker 100s and A320s to
its fleet.
The business expanded
further in 2014, with the
acquisition of low-cost
carrier Tigerair. Virgin opted
to retain the Tigerair brand,
which has given it a vehicle
to grow its appeal to low-
budget leisure travellers.
It has since moved to
standardise the Tigerair fleet,
gradually replacing its A320s
with 737s to match the
equipment used by Virgin’s
mainline operation.
As Virgin’s push to
acquire corporate travellers
made inroads, Qantas
announced the creation of
a new world-class business
suite. It’s 1-2-1 fully flat bed
design threatened to eclipse
Virgin Australia’s 2-2-2
angled-bed offering. Starting
from 2015, the business
suite was rolled out across
Qantas’ A330 aircraft. It has
since been included on new
Boeing 787s and will be
added to some other types.
Not to be outdone, Virgin reinvented its
wide body corporate class product in 2016
when it launched ‘The Business’. It featured
a 1-2-1 layout, with the seats arranged in a
reverse herringbone design, and has been
widely celebrated by critics as one of the
finest premium services in the sky.
‘The Business’ was introduced in the
A330s, which flew the coast-to-coastsectors between Perth, Sydney and
Melbourne. It has since found its way into
the airline’s Boeing 777 fleet, allowing for
the standardisation of Virgin Australia’swide-body offering. ‘The
Business’ soon won an
array of awards and
received excellent reviews.
Sharp explained: “The
coast-to-coast service has
evolved greatly since its
launch. Now, these routes
are operated by a younger,
more fuel-efficient fleet.”
Improvements in
business class have
been coupled with the
introduction of Economy X
across the airline’s domestic
fleet. For an additional
fee, economy travellers
can reserve extra legroom
seating which comes with
the additional benefits of
priority embarkation and
dedicated overhead storage
space.
Since its rebrand, Virgin
Australia has grown to
become a strong player in
premium travel across the
Asia Pacific region. It’s
now a household name in
Australia, New Zealand
and internationally, giving
the Virgin brand a sizable
footprint in this part of the
globe.
Sharp added: “Virgin
Australia is one of the
largest Virgin companies
in the world by employee numbers, and the
largest Virgin business in Australia. We also
have the most number of aircraft of all the
Virgin airlines.”TRANSITION AND TERMINALS
Virgin’s growth into a premium carrier
provided it with an opportunity to reflect
on its fleet and airport structure. After80 Aviation News incorporating Jets May 2018VIRGIN AUSTRALIA – A TRAVELLER’S EXPERIENCE
Flight details: VA569 Melbourne to Perth on
January 29, 2018. Aircraft: Airbus A330-200.
Embarkation: The crew meet passengers at the
main door. On presentation of a business class
boarding pass, the cabin crew escort guests to
their seats. All passengers (regardless of travel
class) are welcomed by name while a business
class customer’s hand luggage is stowed in the
overhead locker by the crew and jackets are hung
for passengers in a Virgin-branded suit cover.
Seating: The business class seats have a reverse
herringbone design and are in a 1-2-1 layout. The
seats convert into a fully flat bed. Finished in
leather, they come with a plush blanket, a pillow,
noise-cancelling headphones and a comprehensive
menu. Other features include USB power, multiple
lighting options, a large table for dining and working
and direct aisle access for all.
In economy, seats are laid out in a 2-4-2
configuration and offer a standard pitch of 31in
(79cm). Several offer a more generous 34in
(86cm) and are sold as ‘Economy X’. All seats have
individual TV screens and headphones are provided
for all on embarkation.Refreshments and dinner: After take-off, the meal
service begins. Dinner in business class consists
of an initial drinks service, which includes snacks.
There is a large selection of drinks, including
Australian and international beer, wine, spirits and
soft drinks, all of which are detailed in a menu.
Following this, passenger dinner orders are taken
and the tray table set with a white tablecloth, silver
cutlery and a salt and peppershaker in the shape
of the Sydney Opera House. The menu includes
a soup as well as a meat or vegetarian starter,
accompanied by warm artisan bread rolls, served
with butter. Main courses typically include a variety
of red meat, white meat, fish and vegetarian dishes.
Each meal is individually prepared for passengers
and delivered to the seat. Following main courses,
dessert is offered along with a cheese option, tea
and coffee.
For economy passengers, all coast-to-coast flights
come with hot meals, which are complimentary.
There are several options and each is served along
with beer, wine and soft drinks. For anyone with
specific dietary requirements, special meals can be
arranged before the flight.Entertainment: Virgin Australia prides itself
on offering a high-quality inflight entertainment
experience. On its 737s, this comes in the form of a
Wi-Fi streaming service, which can be accessed on
passengers’ own handheld devices using the Virgin
Australia app. On the A330s (and 777s), there are
individual screens built into every seat. The system
provides hundreds of options including the latest
and popular films, TV shows, documentaries and a
sizable music selection.
Business class passengers are provided with
high quality noise-cancelling headphones, while
economy travellers receive complimentary ear-pods.
The system also includes a selection of Virgin-
branded content, a moving map and information
about the destination.
Arrival: On arrival, business class passengers
are given priority disembarkation. There are
friendly staff at the aircraft door, aerobridge exit
and throughout the terminal to offer any additional
support. Luggage for business class as well
as Velocity Frequent Flyers (Virgin’s loyalty
programme) are tagged as priority and arrive first
on the baggage carousel.Top: One of ‘The Business’ seats in an A330-- They are also in the 777-300ERs.
Above: State-of-the-art 16in touch screens are
at the heart of the entertainment system in
business class.
77-82_virginDC.mfDC.mf.indd 80 09/04/2018 15:04