Comfortable cabin and minimalist catering, this flight in Economy X (premium economy) on Virgin Australia between Melbourne and Sydney confirms my previous impressions of the Australian airline.
For this last domestic flight, I’m sticking with Virgin Australia, given my good past experiences and the prohibitive fares charged by Qantas. So I bought a ticket in Economy X for 127 euros, seeing no point in paying a business class for such a short flight, and certainly not at the prices they charge.
For the record, the difference between Economy X and Economy is priority boarding, more legroom and reserved areas in the baggage compartments. However, on-board service remains the same, and the fare does not include access to the airline’s lounges.
As a reminder, here’s my vacation air routing.
You’ll find at the bottom of the page a summary of articles about this vacation in Australia.
Booking
As I said earlier, I booked a one-way Economy X ticket for 127 euros on the Virgin Australia website. Last year I had booked in Economy and had paid for an upgrade at check-in but now, convinced by the product, I booked directly in this class of travel.
Check-in and ground experience
I check-in online the day before my departure. On occasion, Virgin Australia auctions off an upgrade to business class, but not this time: the plane is probably full.
I arrive at the airport from the hotel and find myself stuck in a huge traffic jam as I approach the terminal. At first I’m surprised, but it’s been nearly 3 weeks since I left Paris, which makes it hard to keep track of time, and the summer climate doesn’t help: it’s actually the first day of the Christmas vacations.
I head for the baggage drop-off kiosks.
Maximum authorized weight 23kg, suitcase weight 24kg, I had to pay an extra 60 Australian dollars (37 euros). A bit annoying for a kilo, but there’s no way of lightening the suitcase, and that’s the price you have to pay when you leave one country in the middle of winter to find yourself in another where it’s summer: you need a double wardrobe and that’s the weight. It will be 2kg lighter when leaving Sydney for Sweden and then France.
On the other hand, the process is super simple: I scan a QR code on the screen and pay with my phone.
Still, it’s pretty busy for a Sunday morning.
I head for the security checkpoints and to my great surprise find that Melbourne is equipped with the new generation of scanners: no need to take anything out of my bag. It saves an incredible amount of time, and even if I don’t have access to the priority lanes, it makes the operation very smooth.
I then make my way to the Virgin Austalia lounge.I don’t have access to it with my Economy X ticket, but it’s accessible to American Express Platinum cardholders, which is how I’ll get in.
A lovely lounge, but as always, the food and beverage offer is rather poor.
Boarding
I get to the gate a few minutes early.It’s already crowded, and the flight is still announced on time.
Boarding will start on time, and Economy X passengers will board first along with business class passengers. Passengers seated in the second part of the aircraft will then board from the rear, via the tarmac, which saves a lot of time.
Really well made.Really well made.
The cabin
It looks brand new. Unlike the other airline aircraft I’ve flown on so far, there’s no partition between business class and the rest of the cabin.
Economy x seats, offering extra legroom, are located at the front of the main cabin behind business class and in the middle at the emergency exits.
Really well made.
The promise of extra legroom is well kept.
On the other hand, my comfort will be a little tarnished by my neighbor…the kind of XXL rugby player who will happily spill over onto his neighbors on the left and right.
The flight
We push back the time to reach the runway, which will allow me to do a bit of spotting.
A Singapore Airlines A350 to start with.
A Malaysia Airlines A330.
A Thai A350.
We take off and the service begins quickly. At least, what service actually is. Coffee or a glass of water, and if you want more, there’s still the Buy on board menu.
On the other hand, it seems that despite the short duration of the flight (1h30), business class passengers still got a hot meal.
Arrival and disembarkation
The approach maneuvers are an opportunity to make a loop over the ocean.
We touch down on the runway as an ANA 787 awaits takeoff.
I’m off to the luggage conveyor belt, which will start delivering our suitcases barely two minutes after my arrival. What a change from the slowness of Roissy!
However, I had seen my suitcase loaded in the first ones in Melbourne…so it will be delivered among the last ones here.
The staff
Not much to say given the lack of interaction throughout the journey. Let’s just say that my glass of water was served to me with a smile, but in general I have nothing but good things to say about the Virgin Australia staff.
Bottom Line
An uneventful flight.
The articles about this vacation in Australia
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