A330 - XFA/B - Refit?

[mannej]

Erm how long has it been since you've traveled on an american airline? United, Delta, American are all shocking and closer to Jetstar and Tigerair than Virgin or Qantas. VA have a reasonable product on their A330s, superior service and way more modern planes than most of the US legacy carriers. Granted, some VA 738s have been downgraded with no adjustable headrests, but these aren't really needed for hour-long flights. VA/QF have included entertainment unlike most US carriers.

Saying that, both LCC have something that VA and QF can't offer. They have a consistent product across their domestic fleet.
That is the point of the post. If you reference the A330 thread with QF, how many different types do they have in their domestic fleet (332/333 international, the dreaded domestic type, EBM/N and now the old JQ birds with their mil. product in J and iPad IFE...

 

[markis10]

Saying that, both LCC have something that VA and QF can't offer. They have a consistent product across their domestic fleet.
That is the point of the post. If you reference the A330 thread with QF, how many different types do they have in their domestic fleet (332/333 international, the dreaded domestic type, EBM/N and now the old JQ birds with their mil. product in J and iPad IFE...

Not sure that's true with JQ given some birds don't have reclining seats.

 

[mannej]

Not sure that's true with JQ given some birds don't have reclining seats.

Not necessarily a bad thing with the pitch they offer...

 

[maninblack]

Erm how long has it been since you've traveled on an american airline? United, Delta, American are all shocking and closer to Jetstar and Tigerair than Virgin or Qantas. VA have a reasonable product on their A330s, superior service and way more modern planes than most of the US legacy carriers. Granted, some VA 738s have been downgraded with no adjustable headrests, but these aren't really needed for hour-long flights. VA/QF have included entertainment unlike most US carriers.

I guess I wasn't being clear as that was not my point but incidentally I have flown transcontinental J several times in the US lately and XFA/B business class is about on par with US transcontinental cabins but the food is better.

 

[Bjet]

Different seat map on A332

I have looked at the Virgin Australia A332 website that shows Y starts from row 10 to carry on

But after I checked-in online, the seat map on A332 looks very different... it starts from row 6 to carry on. Is it a new A332?

 

[Shano]

Different seat map on A332

I have looked at the Virgin Australia A332 website that shows Y starts from row 10 to carry on

But after I checked-in online, the seat map on A332 looks very different... it starts from row 6 to carry on. Is it a new A332?

You got the old one.

 

[Bofter]

Apparently the old Emirates seats are quite comfortable, provided you like the service and fly for free:
Flight test: Emirates business class

Note to Virgin: if you allow me to fly free whenever XFA or XFB is operating my service, I am happy to promote it as being excellent value for money for me

 

[serfty]

Actually I have found the seats very comfortable. Those relatively wider of girth would have the most issue as they are not much wider than economy. Picth is brilliant.

 

[DC3]

Erm how long has it been since you've traveled on an american airline? United, Delta, American are all shocking and closer to Jetstar and Tigerair than Virgin or Qantas...

A bit O/T, but I've flown on AA many times over the past 15 years, and as recently as last year (eleven flights in 2013). I've only flown United twice and never on Delta, so I can't personally comment on those two.

However, in the experiences that I've had, AA is nothing like Jetstar (never flown Tiger). Never any major issues relating to AA so I'm having better luck than you (and some others) maybe. Not shocking at all. Perhaps I've been pretty lucky.

 

[Must...Fly!]

XFB got back yesterday afternoon, and XFD flying off this afternoon to MNL.

 

[Melburnian1]

VH-XFD is fifth in the queue behind two or three PRs, a Z2 and a 5J to land in MNL about 2150 our time (1850 Philippine time).

Unfortunately that means a greater percentage chance of getting A or B because one of the oldies is back in Oz while D is 6300 kilometres or so from SYD or MEL in the land of attractive blindingly white beaches (go to Bantayan, Boracay or Malapascua if you don't believe me).

How many days do these VA birds usually spend in MNL being overhauled?

 

[bass_ke]

*goes to check seat map for Fridays transcon flight

 

[Jurahn]

OH and I are heading OOL-MEL-PER in a couple of days so decided to do a points upgrade for the MEL-PER leg and am disappointed to find we're going to be on one of the old birds. Same thing when I flew MEL-PER in December when returning from LA, had one of the old A330s. That was an early afternoon flight, so was hoping for better luck on this trip (as self-funded flyers, J is a very rare "treat") with an early evening flight this time, but we're out of luck again .

 

[bass_ke]

OH and I are heading OOL-MEL-PER in a couple of days so decided to do a points upgrade for the MEL-PER leg and am disappointed to find we're going to be on one of the old birds. Same thing when I flew MEL-PER in December when returning from LA, had one of the old A330s. That was an early afternoon flight, so was hoping for better luck on this trip (as self-funded flyers, J is a very rare "treat") with an early evening flight this time, but we're out of luck again .

At least it's not a 737! Sub happened to me last week

 

[lovestotravel]

Annoying to get XFA/XFB but it's still better than most/all of the Qantas A330 fleet!

 

[Jurahn]

At least it's not a 737! Sub happened to me last week

This is true!

Well, I don't know whether it was Awful or Broken we were on, but the IFE didn't appear to be working in any of the A & B seats in J, so pax on our side of the plane were eventually given Samsung Galaxy tablets (so they obviously knew it was on the blink). The noise-cancelling headsets don't work with the tablets, so we were just given the basic earplugs - but as it turned out, the sound didn't work on one of the tablets and the other one kept freezing, so we gave up, especially as the tablets don't have much in the way of content loaded anyway, so that was rather disappointing.

 

[AdMEL]

Erm how long has it been since you've traveled on an american airline? United, Delta, American are all shocking and closer to Jetstar and Tigerair than Virgin or Qantas. VA have a reasonable product on their A330s, superior service and way more modern planes than most of the US legacy carriers. Granted, some VA 738s have been downgraded with no adjustable headrests, but these aren't really needed for hour-long flights. VA/QF have included entertainment unlike most US carriers.

Having travelled on 4 AA flights a couple of years ago (including red-eye from SFO-JFK) and two DL flights last year, there is an element of truth to what you say. The service on the AA flights was appalling and the planes were old (757's).

With respect to VA, do some of the Oz/VH planes have slightly different fit-outs? Some with adjustable headrests and some without? I vaguely remembered that I had been on some that didn't have adjustable headrests, but the two planes I flew on in the last week (one Oz and one NZ plane) both had adjustable headrests, so I figured my memory must be wrong.

Apparently the old Emirates seats are quite comfortable, provided you like the service and fly for free:
Flight test: Emirates business class

Note to Virgin: if you allow me to fly free whenever XFA or XFB is operating my service, I am happy to promote it as being excellent value for money for me

Didn't realise EK still operated planes with that fit-out!

Actually I have found the seats very comfortable. Those relatively wider of girth would have the most issue as they are not much wider than economy. Picth is brilliant.

Agree regarding the pitch, but disagree regarding them being comfortable and those being of wider girth having the most issue - I am very tall, but slim and find them very uncomfortable!

 

[robbie1984]

Having travelled on 4 AA flights a couple of years ago (including red-eye from SFO-JFK) and two DL flights last year, there is an element of truth to what you say. The service on the AA flights was appalling and the planes were old (757's).

With respect to VA, do some of the Oz/VH planes have slightly different fit-outs? Some with adjustable headrests and some without? I vaguely remembered that I had been on some that didn't have adjustable headrests, but the two planes I flew on in the last week (one Oz and one NZ plane) both had adjustable headrests, so I figured my memory must be wrong.



Didn't realise EK still operated planes with that fit-out!



Agree regarding the pitch, but disagree regarding them being comfortable and those being of wider girth having the most issue - I am very tall, but slim and find them very uncomfortable!

Some have the 5600 series seats that are 'moulded' and don't have separate headrests, the 5500 and the new BSI have moveable headrests except for the exit rows on the BSI.

 

[AdMEL]

Some have the 5600 series seats that are 'moulded' and don't have separate headrests, the 5500 and the new BSI have moveable headrests except for the exit rows on the BSI.

Talk about inconsistent! So they went from moveable to fixed back to moveable? On the basis 5600 is newer than 5500.

 

[robbie1984]

Talk about inconsistent! So they went from moveable to fixed back to moveable? On the basis 5600 is newer than 5500.

majority are moveable. e.g.. 5600 (all a/c after a certain line number) and the BSI. the early a/c are the old 5500. The BSI have a different brand of seat.

Sorry i had the 5600 and 5500 around the wrong way.