AFF Review: Virgin Australia’s Refurbished 737-800 Business Class

[AFF Editor]

Canonical URL

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/virgin-australia-refurbished-737-business-class-review/

Review: Virgin Australia’s Refurbished Boeing 737-800 Business Class is an article written by Matt from the AFF editorial team:

Review: Virgin Australia’s Refurbished Boeing 737-800 Business Class

Virgin Australia's refurbished Boeing 737s have new Business Class seats, but the cabin overall feels less spacious and private. This review explains what to expect in Virgin Australia Business Class in 2025.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[kerfuffle]

Using Flightradar24 is a good tip; thanks!

 

[serfty]

Using Flightradar24 is a good tip; thanks!

Yes, with internet now available on most aircraft, I find flightradar24 useful. Earlier this on the now defunct Haneda service if observed my aircraft do a go-around at Tokyo, both from inside the aircraft and "out". I took time next daybto record the event:

Post in thread 'Ask The Pilot'

Feb 1, 2025

From what I recall and looking at the track, we had a lot of course changes coming in but otherwise, aircraft were spaced out on the flight path other than maybe we got too close to the one in front.

• serfty

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[serfty]

As for the cabin, I'm off to Cairns in business this weekend, I'll take some comparative notes.

 

[ThePointyEnd]

The other problem with the new Business Class is the space to hang your jacket has also gone. The only place now is to scrunch it up into the overhead bin. Of course, being Virgin, the scruncher was cabin staff and not myself! And yes, a queue of economy passengers grew waiting for the toilet; I just went straight to the front of them.

 

[rp_aust]

Having flown Cairns to Melbourne a couple of weeks ago in Row 4 aisle seat (Economy X), I was well positioned to see the new Business Class seats and agree with all your comments.

I presume that the Economy X seats were refurbished at the same time as the business class ones, and I found that the usable width of the footwell under the seat in front was severely reduced by what seemed an extra support for the seat in front, which had been positioned on the aisle side of the normal seat support.

The available width of the footwell on the aisle is usually less than for the middle seat, and I am used to this, but this extra obstruction reduces the width available to the extent that only one foot can extend under the seat in front.

To extend my other leg I needed to go into the aisle, where it was tripped over repeatedly by economy passengers going backwards and forwards trying to use the crew/business class toilet up front.

I asked a cabin crew member what the obstruction was and he said that it was a seat support. On a full flight I could hardly get on my hands and knees to check this!

Economy X is sold for a significant premium to economy class, mainly on the basis of extra legroom. However I ended the flight feeling that I had not got the additional legroom that I should have and that Virgin had failed to disclose that this would be the case and why.

Finally, my experience was in Row 4, which is an Economy X row. I do not know whether this same issue covers aisle seats in Economy class. I'd like to find out before booking any further Virgin flights.