Is J worth it on regional flights?

[n17]

I really cannot understand what is the benefit in fly J class on some flights.

Having flown Townsville – Brisbane today in 4A I had the opportunity to witness the new J Class service on a regional flight. To be honest after viewing the service and below average food offered I’m yet to be convinced that the extra $270 from flexi to J is worth it .

The seats are no wider there’s no extra legroom, no papers or mags offered. I have flown J on the Sydney and Mel runs and the service is quit good. But when flying to places such as Townsville what’s the point, no lounge, you get food comparable to flexi but do have exclusive use of the front loo but that’s about it, oh I forgot the complimentary drink before take off- but that makes for one expensive drink.

At best the level of service would be PE and that would be pushing the envelope

 

[Limewood]

Waste of money IMO, other than lounge access if no status.

 

[Simo]

I would not waste the money.

unless you need the SC's.

 

[ashleyn]

Don't wish to rain on people's parades but I think all domestic J travel is overrated and not worth the cost. Of course if work is paying for it, that's another matter.

 

[Meggsy]

I really cannot understand what is the benefit in fly J class on some flights.

Having flown Townsville – Brisbane today in 4A I had the opportunity to witness the new J Class service on a regional flight. To be honest after viewing the service and below average food offered I’m yet to be convinced that the extra $270 from flexi to J is worth it .

The seats are no wider there’s no extra legroom, no papers or mags offered. I have flown J on the Sydney and Mel runs and the service is quit good. But when flying to places such as Townsville what’s the point, no lounge, you get food comparable to flexi but do have exclusive use of the front loo but that’s about it, oh I forgot the complimentary drink before take off- but that makes for one expensive drink.

At best the level of service would be PE and that would be pushing the envelope

I can only assume that you were on an Embraer 190 otherwise this is simply untrue of the new J seats on the 737's. I do agree though that on the E190 there is currently not much value in J class but I do believe that the aircraft will be reconfigured soon. To each their own though. I actually enjoy the lock out of the seat beside you in the J cabin on the E190 as it gives me some work space and an extra table.

 

[anat0l]

n17, if those passengers in Business paid for Business and did not receive bona fide Business Class with Business level service from DJ, I believe they should be entitled to some form of compensation? (This has been discussed quite a lot in another thread).

I thought that the e-jets do not have Business Class fitted on them yet. It may be that those passengers in front were instead offered Premium Economy service. (Either that or they consented to a reduced fare with the appropriate reduced service).


I personally don't pay cash for Business Class most of the time. Well, the easy explanation is that I can't afford it.

We all agree that Business Class is inevitably more comfortable than Economy. If money was not an issue, then close to all of us would nominate to fly in Business Class. Those with a higher disposable income or feel that they want / need the exclusivity, extra space etc. etc. (and sometimes it's only one of those factors that one wants) can afford to pay the premium for such a privilege.

Townsville - Brisbane I wouldn't really call a "regional" flight. It's certainly not one of the major routes (i.e. between capital cities), but it is still a decent ~1 hour flight (a farther distance than Brisbane - Sydney). Perhaps it's semantics, but I consider regional flights to be those usually operated by the turboprops (e.g. ATRs for Virgin, Q400s for Qantas); flights like Brisbane - Gladstone, Cairns - Horn Island, Sydney - Tamworth and so on.

In saying that, Virgin are trying to compete on a Business level for this sector just as Qantas has operated Business on this sector for a long time now (with Business service etc.). I'd hope that Virgin have enough aircraft to service this route satisfactorily with Business and not the old Premium Economy.

 

[n17]

I can only assume that you were on an Embraer 190 otherwise this is simply untrue of the new J seats on the 737's. I do agree though that on the E190 there is currently not much value in J class but I do believe that the aircraft will be reconfigured soon. To each their own though. I actually enjoy the lock out of the seat beside you in the J cabin on the E190 as it gives me some work space and an extra table.

Ive done the Towns> Bris run four times in the last few months all on the 190 which have not been refitted, this being the case why are VA charging Business fare for a PE std service- the old PE fare would seem fairer.

I agree, I like the new J service, but I do feel that if you have paid for a business class ticket then business class it should be. If you are flying on metal that has not been refitted then the fare should reflect that.

 

[Meggsy]

Ive done the Towns> Bris run four times in the last few months all on the 190 which have not been refitted, this being the case why are VA charging Business fare for a PE std service- the old PE fare would seem fairer.

I agree, I like the new J service, but I do feel that if you have paid for a business class ticket then business class it should be. If you are flying on metal that has not been refitted then the fare should reflect that.

Totally agree they shouldn't be selling J class when cabins are not configured for it. A recent thread about the 737-700 caused a lot of debate and DJ actually pulled the plug on J class sales on this acft type until it was all sorted out. I thought the E190's were the same but apparently you can still buy J class on some flights, point to point but not on connections.

 

[Fruitcake]

A very important difference is that when you buy a J class ticket on an E190 you are specifically told that you are buying two leather seats, for your own exclusive use, at 34" pitch. If you acknowledge that's what you're being sold and are willing to pay the asking price, then it's completely above board.

The problem with the -700s was that with no aircraft at all being fitted with J seats, DJ was selling a product which it could never deliver, because the 737 business class product is advertised as a 38" pitch leather seat. In my view, selling J on flights where the -700 was explicitly scheduled was very poor practice by DJ.

 

[Noob]

The problem with the -700s was that with no aircraft at all being fitted with J seats, DJ was selling a product which it could never deliver, because the 737 business class product is advertised as a 38" pitch leather seat. In my view, selling J on flights where the -700 was explicitly scheduled was very poor practice by DJ.

Which they promptly acknowledged, changed, and compensated those effected.

 

[Fruitcake]

Which they promptly acknowledged, changed, and compensated those effected.

Exactly - it never directly affected me, so I can't relate to some of the hyperbolic testimony in the other thread about long-term depression that's resulted from sitting in a red seat (and getting half the fare back) rather than a black seat, but reading about how it was dealt with and how the product has now been pulled from sale certainly hasn't deterred me from flying DJ domestic J in the future.

 

[eastwest101]

Just an interesting observation as I flew on two VA flights in Y yesterday. The first was a mid-morning SYD-BNE with a refitted B737-800 and the J cabin was completely empty (Y maybe 80% full) - which I thought was interesting. The next flight was a BNE-TSV with unrefitted B737-700 that was really showing its age, PE load seemed about 50% and Y was about 75% full. Live 2 Air in Y class was free and a definate competative advantage in my opinion. None of the "J" class pax in BNE-TSV were interested in the tablets.

Note that SYD-BNE is only about 1hr and BNE-TSV is 1hr 45 to 2hrs occasionally. I did see vigorous enforcement of priority boarding when departing BNE, didn't see what was happening in SYD but I suspect a scrum, as it left very late.

Crew good on both flights - and probably enjoyed not having to play "bouncer" and ejecting people trying for the front toilet from the front of the B738 with the empty J class.

 

[djchuckles]

I sat in 1A from BNE to SYD last night but only because that was the only points plus pay left any time that evening when I booked.

Service was very good - there was only one other passenger in J - but I wouldn't have paid the fare price as I get lounge access from being Gold anyhow