Oh dear.....23 passengers (4 of them in Business)

[Melburnian1]

...
The interior is really showing its age with dodgy reclining mechanisms and wonky tray tables. The leg room,however, is generous and there are the old school thicker seats. The bathroom is so much bigger than the modern super skinny versions. My only concern is that the registration changed a few years ago fron VH to H4 though I think it's stabled in BNE.

If there's one thing I dislike in economy class, it would have to be slimline seats. Worse than a suburban bus.

 

[drron]

To be fair there are decent small resorts in the Western Province around Gizo. The diving is very good apparently and there are some good surf breaks. The new Solomon Airlines flight to Munda from Brisbane meets this need. It certainly makes it easier to get to the west. I have used it twice already ans saved about $200 compared to transiting in Honiara.
For those who like WW2 wrecks the Shortland Islands are great,though many things are being eaten by coral. Getting there is the difficulty as the flight is not always reliable and infrequent.

Indeed and the smaller islands are generally free of the local tribal fights so much more pleasant.Also true of the northernmost islands.I was lucky enough in 1969 to visit most of the islands on the medical boat they had then.Overnighted in Gizo so had a bed in the Government guest house.Really liked the place.Not a diver though.

 

[CPMaverick]

Does make you wonder... they're running a 27 year old A320 whilst Air NZ is currently getting rid of their 15 year old A320's (claiming they're too old).

Completely different scenarios.

NZ routes have high load factors and lots of competition. They need to be efficient, both in fuel (new gen engines) and passenger density (more seats, smaller/less toilets, etc). The new planes offer this. And they can sell their old planes before they are too old to sell.

SI have low load factors and are not that price sensitive. There's no reason for them to upgrade.

 

[openseat]

I flew today on Solomon airlines BNE HIR. It was an Alliance F100 substitute for the A320. Quite a bit of baggage and cargo was left behind in BNE due to the down gague. The A320 was on the international apron at HIR with 'technical difficulties'.
Looking at the seatmap for VA52 on Thursday shows around 75 passengers.

 

[flyingjabiru]

I flew back from Bali on VA in March last year and there were about 20 on the plane. I put in a bid to upgrade, and was successful. I would have been better off in Economy where I would have had three seats to sleep on.

Speaking to FAs they were staggered at the low number of pax and could come up with no reason.

Hey Blinky, what's did your offers as a upgrade bid? (if you don't mine me asking)

 

[Bagpuss]

I flew today on Solomon airlines BNE HIR. It was an Alliance F100 substitute for the A320. Quite a bit of baggage and cargo was left behind in BNE due to the down gague. The A320 was on the international apron at HIR with 'technical difficulties'.
Looking at the seatmap for VA52 on Thursday shows around 75 passengers.

Hummm, the only Virgin Australia A320's are allocated to VARA which would not fly this route. They don't go into Brisbane.
The only other A320's owned/leased by the Virgin Group are operated by Tigerair.

 

[openseat]

Well things looked healthier this last Thursday with what seemed to be over 100 on the flight (my seq # was in the 90s and there were more checking in behind me).

Hummm, the only Virgin Australia A320's are allocated to VARA which would not fly this route. They don't go into Brisbane.
The only other A320's owned/leased by the Virgin Group are operated by Tigerair.

The A320 I was referring to was the Solomon Airlines A320 (rego H4-BUS), not the VARA one.