When AFL Teams fly on Virgin

[Bagpuss]

I'm 99% sure an AFL team will be on an upcoming a330 flight.
Has anyone ever been on a flight with an AFL team on it?
Just wondering where they sit, especially as I'm in the first row of economy and all other seats around seem to be taken.

I've been on flights with various sports teams and they seem to get randomly scattered. However, with VA a big partner with the AFL I wonder if they get Economy X and forward seating.

 

[Dannyism]

They sit on there bums like everyone else.

But yeah, semi-scattered.

 

[BAM1748]

They sit all over the place, as a QFF I'm glad they moved to Virgin.

 

[TomVexille]

They sit all over the place, as a QFF I'm glad they moved to Virgin.

You're likely to run into an NRL team then

 

[BAM1748]

You're likely to run into an NRL team then

you can't win them all

They seem full of their own self importance and seem to think I care who they are.

 

[Jack_OC]

I'm 99% sure an AFL team will be on an upcoming a330 flight.
Has anyone ever been on a flight with an AFL team on it?
Just wondering where they sit, especially as I'm in the first row of economy and all other seats around seem to be taken.

I've been on flights with various sports teams and they seem to get randomly scattered. However, with VA a big partner with the AFL I wonder if they get Economy X and forward seating.

I have been on several, but on 737s rather than A330s. In one case I was on a flight with the Hawthorn team, and IIRC myself and one other random bloke were in Economy X, but every other Economy X seat was taken up by Hawthorn players.

I also once flew from MEL-PER on a 737 in J, which was virtually empty. I got chatting to the cabin crew and they said coming back it was going to be full as Geelong were booked on it, and they had the entire J cabin booked for players. No idea if that's standard or not.

 

[DC3]

I'm 99% sure an AFL team will be on an upcoming a330 flight.
Has anyone ever been on a flight with an AFL team on it? ....

You could contact the airline to try and change your flight.


Edit:

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

You're likely to run into an NRL team then

Last year I found it hilarious to see the entire Melbourne storm squad on QF497 after a game:
All players and coaching staff with their major sponsor Tiger Airways, highly visible on Tiger Airways on the Team Polo shirts, and their sponsor being snubbed.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Scattered. Any spare exit rows and (usually) J seats will be allocated to players. You'll see them up and walking around a lot, standing at back/middle etc on the flights to Perth - keep the legs moving and minimise swelling etc.

 

[serfty]

Surprisingly, a bit over two years ago on a Saturday Morning, I flew on the same VA craft as the Storm MEL to SYD.

They were on their way to a 2016 pre season game.

None in business and they occupied the first 7 or so rows of economy on the ABC side.

 

[Mattg]

I shared a SYD-AKL flight on Jetconnect with the Newcastle Knights a while back. They were all seated towards the back of Y (except for the coach who was in J) and looked rather cramped.

 

[theoracle30]

I unintentionally booked onto an Adelaide Crows AFL flight from Adelaide to Melbourne prior to the grand final last year. There was huge media presence at the gate.

I realised something was up when my upgrade didn't come through, 6 spare J seats suddenly all vanished, and my VA Plat Economy X seat was swapped to Row 29 without warning.

My partner, who upgraded into J months earlier, kept her Business seat and said the other seats were occupied by players and staff. The rest of the players sat in the first few rows of the plane. I recall they all had a spare middle seat.

 

[JohnK]

End of school holidays in Queensland last Saturday and the SYD-OOL flight was full. I noticed some Suns staff/reserve players in the lounge before flight. Well behaved and went to gate early.

At check-in I was given boarding pass for 4C. I had 9D pre-allocated. 4E was vacant and there was one business class seat vacant.

The Suns staff/players were not particularly seated together and saw them again at baggage carousel with family that were waiting for them.

 

[ozstamps]

Last year was in SYD Virgin lounge on a Friday and we like to sit in that usually neat empty L bend section right up far end of lounge, with the high tables and bar stools as it mostly is deserted.

Gradually more and more red Polo Shirts arrived and the Sydney Swans team eventually surrounded us. Margo took this discreet shot nearby - me at left NOT wearing red!

I was chatting with Buddy Franklin at the Barista Coffee waiting area as delay there is often a few minutes, and was pretty surprised he was not taller. Near my height but looks huge on TV screen.

 

[Ausbt]

I recall being in the MEL lounge and noticing a large contingent of black-and-white tracksuits sitting around me - the Collingwood team. As a Swans fan I was very meh, however I noted lots of others coming up to have photos taken with them etc. Years ago I recall Andrew Demetriou conducting a very loud and seemingly self-important conversation nearby the old VA SYD lounge food-buffet (ahhh, memories ...not). I recall being a bit irritated and just wanting him to move out of the way so I could get to the yogurt and fruit.

 

[MH_fan]

I have a flight from SYD to PER in July. Booked in J on the A330. Only 4 seats taken last week. Checked seat map again this week and the J cabin is completely full now. I wonder whether it's been taken up by AFL players. Would they normally book it 2-3 months ahead??

 

[pagingjoan]

Last year was in SYD Virgin lounge on a Friday and we like to sit in that usually neat empty L bend section right up far end of lounge, with the high tables and bar stools as it mostly is deserted.

Gradually more and more red Polo Shirts arrived and the Sydney Swans team eventually surrounded us. Margo took this discreet shot nearby - me at left NOT wearing red!

I was chatting with Buddy Franklin at the Barista Coffee waiting area as delay there is often a few minutes, and was pretty surprised he was not taller. Near my height but looks huge on TV screen.

1.99m, according to the Swans’ website.
Tall enough.

 

[Bagpuss]

I have a flight from SYD to PER in July. Booked in J on the A330. Only 4 seats taken last week. Checked seat map again this week and the J cabin is completely full now. I wonder whether it's been taken up by AFL players. Would they normally book it 2-3 months ahead??

I would have expected the allocation to have been done shortly after the AFL fixture release. However, it if fits your dates ... GWS play West Coast in Perth on Sunday 8 July so GWS probably fly over over from Sydney to Perth on Friday 6 July on VA569 as business class is showing it's sold out and its an a330 service (Monday 9 July business class is sold out on the a330 morning service , so guess that's when they go back.)

Fremantle and West Coast get 12 business class seats (anything above and over paid for by the club) ... Travel upgrade for WA clubs under new CBA - AFL.com.au

I think all other teams get 5 business class seats.

 

[MH_fan]

That's the day and flight I'm on! Glad I got in early then. Let's see how attentive service is on a full flight and with high profile people...

 

[Standby]

Last year I found it hilarious to see the entire Melbourne storm squad on QF497 after a game:
All players and coaching staff with their major sponsor Tiger Airways, highly visible on Tiger Airways on the Team Polo shirts, and their sponsor being snubbed.

Was it an ASPMEL flight.?The AFL do have games there but no VA direct services back to MEL