VA - 'The Business' review.

[justcallmeryan]

Mods: If there is already another thread on this topic please merge!

On Thursday I was lucky enough to experience 'the Business' on my VA559 SYD - PER. I chose seat 1K as I wanted one of the more private single suites. My first impression when walking in the cabin was it looked very very futuristic and much slicker than the old version (which by the way, I thought was perfectly acceptable for a SYD - PER domestic leg..) The darker colours lend the cabin a much more sophisticated feeling, a true business class.

When I approached the seat the first thing I did was bang my head - twice - against the overhead compartment! interesting as the aisle space is greatly reduced with the new suites.

The seat itself is super comfortable and the micro adjustments you can make to it are very welcome. It is also VERY private which is welcome, and will no doubt be appreciated by many. Rather than blather on I have summarised below in bullet points to make it easier.

The good.

• Privacy, particularly on the window seats.
• The new colour scheme is very slick and modern.
• The seat is super comfy and when reclined into a full bed will make for great naps and sleeps on longer flights (I had a quick 30 minute kip as I didn't want to miss out!)
• The tech adjustments on the seat are amazing, and the charging points and tablet storage is a nifty addition.
• The new AVOD interactive screen was fantastic and such an upgrade from the RED system, which was already very good. The map function in particular was very nifty full of great information for geeks like me!
• The armrest on the right hand side was great with plenty of space to put a drink, your phone or any other accessories as long as not in take off or landing.
• It just feels special, probably cause it's brand new.
• As always the staff on VA are great and the main course in the meal was spectacular. A deconstructed fish pie which just hit the spot.
• Something that I totally didn't expect but absolutely loved was being on an angle facing the window. I actually spent the first 60 minutes or so of the flight looking out the window, watching the landscape go by. It was something that made the seat that much more enjoyable and gave the flight that X factor. Ditto on landing.

The surprisingly not-so-good. (Note: I'm no J class connoisseur by any means and was super impressed by the product, but found a few oddities...)

• There is not much of a feeling of space in the cabin at all. In fact, it feels like they have cramped a lot of seats into a small space. This, of course, doesn't matter when you're sitting in the seat.
• There was nowhere to put your water bottle or magazine. The old product and the 777 seat has water bottle holders which makes a lot of sense. I had a bottle on the side table but in take off and landing, there was nowhere to put it so it slid all over the place. Seems like an odd oversight? Ditto with my mag and book.
• When the seat was in recline it was very difficult to get out of it to go to the toilet, and equally very hard to get back in. I know, small things, right? But if mobility were an issue for you, you'd definitely have to put it back fully upright before getting out.
• The tray table doesn't store away but is folded up directly in front of you underneath the screen. I imagine this was a small teething mistake, but at take off the table slid right towards my face which whilst didn't really matter, also didn't make the design look very slick.
• The arm rest, whilst nice (see above) is also all shiny plastic which means everything slides all over the place! It would have made sense, I think, for it to have some grip as your pre-dinner drink will usually sit there. Just an odd design choice, IMO.
• Minor staff gripe. 30 minutes out, one of the over zealous cabin crew came around and made sure we were in the upright position and window blinds open ready for landing. I realise this can be a crowd control issue, but I've had other J experiences where they are a bit more lenient - think 15 minutes out rather than 30....
• Even though I guess it was just me, bumping my head on the overhead compartment was not a great start to the experience.

Final thoughts.
Is this an improvement on the existing product? YES. Is the seat more comfortable and private? YES. Am I looking forward to seeing this product on the 777 services to LAX/AUH? ABSOLUTELY. Is it as revolutionary a change as VA have been saying? Mmmmmm, no. The only reasons I say no is that I think there are some seemingly obvious design flaws (see above) which make it feel like it was rushed, and TBH I don't think there was anything wrong with the existing J on the 333's. As mentioned, very excited to see these seats on the 777.

Some pics attached, although not sure how they will show.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Thanks for your balanced report. So its true that no seat is perfect then.

 

[Comoman]

Is it worth ~$1800 one way? That's the question. In my opinion neither QF or VA are worth ~$4000 return when I can fly QR to London for just over $6k in J. Especially QF in those awful Jetstar seats!

 

[MH_fan]

Is it worth ~$1800 one way? That's the question. In my opinion neither QF or VA are worth ~$4000 return...

What I'd like to know is who on earth pays those prices?!

 

[RooFlyer]

What I'd like to know is who on earth pays those prices?!

Businesses! (And the individuals who can afford it).

 

[russ]

What I'd like to know is who on earth pays those prices?!

SYD/DRW on QF is more expensive, at around $2k one way. For me it is worth it not to be shoehorned next to some drunken sweaty singlet-wearing yobbo for four hours.

 

[robd]

Are there any storage compartments or nooks? You mentioned that there was no where to put a magazine, so where is the safety card kept?

 

[KCMil]

Interesting to read your balanced review. I too felt the cabin had a cramped feeling, but I found that disolved once seated, as you become oblivious to the rest of the cabin, my cabin was full except one seat and there was no noise. I didn't even hear the normal tinkle of cutlery.

The arm rest on the aisle side lifts up for you to place your water bottle in, as was recommended by my crew member! And on the opposite side where the tablet stowage is there is a magazine rack with the safety card that held my copy of Aus Aviation.... and I do agree that it's hard to get in and out of the seat in any reclined position. But then, like you, I was mesmerised by the view I was angled perfectly to watch. I'm not that tall, so I found it very roomy and comfortable.

As for paying for it...not a chance. That's what my comp upgrades and points do for me. Though on a longer flight I think it would be worth it.

I also loved the dine any time, as I've often just been in the lounge I don't want to eat straight away. Not that the lounge in Perth really beats the food on board. But even after a glass of sparkling and a few nibbles I like to wait to eat on board. The crew asked what I would like and just wanted 15 min notice to prep and as long as it was more than half hour before descent all was good. And they did it bang on time, impressive with such a full cabin.

 

[Demon_fan]

I'd been waiting for a review on this!

Thanks.

 

[justcallmeryan]

Are there any storage compartments or nooks? You mentioned that there was no where to put a magazine, so where is the safety card kept?

There's a very slim compartment next to the window where the safety card and VA mag are kept. I tried to get my magazine in next to it, but the slot was too thin. Seemed odd? Other than that I couldn't find anywhere to store anything other then in the foot rest, which was too far away to reach with my seat belt on!

 

[justcallmeryan]

What I'd like to know is who on earth pays those prices?!

I used a comp upgrade for it, but the rest of the cabin was filled with the Sydney Swans players - I imagine they would have paid!

 

[justcallmeryan]

The arm rest on the aisle side lifts up for you to place your water bottle in, as was recommended by my crew member!.

Interesting, the headphones were stored in there and as I had my own I left them there. Next time I will move them...

 

[thetimeisnigh]

I flew VA567 last night in the new business class and I must admit I wasn't that impressed. I am 6'3 and the "ottoman" which is like a leather shelf in front of your feet was at a very awkward position. Whilst in the fully upright position my feet couldn't fit underneath it and when the seat was reclined, my feet felt stuck in this odd shelf. That said, whilst in the fully reclined sleep setting, it was a great improvement on the old product.