The Ultimate Virgin Australia Seat Guide

The Ultimate Virgin Australia Seat GuideThere are three main aircraft types in the Virgin Australia fleet; the Boeing 737-800, Airbus A330-200 and Boeing 777-300ER. The Economy and Business class seats on each of these plane types are quite different. For example, Virgin Australia’s Business class seats range from recliners to lie-flat beds. On the Boeing 777-300ER, which is used for flights to and from Los Angeles, Premium Economy seating is also available.

So that you know what to expect, we’ve put together a guide to Virgin Australia aircraft seats. This guide also details which are the best and worst seats on each aircraft type.

The Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800

The Boeing 737 is the backbone of the Virgin Australia domestic and international short-haul fleet. Virgin has 79 Boeing 737-800 aircraft (plus two Boeing 737-700s), so there is a very good chance you’ll be on one of these planes when you fly with Virgin Australia.

There is no seatback in-flight entertainment on Virgin’s Boeing 737s. Instead, you can stream content to your personal handheld device via the Virgin Australia Entertainment App. Virgin is also currently rolling out in-flight wifi across its entire mainline fleet.

 

Boeing 737 Business seats

There are two rows of Business class on the Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800. The leather recliner seats are laid out in a 2-2 configuration. There is ample legroom in both rows, but there is a bulkhead in front of row one. Many frequent flyers prefer the second row of Business as you can stretch your legs out underneath the seat in front.

Virgin Australia Boeing 737 Business class
Virgin Australia Boeing 737 Business class

These seats are perfectly adequate for short flights, but they are clearly inferior to the fabulous Business product offered on Virgin’s wide-body aircraft. If you have a choice of aircraft types, you may prefer to choose an A330 flight (especially if it’s an overnight service).

Boeing 737 Economy seats

The leather Economy seats on Virgin’s Boeing 737-800s are laid out in a standard 3-3 configuration. The best seats are definitely in row 3. These seats are designated as Economy X seats, as are rows 4, 5, 13 and 14 which also have more legroom. Economy X seats are available for free to Velocity Platinum members and offered for purchase to everyone else. Prices start at around $35 per flight.

Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 Economy seats
Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 Economy seats

Avoid seat 9A as there is no window at this row.

The Virgin Australia Airbus A330-200

Virgin’s six Airbus A330 aircraft are predominantly used on flights to Hong Kong, Tokyo and trans-continental domestic flights between Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. These aircraft are also used occasionally between Sydney and Melbourne, and on weekends to/from Fiji.

Airbus A330 “the business”

Virgin Australia markets its A330 Business class seats as “the business”, and justifiably so. Laid out in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration, direct aisle access is available from each of these fully lie-flat seats. The seats are comfortable and private, and there is a large entertainment screen. “the business” is definitely a stylish way to fly!

"the business" on Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia A330 Business Class

Airbus A330 Economy seats

The leather Economy class seats are laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration and there is a seatback entertainment screen at every seat. There is 31 inches of legroom, which is fairly standard. Row 28, the exit row, is designated as Economy X. If you want a view outside, avoid row 39 as the window is partially obscured.

Virgin Australia A330 Economy seats
Virgin Australia A330 Economy

The Virgin Australia Boeing 777-300ER

Virgin has five Boeing 777s which are used on trans-Pacific flights between Australia and Los Angeles. These aircraft all have wifi and seat-back in-flight entertainment, and are configured with Economy, Premium Economy and Business class.

Boeing 777-300ER “the business”

Virgin has also fitted its Boeing 777s with lie-flat “the business” seats in the pointy end.

Virgin Australia Boeing 777 Business Class
Virgin Australia Boeing 777 Business Class

These seats are similar to the excellent Business product on the A330, except that there is also a Business class bar on board! This is located in the galley area between rows 7 and 8.

Virgin Australia Boeing 777 Business class bar
Virgin Australia Boeing 777 Business class bar

Boeing 777-300ER Premium Economy seats

There are three rows of Premium Economy seats in a 2-4-2 layout. These cloth-covered recliner seats are wider and have substantially more legroom than Economy, with 41 inches of seat pitch. (That’s 3 inches more space than Qantas Premium Economy.)

Virgin Australia Premium Economy seats
Virgin Australia Premium Economy seats

Boeing 777-300ER Economy seats

Economy is configured in a relatively comfortable 3-3-3 layout (compared to 3-4-3 on many other airlines, including Air New Zealand and Emirates!). The best seats are the Economy X seats in the mini-cabin from rows 20-24, as well as the exit row seats. Beware that the exit row seats are missing a window. If you’re travelling as a couple, there are a couple of seat pairs at the rear of the aircraft – but these are right beside the toilets.

Virgin Australia Boeing 777 Economy seats (seats 21A-C shown here)
Virgin Australia Boeing 777 Economy seats (seats 21A-C shown here)
The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 90 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.
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