Virgin Blue review - by Marshall Davies

23 April 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

MEL-OOL-MEL. Prompt baggage drop off at MEL after online check-in the day before. Similarly quick check-in at OOL using the kiosk. Our bag was waiting for us at OOL after what seemed an inordinately long walk along the (almost entire) front length of the terminal and then back again on the inside to the Virgin carousels. The relatively quick baggage delivery at MEL was also welcome. Clean aircraft with friendly and efficient staff on both flights and, while the leather seats never seem totally comfortable, the seat pitch was more than adequate. My only gripe - again - is that it always seems to be too warm on Virgin's flights.

Virgin Blue review - by J Dee

23 April 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Melbourne-Coolangatta return. Quick bag drop off in Melbourne after checking in online & similarly at Coolangatta when using the check-in kiosk. Outward flight departed on time while a 15 minute delay from Coolangatta was made up during the flight. Leg room was good in both directions & all staff were courteous, friendly & efficient. Reasonable range of snacks although we had only juice & soft drinks. No real complaints although the leather seats could be more comfortable and a slightly cooler cabin would also be welcome.

Virgin Blue review - by Andre Moreitz

15 April 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Coolangatta-Sydney on 12/4, first time with Virgin, Check-in excellent, super-friendly and allocated exit row seat with more legroom without requesting it. Bag 1kg over limit without extra charge. Lost baggage, suitcase was sent to Adelaide instead on a round trip. Kept informed via phone and delivered to home by TNT courier late that evening, which was awesome considering it was a Saturday night.

Virgin Blue review - by Anil Kaushik

6 April 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

SYD-MEL return. Simple and effective online booking. Leather seats quite comfortable and with sufficient leg room. Check in staff and cabin crew friendly and cheerful. Would certainly fly with them again.

Virgin Blue review - by Dean Macpherson

27 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Sydney-OOL. Plane was in good condition and staff polite. Plane took off ontime and landed early. Not much more you can ask from a low fare airline. Flying jetstar tomorrow and will be interesting to compare Australian low fare carriers and South African low fare carriers which are very good.

Virgin Blue review - by David Minard

22 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

MEL-HBT return. An excellent choice for the domestic leg of our journey. We chose Virgin as it was the only carrier with a service to Hobart that fitted with our international arrival. In spite of queues at Melbourne, we checked our bags with at least 2hrs to spare. Like their idea of loading/unloading thru front and rear doors. Baggage available very quickly.

Virgin Blue review - by J Allie

20 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

HBT-MEL-HBT Left on time both ways, crew friendly and seemed to want to help. Left printed Web check in boarding pass at home, but no problem, reprinted for me at bag drop, no questions asked. Overall good trip.

Virgin Blue review - by P Fulmer

19 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Bne-syd return with onward connection with UA across the Pacific. Check in simple and efficient. Cabin crew very friendly. Aircraft in good shape with enough leg room for a 1 hour sector. Food reasonably priced.

Virgin Blue review - by K Goshalia

12 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

MEL-OOL-MEL Was able to check-in online but if you are not able to print boarding passes at home then be prepared to wait for a long queue at check-in desk to print and drop off bags. I strongly recommend that you check-in online and print your boarding passes at home. Seats have normal seat pitch and bulk head seats are best. Flights on time and nothing really eventful but value for money and certainly smiles from crew as they always look happy to be there. Was suprised to get first row seats on return but online check in doesn't allow you to really change to front row seats. Baggage was delivered quick in MEL on return with not much of a wait. Decent food available for purchase and headsets if you want to watch live2air.

Virgin Blue review - by R Barron

12 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

OK once on the aircraft but the bag drop is a joke. 50 minutes in the queue at Melbourne, and 40 minutes in the queue in Sydney on the return flight. In both instances there were unattended bag drop desks. Seems that the airline is cutting costs by reducing staff and inconveniencing their customers. It is essential to leave plenty of time for stands in slow moving queues.

Virgin Blue review - by W Coulton

10 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

PER-MEL-SYD-OOL-TSV. First time flying with Virgin Blue, as we would normally use Qantas for domestic travel when visiting home to Australia. Genuine smiles, all flights on time, no baggage delays. Not perfect in every way, but certainly a consistently good product. Why cant Qantas domestic do this? We had no problem paying for food and drink, as at least that means you get something worthwhile, rather than a poor token of refreshment. The fares were very good and represented good value for money. I agree with other comments that paying for the entertainment is a bit over the top though. We use Westjet here in Canada and they are very similar to VB in setup, but provide the live TV for free. Based on this good experience, we will definitely use Virgin Blue for our future trips back in Australia.

Virgin Blue review - by S Cole

10 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Adelaide-Hobart return. Used web check-in for both flights and found process very easy and convenient. On arrival at both airports used bag drop with no hassle and quick processing. On outbound had been allocated seats 8A/B on 737-700. At check-in re-allocated to exit row seats 12E/F and found leg room to be excellent. Also noted that original seats in row 8 on this aircraft don't have a window, so something to watch out for. Excellent cabin service from attendants and regular updates from the Captain about flight plan. On arrival our luggage was quickly brought to the terminal. Return flight on a 737-800 and allocated standard seating in 5E/F. Both aircraft equipped with "live 2 air" but system not working on return flight. The only problem with this system is that is if it is not operating you don't even have access to any audio programs. Again great service from ground and cabin crew. It was great to be able to fly direct Adelaide-Hobart rather than having to go via Melbourne. Will definitely fly Virgin Blue again.

Virgin Blue review - by Liam Rodger

28 February 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Mel-Syd-Mel. Being a Velocity Gold member made a difference. Check-in kiosks weren't working and had priority check-in. Row 1 didn't have as much extra leg room as I thought but was nice. 1A/B/C don't have access to Live2Air which would be bad on longer flights, didn't matter on 1hr flights. The food is very standard on these flights, but okay. The flight attendants were casual but efficient. Overall, couldn't fault any of the service.

Virgin Blue review - by M Lee

28 February 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

PER-BNE. I travel regularly between Perth and the eastern states for work. Love the online check-in. The staff on the ground are cheerful and helpful. Food and drinks adequate considering the fares. Planes clean. My only beef is with the entertainment system which is often patchy - disappointing after you've paid $10. FA's extremely friendly and professional.

Virgin Blue review - by D Simcock

21 February 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Brisbane-Sydney return. Check in was great, staff from Virgin Blue were friendly and very efficient. Both flights on time, would definitely use again. A good experience on a low cost carrier.

Virgin Blue review - by P Major

4 February 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

ADL-SYD return. Both flights on time, 737-700. Checking in over the internet again presented problems, as system did not allow us to check in the day before even though it was within the 24 hours described. Therefore, we had to check in with the kiosks at the airport and had to put up with seats towards the back. Back drop took a little while, which is one area where they could definitely improve (in both SYD and ADL). We were again unenthused by the inflight service; granted, it was efficient, but a smile didn't come into the equation. Virgin needs to instil better customer service skills in its cabin crew. Didn't bother to use the live2air service as I didn't consider it to be worth it. Luggage took a little while to arrive at SYD, and the Virgin terminal could do with a spruce up. SYD airport food court convenient and offered a wide variety of choices. Return flight was a fraction better customer service wise, and luggage arrived within seconds of arriving at the carousel. Will endeavour to fly with Qantas in the future, as for a minimal additional charge, higher quality service is afforded to passengers.

Virgin Blue review - by J Teoh

31 January 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

SYD-MEL-SYD. Crew were friendly and efficient. Flights were on time in both directions. I always enjoy flying Virgin Blue but my only complaint is the very poor seat recline (it's almost non- existent), which is not a big problem for short flights but becomes quite uncomfortable for flights longer than 3 hours. For the comfort on those flights, it is worth paying extra to fly Qantas.

Virgin Blue review - by L Geliot

27 January 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

SYD-Gold Coast. Check in quick. Onboard, aircraft fairly clean, cabin crew were friendly and cheerful. Normally Virgin Blue crew are very good but this time was a disappointment. Comfort onboard was pretty good - got me from A to B quickly.

Virgin Blue review - by D Windsor

10 January 2007  Customer Trip Rating : n/a

MEL to BNE on 8th Jan. Smooth check-in - cabin crew were the best I've seen - professional and attentive, and they were all enjoying their night at work. Such a nice change to be looked after by crew that were clearly having a good day.

Virgin Blue review - by A Middleton

9 January 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

MEL-OOL on Xmas morning. Flight quite full. Blue Check was easy. Once airborne a gentlemen sitting four rows behind us became abusive, and flight was diverted back to Melbourne and the gentlemen arrested. This was the first time I have ever encountered any type of trouble or serious issue on commercial aircraft. I must commend the cabin crew and the cabin supervisor on how they handled the situation. Very professional.

Virgin Blue review - by Karl Smith

30 December 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

CHC to INV with my wife and 20 month old twins. Staff allocated us the whole row for our comfort without us requesting it. Saab aircraft, so we had 2 seats each. Its good to see domestic competition in NZ has lifted Air NZ service. I work for a rival airline, however we only service the trunk routes so was impressed with the service.

Virgin Blue review - by M Little

30 December 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Melbourne - Hobart return. I was travelling with my 89-year-old mother and the check-in and flight crews were fantastic on both legs, arranging assistance without having to be asked. All with a friendly efficiency. The flights (on a B737-800) were both pleasant, and while I found the seats a little stiff the leg room was adequate.

Virgin Blue review - by J Buche

24 December 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

DRW-MEL. Check-in professional and friendly. Exit seat in aisle. The extra legroom was appreciated. The seat was a bit firm for my liking, possibly due to the padding getting a bit thin but cabin crew were friendly and responsive.

Virgin Blue review - by Liam Rasmussen

23 December 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

OOL-SYD. Flight was good with reasonable time, Paid for live2air perfect day but did not get to use it as all as the signal was lost the entire flight, no refund. Needs to improve the live2air. Service was nice.

Virgin Blue review - by Peter Walters

26 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

BNE-SYD, SYD-ADL, ADL-MEL, MEL-BNE. Used web checkin for all flights and bag drop was very quick and easy, virtually no lines. Excellent legroom as always. Had 737-700 on all flights except ADL-MEL which was a Pacific Blue 737-800. Only had Live2Air on 2 flights. Flights were generally on time except SYD-ADL with a delay due to a medical flight. Baggage was generally off quickly except MEL where this was a short delay and a carousel change. Great flights, will continue to choose Virgin Blue for domestic travel.

Virgin Blue review - by M Edwards

23 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

SYD-CNS. The automated check in and subsequent bag drop for hold luggage at Sydney was a breeze. Flight boarded and took off about 20 mins late but arrived on time at Cairns. Flight attendants were professional and courteous, and made 2 passes with the pay bar. Seats comfortable and ample leg room (I usually find this an issue with low-cost carriers). I took a further flight with Virgin Blue Darwin to Brisbane and had a similar experience. They offer a good service at a fair price.

Virgin Blue review - by D Byrnes

14 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Travelled with Virgin Blue after a long haul from Europe. They have a transfer office after you leave Immigration and Customs in Sydney and a painless transfer by bus (although not free ) to the Domestic Terminal. Flight to TSV left and landed on time. Crew pleasant and reasonably efficient in what they had to do. Lots of legroom with a standard economy seat. Have used them in the past and will have no problem about recommending them to anyone in the future.

Virgin Blue review - by Pat Grillas

14 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

SYD-MEL-ADL-PER-SYD. I never waited more than 3 minutes at each airport to receive my baggage. All flights on time, aircraft were clean and had comfortable seats and good seat pitch. Cabin crew were friendly and professional. I believe that passengers should at least have complimentary non-alcoholic drinks as do other low-cost carriers in North America.

Virgin Blue review - by P Major

17 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

ADL-HBA return. Booked our flights literally a week out so expected to pay top dollar. However, since the outbound trip was on a Tuesday, we got a 'Mid-Week Mini' deal at $89; flight back was on a Saturday and we paid more than triple. Flight over was uneventful but we had a miriad of problems with the online check-in - we had two separate bookings in two different tabs, and each kept reverting to the other, changing the names around. You have to do it one at a time and hope for the best if you have two separate bookings and wish to sit together. Bag drop at ADL was quick and efficient. No so called 'Virgin flair' on this flight - a colourless cabin supervisor who appeared sick of saying the same spiel over and over again and a group of unenthusiastic flight attendants (I don't know went wrong that day!) Hot chocolate ($3) was very ordinary although it's worth mentioning I was seated in 13 F and the legroom on offer was very generous (however, 13 DE have less legroom as the row is on an angle favouring the window seat). There were a couple of free seats in the exit row in front, and, when asked if a member of our group could sit there, the request was happily fulfilled (despite the fact it should've cost an extra $30). It shows how Virgin can see the benefits in providing good customer service despite the fact they're an LCC. The Live2Air PTV service is very ordinary - I really don't know why you'd bother with the entertainment on offer which is almost entirely American rubbish on a very small screen. You can watch Flight Track for free but even that is ruined as the map is interspersed with ads. Luggage a bit slow coming off the carousel in Hobart. Flight back, while delayed by fifteen minutes or so due to late arrival from SYD, was much more friendly. Flight supervisor Samantha Hughes was very witty and appeared as though she'd been in the business a long time. Didn't over-do the ad-libbing and basically stuck to the script. Probably worth mentioning the middle seats (B,E) on the 737-700s (and presumably the -800s too) are the seats with limited leg room - the entertainment box impedes your legroom - another reason to avoid the middle seat! Good couple of flights, but it's clear that Live2Air has nothing on Qantas' AVOD - bring an MP3 instead.

Virgin Blue review - by Stuart Reay

6 September 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Sydney-Hobart return. Managed to get sale fares so exceptional value for money, legroom adequate. No food for sale out of Hobart on early morning flight on return. I thought Virgin Blue has stopped the ad libbing from cabin supervisors during announcements ? does anyone really think its funny if the supervisor mentions to all passengers over the announcement that one of the flight attendants is single and looking for love ? Hardly funny nor reassuring when we have to rely on these people in cases of emergencies ?

Virgin Blue review - by T Bautista

30 August 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Brisbane-Darwin. Everything on time! The crew seemed to disappear after departure, but they were very helpful. It was a night-flight so not much happening other than sleeping, food was good, flight on time.

Virgin Blue review - by Mick Giles

28 August 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

CFS-SYD. Flight to Sydney delayed for about 90 minutes with very few announcements, then cancelled. Poor luggage handling by airport ground staff; this is a small regional airport and this was the only aircraft in, yet it took over an hour after announcing the cancellation to return our luggage. Airline staff however organised transport and overnight accommodation at a nearby resort, and nearly everyone was found a seat on the next morning's flight. The staff were clearly stressed but remained efficient and polite throughout the entire process. Arrived at the resort around 8pm, but not provided meal vouchers, and a couple of elderly passengers were overlooked, and the return bus to the airport next morning departed 10 minutes early and left 7 people at the resort. The airline put on a larger aircraft the next day and the flight was smooth and on time. Really impressed with their handling of the situation overall, it's great to see some common sense, team work and courtesy in a crisis for a change.

Virgin Blue review - by David Robertson

25 July 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

BNE-HBT I thought the staff very average. On the plus side, aircraft was clean and the ground organisation excellent. HBT-BNE crew were okay, but the aircraft was grubby and seats looked very sad.

Virgin Blue review - by Sunny Fong

25 July 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Sydney to Perth return. Plane pretty old (Boeing 737-700). On the way back, plane much better (Boeing 737-800) and noticeably more modern. The cabins were packed there and back (how many people go to Perth?) and there was no room to stretch. There were long queues to the lavatories and cabin crew kept blocking the aisles to the toilets; passengers had to divert to the toilets at the other end of the plane. The food onboard was commendable and free earphones were given out on each flight to listen to the radio; however, the stations available weren't listening to (bring your own mp3, I did). The onboard service was commendable, and there was a friendly staff presence during the flights. Overall, Virgin Blue was a good airline to fly with, however, next time I'll fly with Jetstar.

Virgin Blue review - by S Gray

23 July 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

SYD-ADL-SYD. Both flights with pay-PTVs (hint, map/flight data doesn't require a $5 credit card swipe). No major complaints with DJ, but QF's inflight domestic service leaves Virgin for dead. $3 for instant coffee in a paper cup, repetitive and unfunny humour and lost luggage on the return flight all at much the same price as Qantas.

Virgin Blue review - by John Boxall

15 July 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Brisbane - Canberra. 737-800 with "live2air" TV entertainment. $5 for 20 odd channels of TV. It cuts out in heavy clouds or when the aircraft is banking severely. After watching four episodes of The Simpsons and a bit of news we pulled into the gate at CBR. Seat was the usual economy pitch and width. Another smooth, effortless Virgin Blue flight.

Virgin Blue review - by Roger Stone

3 July 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Melbourne to Brisbane. On the downside it was near impossible until the last hours before boarding to designate a window seat using the on-line check-in (and I tried starting 24 hours before hand). The subsequent bag-drop at Melbourne Airport was remarkably slow and the staff at check-in condescending and patronising to me and my partner. However, the FAs on board were good and polite, there was a surprising amount of leg-room and the aircraft clean and well maintained. Rock music played on the public address system was very annoying but mercifully it was turned off during take-off. In 'low-cost' carriers I certainly prefer Jetstar, although Jetstar flights to Brisbane from Melbourne are not good for business purposes (unless working in Geelong) as they leave from Avalon. Virgin Blue seems to cater for a certain key market segment but they do not seem to cater for me.

Virgin Blue review - by Nic Tansom

25 June 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Last week flew 2 sectors between MEL-PER. This is an excellent airline. Check-in was a breeze. You can print your boarding pass from home. Flight left on time and staff exceedingly helpful. We really enjoyed the Satellite TV's. My son and I passed the time watching the Eagles football match live. Landed ahead of schedule and our bags were coming out as we entered the pick up area. Return 3 days later was as uneventful and efficient, which is all we really want from an airline.

Virgin Blue review - by Marshall Davies

14 June 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Melbourne to Coolangatta on mid-week flight with few spare seats. Checked in online and bag drop off at Melbourne was prompt. The flight departed on-time, aircraft was clean and staff good-humoured and efficient. Better seat pitch than on return flight with Jetstar and snacks were slightly cheaper. My only complaint was that the aircraft was extremely warm - a view shared by cabin staff during the snack run. Overall, though, a relatively good flight for the fare.

Virgin Blue review - by Joan Chan

28 May 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Have just flown Sydney-Cairns-Sydney with Virgin Blue for the second time. Both times I've found the ground and flight crew to be friendly and professional. Yesterday's cabin crew added a nice touch of humour to the usual commentary. Flights have been on time, the aircraft have been clean and luggage has come through promptly at the end of each flight. Seat comfort and leg room are more than adequate for the length of the journey and are far better than experienced on a Wellington NZ - Sydney flight with Qantas. The food and drink choices and prices are reasonable with service trolleys coming through twice per flight.

Virgin Blue review - by Jim Lewis

27 April 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Brisbane - Sydney return Good clean 737 going down good staff and on time departure and arrival. Coming back arrived at kingsford smith airport at 16.30 for the 19.00 flight to be told that our flight was cancelled and they were trying to shoehorn us onto the 17.00 flight. Which in all fairness they did, but what if we had arrived with only one hour before the 19.00 flight? Virgin had 3 Phone numbers to contact us & warn us of this cancellation, but not a word! Also due to this our party of 4 were spread all around the aircraft, but I guess for a short flight not a huge worry. To sum up the flights were fine, the fares were internet booked and a good price but more work needed on the customer care front.

Virgin Blue review - by J Atkins

15 April 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LST-MEL-SYD and return BNE-MEL-LST. Both ground and flight crew were friendly and professional. They added a bit of humour to the mix, but not an overbearing amount, just enough to show that they aren't all fake smiles. I was very happy with the price of $91 through to Sydney. Although I find their seats a bit uncomfortable, they are a better option than Jetstar, whose service and reliability is not up to VB's standard.

Virgin Blue review - by B Carr

24 March 2007   Customer Trip Rating : n/a

Melbourne to Sydney return. Outward flight departed 90 minutes late due to a technical problem. Virgin did a good job keeping passengers informed. Seats comfortable and seat pitch was fine for a short 75 min flight. The return flight left on time and we had a similarly pleasant experience. Virgin is much better value than Qantas although it doesn't really deserve the label 'low cost airline'. Roll on Tiger Airways!!

Virgin Blue review - by Sonia Pawar

20 March 2007   Customer Trip Rating : n/a

MEL-SYD-MEL. Witty staff, immaculate in appearance. Excellent and friendly check in. Cabin crew the same. We travelled with our 14 month old son and truly looked after for the short journey. Return flight our son cried the whole way back from Syd to Mel. The cabin crew again were so helpful and cradled and walked up and down the aisle with our son so as to give us a break. Fabulous customer service! A Low Cost Airline of such high Quality - and this comes from a passenger who is a nervous flyer!

Virgin Blue review - by Brett Thompson

20 March 2007

Melbourne-Brisbane after a Qantas flight on the way down and there is a big difference! The couple sitting behind me drank alcohol the whole flight and laughed hysterically while bumping the seats and tray tables. Cabin crew did nothing but continue to supply them with alcohol. Flight attendants were indifferent and not very friendly on the whole (contrary to my previous Virgin experiences). Had to buy food and this was good. I think I'd pay a bit extra and fly Qantas in future on flights longer than 2 hours.

Virgin Blue review - by Peter Schweizer

1 March 2007

BNE-SYD return. Easy web check-in for both flights. Managed to switch seats to emergency exit at BNE for both flights thanks to the friendly check-in staff. Security both in BNE and SYD a breeze. Terminal with okay comfort. Both flights on time on new 737-800 air craft. Smart flight attendants taking their job serious but with a healthy amount of humour. Drinks and food reasonably priced. Overall very positive experience and would not hesitate to fly with DJ again in the future.

Virgin Blue review - by Hani Tayeh

29 January 2007

MEL-BNE return. Good value for money. Professional and friendly crew, new fleet (B737), quick / easy self check-in, easy to navigate website, good on-time record and a reasonable rewards program. However, cramped seat pitch (30"), and like most budget carriers you have to pay for all extras incl. drinking water. Overall a good and consistent competitor to Qantas brands.

Virgin Blue review - by Barry Wood

26 January 2007

PER-SYD and SYD-MEL in early January. I have used Virgin Blue at this time of year ever since Ansett closed down, and have never had anything other than exemplary service. Their service both on the ground and in the air is friendly, efficient and customer friendly. Self check-in was quick and easy, and flights were on time and comfortable. Food and drinks sold on board are reasonably priced. I did have to wait for 30 minutes for my bags at MEL, but I assume that was not under Virgin Blue's control. The only minor complaint I had was that I booked my flights in August, but upon checking PER-SYD for a friend the week before my flight I discovered it was around $80 cheaper. I thought the earlier you bought the ticket the cheaper it was. I have asked Virgin about this but still await a reply. I can only guess that Qantas had a sale and Virgin were matching it. I thoroughly recommend this airline.

Virgin Blue review - by P Paterson

22 January 2007

ADL-MEL-ADL. Routine flights with no hassles. Flight crew friendly and professional. Seats surprisingly comfortable for my 6 foot plus frame (but it was only one hour flight, through). Digiplayer was avalaible for the return leg but I wasn't going to pay $6 for one hour - the free flight tracker channel was appreciated. Would consider paying for it on a long trans-continental flight like PER-SYD. Managed to pass the time away reading the in-flight Voyeur magazine anyway.

Virgin Blue review - by D Jowett

15 December 2006

SYD-ADL. Had to change airline after Jetstar changed my flight time from evening to god early morning that did not suit. Arrived 1530 for 1850 departure and checked in with their automated check in inside 15 minutes. No problem with an aisle seat and only charged $20 for 9kgs over allowance bags. Clean plane and cheap IFE and food and drink no dearer than budget airlines in England. Check in and FA's pleasant especially with a plane full of Brit and Aussie cricket fans being rather loud.