Virgin Australia

Sydney-Paris with Sydney-Abu Dhabi in Premium Economy and Etihad from Abu Dhabi-Paris. London-Sydney with Abu Dhabi-Sydney in PE. V Australia seats are new and feel roomier than Virgin Atlantic's Premium Economy. It is 38 inch pitch and even when the person in front fully reclines there is still enough leg room. The PE cabin has dedicated staff and cabin and 2 bathrooms for 40 passengers no queue! Compared to 7 toilets for 288 passengers in Economy. The food was good but it is an Economy main course with different entree and dessert. However you are served first so there is no chance of running out of your preferred choice and your meal tray is collected as soon as you finish your meal whereas in Economy you have to wait. I really loved the staff both flights they were enthusiastic lovely and friendly and they came through the cabin through the flight I lost count how many times they came through with water or other drinks snacks more snacks. Very attentive staff! Could not fault them. If you were not too lazy to get out of your seat there was also the self service bar which was full stocked and was restocked throughout the 14hr flight with roast beef/chicken sandwiches soft drinks alcohol potato chips nuts etc. The entertainment was good because you can start watching TV shows or movies as soon as you sit down you don't need to wait until the plane is at cruising altitude. I would fly them again!

SYD-LAX-SYD. Best airline to LA. Much better than Qantas. Leg room was reasonable seat width was very good but the seat bottom was hard which caused a lot of 'pins n needles'. Cabin crew did a fantastic job with constant smiles and they did not stop working hard the whole flight. I travel often to LAX but as I cant select my seat paying a sale fare I will not travel with them again. This is very important to me. Food could also be better with 2 small meals on a 15 hour flight and the snack bar that's advertised only has 1 type of snack (when they bothered to fill it).

Sydney-Brisbane-Phiket then Phuket-Melbourne-Sydney. On each flight I found the ground staff excellent and extremely helpful. Cabin crew were the best I have encountered with any airline. In Brisbane I was given customs priority pass yet did not expect this. Granted pass to the lounge and found it adequate. I have flown with many airlines throughout the world as well as Australia. V Australia will always be my preferred airline if they fly to the destination I am travelling to.

I know Economy is the bottom of the rung so I accept the cramped seating and so so food. It is what I paid for. In saying that the seating and food is better than Qantas. IFE is fantastic. The problem I have is the customer service. Very rude cabin staff and ground crew. My seat would not recline and when I asked for assistance I was told "there is nothing I can do about it at 30 thousand feet." A simple sorry would have been fine. Anytime I asked an attendant something I was spoken to like I was a naughty child annoying his parent. Not being able to choose your seat because you paid the sale fare is totally stupid. If you choose to fly Economy of course you will pay the cheapest fare. Why would you pay hundreds of dollars more for the same class. This totally undid any of the good things about the airline. On customer service and not being able to select your seat I would not recommend this airline.

I flew from LAX-BNE and well as SYD-LAX without any issues. The flight itself was very pleasant and the on board entertainment was great. However customer service is horrendous. Aside from not being able to reserve a seat if you buy a promotional fare V Australia offers no help if calling about flight changes or concerns. I was going to fly from LAX-MLB but 3 weeks before the flight a V Australia representative called my home and told me they had to make flight changes which did not suit my schedule. Customer service does not offer any leeway even if it is not your fault. They are in fact unhelpful and rude and will not connect you to a supervisor if there are problems with your flight. I would only recommend V Australia if you know for certain that no changes will occur in your schedule or that the time of your arrival is not important and can be changed last minute.

Flew SYD-LAX LAX-SYD in Premium Economy. Outbound staff were great and food was surprisingly edible. Return crew were far less helpful (didn’t see anyone for most of the flight) and food was pretty appalling. Seats are comfortable with plenty of width and leg room tray tables are too small and flimsy. On board amenities are good but only 2 toilets in the cabin meant a lot of queuing in the last hour of the flight. Entertainment system is excellent - plenty of movies TV documentary and music to choose from however I could not get any connectivity through USB. Headphones are of poor quality but acceptable. Lack of online check-in is frustrating especially when you cannot guarantee your seat when booking. Overall a very good experience for the price paid would consider again.

Flew business from SYD-LAX-LAX-SYD. Bed is fully flat there are power outlets and USB ports. Staff are friendly and food is great (for airline food). There is a full doona with the lie flat beds and entertainment system with hours of movies. Only slight negative is that their head rests do not go up a great deal so when the seat is in a full upright position my head clears the headrest however in fairness I am 6'3 and the flat bed is more than enough for me to sleep on without my feel hanging off the end.

Probably the best airline across the Pacific but not having online check in and not being able to choose your seats if you paid a sale price for the ticket sadly undo most of the good things about the airline. Inflight entertainment is one of the best however food is of the usual economy style and portions. Bring food with you as it is such a long flight!

Brisbane to LA return in Premium Economy. The food was great and service excellent. Leg room great and seat very comfortable. Great selection of movie entertainment.

AUH-SYD only one flight as part of a codeshare with Etihad (which I would not recommend). B777 cabin seemed roomy with good seats and excellent inflight entertainment. Reasonable food and friendly service. It was only perhaps 30% full in economy so maybe this put all the staff in a happier mood. Main gripe is that headphones are cheap and nasty lots of background noise.