Virgin Australia

My wife and I flew Virgin Australia VA 149 Boeing 737 800 Auckland to Melbourne on Anzac day April 25th. Plane clean flight left on time arrived on time. Cabin crew good in Melbourne the attendant got our bags out of overhead lockers then stood in aisle holding back other passengers so we could exit our seats. Plenty of room in seats only two used out of three Second time we have flown Virgin both flights were good will use them again.

I flew Perth - Albany over the Easter break. I was looking forward to spending 2 full days with friends but a few days before departure Virgin informed me that instead of the evening flight I would need to take the lunchtime flight. OK these things happen but when I actually checked in the attendant told me the evening flight was operating and had plenty of spare seats! Apparently quite a few other pax were bumped that day too. When I lodged an inquiry with "Customer Care" I was told "After further investigation I can confirm that your flight was revised due to operational requirements and we regrettably had no other option but to reschedule your service." What a load. I couldn't complain about the actual flights the Fokker 50s are ageing but in good condition and flights were on time. Virgin's policy on in-flight refreshments is confusing to say the least - some routes get a free meal others not in Western Australia "some flights" get one but they don't say which. We got light refreshments but any extras had to be paid in cash (not credit card as stated in the menu). It's like they want to be seen as a full-service carrier but can't fully let go of the budget airline ethos - I just wish they'd get their story clear.

Travelled from Launceston to Perth via Melbourne May 6 2014. As usual email and text reminders re departure were spot-on. Check-in and boarding at LST were smooth and efficient announcements clear and accurate. Departure was exactly on time flight uneventful until flight got stuck in a holding pattern for 40+ minutes before landing at Melbourne due to runway incident. Departure from Melbourne was also delayed relevant announcements were clear accurate and informative. Flight to Perth in older B737 no seatback screens and the seatback/headrest adjustment was not working properly (essential for taller passengers) which made for uncomfortable flight (not my usual experience BTW). Bags were waiting by the time we reached the baggage claim area - incredibly quick even by Virgin's standards. All staff were very professional - efficient friendly and extremely helpful. All round not quite up to Virgin Australia's usual high standards but by no means unsatisfactory.

VA23 MEL-LAX Premium (11 H) connecting from OOL. Luggage checked entire way through had to pick up express boarding pass in MEL (not sure if comes with premium or not I'm a Platinum FF). Cabin was practically full with only a couple of seats spare. Plenty of legroom although the 2 heights that the footrest sits at doesn't make it overly comfortable the seat width difference is definitely noticeable vs domestic economy. Amenities bag comes with socks eye mask toothbrush/paste hand cream tissues and a pen (which is more than I can say for SQ business). Headphones provided are noise blocking - and they definitely work. Every meal had tomato and cheese in it which was not only a little disappointing but seriously lacking in originality the chicken was nice and tender though once I scraped the tomato off! Breakfast (scrambled eggs) was so/so the bacon the only redeeming factor in a pretty lacklustre meal. Inflight entertainment (RED) didn't have a massive choice. The best bit would have to be the service. From the FA's to the pilots keeping us up to date on delays could not have asked for better - the staff are definitely what make flying Virgin Australia a happy experience! I used points to upgrade not sure if I'd pay for Premium outright but using points or paying for an upgrade last minute on a return leg is worth it.

VA824 22 April SYD-MEL on 737-800 and return on VA849 24 April also on 737-800. Both flights on time. Check in at Sydney was quite long I had arrived only 45 minutes prior to departure but had checked in on mobile and received my boarding pass at the Guest Service Desk in no time. Plane OK in cleanliness. Excellent legroom and recline. Included tea/coffee/water/juice and muffin as snack. Return flight was on a refurbished 737 with wireless in flight entertainment. I did not use so cannot comment. Seats possibly the most comfortable I have ever experienced on any airline domestic and international. Could not ask for more legroom or recline. Crew excellent combination of youthful and older cabin crew. Flight down to Melbourne were all 40/50+ and could have been more hospitable. Another great flight with my preferred airline. Again booked within 7 days of departure and was the same rate as if I had booked 6 months earlier.

Melbourne-Brisbane on 737-800. Flight to Brisbane left ahead of schedule from the gate however hampered by Melbourne traffic control took off about 10 mins behind schedule. Kept informed by flight crew as to the situation but arrived in Brisbane on time Seat 4D was fine and no one on middle seat. Used WIFI streaming to watch a movie and served a "snack" which was fine. Bris-Melb was a totally different flight when upgraded to Business Class and was the only passenger in the cabin but not surprising as it was Easter Sunday. Was offered juice or water prior to take off and after we had levelled out an excellent lamb curry and a decent red wine were served. Landed in Melbourne on time and luggage was delivered promptly. I might add the service at check in was great at Brisbane friendly and cheerful.

Darwin to Melbourne. The problems started when our flight was rescheduled (not cancelled) from 21st April to 22nd April. This was after we had spent the afternoon at the airport. Told to be back at the airport on 22nd and that check-in would open at 11am for our 2pm flight. We were then put up at the airport hotel. We were given $50 per person to cover dinner and breakfast at an airport hotel! Arrived back at the airport on 22nd at 10am due we waited until 11am but no staff members arrived. Contacted Virgin via the customer relations number only to be told that our fight was leaving at 3.30 pm and that we wouldn't be able to check our bags until 90 minutes before the flight. Customer relations were no help. When staff finally returned at 12pm they were rude and refused to deal with any of the issues. They made no attempt to make any enquiries and stated that we were not entitled to food vouchers as the flight had not be cancelled but only rescheduled (24 hours). I understand that aircraft faults occur but the lack of communication and rudeness was unacceptable.

Flew Melbourne-Sydney-Townsville-Brisbane and Melbourne over the Easter break on their Embraer 190 and 737-800 services. All flights were excellent and with friendly and hard working crews. We had engineering problems with an Embraer jet from Townsville to Brisbane and was transferred to another jet on the tarmac. Unfortunately our connections to Melbourne from Brisbane was not smooth but we did gladly wait 3 hours in the Virgin Lounge to await our 3 delay. Overall was well handled and especially with the Easter rush to get everybody home safely. Well Done Virgin Australia.

PER-SYD-PER Easter long weekend. Both flights A330-200. A330 for the flight to Sydney had a broken APU so had no ground air conditioning until engines started. It was a sauna until 20 minutes into the flight. Obviously old video system individual screens but continuous loop (not AVOD) with poor vision and sound. Food OK and complimentary beer/wine. Return flight much newer A330 with good AVOD. Once again food fine and sufficient along with beer/wine. Significantly less legroom on this aircraft. Check-in for both flights was OK despite being busy days but check-in staff could show some enthusiasm for the job or find another one. The biggest disappointment was the lack of even a casual smile from any of the cabin crew except when first entering each aircraft. After that it was glum faces for the entire flight. The odd smile makes the journey go so much better for both passengers and crew. I normally fly QF but gave VA a go this time based not only on price/schedule but also looking for an alternative to QF for regular travel needs. VA did not stand out as any better than QF I'm afraid. All they proved was that either airline is the same so price and schedule will be all that determines my loyalty now rather than having a true preference.

Sydney to Gold Coast. Early afternoon flight mid week. Quick check in. Long queue to board aircraft only one staff member scanning boarding passes. People impatient some queue jumpers caused arguments amongst passengers. All in all just poor form from VA when they should be managing their customers better. Staff on board robotic but friendly. My first time with VA. I would recommend VA only if QF flight not available.