Virgin Australia’s new 777 business class seats have 18-inch touchscreens. (Image: Virgin Australia)
Virgin Australia has rolled out the first of its five 777-300ERs – the model it uses on its transpacific service to Los Angeles – to complete a major overhaul, giving the aircraft a new business class cabin, a refreshed Premium Economy section, and new extra-legroom seating in the main cabin.
The aircraft’s new business class, which Virgin has branded “The Business,” has 37 seats in a 1-2-1 “reverse herringbone” layout, all with aisle access and a full recline that converts them into an 80-inch-long bed. The middle seats have privacy dividers that can be pulled back for communication with a seatmate, and all seats have side consoles with work and storage space. Business customers get turn-down service with cotton pillows, and seats come with an 18-inch high-definition touchscreen. Business class gets an improved food and beverage service as well, and it has a bar where passengers can get drinks, or where they can sit for breakfast if they want.
The middle seats in business class have a movable privacy divider. (Image: Virgin Australia)
The airline has posted a Youtube video to display the features of its new business class cabin.
Another nice new touch: a business class bar! (Image: Virgin Australia)
The upgraded Premium Economy section on Virgin Australia’s 777-300ERs has 24 seats that are 19.5 inches wide, with a seat pitch of 41 inches and a recline of nine inches. Customers in Premium Economy will be served plated meals “inspired by business class,” the airline said, and will be offered business class wines. Seats have power and USB ports along with 10.6-inch seatback screens, and customers receive an amenity pack, priority boarding and baggage handling.
The new business class seat reclines into a fully flat bed. (Image: Virgin Australia)
And that’s not all: The main economy cabin is getting a new product called Economy Space + that will be available for purchase on flights departing August 30 or later. Those seats will be in the first five rows and the exit rows of the main cabin, offering passengers extra legroom, noise-canceling headsets, a guaranteed first meal choice, and a dedicated check-in counter. Those seats will carry a surcharge of $97 to $119 (U.S.).
The overhaul of all five of Virgin Australia’s 777-300ERs is expected to be finished by the third quarter of this year.
Virgin Australia flies to Los Angeles daily from Sydney and Brisbane and has a partnership with Delta.
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That’s right. You can fly Washington to London for $1,000 and Premium Economy is $2,000. But business is $4,300 so I guess it’s whatever you can afford. The question is if the round trip flight is worth the money or can you be miserable for each of the seven hour flights? I will pay the $1,000 more.
They aren’t selling cheap, tho. If you were expecting to pay $99 to upgrade to Premium Economy, forget about it. The dates I checked, they are selling at more than twice the price of regular economy, so it’ll cost you a cool $1000 for the upgrade to Premium Economy.
You see Virgin is become the one savoy airline that is taking a seat out of a row for a truley Premium Economy. This I will pay for, something that is more than economy but not the same high price as business class has gotten so that we can afford it and have some form of comfort.