Review – Virgin Australia ‘Coast To Coast’ A330 Business Class

  • Review – Virgin Australia ‘Coast To Coast’ A330 Business Class
  • Review – Qantas Perth Business Class Lounge
  • Review – Qantas A330 Business Class Perth To Brisbane

I’ve flown Virgin Australia’s new business suites a number of times now, but the only review of the product on the blog is the Sydney – Los Angeles flight I took last year. I was bored at home one day during the week, and I decided to book Both Virgin and Qantas Business Class to Perth and back and compare the two. Here is the review of Virgin Australia Business Class on the A330.

Boarding started 10 minutes before what was actually posted which meant as soon as I was onboard nearly all of the seats in Business were filled, and I don’t feel comfortable taking photos front on of people. So here is the 777 layout which is identical to the A330.

Virgin’s new Business Suites are B/E Super Diamonds which are in a 1-2-1 configuration both on the 330 and 777.

an airplane with rows of seats

Virgin Australia Business Class

As you get to your seat, you’ll receive a blanket, menus from the crew and a welcome drink either water, orange juice or champagne. On the transcontinental flights, you don’t receive amenity kits, even on the red-eye services.

a towel on the shelf in an airplane

Blanket

We took off on time and climbed to 32,000 feet.

a television on a table

Virgin Australia A330 Business Class

About 20 minutes after takeoff the meal service started. Virgin provide two dining menus, a full lunch and dinner selection and an Express menu which is for people who want to eat quickly and maximize rest.

a menu of a restaurant

a menu of a restaurant

Virgin’s B/E Super Diamond suite is excellent, spacious, comfortable and a great seat for long-haul international flights and domestic services. Virgin’s A330 currently operate the transcontinental services, and soon Hong Kong and Perth to Abu Dhabi.

a seat with a screen on it

Virgin Australia A330 Business Class

The A330 have 20 Business suites, each laying flat at 180 degrees, with a pitch of 60 and a width of 19.5 inches.

a seat in an airplane

Virgin Australia Business Class

Just before the meal service started, the crew handed out bottles of chilled water.

a bottle of water on a white surface

Virgin Australia Business Class

 

a screen on a table

Virgin Australia Business Class

Warm nuts and water were also offered before the main dining.

a bowl of nuts and a glass of water on a tray

Virgin Australia Business Class

Also, Virgin Australia has fantastic salt & pepper shakers in the shape of the Sydney Opera House.

a salt and pepper shakers on a table

Opera House Salt and Pepper Shakers

 

a plate with a roll on it and a knife on a table

Bread

The flight was under-catered however, the crew prioritized meal selections based on elite status, as a Platinum I was given both of my first selections. I skipped the starter and went straight to the salmon filet which was fantastic.

a plate of food on a table

Salmon

For dessert, I went with the lamington which was quite interesting.

a bowl of cereal with blueberries and a spoon

Lamington

After dessert, I was still a little hungry, and the crew brought me a Lindt chocolate bar and hot chocolate. Too many calories…

a white plate with a package of chocolate on it

Lindt Chocolate

 

a cup of hot chocolate on a saucer with a spoon

Hot Chocolate

The flight was completely full, and I was a little surprised my upgrade cleared considering it was showing J3 when I rang and applied to use it.

a group of people sitting in an airplane

Virgin Australia Business Class

The A330 has a 16-inch screen whereas the 777’s is 18-inch, USB, and In-seat power.

a seat in a plane

Virgin Australia Business Class

Post from RICOH THETA. – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

On the left side of the suite, you’ll find the USB and In-seat Power, Headphone jack, IFE controller and below that you’ll find the seat controls.

an open seat with a screen and a display

Virgin Australia Business Class

 

a black rectangular object with a white cord attached to it

Virgin Australia Business Class

 

a close up of a device

Virgin Australia Business Class

Above the storage options, there’s a compartment made for tablet storage.

a black object with a silver handle

Virgin Australia Business Class

On the right side of the seat, you’ll find the compartment for the noise canceling headphones. The portion rises and creates a little more privacy. It has to be lowered for takeoff and landing but can be raised anytime in between.

a black object with a light in it

Virgin Australia Business Class

The overall flight time to Perth was just under 5 hours, and we arrived 10 minutes ahead of schedule.

a tv on a table in an airplane

Virgin Australia Business Class

Bottom Line

Virgin’s new suites are a fantastic product. I’m a massive fan of the hard product but what surprised me is the under-catering. I’ve never had a Virgin flight where that’s happened but it didn’t affect me. Some passengers were not happy with the situation and rightly so.

 

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About the author

Zac has been obsessed with travel since the age of 2. Now flying 200,000+ miles per year and blogging about luxury travel. Points From The Pacific is a blog that posts about the latest airline news, insights, reviews and guides to help travellers use their points to travel in first and business class.

1 comments on “Review – Virgin Australia ‘Coast To Coast’ A330 Business Class”

  1. Misch

    Hi Zac,
    A heads up; VA476 BNE-PER is the only direct flight being sold as “The Business” from Brisbane to Perth currently, however this is not actually a flatbed seat. I bought a ticket in May 2017, flying in July 2017. I purchased a “the Business” ticket and as I have to fly this route with some regularity know that VA is still selling this as “the business”. However the plane is a 737, I was informed at the lounge that no last minute plane changes had taken place and informed by the hostess that for 6 weeks she had been working this route and there had never been flatbeds.

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