I had planned to try Rex Airlines, another Australian airline. However, on the last day of July, I received an email stating my flight was cancelled. The reason? Rex Airlines had gone into voluntary administration. In that email, they also offered me the option to rebook on an equivalent Virgin Australia flight. I used the provided link to rebook my flight. After a week, I received an email from Virgin Australia with the new flight details. The rebooking process was smooth and stress-free.

I was surprised that Rex Rex was still operating small Saab aircrafts. When I looked it up online, I discovered that they still maintain their regional operations. I wish I had known earlier. I would have tried to fit in a flight or two during my trip to Canberra.

As I made my way back to the hotel after a leisurely morning walk, I realised that I had miscalculated the time I needed to be at the airport. I thought it was enough to be at the airport around 11 (2 hours before the flight), but I have no idea how I came up with that number since 12-2 is not 11.

You can store your bags here


Back to the airport

I arrived at the airport before 11. Like at the previous airports, there were only kiosks for check-in, boarding passes, and luggage tag printing. After dropping off my luggage, I proceeded to the security check.



Which one was it?




They were still using the old scanners, so I had to remove all my electronics and liquids. However, my bag was flagged for a manual check even after doing so. The staff removed almost everything from my bag and jokingly commented that I had a busy bag .

VA lounge entrance

After completing all the necessary checks, it was time to grab some food or drinks. Since I was in the economy, I didn't have access to the VA lounge. Although Priority Pass didn't show any available lounges, it did provide a credit of AUD$36 at Graze Grill & Bar, Mezze Za Za, The Common, and The Independent.

Arrivals and departures

The Independent was the closest option to my gate, so I decided to go there. I ordered a glass of Australian Pinot Grigio and a pastry.

Menu


My view

Once I finished my glass, I headed to gate 44B. Boarding began 20 minutes before the scheduled departure time of 12:08.


The business class had two rows of seats in a 2-2 configuration, while the premium economy had more leg space but was in a 3-3 configuration. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself in the last row of the premium economy section, especially since I didn't remember paying extra for this seat. This was great news for me, as I always struggle with leg space.

Not my seat (row 3)


My seat (row 5)


Cabin


B738 safety card


And more instructions

Once everyone was on board, the captain welcomed us and announced that he would be the pilot flying. The IFL announced the rest of the flight details. I missed the chatty British Airways pilots and their announcements.

VA menu

VA menu


Could not resist buying these

During the announcement that we should expect some bumps during takeoff, my neighbour in 5C, who seemed nervous, started talking to me even though I had my headphones on. I turned off the music and engaged in the discussion, wanting to help ease their nerves.

View during the flight


Somewhere on the way to SYD

We took off at 12:18, and the seatbelt signs were turned off three minutes later. However, several minutes later, they were turned on again, and the pilot asked the cabin crew to stop the service and sit down.

Sydney


Sydney

It was a false alarm, but it's better to be safe than sorry. The flight was uneventful, and at 13:37, we landed in Sydney. I was lucky to sit on the better side of the plane, as I had some fantastic views of Sydney during the approach.

Welcome to Melbourne? Really?

Once I got my luggage, I took a train, which was faster, according to my Citymapper app, than Uber. Sydney has its own travel card called Opal. To my joy, I didn't have to buy it, as the transport system supported card payment, as well as Google and Apple payments.

Train map

No need for Opal card