Trip Report - Virgin Australia Premium Economy on DJ54 SYD to AKL on B737-800
May 19, 2012, 9:37 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Berlin
Programs: Meow Mix
Posts: 1,434
Trip Report - Virgin Australia Premium Economy on DJ54 SYD to AKL on B737-800
Trip Report - Virgin Australia Premium Economy on DJ54 SYD to AKL on B737-800
Hi All,
I thought I should better get writing this very overdue trip report of mine during my month long off from work before I find my next work assignment.
So without any further delays, below is my delayed trip report on Virgin Australia Premium Economy from Sydney to Auckland on DJ54.
The reason for undertaking this trip was to visit my partner’s friend in Auckland and explore a small area of New Zealand that we both have never been in. It was also a chance to catch up with my music teacher who thought me at secondary school around 8 years ago!
A summary of the trip information is below:
Airline: Virgin Australia
Class: Premium Economy
Flight: DJ54
Sector: Sydney to Auckland
Duration: 3 Hours and 5 Minutes
Equipment: Boeing 737-800
Hi All,
I thought I should better get writing this very overdue trip report of mine during my month long off from work before I find my next work assignment.
So without any further delays, below is my delayed trip report on Virgin Australia Premium Economy from Sydney to Auckland on DJ54.
The reason for undertaking this trip was to visit my partner’s friend in Auckland and explore a small area of New Zealand that we both have never been in. It was also a chance to catch up with my music teacher who thought me at secondary school around 8 years ago!
A summary of the trip information is below:
Airline: Virgin Australia
Class: Premium Economy
Flight: DJ54
Sector: Sydney to Auckland
Duration: 3 Hours and 5 Minutes
Equipment: Boeing 737-800
May 19, 2012, 9:38 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Berlin
Programs: Meow Mix
Posts: 1,434
Compulsory Plug of my previous trip reports:
BA 15 from LHR to SYD via SIN in World Traveller Plus
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...ip-report.html
EK 413 from AKL to SYD in Business Class
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-syd-a380.html
BA 15 from LHR to SYD via SIN in World Traveller Plus
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...ip-report.html
EK 413 from AKL to SYD in Business Class
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-syd-a380.html
Last edited by angeloedades; May 19, 2012 at 9:58 am
May 19, 2012, 9:42 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Berlin
Programs: Meow Mix
Posts: 1,434
Getting to Sydney Airport
On the night before I finished my job in the city, I was at Martin Place train station and took a picture of the emirates advert. I know that this trip report is about Virgin Australia but I was so excited about my Business Class trip with Emirates on their A380 and this was the sign that I was definitely meant to be on that equipment!
The day has finally come and as per usual I was getting nervous about security and immigration and trying to double check all my facts, print outs, receipts, arrangements and personal belongings. Once I got all of these and have assured myself that I can get into Auckland on my British Passport we decided to get a cab from Potts Point to the airport. I was practicing taking pictures using my iPhone 4 but no success in mastering the technique(as you will see later on).
Cab through the tunnels.
If only every first class upgrade was 69 AUD.
Qantas 747-400.
Check in
Since I was so keen on this trip I managed to persuade the better half to arrive at the airport with me at exactly 3 hours and 10 minutes before the flight. 10 minutes more early to see if I had the chance on changing my British Airways flight from Sydney Airport to London Heathrow to a different date (I am sure I had posted a thread in FlyerTalk in the BAEC forum somewhere that they were as helpful as potatoes).
Below is the departure information screen.
Check in opened at exactly 3 hours before the flight departure and it was painless. It was nice as we were the only Premium Economy passengers to check in. People did stare at us, thinking “what numptys paying such a premium for such a short flight” little did they know that we only paid circa 200 AUD and 20,000 Velocity points.
A few more technical notes on the check in experience: there was a dedicated priority lane as shown in the picture below. There was also a Priority Pass given to get through immigration and security and of course lounge invitation to the Air New Zealand Koru Club Lounge.
On the night before I finished my job in the city, I was at Martin Place train station and took a picture of the emirates advert. I know that this trip report is about Virgin Australia but I was so excited about my Business Class trip with Emirates on their A380 and this was the sign that I was definitely meant to be on that equipment!
The day has finally come and as per usual I was getting nervous about security and immigration and trying to double check all my facts, print outs, receipts, arrangements and personal belongings. Once I got all of these and have assured myself that I can get into Auckland on my British Passport we decided to get a cab from Potts Point to the airport. I was practicing taking pictures using my iPhone 4 but no success in mastering the technique(as you will see later on).
Cab through the tunnels.
If only every first class upgrade was 69 AUD.
Qantas 747-400.
Check in
Since I was so keen on this trip I managed to persuade the better half to arrive at the airport with me at exactly 3 hours and 10 minutes before the flight. 10 minutes more early to see if I had the chance on changing my British Airways flight from Sydney Airport to London Heathrow to a different date (I am sure I had posted a thread in FlyerTalk in the BAEC forum somewhere that they were as helpful as potatoes).
Below is the departure information screen.
Check in opened at exactly 3 hours before the flight departure and it was painless. It was nice as we were the only Premium Economy passengers to check in. People did stare at us, thinking “what numptys paying such a premium for such a short flight” little did they know that we only paid circa 200 AUD and 20,000 Velocity points.
A few more technical notes on the check in experience: there was a dedicated priority lane as shown in the picture below. There was also a Priority Pass given to get through immigration and security and of course lounge invitation to the Air New Zealand Koru Club Lounge.
May 19, 2012, 9:47 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Berlin
Programs: Meow Mix
Posts: 1,434
Lounge
Once I was approved to leave Australia after following the Express Path line we made our way straight to Air New Zealand Koru Club Lounge to rest, eat, drink, chat and plan the short get away we had.
Way finding and plane spotting enroute to the Lounge:
Upon entry to the Air New Zealand Koru Club Lounge, the dragon decided to test us to see if we truly know our eligibility to be in the lounge. Scanning the barcode on the boarding pass doesn’t see to work so we had to sign in and the dragon asked us our destination and cabin class.
The mini beef pie they had was amazing (A pie is always amazing) and I had at least 20 or 30 of these until they ran out. I must say I was close to just walking out when they were not making any of these anymore.
Some bearable champagne / sparkling wine; either way I was not complaining as I had gin and tonics after this and many cokes in between to make sure that I am sober for the flight.
The hot dog stand within the lounge was far from impressive. Who on earth would serve a hot dog with a Turkish type of bread. A sub roll is very appropriate and when I asked the dragon she simply said they have ran out. I am not a fussy eater really (but a hot dog must have a sub roll regardless) so I just had something else!
The lounge itself was pretty big and it did not feel overcrowded at all.
The obligatory boarding pass picture:
Plane spotting from the lounge; when it got darker, the run way directly behind the Emirates Boeing 777-300 started seeing some heavies on final approach. It was truly amazing and what a great spot to sit in!
Once I was approved to leave Australia after following the Express Path line we made our way straight to Air New Zealand Koru Club Lounge to rest, eat, drink, chat and plan the short get away we had.
Way finding and plane spotting enroute to the Lounge:
Upon entry to the Air New Zealand Koru Club Lounge, the dragon decided to test us to see if we truly know our eligibility to be in the lounge. Scanning the barcode on the boarding pass doesn’t see to work so we had to sign in and the dragon asked us our destination and cabin class.
The mini beef pie they had was amazing (A pie is always amazing) and I had at least 20 or 30 of these until they ran out. I must say I was close to just walking out when they were not making any of these anymore.
Some bearable champagne / sparkling wine; either way I was not complaining as I had gin and tonics after this and many cokes in between to make sure that I am sober for the flight.
The hot dog stand within the lounge was far from impressive. Who on earth would serve a hot dog with a Turkish type of bread. A sub roll is very appropriate and when I asked the dragon she simply said they have ran out. I am not a fussy eater really (but a hot dog must have a sub roll regardless) so I just had something else!
The lounge itself was pretty big and it did not feel overcrowded at all.
The obligatory boarding pass picture:
Plane spotting from the lounge; when it got darker, the run way directly behind the Emirates Boeing 777-300 started seeing some heavies on final approach. It was truly amazing and what a great spot to sit in!
May 19, 2012, 9:51 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Berlin
Programs: Meow Mix
Posts: 1,434
Boarding
At around 6:30pm we were told in the lounge via the public address system that our inbound aircraft was delayed by approximately two hours so we were “welcomed with warmth” to stay in the lounge until it is time for boarding. I can recall from my bad memory it was around 8:30 that we actually headed to the gate to board. We were among the last people to be scanned in.
Below is the shot of the aircraft that will be ferrying us from Sydney:
On-Board service
Upon we were welcomed to our seats at 1A and 1C, there was an elaborate display of Virgin Australia tissue laden setup of water bottles and little pouches (which later contained headphones) and a plastic bag which contained some amenities; of course all of these was on the small seat on 1B which has a tray table similar to that of the Club Europe confirmation in British Airways.
During taxi and ascent, due to the close approximation of the two cabin crew which were on door responsibility duty they started to chat to me and my partner. From this chat I have learnt the following facts:
• They were originally from Virgin Atlantic (Long Haul crew). They were on a 1 year exchange programme.
• The reason for the delay was technical from the previous sector (Fiji as far as I can recall).
There was a bit of a delay to starting the service as it was very turbulent on our ascent but on a three and a bit hour flight this wasn’t a problem.
We were thankful to have purchased a Premium Economy ticket as the food and beverage was all inclusive in the ticket. We were both drinking quite a lot and I certainly eat a lot. That is me being in holiday mode. I have to say I was quite surprised when I worked out how much we would have spent if we had drinks and eaten the way we have on-board when travelling in Economy.
This is taken from the menu which can be seen here (http://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en...nal-short-haul)
• 1 Luke Mangan Gourmet Beef Pie 1 x 10 AUD
• 1 Luke Mangan Vegetarian Pie 1 x 10 AUD
• 8 Gins 8 x 7 AUD
• 16 Tonics 16 x 3 AUD
• 1 Pepsi 1 x 3 AUD
Total of 127 AUD
Before I get comments of why we drank so much gin and tonic; on board we only had a total of 4 gin mini-bottles between us. The purser / CSD kindly gave us a “small stash” to take with us to the hotel which I was very surprised of.
The beef pie, while looking like a complete disaster, was actually quite tasty and was not filled with fatty pieces of meat. This was a plus.
The cabin crew were very attentive and very responsive despite being tired doing international short-hauls before our flight. We were making jokes in galley which were very inappropriate for other customers. They kept telling us that we should not be shy to request any more food if we wanted to. Frankly I was pretty stuffed by this point but was very thirsty indeed.
Below are some of the pictures on board:
The obligatory leg room shot for seat 1A on board Boeing 737-800.
As part of the service, you can also rent one of the personal video player which is feature below. They are free for Premium Economy passengers and Economy passengers have to pay $15 to rent for them for the duration of the flight. There was a small selection on the device enough for a 3 hour and a bit flight but any longer then it will not be feasible. There was also an interesting document regarding the Boeing 777.
At around 6:30pm we were told in the lounge via the public address system that our inbound aircraft was delayed by approximately two hours so we were “welcomed with warmth” to stay in the lounge until it is time for boarding. I can recall from my bad memory it was around 8:30 that we actually headed to the gate to board. We were among the last people to be scanned in.
Below is the shot of the aircraft that will be ferrying us from Sydney:
On-Board service
Upon we were welcomed to our seats at 1A and 1C, there was an elaborate display of Virgin Australia tissue laden setup of water bottles and little pouches (which later contained headphones) and a plastic bag which contained some amenities; of course all of these was on the small seat on 1B which has a tray table similar to that of the Club Europe confirmation in British Airways.
During taxi and ascent, due to the close approximation of the two cabin crew which were on door responsibility duty they started to chat to me and my partner. From this chat I have learnt the following facts:
• They were originally from Virgin Atlantic (Long Haul crew). They were on a 1 year exchange programme.
• The reason for the delay was technical from the previous sector (Fiji as far as I can recall).
There was a bit of a delay to starting the service as it was very turbulent on our ascent but on a three and a bit hour flight this wasn’t a problem.
We were thankful to have purchased a Premium Economy ticket as the food and beverage was all inclusive in the ticket. We were both drinking quite a lot and I certainly eat a lot. That is me being in holiday mode. I have to say I was quite surprised when I worked out how much we would have spent if we had drinks and eaten the way we have on-board when travelling in Economy.
This is taken from the menu which can be seen here (http://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en...nal-short-haul)
• 1 Luke Mangan Gourmet Beef Pie 1 x 10 AUD
• 1 Luke Mangan Vegetarian Pie 1 x 10 AUD
• 8 Gins 8 x 7 AUD
• 16 Tonics 16 x 3 AUD
• 1 Pepsi 1 x 3 AUD
Total of 127 AUD
Before I get comments of why we drank so much gin and tonic; on board we only had a total of 4 gin mini-bottles between us. The purser / CSD kindly gave us a “small stash” to take with us to the hotel which I was very surprised of.
The beef pie, while looking like a complete disaster, was actually quite tasty and was not filled with fatty pieces of meat. This was a plus.
The cabin crew were very attentive and very responsive despite being tired doing international short-hauls before our flight. We were making jokes in galley which were very inappropriate for other customers. They kept telling us that we should not be shy to request any more food if we wanted to. Frankly I was pretty stuffed by this point but was very thirsty indeed.
Below are some of the pictures on board:
The obligatory leg room shot for seat 1A on board Boeing 737-800.
As part of the service, you can also rent one of the personal video player which is feature below. They are free for Premium Economy passengers and Economy passengers have to pay $15 to rent for them for the duration of the flight. There was a small selection on the device enough for a 3 hour and a bit flight but any longer then it will not be feasible. There was also an interesting document regarding the Boeing 777.
May 19, 2012, 9:55 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Berlin
Programs: Meow Mix
Posts: 1,434
Landing
Landing was pretty uneventful. The standard announcements and welcomes were made on board and it was a quick process of deplaning in to the terminal.
I was very happy with the immigration process as there was only one person working on the international passports section while everyone else from my flight had a New Zealand or Australia passport which was on a different queue.
The priority tag did its job and my bag was first off the belt when it started and we were soon off to the hotel of which pictures can be seen below. It was truly a disappointing abode.
Auckland
Here are some pictures of which I took during my brief adventures in Auckland.
The priority tags did their job upon arrival.
Cute pussy cat
Ticket on the way to Devonport.
Calamari and some peas for breakfast in Devonport. Very nice and delicious.
My hang luggage contained 1 shirt. I find it hard to find shirts that fit so this was a blessing.
Conclusion
Overall, I was satisfied with the product. With the actual money I paid I was not in the position to complain and I have recouped the cost of it through excessive drinking and the lounge food.
What actually made the difference was the crew which I could have been more than happy about. They were friendly, attentive and responsive which is what you need for a needy traveller like me.
The Premium Economy experience seems to be marketed as a light business class product which includes lounge access, priority boarding, priority lane access through immigration and priority baggage handling. If you (the reader) is considering buying this product on an upcoming trip you should consider whether the above will be of use to you bearing in mind that the premium on top of an economy fare might be significant if paying only with cash.
As for selecting it for a short flight like Sydney to Auckland, if you can bear a 3 hour and a bit flight then it is probably better to save some bucks and just travel Economy but at least I can tick of the Premium Economy experience with Virgin Australia.
I hope you have had a great time reading this trip report and again apologies for being 4 months late with this!
/AE
Landing was pretty uneventful. The standard announcements and welcomes were made on board and it was a quick process of deplaning in to the terminal.
I was very happy with the immigration process as there was only one person working on the international passports section while everyone else from my flight had a New Zealand or Australia passport which was on a different queue.
The priority tag did its job and my bag was first off the belt when it started and we were soon off to the hotel of which pictures can be seen below. It was truly a disappointing abode.
Auckland
Here are some pictures of which I took during my brief adventures in Auckland.
The priority tags did their job upon arrival.
Cute pussy cat
Ticket on the way to Devonport.
Calamari and some peas for breakfast in Devonport. Very nice and delicious.
My hang luggage contained 1 shirt. I find it hard to find shirts that fit so this was a blessing.
Conclusion
Overall, I was satisfied with the product. With the actual money I paid I was not in the position to complain and I have recouped the cost of it through excessive drinking and the lounge food.
What actually made the difference was the crew which I could have been more than happy about. They were friendly, attentive and responsive which is what you need for a needy traveller like me.
The Premium Economy experience seems to be marketed as a light business class product which includes lounge access, priority boarding, priority lane access through immigration and priority baggage handling. If you (the reader) is considering buying this product on an upcoming trip you should consider whether the above will be of use to you bearing in mind that the premium on top of an economy fare might be significant if paying only with cash.
As for selecting it for a short flight like Sydney to Auckland, if you can bear a 3 hour and a bit flight then it is probably better to save some bucks and just travel Economy but at least I can tick of the Premium Economy experience with Virgin Australia.
I hope you have had a great time reading this trip report and again apologies for being 4 months late with this!
/AE
May 20, 2012, 1:34 am
#7
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: BA Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,809
Nice report Angelo!
You stayed in the Renezvous didn't you? I recognise the room/bathroom.
The lounge looked pretty nice but I'm not that impressed by the onboard offering. On QF you get a full meal, even in economy, plus free drinks too.
That's quite a delay that you had. You must have arrived gone 2am! I hate that. Last time I did it we landed at 11.30 but I didn't get to sleep until 2, then I was up at 7am for work, killer!
You stayed in the Renezvous didn't you? I recognise the room/bathroom.
The lounge looked pretty nice but I'm not that impressed by the onboard offering. On QF you get a full meal, even in economy, plus free drinks too.
That's quite a delay that you had. You must have arrived gone 2am! I hate that. Last time I did it we landed at 11.30 but I didn't get to sleep until 2, then I was up at 7am for work, killer!
May 20, 2012, 1:52 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Berlin
Programs: Meow Mix
Posts: 1,434
Nice report Angelo!
You stayed in the Renezvous didn't you? I recognise the room/bathroom.
The lounge looked pretty nice but I'm not that impressed by the onboard offering. On QF you get a full meal, even in economy, plus free drinks too.
That's quite a delay that you had. You must have arrived gone 2am! I hate that. Last time I did it we landed at 11.30 but I didn't get to sleep until 2, then I was up at 7am for work, killer!
You stayed in the Renezvous didn't you? I recognise the room/bathroom.
The lounge looked pretty nice but I'm not that impressed by the onboard offering. On QF you get a full meal, even in economy, plus free drinks too.
That's quite a delay that you had. You must have arrived gone 2am! I hate that. Last time I did it we landed at 11.30 but I didn't get to sleep until 2, then I was up at 7am for work, killer!
.It was indeed the Rendezvous which was pretty disappointing and awful but we literally just slept there and we were out 90% of the time and it was cheap as chips!
I was not impressed by DJ either! the crew were funny but thats about it! and the delay meant we got there for around 2 or 3 am... I was so drunk that I slept the moment we checked in!
Your not working for datacom by any chance are you?!
/AE
Jun 5, 2012, 1:42 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Wellington, NZ
Posts: 94
sydney wellington
Good trip report. Your trip was the same as mine Wellington - Sydney. I am based in Wellington and travelled to Chicago in PE - return - on virgin last September. Since I wanted the Sydney/LAX leg on PE, I had to book PE the entire way. Only lounge access you get with this is on the trans tasman sectors. Really nice, and I hope they don't drop access to lounges. Virgin PE is the most comfortable way to travel to Chicago at the same price as qantas or Air NZ economy.
It didn't occur to me to drink till I dropped. Maybe next time.
It didn't occur to me to drink till I dropped. Maybe next time.
Jun 5, 2012, 8:27 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Berlin
Programs: Meow Mix
Posts: 1,434
Good trip report. Your trip was the same as mine Wellington - Sydney. I am based in Wellington and travelled to Chicago in PE - return - on virgin last September. Since I wanted the Sydney/LAX leg on PE, I had to book PE the entire way. Only lounge access you get with this is on the trans tasman sectors. Really nice, and I hope they don't drop access to lounges. Virgin PE is the most comfortable way to travel to Chicago at the same price as qantas or Air NZ economy.
It didn't occur to me to drink till I dropped. Maybe next time.
It didn't occur to me to drink till I dropped. Maybe next time.
We purposely didnt drink till I dropped but with the 2 hour delay we were in at the hotel in AKL around 3am and lets just say it was a bliss to drift to sleep straight away!
I hope the seats in PE to ORD was better then the one on their 737-800
/AE