Greg Fleming flies Virgin Australia’s VA152 from Auckland to Brisbane.
The plane: A Boeing 737-800.
Flight time: Three hours.
Class: Business – my seat was right at the front of the plane. Seats are in pairs, and not angled away from your neighbour.
For once I was the first off when we landed. It was an early morning flight and it was full.
There was plenty of leg room and although I read and listened to an audiobook most of the flight my neighbour reclined hers and slept soundly.
The captain warned there might be a little turbulence but this never eventuated.
The flight was on time and smooth.
Service: Okay, although being right up the front I had to listen to the flight attendants’ chitter chatter much of the journey until I donned my headphones. No fear of dehydration though; as soon as I finished a bottle of water another one was handed to me.
Food: This was an early flight. Luckily I’d eaten some Bircher muesli in the Koru lounge pre-flight, as the food was disappointing.
On board breakfast options – menus designed by consulting chef Luke Mangan – were a muesli and fruit option or French toast. The French toast turned out to be more like a bacon and egg sandwich, the egg had a strange texture and the bacon looked like it had seen better days.
No maple syrup. I think there was some fruit on the side – and a croissant – but nothing looked that appetising and I returned most of it. On the way home, the options were an omelette or fruit and muesli. I chose the muesli and it was fine.
Entertainment: No back-of-seat screens here. Business class passengers have a tablet in the seat pocket in front of them or you can use your own – which is what I did. This is a growing trend. I’d downloaded the Virgin Australia app and once on board this gives you access to the various entertainment options.
Movie selection was average – certainly not as expansive as Air NZ on the transtasman hop – and the TV series selection was pretty limited too. I listened to an audiobook I’d downloaded to my iPad for much of the flight.
There was Wi-Fi but it didn’t work for me – save for the app which functioned well. I started to watch the latest Bourne movie and wondered why Matt Damon looked a lot younger until I realised it was actually the first one – Bourne Identity – not the newer Jason Bourne.
On the way back I watched Matthew McConaughey save the world in Interstellar – it’s a bit of an epic and nicely coincided with the flight time – with a tail wind we were home in 2 hours 50 – the credits rolling as we landed.
Airport Experience: Seamless. Brisbane is the friendliest Australian city in my experience and that even extends to Customs.
Would I fly again? Brisbane is fantastic – smart, sophisticated and on the up – but when I return I’m not sure I’d fly Virgin Australia.
-NZ Herald
