Virgin Australia hints at new Boeing 737 domestic business class
By David Flynn, February 17 2017
Is Virgin Australia planning a new business class for its domestic Boeing 737 jets?
That’s one take-away from today’s news that the airline would launch flights to Hong Kong using one of its six Airbus A330s – an aircraft which has previously been dedicated to Australia’s east-west routes.
While Virgin hasn't yet committed to Hong Kong seeing daily flights, any international excursions by the A330 will leave a number of holes in the domestic schedule.
Those holes would be filled by Virgin’s Boeing 737-800 jets, Virgin Australia Group CEO John Borghetti admits – but Borghetti is well aware that having raised the bar and passenger expectations with the A330’s spacious and lie-flat business class seats...
... the Boeing 737’s business class cabin with its two-across recliner seats is a massive step down.
At best it’s a spark for customer dissatisfaction – even though Virgin Australia would understandably work to keep the A330s rostered onto overnight red-eye flights, and restrict the Boeing 737s to daytime journeys.
At worst, passengers could decamp to Qantas and its own highly-competitive A330 Business Suites.
Virgin’s solution might just be to fit some of its Boeing 737s with an all-new business class seat which would close the gap between this…
... and this.
Speaking with Australian Business Traveller about the implications of the Airbus A330 service to Hong Kong, Virgin Australia Group CEO John Borghetti said “do not assume that we haven’t taken into account the product aspect of utilising a Boeing 737 in place of an A330, should we do that … don't assume we haven't take into account what product will be available (on the Boeing 737).”
Asked if this meant Virgin Australia was considering a new business class for some transcontinental Boeing 737s, Borghetti demurred, replying with a smile that “Well I didn’t say that, you said that…”
Yes, we did say that.
And given that Borghetti set off the transcontinental turf war in May 2011 with the debut of lay-back recliner seats on its A330 Coast to Coast service – launching a premium cabin arm’s race which resulted in new generations of seats from both Virgin Australia and Qantas – it’s not beyond the pale that he would look to bring a better business class seat to a number of Boeing 737s dedicated to the transcontinental trek.
Virgin Australia has scope to pare back capacity on east-west routes, due to the shrinking of the WA-centred resources sector and reduced demand from corporate and government travellers.
But it can’t risk seeing hard-won customers walk back into the arms of its arch-rival.
Virgin’s play could be to reconfigure some Boeing 737s with a wider reclining business class seat – something more akin to a modern premium economy or regional business class design, still with creature comforts such as more space for inflight working and AC/USB power sockets – while cutting back on the size of the 168-seat economy cabin.
What's your take: do Australia's east-west flights need a high-end business class seat such as on the Virgin Australia and Qantas A330s, or could a simply better business class seat than today's Boeing 737s be more suited to those 4-5 hour flights?
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
20 May 2015
Total posts 579
Premium transcon services on narrowbody flights, kind of like AA's A321T subfleet? That would be very cool and innovative. You could even fit Virgin's "3.5 class" arrangement from international flights onto the jet (The Business, Premium, Economy Space Plus, Economy).
27 Jan 2016
Total posts 52
Makes complete sense - Jet Blues Trans Con A321 config is a good guide. Every VA TCP flight I have been on has seen pretty poor J loads, so maybe all they need is 4 J class seats on a couple of 737's. Given the amount of flying these aircraft do to on short haul international, it would be a welcome change there too and give them a much more competitive product against the likes of Garuda who operate wide body.
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 27
I've always been of the opinion that both Qantas and Virgin went too far with their A330 business class at least when it comes to domestic flights. You don't need VA's The Business or the QF Business Suite for a five hour flight. I agree that a 'regional business' class like Cathay Pacific has would be a good starting point.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
Martin Haynes:
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 May 2014
Total posts 20
On a 5 hour red eye most people would prefer lie flat seat on the QF/VA330s then a CX reigonal seat whilst sleeping....
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 174
I'm not sure about the economics of an A330-style direct aisle access seat on the Boeing 737 as Virgin would go from four seats across to just two, but maybe if it was angled for better space efficiency you could still get a good six seats in the front end. This might also be the time for them to introduce the premium economy which they have been looking into.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Jan 2012
Total posts 172
Maybe they should order some of the larger Boeing 737-900 and then fit a better business class. The Boeing 737-900 would give the extra space for a new Business Class cabin and also bridge the gap a little between the Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A330-200.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
12 Jun 2011
Total posts 148
They can't sell the seat as it is currently (often there is only 1 or 2 people on most flights i'm on), who is going to pay more for a more expensive and lavish product?
09 Nov 2011
Total posts 88
The Delta 757 trans continentals have very comfortable 4 abreast lie flats - something around that design would work - they would maybe need to loose a row of economy
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
@tonywills:
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1225
I believe any move to an upgraded J class on 737s may be tied to the delayed 737 Max order. VA seems to have moved away from describing their order as being for Max8s and is now just described as 737 Max. This leads me to believe that maybe the delay is partly to enable VA to move from Max8s up to Max9s or Max10s both of which would enable the J class footprint to grow without giving up Y class real estate.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
QF vs others=
The basic design(Actually the developer+manufacturer too) of their latest Biz Suite on 333 is the same as the J design deployed on the 777 of many other longhaul carriers despite layouts being the same 1-2-1 abreast. A whopping 26inches diff in cabin diameter 330 vs 777.
14 Jun 2013
Total posts 352
+1 for a 'regional business class' type of seat. Here is Cathay Pacific's regional business class, which is also Cathay Dragon business class, I honestly reckon for 5 hours east-west this is good enough.
https://www.executivetraveller.com/first-photos-cathay-pacific-s-new-regional-business-class-seats
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 May 2014
Total posts 35
I would rather prefer SQ's regional business class than CX's. CX's 'regonal C' is PY-standard at best and it's just horrible if you want some proper rest.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 780
VX first class seats would do nicely, along with AC and USB power fleet-wide. At worst, add some bl--dy footrests. Sick of watching people in row one put their feet on the bulkhead. Eew.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
09 Dec 2015
Total posts 9
18 Sep 2015
Total posts 140
I can't believe that some contributors are advocating the lowering of domestic business class standards. If it wasn't for VA, then QF would have 2-2-2 on their A330s.
14 Jun 2013
Total posts 352
We're talking about raising the domestic business class standards, specifically those of the Boeing 737. In case you missed it, Virgin will be putting more 737s onto east-west flights in place of A330s. I'm not sure what you feel is the answer to this but would like to hear it.
23 May 2012
Total posts 35
A decent trans-con business product in the 737 would be a game changer. No brainer. Bring it on!
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Jan 2015
Total posts 580
It should be like their old A330 seats
20 Feb 2012
Total posts 67
As mentioned above I think the narrower internals of the 737 will play a sigbificant part in this.
20 May 2015
Total posts 579
"No airline (to my knowledge) today has lie flats on a 737."
14 Jun 2013
Total posts 352
I'm not expecting a lie-flat or anything close to the A330 but I think there are plenty of options for a modern 737 business class seat which is better suited to Sydney-Perth than the same seat you have for Sydney-Melbourne. With rumours that Qantas will also be swapping more 737s in place of A330s on east-west flights this is the sort of competitive advantage which Virgin needs.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
07 Dec 2014
Total posts 170
Could another way to take Borgetti's statement be that they will bring onboard (perhaps lease) additional A330s?
06 Mar 2018
Total posts 1
BA have a great all-business product on their A318 LCY JFK service. Totally lie flat ; feels very bespoke like being on a private jet. The seats would be great for a Virgin 737 service.
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