Qantas Gold, Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers – along with paid-up Qantas Club members – can now visit Virgin Australia lounges prior to Virgin Australia domestic flights when booked to fly in Economy X, as part of a promotion until the end of August.
For rusted-on Roo travellers, Virgin Australia Economy X isn’t the airline’s standard economy service, so don’t get the two confused: it includes extra legroom on board and dedicated overhead locker space above, plus priority security screening and priority boarding on the ground (where available) in return for a modest $29-59 fee per flight.
Read the AusBT review of Virgin Australia Economy X
It works like this – book yourself a Virgin Australia domestic flight for travel between now and August 31 2017, and purchase an Economy X seat during the booking process, via Virgin’s ‘manage my booking’ tool for existing bookings or during online check-in, by choosing a purple-coloured Economy X seat on the seat selection page and paying the added charge.
(Business travellers on company-funded bookings can pay the Economy X cost themselves through Virgin Australia’s website if the company itself won’t fund the purchase, without tickets having to be re-issued or hassling the corporate travel agent for a better seat.)
Economy X seats can also be purchased at the airport on departure day at the same price.
However you get yourself into an Economy X seat, present your Economy X boarding pass at any of Virgin Australia’s domestic lounges, along with your Qantas Club or Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold, Platinum or Platinum One membership card, for lounge access.
Virgin Australia’s lounges can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra, Adelaide, Darwin, Cairns, Gold Coast, Mackay and Alice Springs, with Qantas members able to enter up to two hours prior to their Virgin Australia flight’s scheduled departure time.
Eligible Qantas members travelling in Economy X can bring one guest into Virgin Australia’s lounges during this period, although that guest must also be travelling in Economy X with the Qantas cardholder on the same flight.
Lounge access is not available to Qantas Club or Qantas Frequent Flyer members booked to fly in ‘regular’ Virgin Australia economy – as opposed to Economy X – unless the traveller is also a Velocity Gold or Platinum frequent flyer, holds Virgin Australia Lounge membership or pays $65 at the door.
This promotion isn’t available to Economy X passengers on Virgin Australia international flights, and once more, covers domestic Economy X flights taken until August 31 2017 only.
For more information on this offer, head to the Virgin Australia website.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
23 May 2014
Total posts 118
Smart promotion. Hopefully this helps sway a few QF flyers over to Virgin longer term... although there are definitely going to be some Velocity Golds and Plats who aren't happy with this in the meantime.
Qatar Airways
04 Apr 2014
Total posts 25
Nice work Virgin Australia
QFF
12 Apr 2013
Total posts 1559
Just promo.....
29 Aug 2013
Total posts 57
Of course when these QF members get served on board their flight a small bag of pretzels at dinner time or an inch long muesli bar for breakfast they will be thankful for the toasted sandwich in the lounge.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
15 Aug 2012
Total posts 171
Totally agree. I flew Virgin for the first time in awhile and the in flight product is not as good. They can't call themselves a full service airline when serving a mini muesli bar.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 1024
Common sense would be to give Economy X passengers something from the cart for free John and John.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 May 2017
Total posts 77
Not the smartest move by Virgin. The QF lounge is way ahead of Virgin. Whilst the X product is a good idea I would actually not introduce high tier QF members into the Virgin lounge as they will not see the QF. member again. If they are Platinum with QF. you would not compare it to Virgin very average lounge
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 174
I think this is more about Virgin trying to get high-value Qantas passengers, in terms of their QFF status, who normally fly economy but hate the cramped legroom so Virgin wants to give them an added incentive to try Economy X, because lack of lounge access is a big barrier to having someone with status in one airline try out another airline.
I would agree that the Virgin lounges have slipped below the Qantas Club lounges, partly because Virgin has lets its standards slip but also because Qantas has improved the F&B offering at its Qantas Clubs. If a few QFF Gold or Platinum members end up switching to Virgin it'll be because of Economy X, not because of the lounges.
And all it will take for Qantas to counter this will be to remind QFF members of other perks they get, to give them a few "surprise and delight" moments such as upgrades to business class, or of course to create their own Economy Plus seating rows which I would certainly not rule out!
27 Jan 2016
Total posts 52
I think also a key benefit of Economy X is the added legroom which QF do not offer up front (except for the first row). Those extra 3 inches make a difference. It also permits for priority boarding which would be expected as a Gold/Plat/Plat One. VA still have a ways to go on the catering front to catch up to QF if they are going to be serious as "full service".
02 Dec 2016
Total posts 91
I'm in agreement with @boof about the on board 'snacks' as VA puts it. Compared to QFs actually meal.
But, the problem here is, where will all these QF FFs sit? Have you been to a VA lounge recently? Sydney domestic is terrible and Melbourne isn't much better.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Nov 2013
Total posts 475
Keep in mind you'll be noted at the door and will no doubt come in for some extra special VA marketing...
23 Jun 2017
Total posts 1
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2424
Correct, but we've written this article primarily for Qantas flyers (who are the ones poised to take advantage of this promotion), so it makes sense to clarify that lounge access isn't available on regular economy fares, unless that traveller has a separate entitlement to lounge access via Velocity or Virgin Lounge memberships: in which case the usual rules apply.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Dec 2014
Total posts 58
I'm platinum on both Virgin and Qantas, and since the introduction of Economy X I am much more likely to book Virgin domestically - the extra legroom is something Qantas doesn't offer, and to me the comfort in the air outweighs the comfort of the lounge before the flight. This is a smart move by Virgin to get QF frequent flyers to experience the additional space.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Nov 2013
Total posts 475
Honest question...
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1242
I too query this. Row 4 on QF's B738 flights offer unlimited legroom at no additional cost. All the other benefits with VA's Economy X you can get with QF when you have status. I just don't find VA's proposition compelling personally.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Dec 2014
Total posts 58
As QF Platinum I can't access Row 4 until 2 days out (I assume they hold for Platinum One and Chairmans Lounge). With VA I can select any seat at time of booking. I also don't like the fixed arm rest of QF Row 4 (or VA Row 3), so it is attractive to me to choose VA Rows 4 or 5 with extra legroom.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Dec 2014
Total posts 58
I really don't see much difference between the two airlines now, except as QF Platinum I get Business Lounge access, which is nicer. But extra legroom wins for the ability to work or just stretch out. And VA now has two more rows than Qantas with this ability.
21 Dec 2012
Total posts 44
How has "Economy X" changed your Virgin booking behaviour? The seats have not changed, and the same seats in Econoy X were already free to you as VA Platinum - if anything, the VA promos related to Economy X have devalued your Platinum status by diluting the access chances to those better seats.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Dec 2014
Total posts 58
Rows 4 and 5 are now available as Economy X with extra legroom. I don't like the fixed armrest in Row 3 so can now choose 4 or 5 instead.
23 Feb 2015
Total posts 260
As a platinum you will almost always be able to secure an exit row, so x (based on what I am reading) has minimal incremental value. Is that correct?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Dec 2014
Total posts 58
Only that Rows 4 and 5 are closer to the front for quicker exit. And there are now 12 more seats with legroom than previously.
28 Jun 2017
Total posts 1
It would be great if VA opened up International Lounges rather than relying on partners who typically don't match VA entitlements. I've been caught out travelling with family a number of times now when departing Aus.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Feb 2016
Total posts 49
I agree with MEL Traveller, I'm platinum 1 with QF and platinum with VA and have recently flown in economyX. I like the extra space, and on the flights I took rows 4 and 5 seem to get shadows, I would be more inclined to travel in these rows over row 3. Also a consideration for myself is the expense my business has to pay and time of travel. VA are generally cheaper so I would use VA for early morning flights or flights were QF only offers light refreshments. It is unlikely that I would VA at time when QF does provide food in a box, may not be the best but it is better than VAs offering.
21 Dec 2012
Total posts 44
VA don't do shadows, you just got lucky. It sounds as if Matt_01 and MEL Traveller are under the impression that the seating has changed on VA, it hasn't. Those seats had that much room before "Economy X" they just weren't selectable by anyone except VA Plat at time of booking, it would open up to other tiers closer to check-in. The only change VA has made is making the seats generally available for a fee - if you were VA platinum how much of that status was "bum in seat" travelling economy?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Dec 2014
Total posts 58
That's not correct, @quick_dry. There is now more legroom at Rows 4 and 5. While there is no change for Row 3, 12 more seats have additional room, which Qantas doesnt offer.
21 Jul 2014
Total posts 13
smart way of getting the QF loyalists to give Virgin a try but don't assume you will get your bags above your seat as part of the offer - the in flight staff are not even trying to control this rule and as a platinum member I am pretty sure my saet allocation will be under pressure so I can only see myself being worse off
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
20 Dec 2016
Total posts 16
Having the leg room is for me a no brainier having a snack or drink on board for the hour or two is all one needs, for goodness sake short flights who needs a meal, lounge access before is a benifit and offerings in most lounge are ample and varied enough. QF service on board in all my flights does not match VA only look at the latest position of Virgin vs Qantas. So X seats for me any day
16 Dec 2016
Total posts 58
Smells of desperation to me and a slap in the face to those who are loyal to Virgin.
27 Jan 2016
Total posts 52
Those who are loyal (platinum) get it for free.
13 Mar 2017
Total posts 4
I've been flying Economy X since they introduced it. It's only the extra leg room that I get as I'm also VA Gold. I'm happy to pay the extra $$ for this but would love it if they introduced a few things like Delta in the US. A better snack for Economy X customers (I think the current snacks are pointless but that's a personal opinion) and treat it as Premium Economy for status credits, so more status credits obtained for an Economy X seat compared to straight Economy.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Jul 2017
Total posts 4
Just tried this out in Perth - the chap at the desk hadn't heard of it so had to part with a complimentary lounge pass despite being QF gold - looks like the news hasn't travelled this far!
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