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V Australia Trip Report:
Just want to file a trip report on an airline that I have always wanted to try, V Australia! In the middle of September, V Australia has introduced a very attractive fare sale in business class cabin a soon to be discontinued routes to Phuket. So I bought a one-way ticket from Brisbane to Phuket and of course I preferred Melbourne, which VA at least had a lounge for me to visit. Nevertheless due to time limit, I flew from BNE to HKT. I booked the ticket through Orbitz so I can pay in USD, and then called V Australia to get seat assignment. The agent was friendly and went through the troubles to enter my Delta frequent flyer number (which the mileage had credited five days later). I also got my preferred seat 1A knowing that the flight would be 100% full.
October 3, 2010
VA 23 BNE-HKT Lv1005 Arr1550 Boeing 777-300ER VH-VPD
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...8QbNHDNy5bqSwY
Check-in:
VA used Row 1 for check-in in Brisbane airport, and there were three separate lines for J, PE, and Y passengers, and things were very orderly. Most passengers were Australians heading to Phuket for vacation. I was the first one to check in and got a sequence number 1 boarding pass (no web check in for VA international flights yet), and the agent was friendly and efficient. Since there is no lounge to go to, I grab breakfast in the food court and then proceed through immigration and security, which was not busy at all and I did not even need to use my express card. I went around the airport for some spotting.
I spotted KE’s A330-200 HL7539 heading to Incheon, Singapore Airlines’ A330-300s 9V-STH (SQ 256) and 9V-STJ (SQ 236), Qantas’ Boeing 747-400 VH-OJB to LAX, NZ A320s ZK-OJF to Queenstown and ZK-OJQ to Christchurch, and later 747-400 ZK-SUH to AKL, Emirates’ Airbus A340-500 A6-ERA to AKL, Air Pacific’s Boeing 767 DQ-FJC to Nadi, and Air Nuigini’s Boeing 767-300ER P2-PXV to Port Moresby.
Boarding:
Well boarding time was 9:35am, and as we approached the boarding time, lines were formed in the economy line, and soon the agent announced that the flight was delayed till 11:05am (and then 12:05pm) due to a technical issue. Most passengers were fairly patient and only a few had onward connection flights to Bangkok including me. Since I have allowed four hours, I have plenty of time. The agent was pretty good in keeping folks informed and dealing with a few worrying passengers. Finally as I decided to venture out for a snack, a general boarding call was made at 11:01am, and they fixed everything earlier than expected. I headed back to the gate and missed the opportunity to give you a better cabin picture. It was full in all three cabins, and I settled in 1A. Boarding was a bit chaotic and an amenity kit (not the fancy one on US flights, and no sleepwear) and a bottle of water were pre-placed in the seat. Roxy, F/A in charge of our section, finally asked me what I would like for a beverage, and got a nice glass of Moet Chandon. Boarding took a while, and finally at 11:44am, door was closed, and we pushed back two minutes later towards R/W19. It was a long taxi, and we finally took off at 12:06pm.
Flight information:
First we climbed to 34,000feet and our flight path took us towards Panya Mountain, Taroom, and Birdum, before climbing to 36,000feet, and crossed the city of Tipperary, and towards Indonesia and Eastern Malaysia. We climbed further to 38,000feet before passing Singapore, Johore Bharu, Kuala Lumpur, Taiping, Penang and Langawi, in which we began our descent.
Seating:
The International business class seat is quite nice and legroom is abundant. They are arrange in a 2-3-2 seating arrangement, and can go 180 degrees flat. The bulkhead row is nice before you don’t need to step across anyone to get to the bathroom. Row 5 the curtain seat is also nice, but missing one window! Despite the lack of sleepwear, there is a turndown service with duvet and blanket, which I did not take advantage of it due to the fact that it is a day flight. The electronic control is fairly easy to use and it is a nice comfortable seat.
Food and Beverage:
Food is all served from the galley and the meals are well designed and tasty. The afternoon tea can be a bit more substantial, but my request for second scone is non-issue, and there are sandwiches to snack on during mid-flight. The lunch service was good and you are allowed to have both the starter and soup. Bread selection includes garlic bread, crusty and wholemeal rolls.
Wine List
Champagne
Moet and Chandon NV Brut Imperial
White
Chalkers Crossing Tumbarumba (New South Wales) 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
Caledonia Australis Gippsland (Victoria) 2008 Chardonnay
Red
Amadio Adelaide Hills (South Australia) 2008 Pinot Noir
Kalleske Clarry’s Barossa Valley (South Australia) 2009 GSM
Dessert Wine
Westend Estate 3 Bridges Golden Mist Riverina (New South Wales) 2008 Botrytis Semillon
Australian Fortified Wine
Stanton & Killeen Rutherglen (NE Victoria) 2003 Vintage Fortified (18.5% alc/vol)
From the Bar
Spirits
666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka, Bundaberg OP Rum, Hendricks Gin, Hennessy VS Brandy, Grant’s Family Reserve Scotch, The Balvenie Doublewood 12 years old single malt, and Jim Bream
Liqueur
Bailey’s Irish Crème, Cointreau
Beers
Crown Lager and Pure Blonde
Guest Beer – Red Angus Pilsner 4.8% Riverina (New South Wales)
October 2010
Australia to Phuket
Lunch
Your choice of warmed breads
Starter
Smoked Salmon with white bean and avocado salad
Soup
Roast garlic, cauliflower and almond
Main Courses
Braised Veal Shank with sesame choy sum, Jasmine rice, and red chili
Sesame chicken stir-fry with vegetables and ginger sweet soy
Vegetable Strudel with mixed herb sauce and zucchini batons
Cheese
Cape Wickham Brie
Cobram Vintage Cheddar
Served with quince paste, dried apricots and crackers
Dessert
Crème Brulee with almond biscotti
Ice Cream by Serendipity – Death by Chocolate
Sorbet by Serendipity – Coconut & Kaffir Lime
Smaller Bites
A selection of refreshments
Tandoori chicken with mango chutney
Rocket, brie and semi dried tomato
Flying – High Tea
Warmed Scones, strawberry jam and double cream
Served with a selection of finger sandwiches
Roast beef and horseradish cream
Tomato relish, lettuce, cucumber and cheese
Smoked salmon, aioli, cucumber and lettuce
Coffee
V Australia serves Republica Fair Trade coffee: filter, espresso, Cappuccino or latte
Tea
English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Green tea, Chamomile or Peppermint tea
Hot Chocolate
Choose from a cup or a mug
AUS-HKT J C4 OCT 2010
Entertainment:
VA uses the same “RED” system as Virgin America, but the system is a bit more stable, with a larger selection of TV shows, movies, and games. There are plenty of sitcoms for me to look at and I pretty caught up with all the episodes of “Modern Family” for season one. Noise-canceling headsets are also available and better than the cheap brand that CX and QF used in first and business class.
Flight Attendant:
We got an excellent and engaging F/A, Roxy, on our side, and she was friendly and nothing seemed to bother her. The VA F/As seem to go out of their ways to chat with passengers and less up tight than Qantas. The head purser, James, made his round around the cabin, and I was addressed by my last name throughout the flight.
Arrival:
Descent began at 7:58pm as we approached the Malaysian resort city of Langawi, and landed on R/W27 at 5;26pm Thailand local time. Business class passengers were allowed to deplane first, and unlike Bangkok, immigration staffs were more friendly and laidback, and the wait was minimal. I was out in five minutes, and then bags came out ten minutes later, with priority bags released first. I was able to make it to the public area within twenty minutes, which will not happen in Bangkok. I have no issues making to my Bangkok Airways flight.
My Verdict:
The international business class cabin was nice, despite a bit cramped with the seven abreast seating. The branding is nice, and it seems to still deliver a reasonable product. The soft product wise – F/As and purser seemed to be engaging and efficient with the meal delivery, and experienced. There were reports for slow meal service, but for this flight, it was acceptable and based on my log, the whole meal was completed within two hours after takeoff. The bar is nice, and because the flight is daytime and leisure in nature, it is busy throughout. The disappointment is basically the amenities – a subpar amenity kit and the lack of sleepwear. It is an eight hours flight and I don’t think those items really cost that much money. It is a nice way to promote the airline. Nevertheless I will definitely give it a try in the future on a transpacific flight or a flight to AUH.
Just want to file a trip report on an airline that I have always wanted to try, V Australia! In the middle of September, V Australia has introduced a very attractive fare sale in business class cabin a soon to be discontinued routes to Phuket. So I bought a one-way ticket from Brisbane to Phuket and of course I preferred Melbourne, which VA at least had a lounge for me to visit. Nevertheless due to time limit, I flew from BNE to HKT. I booked the ticket through Orbitz so I can pay in USD, and then called V Australia to get seat assignment. The agent was friendly and went through the troubles to enter my Delta frequent flyer number (which the mileage had credited five days later). I also got my preferred seat 1A knowing that the flight would be 100% full.
October 3, 2010
VA 23 BNE-HKT Lv1005 Arr1550 Boeing 777-300ER VH-VPD
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...8QbNHDNy5bqSwY
Check-in:
VA used Row 1 for check-in in Brisbane airport, and there were three separate lines for J, PE, and Y passengers, and things were very orderly. Most passengers were Australians heading to Phuket for vacation. I was the first one to check in and got a sequence number 1 boarding pass (no web check in for VA international flights yet), and the agent was friendly and efficient. Since there is no lounge to go to, I grab breakfast in the food court and then proceed through immigration and security, which was not busy at all and I did not even need to use my express card. I went around the airport for some spotting.
I spotted KE’s A330-200 HL7539 heading to Incheon, Singapore Airlines’ A330-300s 9V-STH (SQ 256) and 9V-STJ (SQ 236), Qantas’ Boeing 747-400 VH-OJB to LAX, NZ A320s ZK-OJF to Queenstown and ZK-OJQ to Christchurch, and later 747-400 ZK-SUH to AKL, Emirates’ Airbus A340-500 A6-ERA to AKL, Air Pacific’s Boeing 767 DQ-FJC to Nadi, and Air Nuigini’s Boeing 767-300ER P2-PXV to Port Moresby.
Boarding:
Well boarding time was 9:35am, and as we approached the boarding time, lines were formed in the economy line, and soon the agent announced that the flight was delayed till 11:05am (and then 12:05pm) due to a technical issue. Most passengers were fairly patient and only a few had onward connection flights to Bangkok including me. Since I have allowed four hours, I have plenty of time. The agent was pretty good in keeping folks informed and dealing with a few worrying passengers. Finally as I decided to venture out for a snack, a general boarding call was made at 11:01am, and they fixed everything earlier than expected. I headed back to the gate and missed the opportunity to give you a better cabin picture. It was full in all three cabins, and I settled in 1A. Boarding was a bit chaotic and an amenity kit (not the fancy one on US flights, and no sleepwear) and a bottle of water were pre-placed in the seat. Roxy, F/A in charge of our section, finally asked me what I would like for a beverage, and got a nice glass of Moet Chandon. Boarding took a while, and finally at 11:44am, door was closed, and we pushed back two minutes later towards R/W19. It was a long taxi, and we finally took off at 12:06pm.
Flight information:
First we climbed to 34,000feet and our flight path took us towards Panya Mountain, Taroom, and Birdum, before climbing to 36,000feet, and crossed the city of Tipperary, and towards Indonesia and Eastern Malaysia. We climbed further to 38,000feet before passing Singapore, Johore Bharu, Kuala Lumpur, Taiping, Penang and Langawi, in which we began our descent.
Seating:
The International business class seat is quite nice and legroom is abundant. They are arrange in a 2-3-2 seating arrangement, and can go 180 degrees flat. The bulkhead row is nice before you don’t need to step across anyone to get to the bathroom. Row 5 the curtain seat is also nice, but missing one window! Despite the lack of sleepwear, there is a turndown service with duvet and blanket, which I did not take advantage of it due to the fact that it is a day flight. The electronic control is fairly easy to use and it is a nice comfortable seat.
Food and Beverage:
Food is all served from the galley and the meals are well designed and tasty. The afternoon tea can be a bit more substantial, but my request for second scone is non-issue, and there are sandwiches to snack on during mid-flight. The lunch service was good and you are allowed to have both the starter and soup. Bread selection includes garlic bread, crusty and wholemeal rolls.
Wine List
Champagne
Moet and Chandon NV Brut Imperial
White
Chalkers Crossing Tumbarumba (New South Wales) 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
Caledonia Australis Gippsland (Victoria) 2008 Chardonnay
Red
Amadio Adelaide Hills (South Australia) 2008 Pinot Noir
Kalleske Clarry’s Barossa Valley (South Australia) 2009 GSM
Dessert Wine
Westend Estate 3 Bridges Golden Mist Riverina (New South Wales) 2008 Botrytis Semillon
Australian Fortified Wine
Stanton & Killeen Rutherglen (NE Victoria) 2003 Vintage Fortified (18.5% alc/vol)
From the Bar
Spirits
666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka, Bundaberg OP Rum, Hendricks Gin, Hennessy VS Brandy, Grant’s Family Reserve Scotch, The Balvenie Doublewood 12 years old single malt, and Jim Bream
Liqueur
Bailey’s Irish Crème, Cointreau
Beers
Crown Lager and Pure Blonde
Guest Beer – Red Angus Pilsner 4.8% Riverina (New South Wales)
October 2010
Australia to Phuket
Lunch
Your choice of warmed breads
Starter
Smoked Salmon with white bean and avocado salad
Soup
Roast garlic, cauliflower and almond
Main Courses
Braised Veal Shank with sesame choy sum, Jasmine rice, and red chili
Sesame chicken stir-fry with vegetables and ginger sweet soy
Vegetable Strudel with mixed herb sauce and zucchini batons
Cheese
Cape Wickham Brie
Cobram Vintage Cheddar
Served with quince paste, dried apricots and crackers
Dessert
Crème Brulee with almond biscotti
Ice Cream by Serendipity – Death by Chocolate
Sorbet by Serendipity – Coconut & Kaffir Lime
Smaller Bites
A selection of refreshments
Tandoori chicken with mango chutney
Rocket, brie and semi dried tomato
Flying – High Tea
Warmed Scones, strawberry jam and double cream
Served with a selection of finger sandwiches
Roast beef and horseradish cream
Tomato relish, lettuce, cucumber and cheese
Smoked salmon, aioli, cucumber and lettuce
Coffee
V Australia serves Republica Fair Trade coffee: filter, espresso, Cappuccino or latte
Tea
English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Green tea, Chamomile or Peppermint tea
Hot Chocolate
Choose from a cup or a mug
AUS-HKT J C4 OCT 2010
Entertainment:
VA uses the same “RED” system as Virgin America, but the system is a bit more stable, with a larger selection of TV shows, movies, and games. There are plenty of sitcoms for me to look at and I pretty caught up with all the episodes of “Modern Family” for season one. Noise-canceling headsets are also available and better than the cheap brand that CX and QF used in first and business class.
Flight Attendant:
We got an excellent and engaging F/A, Roxy, on our side, and she was friendly and nothing seemed to bother her. The VA F/As seem to go out of their ways to chat with passengers and less up tight than Qantas. The head purser, James, made his round around the cabin, and I was addressed by my last name throughout the flight.
Arrival:
Descent began at 7:58pm as we approached the Malaysian resort city of Langawi, and landed on R/W27 at 5;26pm Thailand local time. Business class passengers were allowed to deplane first, and unlike Bangkok, immigration staffs were more friendly and laidback, and the wait was minimal. I was out in five minutes, and then bags came out ten minutes later, with priority bags released first. I was able to make it to the public area within twenty minutes, which will not happen in Bangkok. I have no issues making to my Bangkok Airways flight.
My Verdict:
The international business class cabin was nice, despite a bit cramped with the seven abreast seating. The branding is nice, and it seems to still deliver a reasonable product. The soft product wise – F/As and purser seemed to be engaging and efficient with the meal delivery, and experienced. There were reports for slow meal service, but for this flight, it was acceptable and based on my log, the whole meal was completed within two hours after takeoff. The bar is nice, and because the flight is daytime and leisure in nature, it is busy throughout. The disappointment is basically the amenities – a subpar amenity kit and the lack of sleepwear. It is an eight hours flight and I don’t think those items really cost that much money. It is a nice way to promote the airline. Nevertheless I will definitely give it a try in the future on a transpacific flight or a flight to AUH.
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