Short review
Note: 3 is average
Lounge: 3/5 (Virgin Australia Domestic lounge in Melbourne – Large, crowded at first, limited food options, good for working)
Seat: 3.5/5 (Typical seat on a narrow-body plane)
Entertainment: 3.5/5 (Use your own device, which is the norm for Virgin Australia)
Service: 4.5/5 (Very good services from the staff and flight attendants; flight was delayed)
Food and beverages: 5/5 (Delicious meal on board)
Pros:
- I enjoyed the meal on board
- Appreciated the services delivered by the ground staff and flight attendants
Cons:
- Lounge was very busy at first
- Food options at the lounge were fairly limited
- The flight was delayed
Long review
I finished work early so I arrived at the airport at 16:00, while my flight was scheduled at 19:00. After getting my boarding pass from a self check-in kiosk, I went to one of the check-in counters, asking the staff for the possibility to be moved to an earlier flight. The staff was very helpful and she happily moved me to this VA869 flight, which was scheduled to leave at 17:10. She told me, however, that the flight had been rescheduled to 17:35, which was perfectly fine for me; still much earlier than my original schedule. The flight duration was 1 hours and 25 minutes.
After passing the security area, I went straight to the lounge. There were many passengers queuing at the entrance to the lounge waiting to talk to the staff. Not sure what they intended to do. Luckily for me, I could enter the lounge by scanning my boarding pass at the entrance. It is possible to ask the lounge staff to change your flight, but given the circumstance, it seems to be better to do it in the check-in counter, where there was no queue in my case.
Even though the lounge is large, it was very busy when I came in, so that I had to do a bit of walking around to find an empty seat. Food options were also limited, although I managed to secure a piece of sandwich and pumpkin soup. However, not long after, the lounge became considerably quieter. I simply spent the time doing a bit of work on my laptop. There are plenty of power and USB outlets available to recharge your devices.
I boarded the plane at around 17:30. One flight attendant welcomed us on board and offered some welcome drinks, in which I promptly chose a glass of champagne. Later I realised that she was actually manning the fort because the actual flight attendants for this flight arrived a bit later. The plane left the gate at 17:52, 17 minutes late from the already revised schedule. I was still happy though because it was still much earlier than my original flight schedule.
Typical in a narrow-body plane, the business class is arranged in a 2-2 configuration. The seat is leathered and has a typical recline. There are 8 seats in the business class cabin.
Dinner service began once the plane reached the cruising altitude. They had 2 options, a salad dish and chicken parmigiana. I chose the second option along with a glass of white wine. The dish came with crackers and cheese, and a piece of chocolate. The main dish was very delicious I must say. Enjoyable dinner. I should also add that the flight attendants were pleasant throughout the flight.
I spent the remaining of the time watching a movie on my mobile phone. The options are not that many, but more than adequate for such a short flight. It is also possible to watch a movie from gate to gate using your own device if you would like to.
Overall, it was a good flying experience. Despite the delay, allowing me to move to an earlier flight is much appreciated. The dinner experience on board was also enjoyable.
