Virgin Australia: New Routes, New Lounge, new business service

CEO Jayne Hrdlicka took over the reigns of the newly reborn Virgin Australia almost exactly 3 months ago on November 20 2020.

Three months is about the time it takes to start bending an organisation to your will, and this is what is now happening over at Australia’s 2nd domestic airline. With a renewed executive team in place, Hrdlicka is rolling out the changes, starting with a lounge opening.

Adelaide Lounge opening

Trumpeted (we can use that word again!) as the template for the roll-out of redesigned Virgin Australia lounges across the country, Adelaide has had its new lounge opening delayed by nearly a year. Originally slated to open in April 2020, before Virgin went into administration and then on sale, the lounge is now set to open next week on Tuesday 23 February.

Commentators in the know are talking about a more relaxed design. The old lounge was looking like an escapee of the 1980s, so any upgrade in look, style and service will be a boon. I hope to be able to report directly on the Adelaide lounge experience in March.

New Routes

With the abandonment of its international division and the restrictions on Australian borders, Virgin is focusing on domestic flying. Australians are spending the dollars usually reserved for overseas travel on domestic destinations, which provides an opportunity for some new Australian routes.

Apparently the holidaymakers of Adelaide and Melbourne lust for direct routes to the Sunshine Coast, and Byron Bay respectively – so Virgin is introducing:

• Adelaide – Sunshine Coast (4 return services/week from 30 March to 25 April)
• Melbourne – Ballina, Byron Bay (Up to 6return services/week from 29 March to 25 April)

Adelaide – Sunshine Coast

Flt Num	Route	Dep/Arr	Day of the week
VA1343	ADL-MCY	1200/1505	Tues, Thurs, Sat, Sun
VA1342	MCY-ADL	1545/1810	Tues, Thurs, Sat, Sun

Melbourne – Ballina Byron Bay

Flt Num	Route	Dep/Arr	Day of the week
VA1196	BNK-MEL	1400/1615	Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun
VA1197	MEL-BNK	1110/1320	Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun

These new routes will start during Easter – in the period 29 March to 25 April, and then may or may not continue

More Frequent flights

Virgin is also increasing the frequency of flights to the following destinations – also starting during the Easter period:

• Cairns
• Hamilton Island
• Whitsunday Coast (Proserpine)
• Sunshine Coast
• Gold Coast
• Ballina Byron (Byron Bay)
• Launceston
• Hobart
• Broome
• Kununurra

You can start booking these routes now, and just cross your fingers that current border restrictions hold, or get more relaxed (Melbourne – I’m looking at you).

New Business service

We are also being promised a rollout of new business catering services for March – or for Easter at least – a post-Luke Mangen offering – so that’s something to be looking forward to.

This will coincide with the introduction of a buy-on-board service for economy passengers.

The Club

The fate of the physical ‘The Club’ is still not known, but in a recent email to members of this elite status level, CEO Hrdlicka has assured them that they will still be treated like VIPs with the ‘high touch services’ they are used to. Presumably, that means things like concierge services, greater baggage allowance, prefered seating and family benefits will remain. I wonder if that includes complimentary unrequested upgrades to Business Class like Chairman’s Lounge members get?

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

This is a healthy move, that I hope will be rewarded by increased patronage. Of course, if there are more snap lockdowns or other border restrictions, this could all go to hell-in-a-handbasket. But with COVID-19 immunisation starting to be rolled out from next week to Australians, the trajectory looks good.