Virgin Australia: launches new cabin and seat design on TikTok. So that’s the market they are after!
Virgin Australia launches new cabin and seating on 737’s on TikTok!
The airline has installed new business and economy seats and interior features on 2 of its 737s to test passenger reaction. Virgin claims that customer feedback will determine what features will be installed on its next lot of ordered 737s.
Features
The main feature to crow about is the ‘up to 40 per cent extra ability to recline in Business Class.’ I’m not even sure I know what that means. I’m presuming that you can just recline the seat 40% more? Oh, they explain later – 7′ of recline. Come on Virgin, we live in Australia with the m-e-t-r-i-c system! That’s 17.78cm then apparently 40% more than their other aircraft.
Othe Business class features include:
- customisable leg and footrests
- ‘self-deployable, non-slip cocktail tables’
- ‘in-seat storage cubbies for personal items’
- ‘high-powered USB charging port’
In Economy you lose seatback entertainment but get:
- seatback device holder – good idea since there is no longer any seat back screen
- ‘upper safety card and menu stowage’ which allows you to put your junk in the seat pocket below
- Economy X gets 40 per cent extra legroom that regular economy (same as before)
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.
Swings and roundabouts. I know more and more customers are viewing stuff on their own devices, but I do mourne the loss of seat back entertainment. OK, call me old-fashioned, but then you have to call Virgin ‘cheapskates’.
No mention of installing WiFi in these jets though. Now that would be an actual improvement.
And, is it just me, but those horizontal panels in the pleather seats just look like dandruff collectors.
What did you say?