As mentioned previously here, I was lucky enough to win a $70 bid for a business class upgrade on a Virgin Australia flight from Townsville to Brisbane. Today I’m going to give a review of how the Virgin Australia domestic business class experience was on the Boeing 737.
Pre-flight: check-in & lounge
As we checked in online, there was no need to use VA’s premium check in line. Unfortunately there is no Virgin lounge in Townsville so no chance for pre-flight beverages and relaxation.
The seats and boarding
We were able to take advantage of priority boarding to get on the plane an get settled in before the flight. Priority boarding is a nice benefit when traveling business class or with Virgin Gold status. It is calmer as there is less people rushing on board trying to find a spot for their bags. Also if you are traveling business class you have a bit longer to enjoy the wide recliners.
Virgin Australia Boeing 737 Business Class seats. 
Virgin Australia Boeing 737 Business Class seats. 
Virgin Australia Boeing 737 Business Class – bulkhead space.
The seats are fantastic, a nice upgrade over the usual domestic economy seats. Of course they don’t compare to international grade lie-flat but they are very wide and offer some good reclining. Extra leg room is also great albeit not as beneficial on such a short flight.
Upon boarding we were served with an option of beverage. Of course we selected the sparkling wine as our pre flight beverage. It is a nice way to relax as the rest of the passengers board and the crew prepare for take off.
The meal
For a meal we were given the choice of two Luke Mangan dishes created especially for Virgin Australia’s business class.
We recieved our cutlery and napkin in preparation for our meals, we also were given another beverage so we got some more sparkling wine and some sparkling water. The tray tables in the bulkhead seats of business class come out of the armrest and fold out to a bigger size.
Virgin Australia Boeing 737 Business Class armrest tray table. 
Virgin Australia Boeing 737 Business Class tray table.
The options on the menu were arancini balls and a fig, chorizo and feta salad. We got one of each to try. Alongside the main we got a small salad, some warm bread and butter, and a cookie for dessert. Both dishes were nice and tasty however the chorizo and fig salad was particularly nice, it exceeded my expectations.
Virgin Australia Boeing 737 Business Class meal – fig and feta salad. 
Virgin Australia Boeing 737 Business Class meal – arancini balls.
In flight entertainment
As per a normal Virgin Australia flight inflight entertainment was offered through their entertain app. In business class we were offered an iPad to use to access the entertainment. We declined as we had another movie we were already watching. However it was a nice bonus, especially if you wanted a bigger screen or low on battery on your main device.
The flight
Overall the flight was an standard, uneventful one that I have come to expect from VIrgin Australia on their Boeing 737s.
Post flight
Exiting the plane first was another nice benefit when flying up front. It is great to zip out first and whizz through the airport while the rest of your plane is still disembarking. As I am Virgin Gold we were actually able to access the Brisbane lounge on arrival. Since we didn’t get to access a lounge before our flight we decided to stop in for a drink and some food. This is a great benefit offered by Virgin, as you get a drink and some food while waiting out any passengers rushes that may occur.
Summary
Overall, my first experience of Virgin Australia’s Boeing 737 Business Class was fantastic. Mainly because we got great value on flight with a $70 upgrade, but if the flights can be found for a good price it is worth it. Better seats and food, as well as less stress due to early boarding and disembarking and lounge access. I would give this business class experience a 7/10.
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