Airline review: Australia to Japan aboard Virgin’s new plane

The flight

Virgin Australia flight VA77, Boeing 737-8 MAX “Economy X” class, Cairns to Tokyo (Haneda Airport). We depart a few minutes late but arrive 10 minutes early at 7.50pm, Tokyo time. Flight time 7 hours, 45 minutes.

Virgin Australia has two Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft in its fleet, with 33 ordered.

Frequency

Daily.

The loyalty scheme

Virgin Velocity. Virgin is not part of the major alliances, but points can be earned and spent on a range of partner airlines including Singapore Airlines, Etihad and Qatar Airways.

Carbon emissions

0.951 tonnes for economy class. Virgin Australia says its new 737-8s reduce emissions by 15 per cent compared to the previous version of the 737. The airline offers a “Fly Carbon Neutral” program where passengers can offset emissions.

Checking in

It’s fairly quiet at the international terminal. Only two economy check-in desks are open but the short queue moves reasonably quickly. Airside at Cairns is airy and spacious but there are limited dining options with just one cafe and a small bar. About half the stores are shut, despite it being the middle of the day (perhaps a pandemic hangover).

The seat

Economy X seats offer more legroom than standard economy.

Seat 14C, exit row. The exit rows, along with rows three to five, offer more legroom as part of the airline’s “Economy X” class. The exit rows have an extra eight inches over economy – 38 inches (97 centimetres) – while the other Economy X seats have four inches extra. Standard economy is either 31 inches or a squeezy 30 (the same as you’ll find on Jetstar). All seats are 19 inches (48 centimetres) wide. For my money, the exit row on this smaller plane is actually better than on a larger twin-aisle jet because there’s ample legroom to stretch out but not enough space for other passengers to come and use the space in front of you for exercise.

Baggage

Overhead bins are significantly larger on the 737-8 than on the domestic version.

Up to 23 kilograms checked luggage and one or two carry-on bags with a total weight of 7 kilograms, plus a personal item (handbag, laptop etc). The 737-8 has larger overhead bins than previous models and it’s noticeable – there’s no game of Tetris trying to squeeze all the bags in.

Entertainment

The seats feature nifty holders that can accommodate a phone or tablet, as well as power via a USB port.

There are no seatback screens so you’ll need your own device to access Virgin’s entertainment options through its on-board streaming facility. There’s a decent selection of movies and TV shows though nothing particularly new (the most recent release at the time of my flight is box-office bomb Shazam: Fury of the Gods which has already been available for home streaming for some time). Each seat has a USB port for keeping your device charged, plus a nifty holder where a screen would normally be that can accommodate a phone or tablet.

Service

Efficient and friendly. Perhaps it’s because the plane is small but throughout the daytime flight it never feels like a crew member is far away. My neighbour’s meal order is forgotten about and delivered late, but by the time we land she’s received apologies from four different crew members.

Food

It may be an international flight, but you’ll still need to pay for your meals, snacks and some drinks on board. I order the Japanese curry but am told it’s not available, and I’m offered the alternative, honey soy chicken with rice ($15). It’s fine. Later I order the vegetable pie ($12) which is good enough that I decide to get it again on the flight back. Tea, coffee and water are free.

One more thing

Flying into Haneda has some distinct advantages over flying into Tokyo’s other major international airport, Narita. The latter is a long way from central Tokyo and it can take well over an hour to get to your accommodation particularly if you’re headed for the popular Shibuya or Shinjuku areas, which are on the opposite side of the city. Haneda, by contrast, is only about 30 minutes away on the south-west side of the city.

The price

From $679 one way, economy class (Economy X seats cost $90 extra).

The verdict

While 737s are typically used on shorter, domestic flights, this smaller plane, with just 176 seats, has its advantages – check-in, boarding and disembarking is quick and easy with fewer passengers than in larger, twin-aisle aircraft. While having to depart from Cairns may be off-putting for some travellers from other capitals, it’s not a bad spot for a stopover on the way.

Our rating out of five

★★★★

The writer flew as a guest of Virgin Australia. See virginaustralia.com

Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and subject to change.