Virgin Blue A330-200 Business Class Seat

[Mach2point7]

VB's press release of 23 Feb notes that the new business class seat has a pitch of 62".

I was surprised by the photos in the half year results presentation posted on the ASX website. It appears that the seat is a recliner (with two distinct kinks) and not a Lie Flat (flat but inclined) or a Flat Bed (flat and horizontal).

It is my understanding that QF's Skybed (on 747-400 and A330-300), which is a Lie Flat product, takes only 60" of seat pitch. Can anyone confirm this ? Several other airlines offer Lie Flat seats within 60", or less.

I appreciate that the apples to apples comparison is with the inferior QF domestic A330-200 configuration(s). But these VB A330 aircraft will also operate international services to Asia in the near future.

Question: why would VB, with two extra inches of pitch at its disposal, only offer a seat that most airlines are now scrapping ?

Are they sandbagging QF ?

[SeldomFixit]

If its what's called a "ZED" bed, the extra 2 inches would be to accept the crumpled heap of your body when you inevitably slid out of the thing ! :O

[Oliver Klozof]

The international configured A330 and 744 are not a 'lie flat' bed. Close, but not quite. With the seat in the reclined position, your feet (if you're on the taller side) will be hanging off the end and underneath the seat in front. The 380 has a genuine lie flat bed and that's the seat that will be gradually retrofitted to the 9 744s they're keeping, commencing this year.

The existing domestic configuration A330 has the older style business class seat that only reclines a few degrees.

To confuse matters, the latest 2 domestic A330s delivered have the new, and super-unpopular 3 abreast business class at 42" pitch, but with the Panasonic in-seat IFE. This seat is similar to the international premium economy seat.

Evidently after much criticism and in light of Virgin's new seat, the new business class has been scrapped and the two 330s with it will be reconfigured.

It's important to note that this new configuration was done previously and it was a failure then! Typical QF reactionary management (never proactive!), always playing catchup with the competition at great expense.

It would appear that VBs new business class seat will be superior in every way to QFs offering.

[Mach2point7]

Thanks Oliver.

I think that the current A330-300 and 747-400 seats are defined as "lie flat" (i.e. flat but inclined) but are not "flat bed" (i.e. flat and horizontal) as per the QF A380. This is the currently used jargon, not mine.

I agree that VB's seat will be superior to QF's domestic business class seats, but with two extra inches of pitch they could have been superior to the Qantas lie flat product as well.

[Mr. Hat]

I've personally found the lie flat (horizontal-no incline) to be a lot better than those on the slight angle (it makes all the difference for me). I was surprised that VB/JB didn't go the whole hog.

[rmcdonal]

Looks like the IFE of the passenger behind would be un-usable once the seat was fully reclined. Or is it just the photo that makes it look that way?

[VBPCGUY]

Looks like the IFE of the passenger behind would be un-usable once the seat was fully reclined. Or is it just the photo that makes it look that way?

You will find that the screen will pull out from the bottom so the screen is in the best position for viewing, much like VA's PE screens.

[moa999]

As posted on AFF, compare these two pics and tell me the seats are not 2x3x2.
Remembering these A330s are ex EK

http://images.theage.com.au/2011/02/23/2199616/Virgin-Blue-Business-Class-3-600x400.jpg
Source: The Age (from DJ pres)

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/8/9/6/1714698.jpg
Photos: Airbus A330-243 Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/photo/Emirates/Airbus-A330-243/1714698/M/)

Also seems the screens are not widescreen, just 4:3

[OhForSure]

Looks as though they've just recovered the EK seats with green leather, just as JQ recovered QF seats with leather. Does anyone know if this is the case?

[Mach2point7]

Interesting photos moa999.

My understanding was that the first two aircraft are used aircraft that have spent 10 years with EK. MSNs 365 & 372.

However, the information supplied to the ASX on 23 Feb indicates that they are new aircraft (p9 of half year results). I suspect that it is a poorly worded sentence and probably was intended to mean new to VB's fleet.

[Red Jet]

I've personally found the lie flat (horizontal-no incline) to be a lot better than those on the slight angle (it makes all the difference for me). I was surprised that VB/JB didn't go the whole hog.
I find it depends on whether you intend to sleep or not. When ever I pax on VA's 777, I always prefer the Premium Economy seats to the Business Class lay flat seat, if I intend to remain awake during the flight. All the internal mechanisms required to make a seat do its "Transformer-thingy", seems to destroy the ergonomic qualities of a reclining seat. For proper sleeping - no doubt! The lay flat seat offers better quality sleep, although not as good as the upstairs bunks!!!

[winglets747]

Looks as though they've just recovered the EK seats with green leather, just as JQ recovered QF seats with leather. Does anyone know if this is the case?

This is indeed the case. VB says the seats are ex-EK (which makes them Contour for J). Curiously EK had 60" pitch according to Seatguru, so VB is going to the trouble of adding 2".

But how? (SeatGuru Seat Map Emirates Airbus A330-200 2-Class (332) (http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Emirates_Airlines/Emirates_Airlines_Airbus_A330-200_2class.php))

Taking out forward closets and the like? The end of the J cabin is right in front of 2 L/R.