After visiting the Virgin Australia Lounge, I took a relatively short flight of just 58 minutes (versus the usual slotted 1 hour and 30 minutes) back to Sydney. Virgin Australia pulls out all the stops on this quick high traffic route. The corridor between Melbourne and Sydney is one of the busiest air routes in the world and generates significant revenue for Australian domestic carriers. According to Aviation2z, approximately AU$1.21 Billion are made from the Sydney to Melbourne and return route alone.
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The aircraft I’m flying today is a Boeing 737 MAX 8, registered VH-YQH. It was originally delivered to Virgin Australia in March 2012 and has since served extensively across the airline’s domestic and short-haul international network.
The Seat
Virgin Australia’s Boeing 737-8 Business Class seat offers generous recline, extra legroom, and wider leather seating. Ideal for short haul comfort. Each Boeing 737-8 Business Class features eight leather upholstered Collins Aerospace MiQ cradle seats in a 2-2 layout. Offering a 37″ pitch, 20″ width, and 5″ recline, with extendable leg and footrests, tablet holders, and drop down aisle armrests for easier access and comfort.
Seated in 1A, I have the bulkhead in front of me, but there’s still plenty of legroom. The space feels open and comfortable, even with the wall directly ahead.
The Food and Beverage
In Business Class, we’re offered a choice of sparkling wine or water. I happily choose the former, while my seat neighbour goes with the latter. There’s no mention of the sparkling wine’s origin, but it’s a pleasant enough drop to start the flight.
Dinner options included chicken curry or beef with gnocchi, I chose the latter, served with cheese and crackers. While the presentation wasn’t anything special, it was perfectly adequate. In Economy Class, tea, coffee, and water were complimentary, with snacks available for purchase, even via phone tap, which was a nice, modern, touch.
Though I thought it’s an unusual pairing, the beef with gnocchi turned out to be surprisingly delicious. The tender beef complemented the soft, pillowy gnocchi beautifully, and the sauce brought it all together. It’s a unique twist that really worked, unexpected, but thoroughly enjoyable.
The Entertainment
Entertainment is streamed to your own device, my phone, in this case, so make sure it’s fully charged and bring your own headphones. There were some great options available, but the flight was too short to really settle into anything.
Wi-Fi is included for Business Class passengers, while those in Economy can access it by purchasing a plan at the listed prices. A nice perk for those up the front.
The Service
The onboard service was impeccable, polite, friendly, and genuinely attentive. Nothing was too much trouble, and the crew made the experience feel smooth and welcoming from start to finish.
Conclusion
Overall, Virgin Australia’s Business Class on the Boeing 737-8 delivers a comfortable and efficient experience, especially for short-haul flights. With friendly service, decent meals, and practical features like Wi-Fi and device-based entertainment, it’s a solid option for travellers seeking a touch of extra comfort and convenience.
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Matty Somewhere 
That would have been a hard choice because I love curries on planes but the beef with gnocchi also sounds really delicious! 🙂