Virgin Australia 960

Today, our journey starts in Brisbane where we’ll venture over to Brisbane International Airport and hop on board a Virgin Australia flight bound for Sydney.

My short stay in Brisbane was at the Brisbane Skytower, located in the heart of Brisbane’s CBD. Currently, the Skytower is the tallest building in Brisbane standing 270 meters (886 feet) with 90 floors. Just over 90% of the building is residential apartments. I was assigned room 5510, with views of the river and airport. After entering, don’t be overwhelmed or put off by the blank white walls you are first greeted by. The space quickly opens up into the main living area as you walk passed the kitchen towards floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the city. A couch, coffee table, and tv wait to help you relax, and a small table and stools are located within the kitchen area. The last guests didn’t leave anything behind in the freezer or the refrigerator. There is a fully working gas oven and stove, microwave, kitchen sink, and small dishwasher. Drawers and cabinets do have a limited selection of cookware and utensils. The master bedroom includes a standard king with the two towels you will be given for your stay, a decent sized closet, and more floor-to-ceiling windows. Backtracking a bit into the bathroom; the unit includes a stackable washer/dryer combo behind the closet doors, glass-enclosed walk-in shower with handheld and rain shower heads, a selection of basic amenities, the toilet, and of course a sink.

If you are staying in Brisbane, I strongly encourage you to consider looking into the Skytower. The location ensures you are close to everything, while still being far enough away, vertically that is, to have your own space. Check out the link in the description for information on booking stays at the SkyTower. This channel isn’t about hotel reviews though. One of the perks to staying at a hotel in a major city on the 55th floor with limited viewing obstructions is the view, and of course I had a view of the airport. You won’t be getting great shots of planes landing or departing, but the flight path does pass south of the CBD allowing for some spotting.

Making your way to the airport is very simple, whether driving yourself or taking the metro. After arriving at the ticketing counter and not being found in the system, I began to question whether booking Virgin Australia through Hawaiian Airlines was the right move. Turns out, the Virgin scheduling team decided to put me on an earlier flight because of potential weather delays in the early evening. Luckily, the ticketing agent was knowledgeable and located my new ticket. The question I was asking myself was, “Shouldn’t they have notified me about this in some way?” That question was answered about 45 minutes later when Virgin Australia phoned me and explained the situation. Once the bags were checked, passing through security was a breeze.

In keeping with tradition, well… I didn’t have access to any lounges in the domestic terminal, so the obligatory lounge visit is the terminal. Honestly, that was fine with me today because these are airlines I don’t get to see everyday.

I was soon at my gate to board VH-VUJ, a Boeing 737-800 named Rosebud Beach. Today’s flight to Sydney will cover 751 km and take one hour and 20 minutes.

If you’re tired of the typical monotone color palettes of most aircraft interiors, say hello to Virgin red and purple head rests. These certainly help to brighten and liven the atmosphere of the cabin. Virgin’s Boeing 737-800s are configured with 8 business class seats up-front, 30 Economy X seats, and 138 standard economy seats. I had the privilege of occupying the middle seat today, which was quite cramped. It was a short flight however. 

We were running slightly behind schedule because of the weather, so I owe Virgin’s meteorologists and/or scheduling team a thank you for proactively bumping me onto an earlier flight. If you are on the right side of the aircraft departing north, you’ll be able to view any cruise ships docked at the Brisbane cruise terminal. I was on that boat recently and was able to do some spotting from one of the decks. A link to some of that footage is in the description.

Once in the air, complimentary water, tea, and coffee are offered, along with a variety of food and drinks for purchase. Some of the items are a bit on the pricey side, so I’d recommend stocking up on any snacks or drinks inside the terminal prior to boarding. I packed a snack, but it was in my bag. Because of my height, my face usually ends up firmly planted to the seat in front of me while contorting my body to reach between my legs. While doing so, I noticed a few dust bunnies between the seats in front of me, and what looked like dried bird poop. The dirtiness got me wondering about my surroundings. I’m assuming stuffing paper towels up there is serving some purpose?

The 175 other passengers didn’t seem concerned, so I carried on and decided it was probably best to wash my hands after digging around on the floor. It’s a standard lav you’d find on many other 15 year-old Boeing 737-800s. I was happy to see it was clean and in good condition.

Back to my seat, and it we had already begun our initial descent. This was my first time flying into Sydney, and likely the last for multiple years. I tried my best to be polite while recording, but I’m sure I irritated the guy in the window seat trying to film out the window so often. I was able to get one glimpse of downtown Sydney the Opera House. 

As we drop below 10,000 feet, I think it’s a good time to summarize my experience. When purchasing a basic economy ticket with Virgin Australia, you can expect a seat on one of their aircraft and a ride on that seat to your chosen destination. Besides a coffee, tea, or water, that’s the end of what you get. While the airline may not offer snacks or drinks on-the-house, and some of their aircraft are showing signs of aging, one must remember they are a low cost carrier. Even though they are one of the cheaper options when flying domestically, Virgin Australia has maintained award winning service. I experienced and can vouch for that service from the moment I was greeted and assisted at the ticketing counter to the final steps off the aircraft as I deplaned. 

The time I had in Brisbane was terrific. The stay at the SkyTower was definitely something I won’t be forgetting soon, and the quick hop down to Sydney on Virgin Australia was pretty good for the price I paid.