Air travel and comfort don’t usually go hand in hand, unless of course you are at the pointy end of the plane, which is super expensive. When we travelled to the Gold Coast with Braeden last year we chose to fly with Virgin Australia and paid the extra for Economy X seating. It was Braeden’s first flight after Covid lockdown and he was unable to wear a mask so we wanted to do whatever we could to put distance between him and other passengers. As it turned out, Virgin Australia’s Economy X seating was ideal for him in many ways. I thought I’d share a review on the Virgin Australia Economy X seating so if you are weighing up if the extra cost is worth it, you’ll have a better idea of the elements we found helpful.
Virgin Australia Economy X review
Extra space is probably the most valuable commodity we can have when we travel with Braeden. That starts with seating on an aircraft, in a hire car and in our accommodation. As with most things in life, extra space usually costs more in all of these scenarios. It’s the same for Virgin Australia’s Economy X seating but we think it can be worth it. On our Sydney to Gold Coast flight it cost us an additional $29 each. The cost of upgrading to Economy X varies according to the destination.
The greatest advantage of Economy x in our opinion, is the additional legroom it offers. The first row of Economy X seating, which sits behind business class, is the best value for money. It offers more legroom than the other Economy X seating. You can see the difference between the photo above (the first row of Economy X seating) and the photo below which is the second row of Economy x seating. Both offer more legroom than regular economy class seats. The additional legroom is between 34″ – 39″ pitch.
Economy X can be added at the time of booking or prior to departure (where available). You are able to manage this yourself if you book online or you can call the Virgin Australia Guest Contact Centre.
Please note – some Economy X seating is located in the exit row and as per the usual rules for exit row seating, this is not available to a person with a disability. Anyone sitting in an exit row must be physically able and willing to assist in an emergency so please don’t book this Economy X seating if you live with a disability. If you’d like to book Virgin Australia’s Economy X seating and you live with a disability, I highly recommend trying to book the first row behind business class.
Given Braeden leaves his wheelchair at the door of the aircraft and walks down the plane aisle to his seat we appreciate that the Economy X seats are close to the door. Braeden is also restless on the plane so we like having the extra legroom and if we are lucky enough to get the first row of Economy X, there is no-one in front of him to bother with his restless legs. Priority boarding is also offered to Economy X guests but as Braeden has a disability, we already have priority so that’s no advantage to us. There is dedicated overhead locker space for Economy X passengers. Food is the same as it is for economy passengers. Annoyingly, from the Economy X seats you can see very clearly how the other half live. Me being the sticky beak I am, I turn somewhat green with envy at the food the business class passengers are offered. I try to remind myself that it’s a ridiculous price for a domestic flight.
If you’d like to find out more about Virgin Australia’s Economy X seating, you can do so on the Virgin Australia website.
Don’t forget, if you are a traveller with a disability who requires the assistance of another person to be able to travel, you may be eligible for the Virgin Australia Disability Assistant fare. You can check your eligibility and find out about this 50% off fare in our review.
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