Virgin Blue International Airlines Pty Ltd , trading as V Australia , is a long haul international airline owned by Virgin Blue Holdings Limited. The airline is based in Sydney, Australia.
History
In early 2006 Virgin Blue announced its intention to operate up to seven flights a week to the US using either Los Angeles International Airport or San Francisco International Airport, saying that the route was needed to make the airline as profitable as possible.
The airline was given permission for ten flights a week to the US by Australian regulators on 24 July 2007. The plans were approved by US regulators on 15 February 2008, due to the signing of an open skies agreement between Australia and the USA. V Australia has since been allowed unlimited capacity between Australia and the US by the Australian International Air Services Commission.
On 17 August 2009, V Australia announced that it would expand on its Brisbane/Sydney to Los Angeles routes. It was announced that the airline would fly from Melbourne to Johannesburg (from 13 March 2010), Los Angeles (from 1 December 2009) and Phuket (from 3 December 2009) as well as Brisbane to Phuket (from 22 November 2009). Melbourne to Phuket would be operated once each week while Brisbane to Phuket and Melbourne to Los Angeles would both be twice weekly. The regularity of the Johannesburg route was not announced.
V Australia also announced on 17 August 2009, that it had applied to fly between Australia and Fiji.
The airline has also expressed interest in flying to Japan, possibly from October 2009. V Australia are also considering routes to China, according to an interview with Sir Richard Branson (July/Aug 2009 official newsletter of the British Chamber of Commerce (Shanghai). Virgin Blue has recently stated that it is possible that the airline's sixth Boeing 777-300ER will be used exclusively for North Asian destinations.
Since then, Virgin Blue has applied to the United States Department of Transportation to operate services to and from Sydney Airport to Los Angeles International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, McCarran International Airport (Las Vegas), and John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York City). Permission from the DOT was given on 15 February 2008, with the signing of an open skies agreement between Australia and the USA.
Virgin Blue has placed orders with Boeing to purchase six Boeing 777-300ER aircraft for use on international routes.. V Australia's first 777-300ER leased from ILFC, named Didgeree Blue registered (VH-VOZ), was delivered to V Australia in Seattle at Boeing's headquarters on 26 January 2009. On 9 February Didgeree Blue touched down at Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport after flying from Seattle via Los Angeles where it was launched to the U.S press by Richard Branson and Australian celebrities Julian McMahon and Holly Valance. V Australia is only the second airline to fly the Boeing 777 on the transpacific route between Australia and North America. Air Canada started flying daily flights with the Boeing 777 one year earlier.
V Australia commenced passenger services on 27 February 2009.
Naming competition
The name of Virgin Blue's international airline was decided in the same way that Virgin Blue's own name was found, with a public naming competition conducted in early June 2007.
On 25 June 2007, Virgin Blue released the 8 finalists of the naming competition. They were:
- Matilda Blue
- V Australia Airlines
- Australia Blue
- Virgin Pacific
- Amelia Blue
- Didgeree Blue
- Liberty Blue
- Virgin Australia
Australia Blue and Virgin Pacific were early favourites to win the competition, despite a problem with the latter, as Singapore Airlines (through their stake in Virgin Atlantic) have control over the use of the 'Virgin' name on International air routes, and have not, in the past, allowed its use (see Pacific Blue Airlines.)
On 25 July 2007, Virgin Blue announced that V Australia will be the name of the new carrier, with the runner up of the competition, Didgeree Blue , to be the name of the airline's first plane.
Service
Cabin classes
V Australia offers a 3-class service: International Business Class , International Premium Economy Class and International Economy Class .
International Business Class
International Business class are a 2-3-2 configuration have fully horizontal flat bed that's 1.88meters (6'2") long. Business class passengers get a legroom of 77-inches. There is a personal workstation with laptop power, USB slot and reading light. Business Class In-Flight entertainment has a 12.1" touchscreen PTV with AVOD on every seat.
International Premium Economy Class
Premium Economy class are a 2-4-2 configuration. Premium Economy has all-leather seats that have 38-inch seat pitch and are 20-inches wide and have 9-inch seat recline and come with adjustable head and footrests. There is a personal workstation with laptop power, USB slot and reading light. Premium Economy class In-Flight entertainment has a 10.6" touchscreen PTV with AVOD on every seat.
International Economy Class
International Economy class are a 3-3-3 configuration. Economy seats have a 32 inch seat pitch, 18.8 inch seat width and seat recline up to 6 inches. USB slots are available to power laptops and other personal devices (MP3 Players etc). Economy class In-Flight entertainment has a 9" touchscreen PTV with AVOD on every seat.
All 3-classes feature ambient Mood Lighting relative to the time of day or night, similar to that of sister airline Virgin America, as well as Panasonic Avionics Corporation AeroMobile technology, allowing full mobile phone and e-mail connectivity during a flight.In-Flight Entertainment
V Australia's In-Flight entertainment RED is based on the Panasonic eX2 system. RED is fully touch-screen and handset controlled.
Lounge access
Lounge access is available when flying V-Australia for International Business Class guests and Velocity Gold members only. Velocity Gold has access regardless of class of travel.
Both V Australia Business Class and Premium Economy Class guests connecting to V Australia on Virgin Blue flights domestically within Australia are entitled to access Virgin Blue's domestic lounges on the day of travel.
Currently, V Australia utilises the Malaysia Airlines Golden lounge in Sydney (Terminal 1) and the Alaska Airlines Boardroom lounge in Los Angeles (Terminal 3). Lounge access in Brisbane and Melbourne have not yet been announced.
Destinations
V Australia's initial route was from Sydney to Los Angeles. The service has since expanded with services from Brisbane to Los Angeles, Brisbane to Phuket and soon Melbourne to Los Angeles. It will also be flying Melbourne to Phuket, Melbourne to Johannesburg and Sydney to Nadi.
- From Brisbane - Brisbane Airport
- Los Angeles - Los Angeles International Airport
- Phuket - Phuket International Airport
- From Sydney - Sydney Airport Base
- Los Angeles - Los Angeles International Airport
- Nadi - Nadi International Airport
- From Melbourne - Melbourne Airport
- Johannesburg - OR Tambo International Airport
- Los Angeles - Los Angeles International Airport
- Phuket - Phuket International Airport
Codeshare & Interline Agreements
V Australia offers codeshare services on Virgin Blue throughout its network in Oceania, and to and from New Zealand with Pacific Blue Airlines.
Currently, V Australia has interline agreements with Alaska Airlines to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Delta Air Lines, and Horizon Air to Portland International Airport. On June 3rd, 2009 - V Australia parent Virgin Blue announced a brand new interline agreement with Virgin America to Boston, Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York, Orange County, Seattle and Washington DC. Virgin America and V Australia share terminal facilities in Los Angeles at Terminal 3, although inbound V Australia flights arrive at the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
All V-Australia connections are through Los Angeles International Airport. U.S. interline passengers are transferred onto V Australia to a destination within Australia.
Future destinations
V Australia has considered a plethora of destinations for its international services, such as Japan, Southeast Asia and more destinations in North America. V Australia has approval to fly three times a week between Sydney and Johannesburg, South Africa - increasing to five services a week from October 2009.. The airline has also obtained daily timeslots at Hong Kong International Airport for flights from Brisbane.
North Asian destinations are also considered, after the delivery of their sixth aircraft.
V Australia has also applied to the respective authorities for daily flights from Australia to Fiji using their B777-300ER aircraft. In order for this the airline will if approved transfer
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