What to expect from Virgin Australia Economy X

What’s the number one appeal of flying Economy? It’s the low ticket price, especially these days when budgets are being squeezed that little bit more.

What’s the most attractive feature of flying Business? Probably the extra space.

Virgin Australia’s Economy X gives you the best of both worlds.

Virgin Australia Economy X: brilliant perks at a bargain price.

Available on all Virgin Australia domestic and international flights, Economy X is a super-affordable upgrade to your standard Economy seat.

Every Virgin Australia Boeing 737 has several dedicated Economy X rows.

It starts with up to 40% more legroom – as much as in Business – and then adds convenience features such as Priority Boarding, dedicated overhead luggage space and a more generous carry-on allowance.

Priority Boarding gets your Economy X journey off to a smooth start.

And with Economy X priced from a low $15, it’s about stretching your legs, not your budget.

This article produced in collaboration with Virgin Australia.

Space to stretch out

Economy X offers up to 40% more legroom than standard Economy seats, and what a difference that makes.

Every Virgin Australia Boeing 737 has at least four rows of Economy X seating: two rows at the front of the Economy cabin, plus the two ‘overwing’ emergency exit rows in the middle of the plane.

Some earlier 737 models have an additional Economy X row at the front, but as these are upgraded with Virgin’s latest Business and Economy seating, they’ll be reset to that new standard layout by the middle of this year.

Economy X delivers up to 40% more legroom than regular economy seats.

Airlines describe legroom in terms of seat pitch, which is the spacing between each row of seats – and these Economy X rows boost a pitch from 34 inches to 39 inches, compared to 31 inches of a standard Virgin Australia 737 Economy seat.

So what does this actually look like?

Row 3 has you directly behind the Business seats, with an insane amount of legroom – as much as an international premium economy seat on most airlines.

Our expert tip: The very best Economy X seats in row 3 are 3A and 3F, as there are no obstructions such as floor mounts for the Business seats in front of you.

The Economy X legroom at Row 3.

Row 4 – the second Economy X row of the 737 Economy cabin – also has a generous 34 inch pitch, so you won’t find your knees bumping up against the back of the Row 3 seats.

The Economy X legroom at Row 4.

As for the two Economy X emergency exit rows: now these are the prize!

The Economy X legroom at the overwing exit rows.

The 39 inches of pitch available in both of these Economy X rows is about the same in you’d get in Business Class – but for a lot less money.

The Economy X legroom at the overwing exit rows.

And it’s not just about the legroom.

Economy X also delivers more ‘personal space’, even if the person in front reclines their seat – perfect if you need to attend to some work on your laptop.

Room for your laptop as well as your legs!

A boosted carry-on baggage allowance

New and exclusive to Virgin’s Economy X: passengers also enjoy the same generous carry-on allowance as Business passengers.

Economy X passengers enjoy the same generous cabin baggage allowance as business class.

That allows two pieces up to a combined 14kg (with no single bag over 8kg) in addition to a personal item, compared to a single 8kg bag on a standard Economy ticket.

This is great for business travellers whose budget doesn’t stretch to Business Class, because they can bring one standard bag and a suit pack as their cabin baggage.

Priority Boarding

Another Business Class benefit extended to Economy X passengers is Priority Boarding.

Skip the queue and board your Virgin Australia flight at the same time as Business passengers and top-tier Velocity frequent flyers, putting you ahead of the crowd.

Priority Boarding is another practical Economy X benefit.

There’s no gaggle at the departure gate, queuing on the aerobridge or waiting in the aisle as everyone slowly shuffles forward.

Just stroll on board, pop your bag into the Economy X overhead locker, and settle into your seat.

Reserved overhead lockers

How often have you boarded a plane, made your way to your seat and found the overhead luggage bin was completely full?

Sure, there was some space a half-dozen rows behind you – but then your bag was out of reach for the entire trip.

Worse, when your flight arrived you’ve had to:

a) struggle against the other passengers trying to leave the plane, in order to walk back to get to your bag, or

b) wait until everyone else had gotten off, and then retrieve your bag.

But when you fly in Economy X, you’ll find the luggage bins above your row are designated for Economy X passengers.

Keep your carry-on bags right above your seat in these dedicated Economy X lockers.

Need to grab something from your backpack or cabin bag? Easy.

And when your flight lands, just grab your bag and get on your way.

In fact, this is one of the best reasons to book an Economy X seat at the front of the plane, in row 3 or 4.

If you don’t have any checked luggage, you’ll be among the first to leave (just after Business passengers) so you can quickly make your way home, to your hotel or office, or to your first meeting.

Priority Check-in

On Virgin Australia’s overseas flights to New Zealand, Bali, Fiji and the Pacific Islands, Economy X passengers can use a dedicated priority check-in counter.

This is usually the same counter as Business Class – sometimes it’s a dedicated Economy X line – but it always makes for a more relaxed start to your journey.

Is Economy X worth it?

Once you tote up all those advantages of Economy X, you realise what incredible value it represents.

That’s especially true right now, with Virgin’s ‘Extra Comfort, Zero Imitation’ Economy X Sale running through to March 3 – it’s the ideal opportunity to sample Economy X.

The ‘Extra Comfort, Zero Imitation’ Economy X Sale lets you upgrade to Economy X from a low $15 on most Virgin Australia routes, or from $23 on east-west routes.

Outside of sale periods, Economy X rates start at $15-23 for those super-roomy exit rows on domestic flights such as Sydney-Melbourne, Sydney-Brisbane, Adelaide-Brisbane, Adelaide-Melbourne and Melbourne-Hobart, and $58 on Virgin’s short-haul international routes.

Pricing for the front Economy X rows kicks off at $35 and typically sits at around $58 for Sydney-Melbourne, $52 for Sydney-Brisbane and $55 for Adelaide-Melbourne or Adelaide-Brisbane.

Economy X pricing also varies according to how far in advance you book, so consider adding Economy X when you make your Virgin Australia booking rather than waiting for the day before you fly.

This will also give you the maximum choice of your Economy X seat.

That said, you can also request an Economy X upgrade during online check-in or even at the airport.

Isn’t it time you treated yourself to the extra comfort and premium perks of Virgin Australia Economy X? Click here to learn more about Economy X and stretch your legs, not your budget.

This article produced in collaboration with Virgin Australia.