Your Guide to Virgin Australia’s Economy X

For many passengers flying across Virgin Australia’s network of mostly short and medium-haul routes, an Economy seat suffices. Though Business Class is offered on many of these, it’s not always possible to find – or purchase – a higher fare.

Slotting neatly between the two is Virgin Australia’s Economy X product. As a paid add-on to a standard Economy fare (or complimentary for those with Velocity Platinum status), Economy X enhances the travelling experience with extra legroom, preferred overhead locker space, priority boarding and, on select flights, priority check-in.

What is Economy X?

A step up from Economy, Virgin Australia’s Economy X product makes your flying experience a little more comfortable – both in the air and before you take off.

It’s not Premium Economy by any means – the seats aren’t wider, and there’s no special onboard menu. But if you value extra legroom, want dedicated overhead storage space or can benefit from priority boarding, paying the extra fee to upgrade may be worth it.

Economy X is available on all domestic and international flights operated by Virgin Australia.

Benefits of Economy X

There are a number of benefits on the ground and in the air, including:

• Up to 40% more legroom.
• Priority Boarding.
• Priority Check-in on international flights operated by Virgin Australia.
• Preferred overhead lockers.

It’s a neat suite of perks that stops short of granting lounge access (which is otherwise available to those flying Business Class or hold Velocity Gold or Platinum status).

Full details can be found on the Virgin Australia website.

Economy X seating

Economy X seats are located within the Economy cabin, arranged in a 3-3 layout. As a guide, most of Virgin’s Boeing 737-800s have 30 Economy X seats across rows 3, 4, 5, 13 and 14. Other aircraft have similar configurations, with the first few rows of Economy reserved for Economy X and the overwing exit rows.

With this in mind, there are a few additional considerations when selecting your Economy X seat. For seats in the exit rows, you won’t be able to store your personal belongings under the seat in front during takeoff and landing. This is rarely an issue given the extra space in the overhead lockers.

You’ll also be closer to the lavatories at the rear of the aircraft, as Economy X passengers (including those at the front of the plane) can’t access the front lavatories, which are reserved for passengers flying Business Class.

If your Economy X seat is located at the front of the cabin, being among the first to disembark is an obvious benefit. And if you secure a seat in the first row of Economy X, there’s a greater chance you’ll be behind the Business cabin bulkhead, with no one to recline into you.

Economy X seats offer up to 40% extra legroom, which is a nice jump on top of the 31 inches of pitch of a standard Economy seat.

The seat itself does not have anything in particular to differentiate it from regular Economy seating. It features the usual Economy in-flight menu available for purchase, plus an adjustable headrest. As with Economy, tea, coffee and water are complimentary.

The inclusion of preferred overhead locker space means you can keep your carry-on close by – and not have to scramble to find it four rows back!

How much is Economy X?

The cost of Economy X varies by route, with Virgin Australia advertising prices ‘from $33.’ As this is an add-on rather than a cabin class, pricing is on top of the cost of a standard Economy fare.

Unfortunately there’s no method to calculate pricing, as you won’t find a published chart of distance vs price. In fact, you could end up paying more to upgrade to Economy X on a short-haul domestic route, like Sydney-Melbourne, than you would flying from Australia’s east coast to Vanuatu!

For example, on my recent Virgin Australia flight from Cairns to Tokyo Haneda, Economy X was available for $90, which was certainly worth the price for a 7.5-hour international flight. On my upcoming Melbourne-Adelaide flight, the upgrade is offered for $55 – comparatively poorer value given the distance and flight time.

You can view the price of a seat upgrade during the online booking process, or when selecting your seat under ‘Manage your booking’.

How can I upgrade to Economy X?

There are three ways to upgrade your Virgin Australia Economy fare to Economy X:

1. At the time of booking

When booking your flight online or via the Virgin Australia app, you’ll be prompted to select your seats. Here, you can select and pay for an Economy X seat. Alternatively, you can request a the seat when making a new booking over the phone via Virgin Australia’s Guest Contact Centre.

2. After booking

If you didn’t select Economy X while booking your flight, you can still do so afterwards via Manage your booking. Or, log into your Velocity account and find your flight to view seating upgrade options. You can also call Virgin Australia’s Guest Contact Centre to request Economy X on an existing booking.

3. During check-in

If available, Economy X seats can be purchased when checking in for your flight online or at the airport.

How to get a free upgrade to Economy X

Don’t want to pay for the comforts of Economy X? There are ways to nab a complimentary upgrade – here’s how.

With Velocity Platinum status

Velocity Platinum members are offered complimentary Economy X seating for themselves and up to eight companions travelling on the same booking.

A little-known ‘hack’ is that if a Platinum member and a guest are on separate flight bookings, the member can call and request Economy X to be allocated to the other passenger on the booking for free.

This scenario is likely if one passenger is flying for work, has decided to join the trip last-minute, or has booked a cash fare (if the Platinum member used points.) The main requirement is that both passengers have to be on the same flight.

Complimentary vouchers included with your credit card

Certain credit cards offer complimentary upgrade vouchers. You can view your vouchers under ‘My benefits’ when logged into your Velocity account.

Get lucky

Occasionally, Economy X upgrades are offered at the airport. I’ve been lucky enough to receive a complimentary upgrade – along with my travel companion – while at the gate waiting to board an overseas flight with VA. I wouldn’t rely solely on luck if you’re banking on extra legroom – but it can happen!

Earning Velocity Points and Status Credits

As stated in the terms and conditions, no Velocity Points or Status Credits are awarded on the amount paid for an Economy X seat. You are only eligible to earn at the rate of the original fare purchased, plus any applicable status bonuses.

Summing up

Virgin Australia’s Economy X product can be seen as the middle ground between Economy and Premium Economy. Those of a taller stature may value paying for this upgrade more, as well as those who simply want more space. The perks of priority boarding and priority check-in on international flights are an added bonus, as well as the convenience of preferred overhead locker space. Rows 3 to 5 are ideal for a timely exit, though the seats in the overwing exit rows are still a comfortable experience.

Is Economy X worth the upgrade? On longer Virgin Australia flights, there’s certainly value in paying for the extra perks. But if you find yourself fitting comfortably in Economy, I wouldn’t bother on shorter flights.

This article was originally written by Nick Wade. Featured image courtesy Virgin Australia.

Also read: A comprehensive guide to Virgin Australia upgrades

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