Last Friday my son and I flew back from Sydney to Brisbane on Virgin Blue. When we booked the flight my son said to the VB person that he was 6'4" tall and would it be possible to get a seat in the exit aisles? No problem said the VB person. When we arrived at the terminal we were told that no seats can be held. Consequently we ended up in the last but one row on the plane. Now is it my imagination or are the back seats more squashed together? There were several quite tall or large people down the back and the comfort rating must have been -5 as it sure was for my son who couldn't even sit straight but had to somehow sit with his legs side-ways. <BR>This together with the other restrictions of this airline AND the idea that everyone wants to listen to rock and roll music will make that flight the very last one I take on Virgin - it is not worth it. I could not change my flight time - even though there were seats on the other flights. VB made a mistake in my flight time to Sydney i.e. I arrived at the terminal 3 hours earlier because they gave me the wrong information and to have taken the flight I thought I was on would have cost me an extra $88 even though it was not my fault and that the $88 was more than I paid for the flight in the first place. <BR>If VB wants to maintain an place in the air over Australia they will either have to come to the realization that they are not in Asia where most people are a lot smaller and also that customer service does really come before the cost of a flight ticket. <BR>There would have been at least 10 people around me on that flight vowing never to fly<BR> with them again. <BR>Mr Branson you may think that cost is everything but let me tell you this now that Qantas was looking soooooo very good Friday night that either you pick up your act or it will be goodbye to you!

Liz,<BR>My husband is over 6 foot and we travel overseas on long flights and almost NEVER get decent seats that suit tall people, even though we always ask. On one flight, even without the person in front putting their seat back an inch, my husband's knees were jammed into the back of the seat in front.<BR>So it's not just Virgin, it seems to be common among all airlines I have flown.<BR>

Yes Sue it is difficult when you are tall ( I don't know that personally except for having tall boys - wish I did have the few extra inches and then wouldn't have such a weight problem). However with Virgin back of the plane seats there was NO room between the seat behind and the seat in front. It appeared to me that all the rows after the exit seats had been crammed together. As Virgin seats 162 people in their 737 can any tell me what other airlines seat in theirs. <BR>I have had a few flights on Virgin now and never felt so squashed as I did the other night as previously I sat near the front and wondered if this made a difference. I had heard from someone in the airline business say that the back of the plane was much more squishie that the front. <BR>Anyone know how many seats, say Qantas has in its 737's?

Liz,<BR><BR>I've flown Virgin a number of times and didn't notice it any "squishier" than other airlines I've travelled on. As far as I'm concerned, there's not enough space in any of them!<BR><BR>I thought I heard somewhere that with Virgin, there's a teeny bit more space between the rows up the front. So maybe (if you ever travel with them again) it might pay to check in early and ask to be seated up the front? Just a thought.

No I won't fly Virgin again. Mainly because there is no rhyme of reason as to why they sit you where they do. We did get to the terminal over an hour before the flight and still couldn't get a nice seat - that and the fact that when they make a mistake the customer is asked to pay..... if it was half the price of Qantas then that is different but for a few $ - no thanks, I prefer service and a real smile and not " now let our spunky crew introduce themselves to you" ....... spunky crew indeed!!!!!