Discovering why Virgin Australia requires more gates at Sydney Domestic Airport, my fellow passengers and I discovered the joy of sitting on the tarmac for 30 minutes.

Flight Details
Date: 15 October 2012
Seat: 6F
737-800

Flight rating
3 planes out of 5

Luggage allowance

Checked in baggage

Three pieces of luggage at 23 kilograms (50 pounds) per piece can be pre-purchased up to one hour before departure of your flight either online, via the Virgin mobile application or by contacting the Guest Service Centre where a service fee may apply.

Pre-purchased checked baggage costs less than luggage purchased at the airport.

Cabin baggage allowance

7 kilograms carry on baggage is allowed fee free per ticket.

Check-in

Travelling with a group, we all opted to check-in separately via the automated check-in booths so as to attempt to obtain window seats.

One guest was unable to check-in online and was directed to speak to guest services who processed her boarding pass.

The line for bag drop was extensive but, having only travelled for one day, we only had carry on baggage.

Mobile Check In

A mobile boarding pass can be used via the Virgin Australia app available for smart phones.

Mobile Check-in is available from 24 hours up to 30 minutes before your scheduled flight departure.

Lounge access

The Virgin Australia Lounge is located opposite Gate 41.

Cabin conditions

Cabin configuration

Business: 2-2
Economy: 3-3

The cabin was clean and the plane seemed new at 5.9 years old.

Seat comfort

The seat pitch in a standard row in economy is 31-33 inches with an average seat width of 17 inches or 43 centimetres.

The material and cleanliness of the seats was impressive and the under seat storage was ample.

Onboard catering
The standard domestic menu was available and I selected only complimentary water for this flight.

Cabin staff service

The flight attendants were all dressed immaculately, service was prompt and we were assisted within seconds of asking for anything.

Inflight entertainment

There was no inflight entertainment offered in economy on this flight at all.

On-time performance

Boarding commenced 30 minutes later than scheduled due to the aircraft arriving late.

We commenced taxiing at 15:18 and took off at 15:30, 30 minutes later than scheduled.

The captain made an announcement on landing at 17:45 that all gates were full and notified passengers that they are hoping for five additional gates by the end of the year.

In the interim, we had to wait until 18:15 to pull into a gate, forcing us to sit on the tarmac for 30 minutes.

e-Travel Blackboard Tip

When flying south in Australia in the afternoon, try and obtain a seat on the left hand side of the plane (seats a to c) so that the blaring sun is not in your face.
Regardless of the window shades, the heat was palpable for the duration of the flight.