I have flown Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy several times and it is my favorite premium economy airline offer. Once the flight took off, it was clear that there were several empty seats in the upper class. Boarding was rather shambolic, with a huddle at the gate area and no distinction between classes of service. The image below serves to highlight another major issue with these window seats: they face into the aisle rather than the window. Virgin Upper-Class Bassinet Dimensions: on the 747-400, Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A330 the Upper-Class bassinet measures 35cm wide x 24cm deep x 76cm long, has a maximum weight capacity of 11kg and a maximum . The cabin is laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration with all window seats facing the window and all middle facing seats facing the aisle. I have seldom experienced this, even in business class on other airlines. Im always happy to get a decent amount of protein when flying but overall this dish was very dry and felt unfinished. Virgin Atlantic 787 Upper Class Wilbur and Orville. You'll have to be flying on pretty specific routes to fly this unique configuration. My shoulders felt quite squeezed in and the right hand armrest was the width of a candy bar. The crew were very proactive in offering to help with my bed. There was enough room to slot a bottle of water between the grate and the armrest. I specifically booked this airline, time of departure and am connecting because I wanted to fly the A350. It is hard to beat Virgin Atlantic on the lounge front. Virgin has fixed this in their newest aircraft but they represent the minority of flights. While some airlines operate four classes on some of their long-haul jets, Virgin Atlantic opted for three: Upper Class (business class), Premium (premium economy) and economy. They both have 31 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration with a bar at the back of the cabin. Created for the most discerning kids, a variety of familiar dishes can be pre-ordered in My Booking or by phone. Pre-dinner drinks if you're in the mood for a little tipple. We had problems in the transit area of Delhi airport due to a lack of staff and a broken printer (believe it or not, the transit area at Delhi airport does not take electronic boarding passes). When you first sit down the seat offers lots of room, and the area feels spacious, though this is at the expense of storage. Special Diets Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Meals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Late Night, Drinks View all details meals, features Location and contact Heathrow Airport 234 Bath Road, Hayes TW6 1AP England Website +44 844 335 1801 Improve this listing Reviews (711) Write a review Traveler rating Excellent 571 I have read that Virgin Atlantic has changed this on their latest aircraft, and the seats are now all facing forward. Economy Light: Free at the airport or via online check-in, prior to the airport: 30 ($38) for standard seats and 40 ($56) for preferred seats. If they offered a complimentary flight change or even some kind of credit that would be a different matter. Virgin is nothing but a huge marketing scam now as far as their Upper Class goes fool me once, my fault fool me twice wont happen again. Schedule tweaks in the post-COVID recovery period have made this all too common, e.g. Best Spa Find out more Our partnership with Delta Air Lines Connect to the UK from over 200 US cities thanks to our partnership with Delta. Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card. The IFE screens are tiny and the pull out arm digs into your body when youre lying down. Upper Class fares can be priced from 1,000 return, which is a great price for the benefits you get if you break it down on a cost-per-hour basis. It featured every type of egg dish you could imagine as well as things like French toast. Id love to help you find your next memorable vacation. Virgin Atlantic 787 Upper Class seat storage. For the return flight we bid the 795 and got the upgrade. This lounge is the only one still run by Virgin, with the rest now run by Plaza Premium. Get up to $300 back per calendar year on the Equinox+ digital fitness app, or eligible Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. I chose cheese rather than dessert. Virgin Atlantic 787 Upper Class lunch main course. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Virgin Atlantic Peak Dates Are: 19 June - 5 September 2021 15 - 26 October 2021 11 - 31 December 2021 1 - 25 April 2022 30 May - 5 June 2022 18 June - 4 September 2022 Hopefully you're clever enough to figure out that if your dates don't fall in this range, they're "off peak". The bait and switch is a real issue and one that I had not considered prior to booking. I am a big Virgin Atlantic fan but the downside of them having such an excellent premium economy is that the step up to Upper Class doesnt feel like a big deal, particularly when you consider it is normally at least twice the price of Premium. Naturally, I filmed my experience for my YouTube channel: Virgin uses Terminal 2 at Manchester, which is a much weaker premium experience than its other bases at Heathrow or Gatwick. Virgin Atlantics base is at Heathrow Terminal Three. Its a nice to have I guess, and we made the most of it catching up with colleagues, but it isnt the same as the bar and while I completely understand the economics of why the bar had to go (and before that, the on-board massage), its a reminder of the economics of air travel. With this in mind, I wondered if the overall experience could still shine despite the old coffin seats. A great selection of premium wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks can be served at your seat, at the bar, or in The Loft. Hi! Kamara ordered the Mediterranean mezze, which much like my earlier main course, were awash in a sea of beige. Here is a typical Upper Class meal service for March: Welcome drinks upon boarding Drinks and snacks after takeoff Main meal Mozzarella and tomato salad with micro basil and cress (v), or Ciabatta roll with butter followed by Roasted chicken breast, potato pure, sauted spinach, girolles mushrooms, Bourguignon sauce or The taxi was allowed to drop me off at the drive through check-in, which saved the new 5 drop-off fee on the forecourt of Heathrow. There was also an integrated USB port built in to the screen, next to the headphone jack. However, sometimes my articles including affiliate links. I am now stuck on the 787 and am not happy. (NB I use skyscanner.net to compare costs across airlines for both premium economy and business class). 100% agreed with you on the ground experience. I even prefer the Premium Economy in the 787 -but they are mysteriously not available on the same plane. When I booked these flights they were scheduled to be operated by an A350 with a competitive product but unfortunately theres a huge chasm in seat quality on Virgin. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. There is an area with three exercise bikes set up to have views directly onto the tarmac. Assorted Fruit Sours Candy Balls - 5lb. But a lot changes in 10 years and now the upper class on the 787 is akin to revisiting that 80s nightclub you used to love as a kid, only to wonder what the hell you were ever thinking being in there. Starters for dinner were a choice between a chicken parfait with apricot chutney and beetroot with a goats cheese mousse, plus warm artisan pieces of bread. A stylish lounge, free-flowing champagne and an Upper Class seat that has stood the test of time, Virgin Atlantic continues to impress. I took a taxi to the airport and arrived at about 0615 for the 0830 planned departure of VS3 to New York, with a flight time of around six and a half hours. 21 Most Dangerous Roads in the World (2023) Travelers Need to Know. The seats are wide, the drinks are cold, and the atmosphere is calming. This is a couple of couches and a screen. Find Premium flight deals. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip. In theory the Bluetooth on the aircraft allows people to sit together on this sofa and watch something on the big screen in front of them, but I cant imagine why anyone would want to do that, even if it was live-streaming a football match, but perhaps there will be occasions. I understand the lounge in T2 is nothing on the T3 Lounge. And if you want to use the magazine rack to store a tablet or laptop you then have to find somewhere to store the headphones that the airline provides. The best seats for leg room (or more accurately, foot room, are the bulkhead seats in row 1. The problem is that VS act like the old coffin seats and the new suites are equivalent products. The headphones were very plasticky and cheap feeling, a world away from the excellent noise cancelling headsets provided by American Airlines in Business Class. I remembered it as a positive experience particularly as I got fun pajamas and there was a bar. It really is such bad business practice to pretend like all their business class seats are equally appealing. To my mind, the key difference is that the seat turns into a lie flat. I flew from London to Delhi on a 787-9, which has quite a small entertainment screen of 11.1 inches (as does the A330-300). I was fiercely loyal to Virgin up until 2012 when their upper class was still state of the art. They found her a seat in economy with spare seats and said she could come up to the bar in upper class whenever she wanted during the flight. Since we were planning to see Metallica a couple of hours after landing, I figured it would be a good idea to try and get some sleep beforehand. The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway. The inflight entertainment system, the Zodiac Rave System from Zodiac Inflight Innovations (Zii), is very innovative, not least because there is no remote control for the system, so you either have to use the 18.5 inch touchscreen, or pair the system to your device. Ive flown Qatar & Etihad Business, so this was a massive disappointment in Upper class. The configuration of the upper-class cabin is quite unique in the world of business-class cabins. However, it is deli-style (which included things like smoked salmon, fresh fruit and Greek yogurt) and set up behind glass, so passengers must request that a server places everything on the plate. So worry to hear about your experience, Ive never flown Delta but hear great things. This was the first flight after the lifting of restrictions on UK citizens (and EO citizens) travelling to the US. Here is my Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Review, including how it compares with the airlines premium economy offer and how it compares with business class on similar airlines. 2021 Brook Ridge Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand, Quinta do Noval Black Reserve Port, Portugal. Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. Main was a choice of one of the following: Pan-fried seabass, creamed mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables and a lemon butter sauce, Pepper chicken masala, carrot and beans poriyal, yellow dal and coconut rice, Kadai paneer, onion pulao, aloo saag and yellow dal, Black forest tart with berry compote and chocolate soil, The cheese plate included Emmental, brie, Danish blue and was served with grapes, mango chutney and crackers. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. As of May 2022 this is still not something that British Airways is able to offer. Gourmet fish goujons hot sandwich with tartare sauce, Chicken Caesar club sandwich served with salted crisps, Chickpea fritter and vegetable samosa served with sweet chili pickle and carrot, cucumber and onion seed salad. Find the right card for you. I covered all of the costs of my return Upper Class flights with Virgin Atlantic. It is visually much brighter than their A330, but I think it still . Absolutely hated the seat configuration. Cabin service was non-existent on the overnight flight I saw people ring their call buttons to never have a FA appear. Virgin even calls these seats suites and went on further to come up with names for them. After spending my 20s and 30s as a Marketing Director who made use of every vacation day travelling the world I am now a nearly full time travel blogger who focuses on unique adventures in interesting places which end with a high thread count on the sheets and a decent glass of wine! I then headed to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse in area H. I was quite excited as the Virgin Clubhouse has a very good name which I discovered was well deserved. At least in the UC wing you have some comfy sofas to sit on. Once on board I was offered a choice of orange juice, Champagne or water. + -.Upper Midland Products [3PK] Candy Jars For Candy Buffet With Candy Scoops - 48 Oz Clear Gumball Candy Buffet Bar Containers Set Plastic Candy Display Jars With Lids Check out our party candy buffet selection for the very best in . As per TPG U.K.'s Nicky Kelvin's review of the Upper Class Suite on the A350, you'll probably be happy with any of the seats you sit in on an A350-1000 as "there was really not a bad seat in the house, although Row 1 definitely had an edge, as its footwell was larger than in other rows.". And lastly, it does make it awkward if you wake in the night and want to get up, since it is quite difficult to get up with the door shut, and opening it again while lying down isnt completely intuitive, or physically easy, though with practice it would become easier. Could still shine despite the old coffin seats post-COVID recovery period have this. 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