virgin upper class virtual tour

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Flight Review: Virgin Atlantic 787 Upper Class In 360° Virtual Reality…

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VS0046 New York (JFK) to London (LHR)

Flying business class is an experience, and if it’s done right, that experience hits all the right notes, from the minute you arrive at the airport, up until the last cup of coffee in the arrivals lounge.

Since we’ve reviewed the Upper Class service quite a few times, we thought it would be fun to instead share the experience as simply as possible, solely with 360° moveable virtual reality photos, which you can control in any direction by clicking and dragging (computer) or swiping with your finger (mobile)…

To Start, Check In Is A Breeze…

Upper Class Check In #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

To the far right as you enter JFK Terminal 4, where all Virgin Atlantic flights depart, you’ll find the Sky Priority Wing. It’s nicely velvet roped off, with comfortable sitting areas and privacy. Chances are you won’t encounter anyone in front of you and you’ll be headed to fast track security in no time…

The Lounge Is Incredible…

JFK Clubhouse #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

One thing Virgin Atlantic does better than just about anyone else is lounges. You’ll feel right at home (only better), with a pool table, waiter service with extensive food, drinks, champagne, wines and cocktails and to top it all off, there’s a complimentary spa and ample views of the tarmac and runways. Everything’s free, as hard as it is to believe.

The New Plane Is Swanky…

Upper Cabin #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

The 787 Dreamliner features a dramatic improvement in passenger comforts like air quality and pressure. Aside from better air, you’ll also get beautiful mood lighting, designed to invoke the different moods throughout flight such as sleep time, dinner time and arrival.

The Seat Is Good…

Seat upright #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

The Upper Class seat has remained much the same on the Dreamliner with the same large leather seat and comfy place to kick your feet up before take off and landing. You’ll find a slightly bigger and more HD monitor for movies and such, which is a nice improvement and there’s even live TV now…

The Bed Is Better…

Upper sleeping Windows #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

Business class is about making every part of the journey feel incredible, but really, it’s about having a bed on an airplane. That’s something that never gets old. With the decreased cabin noise of the 787 and the ample bedding, pajamas and lavender sleep spray offered on board, getting to sleep has never been easier.

This Is What It Looks Like To Lay In It…

Bed mode #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

Seeing things for yourself is always the best way to go. Thanks to this brilliant future stuff technology, you can peer around and make yourself comfortable. If you want peace and quiet, aim for the front of the plane, unlike me who aimed next to the bar. If you like additional privacy, you’ll also want to aim for an “A” row on the Dreamliner, as it does not face anyone unlike the other two…

An Actual Bar On A Plane Is A Very Cool Novelty…

Upper bar #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

Needing and wanting are two different things. Sure, we probably don’t need a bar on the plane, but my goodness it’s a fun novelty to have and I always want to fly on a plane that has one. Virgin Atlantic use a space which generally serves as closets to offer a bar, where guests can mosey up for a glass of champagne, wine or cocktail at any time when the seatbelt is off. You can even eat your meal up there…

There’s Nothing Like The Feeling Of Take Off…

Every flying nerd should buy a GoPro to stick out the window for time lapsing. As a master flying nerd, that’s exactly what I did, which yielded this soothing video from taxi to take off to night time. That’s all folks…

Gilbert Ott

Gilbert Ott is an ever curious traveler and one of the world's leading travel experts. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning over 200,000 miles a year and his travel exploits are regularly... More by Gilbert Ott

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Our Upper Class cabin

Experience the next level of luxurious travel., enjoy every little moment.

Whether you're with us for business or pleasure, travelling in Virgin Atlantic Upper Class makes your journey something to look forward to.

• We've considered every detail, starting with our  chauffeur driven car service , which will take you to and from the airport in style.
• Our stylish  Clubhouses and lounges  have been carefully designed to help you relax and unwind in the airport before you fly.
• Upper Class cabins offer roomy leather seats that double as the longest flat beds in any business class, ensuring you arrive refreshed and ready for anything.
• We'll offer you the  finest food and drink  throughout your journey, so just sit back, relax and let us look after you.

Get packing

If you're in Upper Class, make the most of the increased baggage allowance, both in the hold and in the cabin.

Check our baggage allowances

Be one of the first to arrive

As an Upper Class passenger, you’ll never have to worry about missing a meeting. After landing, you’ll be one of the first to disembark and one of the first to pick up your luggage. So you can literally hit the ground running.

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Our Flying Club programme makes your adventures more rewarding. Join now and start earning miles on every flight you take with us and then spend them on your next flight.

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Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner – Virtual Tour and Review

The Upper Class Bar in action

At the rear of the Upper Class cabin is the rather futuristic bar, complete with Swarovski crystal accents. Unlike past iterations, it is now completely separate from the cabin and therefore those socializing at the bar are unlikely to disturb other passengers. The bar has four stools (two face each other allowing people to dine together) as well as room for four standing guests. Lighting in the bar area is independent of the rest of the aircraft and there’s a 24” video screen that can display the moving map or what Virgin calls “ambient backdrops.”

Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy

Virgin has a separate premium economy cabin, with 35 seats arranged in a 2-3-2 layout.

Each seat is 22” wide and has a pitch of 38”. The seat has a footrest, headrest, and lumbar support. The seat features greater recline and more knee room than Virgin’s premium economy seats on other aircraft.

Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy on the Dreamliner

Passengers will find an 11.1” monitor for the in-flight entertainment system in the seatback in front. Each seat also has its own power outlet and USB port.

The Premium Economy cabin also features the Wander Wall, a self-service bar and refreshment area intended as a social space, although, unlike the Upper Class bar, it has no seats.

Virgin Atlantic Economy

In Virgin’s Economy cabin, each row has nine seats arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration, except for the last two rows, which have three seats each in the center. Each seat comes with what its manufacturer, Recaro, calls a hammock-type headrest and is 17.5” wide with a pitch of 31”.

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Simple Flying

Flight review: new virgin atlantic a350-1000 upper class.

Virgin Atlantic has recently launched its new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft on its headline London to JFK route. Boasting brand new Upper Class, premium economy and economy cabins, the new products have been much-anticipated. But is the new aircraft any good? I flew Upper Class on my outbound trip to New York, and economy on the return. In this review, I'll focus on Upper Class.

I also filmed the experience for my YouTube channel:

I arrived at Heathrow Terminal 3 by Uber, and took advantage of the drive-up check-in Virgin have here. It's marvelous, private, personal and without a doubt the finest airport check-in experience at Heathrow.

The Upper Class Wing continues from there with its own private security line. An excellent and hassle-free start to the day.

The Clubhouse is at Lounge complex H further into the terminal (yes, you do need to mix with the hoi polloi when passing the duty-free area I'm afraid!). I hadn't used this lounge before but had read several rave reviews of it before.

It's excellent. There's a spa, hair salon, copious seating areas, a garden, a loft area, a sit-down restaurant... and more.

My 30 minute back neck and shoulder massage in the spa cost £35; a little under the going rate for London.

There's also table service everywhere in the lounge, even outside the dining area; there's no buffet which contributes to a sense of peace over "feeding time at the zoo". All food items are complimentary.

The terrace/garden is outside on the roof and offers good views of the apron and northerly runway.

In summary, a faultless ground experience.

Boarding was through one of the furthest gates from the lounge. I was able to snap this nice shot of my aircraft, an Airbus A350-1000.

The seats are in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration and wow - what an improvement over the old product! I loved the choice of textures and finishes on the new seats.

Two things of note about the seat: firstly, the quality of the finishes betrayed some rushed or weak workmanship. See this rough join on the seat surround for an example:

Secondly, the seats now all face the window, but a storage console obscures one of the two windows adjacent to each seat. This was less annoying in practice than I had imagined, but it is still not ideal and will annoy those who value looking out of the window easily. On the flip side, there's now a good amount of storage in these seats; the predecessor product was particularly weak in this area.

There are both USB and universal power outlets:

I took champagne as a pre-departure drink:

Takeoff was punctual and brisk, with a flying time of 7h20 in store for us.

Each seat in Upper Class comes with individual air vents - please take note, competing airlines!

One of the big selling points of this seat is the "privacy divider". Not quite a door, it supposedly provides some additional privacy. It doesn't, really. It's just a few inches and doesn't impact on the (in)ability of other passengers to see you. It's still a decent reverse herringbone seat, all things considered.

The IFE screen is in HD and slides in and out of the seat in front - the choice was excellent, as you would expect from Virgin... there's also a tail cam:

It's been well-documented that Virgin have had problems with their factory-installed table. It's far too big, and too close for comfort for many passengers. Some larger passengers simply can't lower it! A big design flaw - but Virgin are retrofitting better ones, so they have acted fast on the feedback!

There's good connectivity on board with a full flight WiFi bundle competitively proved at 26.95 USD. The speed was good and the connection was consistent.

Virgin's food service was excellent onboard. Although the menu was the same as a recent Manchester-JFK 747 trip , I had the option to pre-order different choices.

I'm happy to report that even my second preferences were more than acceptable. The salmon was delicious and the prawns turned out nicer than the cumin cauliflower on my other trip.

I couldn't help but order the raspberry sponge again, which was superb - great, uncomplicated comfort food!

Virgin has rolled out recyclable and sustainable amenity kits - so while they look rather cheap. They are, apparently, making a difference to waste and landfill footprint:

I then took a nap; the bed is good, the bedding better and there's also a mattress topper which outshines most of the competition. I slept well for a few hours.

Service concluded with a fine afternoon tea with Eric Lanlard patisseries; way, way better than  BA's offering on this route and the yuzu macaron was exquisite - wow!

Behind my seat, 11A, was the Loft, a communal area for passengers in Upper Class which replaces the bar on predecessor aircraft - sorry, I didn't manage to take a good picture! But it was hardly used and I didn't see anyone stay there for more than a minute or two. Fresh fruit and snacks were available all flight in the Loft:

We landed half an hour ahead of schedule thanks to a favorable approach.

In summary, a fine experience with Virgin. Despite a few flaws, one of which is being rapidly fixed this is a competitive seat and soft product. All things being equal, with the new A350 on line, Virgin would be my preferred option to cross the Atlantic from London. Well done to Virgin and I look forward to many solid flights in the future.

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Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350-1000 Upper Class Review [LHR to JFK]

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Booking Virgin Atlantic Upper Class

Virgin atlantic’s upper class wing, the clubhouse, upper suite seat, upper class cabin, food and beverage, cleanliness, final thoughts.

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Airline:  Virgin Atlantic Aircraft: Airbus A350-1000 Flight# : VS9 Route: London Heathrow (LHR) to New York (JFK) Date: October 28, 2022 Duration:  7hr 7min Cabin and Layout: Upper Suite, 1-2-1 Seat:  4K Cost: 95,000 Virgin Points or from $2,869 cash

I was recently invited to New York by Hyatt for the launch event of its new FIND platform .

Not only was I lucky enough to be flown out for the event, but I was able to choose my preferred airline.

Without even thinking about it, I knew I wanted to fly Virgin.

Before I knew it, my Upper Class return ticket was booked and I was counting down the days to try Virgin’s Upper Suite seat for the first time.

Here’s how it went.

Virgin Atlantic is a great option when traveling between the U.S. and the U.K.

If you want a slice of the Virgin Upper Class action, you can pay for your flights by cash — or you could save a ton of money and use points instead.

The cheapest cash prices for a return from New York to London start around $2,869 .

If you’d rather spend points, a return from the East Coast to London in Upper Class will set you back just 95,000 points .

Hot Tip: There are also many other ways you can redeem Virgin Points for flights with Virgin and its partners. Check out our guide for suggestions!

If you’d rather not use your points, there are several travel credit cards you could choose from to make sure you get rewarded for your spending.

Personally, I’d use the Chase Sapphire Reserve ® , if only we had it in the U.K.! You get 5x points per dollar spent on air travel as well as many other travel-related perks .

London Heathrow Terminal 3

If an effort to reduce my carbon footprint, I always prefer heading to an airport via public transport rather than a private car — be it a taxi, Uber, or personal car.

Heathrow is a great example of where you’re almost always better off using public transport. I got most of the way there by Tube and Elizabeth Line, then an Uber from Hayes and Harlington station so I could enjoy the full Virgin business class experience.

By full Virgin business class experience, I mean being driven up the driveway to the Upper Class Wing — Virgin’s exclusive check-in area .

I arrived at a barrier where I was asked for details through an intercom, such as my name and flight number. Once the agent found my booking, the barrier was raised and I was whisked up to the drive.

An Upper Class Wing staffer unloaded my suitcase and invited me to follow him inside where I was greeted and asked which flight I’d be taking.

The atmosphere inside was calm and inviting — a far cry from the frenzy you often find inside main departures terminals.

Almost hidden away at the back of the space was a small fridge filled with soft drinks and some trays of snacks.

I loved the addition of the huge Airbus A350 model aircraft. I took a selfie, naturally.

Due to an error in the system regarding my booking, it took a little longer than I expected to receive my boarding pass.

Once I had it in hand and I’d said goodbye to my suitcase, it was time to head through the Upper Class Wing’s private security lane where there were about half a dozen passengers ahead of me.

The Upper Class Wing is a little different from other airlines’ premium check-in zones, as you still have to enter the main departure area of the airport rather than arriving straight into the lounge after clearing security.

Once in the main departures hall, directions to the Virgin Clubhouse and the several other lounges in the terminal are clearly marked.

After visiting the Clubhouse in New York back in 2019, this would only be my second visit to a Clubhouse and my very first time in Virgin’s flagship Clubhouse in Heathrow’s Terminal 3. Needless to say, I was very excited to experience it.

I was impressed by how big and spacious the lounge felt.

As with most lounges, it had a variety of seating zones.

My favorite were these hanging pod seats.

On my tour of the lounge, I found lots of cozy areas fit for grabbing a nap, too.

The dining area had lots of seating, including reservable booths for more privacy.

I’m sure you won’t be surprised that I spent the majority of my time on the terrace until my hands were too cold to type.

The apron was a hive of activity with the busy morning rush of mainly Virgin jets.

The terrace is a decent vantage spot for 27L take-offs.

After I’d filed my 300th article for Upgraded Points with the first-ever A330neo that I was writing about in plain sight (quite a memorable moment), I headed back into the warmth for a light lunch.

For main menu items, the Clubhouse uses a QR code ordering method .

As per U.K. law, all restaurants and food establishments with over 250 employees must now show calories on menus. I know this isn’t to everyone’s delight, but I like being able to pick lower-calorie options when on the go.

I could also have picked from a cold buffet that was served by a member of staff from behind a counter.

The couscous salad looked particularly tasty.

Drinks could be ordered at the bar rather than through the app if preferred.

As far as airport lounge bars go, the Clubhouse’s was very well-stocked indeed.

This was the first time since the start of the pandemic that I recall seeing reading materials back in a lounge.

Speaking of first times, the Clubhouse is the first lounge I’ve ever been in with Peloton bikes readily available for passengers to get their sweat on before their flight.

As always on review flights, I like to try and get on the aircraft first to get the best photos. That requires getting to the gate early and turning on my Geordie charm with the gate staff.

The departure board was displaying “gate info in 20 minutes” for my flight, so I opened up my FlightRadar24 app to where I could see that the Virgin A350 registered G-VTEA would be operating my flight.

That was all I needed to be able to find G-VTEA parked at gate 19 before it was even published on the departure boards.

I couldn’t wait to get on board!

You get priority boarding when you’re flying Upper Class, Premium, or Economy Delight. Elite status holders with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club , Air France-KLM Flying Blue , and Delta SkyMiles also receive priority boarding.

Complimentary reading materials have also made a return to Virgin’s gates.

My luck was in: I was permitted to board before the rest of the passengers around 1:50 p.m. I had around 5 minutes to get the snaps I needed before regular boarding started.

Onboard Virgin’s Airbus A350-1000

At my seat, there was a goodie bag (the name Virgin gives its amenity kit), a can of water (very good not to see plastic bottles), and, the most important item — the menu.

The lovely Anna did the welcome drink rounds as passengers were boarding. The choices were water, orange juice, or Champagne.

Captain Simon Ross (great surname) came on the PA a few minutes before our scheduled departure to let us know that First Officer Mike would be flying us into Kennedy and we were on track to arrive at our scheduled arrival time of 5:25 p.m.

Then at 2:45 p.m. — 5 minutes after our scheduled departure time — “Boarding complete” was announced over the PA.

Just 2 minutes later, Captain Ross made a second PA apologizing for a delay at 2:47 p.m. that was linked with the cargo door having to be reopened for a reason he did not reveal.

He did a great job of keeping us updated, and his estimate of pushing back at 2:55 p.m. was spot on.

We finally started rolling down Heathrow’s runway 27R at 3:09 p.m. — almost half an hour behind schedule.

The design of the Upper Suite seat is sleek, sophisticated, and sexy — much like the airline it belongs to.

A drawback is that the seat lacks a proper storage area .

Granted, there are a few nooks and crannies, a couple of small shelves, and a generous surface area for temporary storage, but I’d much prefer a dedicated drawer or cabinet to store my belongings securely for takeoff and landing.

Increased privacy is one of the major improvements that the Upper Suite seats have over Virgin’s regular older Upper Class seats.

Passengers don’t have to stare directly at each other in these seats like they do in the airline’s older reverse herringbone seats. These seats have a higher hard shell around the seat and face towards the window rather than inwards towards the cabin.

The seat also comes with a sliding partition that closes just over halfway across the opening of the seat. A fully-closing door is one of the most common updates we’re seeing to business class seats these days, so it’s a shame that Virgin missed the boat on this one.

The huge tray table folded down from the console directly in front of me. Once lowered, I could slide the large surface directly across in front of me, revealing a smaller side table.

Then it rotated 45 degrees into a prime position for eating or working. There was enough space to set my laptop on the side table while I ate .

The design also left enough room to slip sideways out of the seat while the tray table was fully extended. There’s nothing more annoying than having to do gymnastics to leave your seat while your tray table is in use.

The seat reclined into a 6 foot 7 inch long fully-flat bed.

As soon as Anna realized what I was doing, she hurried over and offered to make up my bed for my afternoon nap.

Controls for the seat, call button, and volume and pause/play buttons for the IFE were easily accessible in the panel of the console between me and the window.

Hidden in the corner, you can also see a single USB port and the headphone dock.

The Upper Class cabin looks nothing short of gorgeous . Everything from the color scheme to the design and the fabrics just oozes the very essence of Virgin’s style.

On 7 of Virgin’s A350s, including G-VTEA that I was flying, there are 44 Upper Suite seats in a 1-2-1 layout.

The other 2 of Virgin’s 9 A350s — G-VEVE and G-VLIB — have just 16 Upper Suite seats in favor of having a significantly higher number of seats in economy.

You’ll typically find G-VEVE and G-VLIB on routes between Lagos (LOS), New York (JFK), and Orlando (MCO).

Upper Class passengers also have The Loft available for hanging with friends or simply changing up the scenery from their seat surroundings.

If you’re flying 1 of the 2 A350s with fewer Upper Class seats, your dedicated hangout space is a scaled-down version of The Loft called The Booth which is found at the front of the cabin on the port side rather than at the back.

A cool feature of The Loft is that up to 8 passengers can connect their own headphones via Bluetooth so they watch something all together on the big screen.

And back down in the cabin itself, space was abundant in the overhead bins even though this is also where passengers’ bedding was stored.

Premium Economy Cabin

Behind The Loft, you’ll pass a small galley before arriving in Virgin’s premium economy cabin.

The cabin’s 56 seats are set out in a 2-3-2 configuration.

I was lucky enough to have the amazing Anna as the crew member who looked after me the most during my flight.

Around 20 minutes after takeoff, she whizzed up the cabin taking orders from those sitting in G seats in the middle. Before long, she had made it across to the K seats, and my order was taken around 10 minutes after she started.

I was asked if I’d like a starter, what I’d like for my main, if I’d like any duty-free items, whether I wanted to already order my dessert, and what I’d like to drink.

A minute or 2 later my sparkling water, Coke Zero, and snack of chips were served.

Shortly after, my tray table was laid ready for the food’s arrival. The presentation is far more akin to what you’d see in a restaurant rather than on a plane, which I loved.

The chicken parfait starter (or pâté if you prefer) was delicious, though the stale croutons were a letdown. The alternative option was “textures of beetroot” served with a goat cheese mousse.

I got excited that the sourdough bread might save the day, but this, too, was rather stale and hard as a rock on the underside.

I mentioned this to Anna who offered me a replacement bread bun. I politely declined in eager anticipation of the main course.

I couldn’t have been any more pleased that I’d ordered the chicken pie when it was served at 5:25 p.m. (almost 2 hours after takeoff).

I’m not exaggerating here when I say that the pie had me lost for words . My mam brought me and my brother up on hearty northern cooking and pie and mash was always one of my favorite evening meals.

It was the tastiest, most perfectly-cooked, gravy-filled bundle of doughy goodness that I’ve had in a long time. You’d struggle to be served anything better in a U.K. pub back on the ground. Accompanied by a portion of veggies, it was an incredibly satisfying inflight meal.

Other main course options included a miso and sesame-crusted salmon served with sweet potato purée, bok choi, and a honey and ginger sauce, or a vegetable korma with Gujurati green beans, jeera pilau rice, and paratha.

Under no circumstances did I want to be tempted by dessert, but as a lover of all things chocolate, I just couldn’t resist. The warm sweet brioche bread and butter pudding with cream didn’t even get a second thought.

It. Was. Phenomenal. Better than any restaurant chocolate gateau I’ve ever had — and there have been many!

With a satiated appetite and very happy tastebuds, I settled down with an espresso and some film time.

I drink  a lot of water. Even more so when I fly. So, I asked if there were any bottles of water rather than annoying the crew over and over again for more to be served tiny glasses with about 2 gulps worth of water in them.

Anna came up trumps once again and provided me with this very large bottle of water that saw me through to the end of the flight.

I only wanted to shut my eyes for 40 winks, so I set my screen to “wake me up for food” mode so that the crew knew I’d like to be woken for the final small meal service before landing.

Before the food service began, I woke up naturally to a surprise pot of ice cream waiting for me.

Around 90 minutes before landing, the final extra bite was served . My gourmet fish finger goujons hot sandwich certainly fell into the “bite” category, given its snack size.

If we’re splitting hairs, it probably should have been called a “salad-topped sourdough with a side of single goujon.”

When hunger struck outside of mealtimes, passengers could take their pick from the snack baskets in The Loft.

I’d never heard of the Ayala Champagne that Virgin serves in Upper Class. I’m not yet at the connoisseur levels of many other flight reviewers, but what I do know is that it was very, very good . None of the glasses I was served seemed very chilled, though.

Alternative bubble options included a Hambledon English Sparkling and an Italian Prosecco.

And there was a very good selection of beers, spirits, liquors, and soft drinks, as well as non-alcoholic spirits and cocktails .

I absolutely loved the quality and size of the IFE screen — at 18.5 inches, you can’t really ask for more.

A slight letdown is that you still have to pop the screen out of its dock to be able to watch it properly.

After finishing up some work, and writing a few hundred words of this review, I thought I’d treat myself to one of the many films on Virgin’s Vera IFE system. After all, it was 5 p.m. on a Friday.

I highly recommend “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.”

The feel and quality of the headset are a bit of a letdown . Many airlines’ premium headsets are by well-known brands and have noise-canceling abilities, whereas Virgin’s felt flimsy and cheap in comparison.

My first set didn’t work and neither did the second. Shane, a member of the crew, said he’d go and reset my screen as this would be likely to resolve the issue.

Lo and behold, the reset worked and I have to say the sound quality was surprisingly good given how cheap the headset felt .

Virgin has done away with providing a handheld remote, so they give you the option of connecting your phone to act as a remote instead. It worked fine when I tried it, but I preferred to use the touch screen.

As for the amenity kit, I love that Virgin went sustainable with its goodie bag, but in terms of quality and luxuriousness, it scores pretty low . I still have my old-school Herschel pouch that I even had with me on my flight. For me, it seems much more sturdy and reusable than the current version.

The goodie bag was filled with everything you’d expect from an amenity kit: flight socks, an eye mask, and earplugs. The main difference is that the toothbrush is bamboo.

As this was a day flight, Pajamas weren’t handed out. Anna had no issue in handing me a set when I was ready to take a nap.

Signing up for the Wi-Fi was easy and cost me £16 (~$19) for the duration of the flight. I didn’t run a speed test, but I had no connection issues whatsoever for the duration of the flight.

No marks were lost on this flight for cleanliness. I’m pretty brutal when it comes to my cleanliness spot checks and there was nothing untoward on this flight.

The Upper Class cabin has 2 dedicated bathrooms at the front of the aircraft — both of which have windows to look out over the world.

Each time I visited, they were perfectly clean and tidy.

Few things in life are certain: taxes, death, and that Virgin Atlantic cabin crew will knock it out of the park every single time .

In fact, the crew is one of my favorite things about flying Virgin. From my experience, I’ve only ever had good interactions with the crew.

This type of consistency is crucial when building a brand and keeping customers coming back for more and Virgin Atlantic is a prime example of getting this right.

Anna was my go-to girl from start to finish and I’d love to see her on my next Virgin flight whenever that might be.

I also want to give a huge shout-out to the gate staff who arranged for me to get onto the plane first to get some cabin shots, as well as to Shane who snapped some cracking pictures of me around the cabin before the other passengers boarded.

And finally, I had the privilege of meeting Nadia — a fellow Geordie (the demonym we use for people from Newcastle in the Northeast of England), and an all-around Virgin legend! I’m looking forward to catching up with her again next time we’re both in Newcastle.

Just 7 hours and 7 minutes later, we landed at JFK around 10 minutes ahead of schedule.

I could have spent several more hours in the sky!

As I don’t have Global Entry, my wait was around 45 minutes before I spoke to an immigration officer. My bag was already on the belt in the luggage hall.

The Virgin Atlantic experience is like no other for all the right reasons —  luxury without being over the top , fun, cheeky, and sexy without sacrificing professionalism. But, most of all, the Virgin Atlantic crew are a special, passionate bunch who clearly love to do what they do and be part of such an amazing brand.

This was only my third ever flight with Virgin, and I’m sad to say I’m unsure when my next will be. If Virgin operated flights within Europe and to more destinations globally, then it would 100% be my go-to airline as someone who is based in the U.K.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is virgin atlantic upper class the same as business class.

Yes, Upper Class is the name Virgin Atlantic gives to its business class product.

Do you get pajamas on Virgin Upper Class?

Yes, on day flights you can request pajamas and on night flights you should be given pajamas by the crew.

Does Virgin Atlantic business class have flat beds?

Yes, Virgin Atlantic has flat beds in business class on all of its long-haul aircraft.

Which terminal does Virgin Atlantic use at London Heathrow?

Almost all Virgin flights arrive and depart from Heathrow’s Terminal 3.

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About Daniel Ross

Daniel has loved aviation and travel his entire life. He earned a Master of Science in Air Transport Management and has written about travel and aviation in publications like Simple Flying, The Points Guy, and more.

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Review: Virgin Atlantic Upper Class A330-300 (LHR-IAD)

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Disclosure: I had paid to fly in Virgin Atlantic’s Premium Economy cabin but, unbeknownst to me, the Virgin Atlantic PR team ( who had kindly granted my request to view the Clubhouse at Heathrow T3 ) had placed me on the “space available” upgrade list and I was cleared into Upper Class at the gate. This very kind act has had no bearing on the review below.

It has been quite some time since I last flew with Virgin Atlantic and while my last experience in the airline’s Premium Economy cabin was very good , my feelings towards the older of the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class A330 cabins were less than positive. It would be interesting to see how I felt this time around.

Virgin Atlantic A330-300 Upper Class

Virgin Atlantic has a new Upper-Class product but, for the time being, that product is only available on the airline’s Airbus A350 aircraft so the cabin being reviewed here will be the cabin most flyers will find themselves in when they book Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class.

The A330 Upper Class cabin offers all-aisle access seating for all passengers but it does so with a configuration that not many other airlines use.

All the seats are angled forwards and the seats on either side of the cabin are angled away from the windows. This is not a cabin from which passengers are going to enjoy great views of the world below with any ease.

The seats have high walls between them and these are both a blessing and a curse.

The good thing about the high dividing walls is that passengers have a lot of privacy from those seated on either side of them…

…but the bad thing about them is that they give the seats a very narrow and claustrophobic feel.

Also, unless you’re seated on the left side of the aircraft, the seats angle you in such a way that you’re essentially staring at the passengers across the aisle from you every time you look up.

I’ve said this before but it’s no less true here than it was with the older Upper Class product, there’s a feel overcrowding in the cabin and there’s more than a little resemblance here to the horse stalls at the Kentucky Derby.

Storage is an issue too.

There’s a small shelf that can be deployed from the dividing wall close to where a passenger’s head would generally be…

….but it’s not big enough for more than a bottle of water.

There’s a small amount of space under the ottoman that sits ahead of the main seat…

…and then there’s the magazine rack that’s built into the sidewall:

There’s next to nowhere to store a book, cables, chargers, or anything else that a passenger may want close to hand during the flight. 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.

This seat was either designed by a team who travel with almost no personal items at all or a team that has never set foot on an aircraft.

The bad news doesn’t really end there either.

The seat controls are basic…

…and there’s a very good reason for this. The seats can either recline a little or lie completely flat. There really isn’t much in between and that means it’s incredibly difficult to watch the IFE or your own entertainment (on a laptop or tablet) as you’re dropping off to sleep because you can’t really see the screens when you’re lying flat.

Amidst all of this negativity, I should point out that there are a couple of positive aspects too.

The tray table (which also deploys out of the sidewall) is a very good size, is solid, and has a broad range of movement towards and away from the passenger…

…and each seat has it’s own air-nozzles so passengers aren’t overly reliant on the cabin crew to keep them at their desired temperature.

The bedding for the seat is stored behind the seat itself…

…and helps turn the seat into a reasonably comfortable bed…but one that does have a certain coffin-like feel to it.

Upper Class Amenities

Waiting for me at my seat was a pair of headphones and a specialist toothpaste…

…which Virgin Atlantic was promoting:

An amenity kit together with the dining menu was also waiting for me when I boarded:

The amenity kit contained all the usual items that we’re used to finding in most Business Class cabins and it was neither good not bad – just average.

The in-flight entertainment screen is fixed into the seat’s sidewall…

…and deploys outwards so that it sits directly ahead of the seat…

….although not so much that you’re not still looking at your fellow passengers.

The headphone input and a USB port are built into the underside of the IFE screen…

…but if you’re looking for a proper power outlet (one that can charge a laptop) you’re going to find that a challenge.

I searched all around the seat for a universal power outlet and, when I finally decided that I clearly wasn’t observant enough to find it, I asked a passing flight attendant to help me out.

Unfortunately, the flight attendant was new to the cabin (or possibly the airline) so she had to go and ask a colleague where the power outlet was…and then returned with the news that there was no such thing on the aircraft.

I’m 99.9% sure this isn’t true but I have to hold my hand up and confess that I never found it. In hindsight, it may have been hidden under the seat.

Moving on…

The controller for the IFE and the overhead lights is housed, unsurprisingly, in the sidewall (along with absolutely everything else) and is attached by a retractable cable.

The entertainment on offer looked promising with lots of “boxsets”…

…but, upon closer examination, a lot of the TV series only offered 2 episodes:

And where some box sets listed 4 episodes it turned out that the second two episodes were just the first two episodes repeated!

If you want to know what Virgin Atlantic is showing right now here’s the webpage to check .

Virgin Atlantic offers Wi-Fi on this aircraft and it’s worth reading the instructions before you start as they tell you exactly what to do if (when!) the Wi-Fi portal doesn’t open up automatically on your laptop/tablet/phone screen.

The cost of 1-hour access was £6.99 (~$9)…

…while the cost for the entire flight was £20.99 (~$27) which strikes me as expensive.

Still, if you only need access to Wi-Fi for basic messaging, the £2.99 (~$3.90) “Messaging Pass” option looks pretty good.

If you want to keep in touch with friends and family (albeit without being able to share images of your trip) this sub-$4 option seems by far the best value.

Pre-departure beverages were served shortly after I boarded…

…and there was a further drinks service after we had leveled out.

Popcorn was served alongside the post-take-off drinks which made for a refreshing change from a bowl of nuts which is what you’ll find most other airlines offering.

The tray tables were prepared for lunch service a little over an hour into the flight and it quickly became apparent that anyone who wants to watch the IFE during the meal service has to have their screen deployed before the food is served – the screen is so close to the tray table that deployment is impossible while there’s anything on the table.

Here’s the menu that was on offer (click to enlarge):

For my starter I decised to choose something I wouldn’t ordinarily choose and I went with the cumin roasted cauliflower with asparagus, tomato, cucumber and minted yoghurt dressing.

It was fine, but the description sounded nicer than the actual dish (I should have chosen the prawns).

Still, the warm bread was very nice and I did better with my choice of main course.

I followed up the vegetarian cauliflower started with the most carnivorous option on the menu – braised beef with horseradish mashed potato, honey carrots, kale and Madeira sauce.

When it appeared in front of me I wasn’t wowed by the presentation and I wasn’t sure that I was going to like it…but it was great. The beef was flavorful and soft…and the mashed potato was delicious. I’d definitely order this again.

For dessert (or “pudding”) I chose the chocolate hazelnut tart with chocolate mendiant…

…and this was another good decision that I made. It didn’t taste fake (as some of the cheaper desserts that airlines serve will taste) and the only way I can think to describe it would be to say that it was very, very “chocolatey”…and that’s a good thing!

After the remnants of the dessert were taken away the flight attendants came through the cabin with a “cheese and port” trolly service.

There was a selection of three kinds of cheese on offer – Cotswold brie, Rutland red and Cropwell Bishop stilton…

…and all three went well with the chutney that accompanied them.

Lunch was served and cleared away very efficiently (something I always appreciate) and then, around 90 minutes before we landed, “Mile High Tea” was served.

The hot smoked salmon wrap was delicious and the salt beef roll was pretty good too but it was the scone, cream, and jam that I enjoyed the most.

Last But Not Least…

…I should really mention the Upper Class bar which sits between the Upper Class and Premium Economy cabins on the A330-300.

This is a space where Upper Class passengers are encouraged to mingle and enjoy a drink…

…and where you’ll find a few snacks laid out during the flight.

On the whole, I like the ideas of the onboard bar, and I think that it’s pretty cool that Virgin Atlantic persists with it despite the fact that none of its competitors (or partners) chooses to offer the same.

Sure, this isn’t in the same league as the bar you’ll find onboard the Qatar Airways A380…but then this isn’t an A380 and Qatar Airways doesn’t offer a bar on its A330’s.

It may be small but I like that the onboard bar is still a ‘thing’ on Virgin Atlantic flights.

Negatives :

• I hate the seat. I wanted to like it more than I liked it the last time I reviewed Virgin’s Upper Class cabin but I really, really didn’t. This is a woefully designed seat with next to no storage space, nowhere to put anything down and where everything feels compressed, confined and claustrophobic – BA’s Club World seat is better and I’ve been very clear in the past what I think of that.
• The Wi-Fi is expensive if you want to use it to its full capacity – $27 is just too much to charge for a full flight.
• The in-flight entertainment was well below what I’d expect of an airline like Virgin Atlantic. Yes, I don’t rely on airlines to entertain me so this didn’t really affect my flight, but anyone expecting to be able to immerse themselves in a season of their favorite show is going to be disappointed – 2 episodes per TV show is just poor.

Positives :

• The crew were great…as always. Virgin Atlantic has a culture that allows its crews to be friendly and fun without being overly informal and I really like that. I’ve never encountered a Virgin Atlantic crew that didn’t appear to want to make my flight as comfortable as possible (regardless of the cabin I was flying in) and this crew were no different. Top marks to whatever team trains the crews!
• The food was, on the whole, very good. Leaving aside the cauliflower starter (my fault for choosing a vegetarian option) everything was flavorful and enjoyable to eat – I don’t expect more than that onboard an aircraft.
• The Wi-Fi messaging option is a nice touch and is an economical way to keep in contact with friends and family on the ground…especially on the longer west coast flights ($3.90 for 10+ hours of inflight messaging is very good value).
• I like the fact that Virgin Atlantic keeps offering a bar onboard its aircraft. This is something I associate with the airline going back decades and it’s nice to see some of the good things from the past still living on.

Bottom Line

I really like Virgin Atlantic as an airline but the Upper Class seat that’s currently available on the majority of its aircraft is one of the worst Business Class seats I’ve reviewed.

Virgin Atlantic clearly knows how to offer great service and good food but there’s no way the current Business Class seat can compete with the majority of seats that you can now book across the Atlantic.

I can’t think of any reasonable way to sugarcoat this so here goes: The most commonly found Virgin Upper Class seat (it’s on the airline’s Dreamliners too) is truly terrible – the new A350 suites can’t be rolled out quickly enough.

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[…] The service on board is good, the food isn’t bad at all and the cabin crew are mostly pretty great, but the seats are so incredibly poorly designed that I’m not sure how the team that came up with them still has a job (link to Virgin A330 Upper Class review). […]

Tis true, tis true. It’s the most hideous seat ever and the configuration is awful. You cannot look out the window, you have to get up to grab pillows from the back. The configuration of the seat seems to be sitting upright or going to sleep. And going to sleep is like trying to sleep on a brick. if you stay away, you spend your time looking at someone’s feet. The food is really quite tasty, though. The cabin crew are really the savior here. But not so much on overnight flights. It’s let us throw food at you as quick as we can and then get your butt to sleep because we don’t work on overnights. Last flight I had with them where I flew their upperclass, Dec 2019, they didn’t serve their breakfast (which I really enjoy, by the way and told them yup, wake me up for the breakfast). Didn’t even get a cup of tea. With no explanation why. In truth, I wasn’t the only one. So I don’t know what went wrong there. An explanation would have been nice.

[…] For Business Class passengers, however, Virgin Atlantic is a terrible choice because the Business Class cabins on most of the airline’s aircraft (referred to by Virgin as its “Upper Class” cabins) are among the worst cabins you’ll find offered by a major transatlantic carrier. I dislike them with a passion (review). […]

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Virgin Atlantic reveals glorious new Upper Class ‘Retreat Suites’ for its Airbus A330neo fleet

Editor's Note

Virgin Atlantic has a new aircraft type with an all-new business class cabin and two very special 'business class plus' suites. The carrier unveiled the new design at a special launch event in London on July 12.

The airline is set to receive up to 16 new Airbus A330-900 neo aircraft, with the first three arriving in September 2022. They are the first U.K. airline to fly this aircraft type.

The aircraft will eventually replace their existing A330 fleet — some of which are now more than 10 years old. At list prices, the fleet order would be valued at more than $4.05 billion, though airlines typically negotiate steep discounts on bulk orders.

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The new planes are designed to be 11% more fuel- and carbon-efficient than the A330-300s they are replacing; they are also much quieter, featuring a 50% reduction in airport noise contour. Over the course of a 10-year period, the average age of Virgin's fleet will reduce to just seven years — much younger than that of its rival British Airways .

While the airline already operates the new Airbus A350-1000 with modern cabins in economy, premium economy and business class, the latest A330 aircraft will feature brand new seats in all three classes. This is a considerable step up from the outdated and unpopular coffin-style seats of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the older Airbus A3330 that are still plying some routes.

Related: Crowd pleaser: A review of Virgin Atlantic's A350 in economy from London to New York

Upper Class

Developed by the Virgin Atlantic in-house design team — in collaboration with Factorydesign — there are some familiar features as well as exciting new concepts awaiting Upper Class guests.

At the front of the aircraft, you'll find two very special seats known as The Retreat Suite. Considered a 'super business class' (or 'mini first class,' depending on how you look at it), these two seats are the largest and most luxurious seats Virgin Atlantic has ever offered. They will come with a spacious 6-foot, 7-inch fully flat bed and a 27-inch touchscreen.

Guests lucky enough to be seated in these two suites can even invite a companion to dine with them thanks to a spacious ottoman. Virgin Atlantic told TPG these special suites will be offered for an additional $238 surcharge to Upper Class guests 14 days before departure. They may be available to book with Virgin Points, or, if they remain unsold at check-in, they may be offered to elite status Flying Club members on a surprise and delight basis.

With four guests seated in the two Retreat Suites, the design is not dissimilar to Qatar Airways ' award-winning Qsuites business class center pods.

Related: My thoughts on flying Qatar Qsuite as a group of 4

Thirty new Upper Class suites — arranged in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration — surround the two special Retreat Suites in the front cabin. Each seat will face forward, convert to a fully flat bed and have direct aisle access — a huge improvement over the existing A330 Upper Class seats.

Each seat will feature a 17.3-inch touchscreen television and a fully closing door; in comparison, the new A350 Upper Class suite does not currently offer fully closing doors.

Related: Lofty heights: A review of Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class Suite on the A350 from London to New York

Suite passengers can also enjoy a social space called 'The Loft' which is an evolution of the social space that is onboard most of the airline's Airbus A350 aircraft. The area has space for eight people, and it will feature new self-service fridges and beverage dispensers to help passengers socialize and celebrate.

The seats in the A330 Loft are higher than those on the A350 and there's a reason for that: Virgin explained to TPG that passengers seated in The Loft love interacting with both the crew and other passengers mingling about the cabin. Having higher seats allows them to be closer to the eye level of those standing around them.

The new aircraft features a large premium economy cabin with 46 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration. Seats feature an industry-standard 38-inch of pitch, as well as 13.3-inch touchscreen televisions and in-seat wireless charging for all Premium passengers. The seats did feel a little narrow when we tried them out at the launch event this evening.

The economy cabin features 28 extra legroom Economy Delight seats, which have 34-inches of pitch, and 156 Economy Classic seats, which have the standard 31-inch pitch. The A330 is one of the most popular wide-body aircraft for passengers traveling in pairs thanks to its 2-4-2 layout; this configuration allows couples to snag window seats with no other passengers next to them. This cannot be achieved on the wider A350, A380, or Boeing 777 and 787 families in economy, as airlines opt for three seats between each window and aisle.

Economy passengers will enjoy 13.3-inch IFE screens — the same size as those in the Premium cabin.

"We're proud to unveil our state-of-the-art A330neo and show the evolution of our customer experience, with each of our customers receiving a premium experience regardless of the cabin they travel in," Corneel Koster, the company's chief customer and operating officer, said of the vision behind the new aircraft. "They'll be better connected with their fellow travelers and our amazing crew in the air, and with their friends and family on the ground."

"The A330neo plays a significant role in our multi-billion dollar fleet transformation, demonstrating our commitment to the planet," he added. "We know the most impactful thing we can do as an airline is to fly the cleanest, greenest, youngest fleet possible and the A330neo is integral to achieving this goal. It's truly a plane for the future."

The Airbus A330neo will commence passenger services between Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) in early October, with seats on sale later this month. Other routes are yet to be finalized, though they will include service to the U.S. — Virgin's most popular market. The new aircraft will be based at Heathrow. However, Koster also revealed to TPG that Virgin Atlantic may return to London Gatwick Airport (LGW) next year, depending on demand, and he noted there are operational efficiencies from a single hub in London. Virgin is enjoying great success at Manchester Airport (MAN), and the carrier plans to open a dedicated Clubhouse there next year.

Related: Pelotons and planespotting: Inside the reopening of Virgin Atlantic's Heathrow Terminal 3 and refreshed Clubhouse

When asked about Heathrow's request to stop selling tickets until Sept. 11 to cope with the overwhelming demand amid airport staffing issues, Koster said Virgin is well placed to operate all of its scheduled services this summer; it's currently operating 99% of scheduled services.

He also explained recruitment was progressing well and, although call center wait times are "way higher" than they should be, they should soon be at pre-pandemic levels. He acknowledged many passengers have more questions than usual because of the uncertain travel climate right now, so staff spends more time on each call. Plus, these wait times can increase when there are factors outside their control, such as industrial strikes.

• Fly with Virgin Atlantic
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• Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330neo

Airbus A330neo

Virgin Atlantic's brand new Airbus A330neo, designed to provide a premium, personalised experience.

Now flying on selected routes to New York, Boston, Tampa and Atlanta.

On this page

The A330neo is the latest addition to our aircraft family. Its slender 64 metre wingspan is nearly 4 metres more than our A330-300 and helps make it one of the most efficient aircraft in the sky, and able to fly further and faster.

Innovative cabins

You'll enjoy more ways to stay connected than ever before, with Bluetooth enabled entertainment systems, our fastest ever Wi-Fi, a greater number of USB connections and wireless charging in Premium and Upper Class.

A330neo: Upper Class

The retreat suite.

At the front of the Upper Class cabin you'll find two of our most spacious suites yet. Each Retreat Suite boasts an ottoman that doubles up as an extra seat so up to four people can enjoy an intimate dinner together in their own private social space, or settle in comfort to watch a film on the 27" touchscreen.

A330neo Upper Class bed

A330neo The Loft

Upper Class

Seat dimensions

A330neo seat map.

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