Flying with Virgin Atlantic

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Flying with Virgin Atlantic Airlines

From a single leased jumbo jet in 1984, Virgin Atlantic has grown to become the UK’s seventh largest airline in terms of passengers. Managed separately from other Virgin branded airlines, its main bases are in London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports, and it flies to destinations in North America, the Caribbean, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, employing more than 8,000 people.

In 2015 Virgin Atlantic won Europe’s leading airline to North America at the World Travel Awards. On board they offer three travel classes: Economy, Premium Economy, and Upper Class.

Economy Class

Virgin Atlantic offers you a choice of 3 complimentary meals, an amenity package, a quality entertainment system, as well as a free newspaper if you happen to be traveling from London or Manchester. Should you want to choose your Economy seat or you need extra legroom, you can purchase extra seating options online up to 24 hours before flying. 

As you arrive on board, Virgin Atlantic staff will serve you a complimentary bottle of water and, before eating, serve refreshments from its drinks service. You can enjoy a tasty meal with a cold starter, a choice of three main dishes, pudding, biscuits and fresh bread with cheese, as well as some red or white wine to compliment the meal. Tea and coffee are also made available, including hot chocolate on night flights.

Virgin Atlantic’s own Vera entertainment system is available on most aircraft. It offers touch screen interaction with a broad catalog of movies, TV shows, music, and games. You can browse titles, for example, and take a look at the movie trailer before settling in to watch a full length film.   

Premium Economy

Designed to make the flight more enjoyable by providing prized extra features, Premium Economy offers an improved experience for those who want to relax or get a bit of work done. You can enjoy extra leg space, a complimentary glass of sparkling wine, an after-dinner liqueur, meals on luxury tableware, as well as the more practical offering of an improved work-space with in-seat laptop power outlets. 

After priority boarding, you can enjoy the improved experience that Premium Economy offers, including a leather seat that is one of the biggest in its class.  It includes a headrest and footrest and boasts a seat width of up to 21 inches and a seat pitch of 38 inches.

Virgin Atlantic’s chefs have provided an upgraded menu of three courses that include a choice of main dishes like beef stroganoff or spinach and ricotta cannelloni. Served on fine china crockery, each are preceded by a starter course and followed by pudding or cheese and crackers. The wines available have been selected by Virgin’s Atlantic’s Master of wine and there is also the option of picking up a mini bottle of Gardet champagne should you feel tempted to celebrate.   

On Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 787 aircraft you can enjoy a stroll to one of their unique Wander Walls where you can help yourself to snacks and treats. On night flights, you'll be gifted a Premium Economy amenity kit, containing essentials like a toothbrush and ear buds to help you have a comfortable flight. 

The Vera entertainment system allows you access to over 300 hours of the latest and greatest award winning entertainment. Its touch screen interaction means you can easily play games, watch news, and browse film titles. You can also watch trailers before enjoying a full movie, and even rate it afterwards.

Upper Class

In 2003, Virgin Atlantic launched its Upper Class Suite, a revolution in travel experience that boasted the longest and most comfortable flat bed and seat in business class flying. The service is designed to make any prospective flight something to look forward to.

Traveling to and from the airport is taken care of through Upper Class’s chauffeur driven car service. A personalized check-in and Private Security Channel quickly takes you past the airport queues into one of Virgin Atlantic’s award winning Clubhouses. You can feel free to relax there as dedicated staff will let you know when it is time to board the aircraft.

Once on-board, you will be greeted with a glass of Gardet Brut Premier Cru Champagne or Bucks Fizz and you can chat with your travel companions or simply relax in your own large leather seat that transforms seamlessly into one of the longest flat beds in any business class flight.

Every passenger’s suite has a 10.4-inch screen that opens up a world of entertainment to you, including the latest movies and TV shows, news bulletins, music playlists, and interactive games. If you prefer to use your own devices or you need to get on with some work, there is an in-seat power socket, Wi-Fi options and an ottoman seat and table for your chats or meetings. 

Day and night flights have customized dining services that are designed to make your journey as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. Three course dining experiences include main courses like lemon and thyme chicken and seafood linguine that are served on designer crockery and linen. The Graze menu also offers such options as a cheese and port trolley, afternoon tea trolley, and a full English breakfast.

Clubs, Lounges and Amenities

Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses have the feel of a private members’ club with superior facilities, incredible food, and a relaxed atmosphere. Reserved for Upper Class passengers and Flying Club Gold members, Clubhouses are the select locations to relax in the following destination airports: London Heathrow, London Gatwick, JFK, Newark Liberty, San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington, and Johannesburg.

In many cities throughout the world where there aren’t currently Clubhouses, Virgin Atlantic has teamed up with airports and airlines to offer its members access to lounges throughout the USA and Mexico, The Caribbean, The UK, and worldwide lounges from Delhi to Shanghai.

Baggage Allowances

More information on baggage can be found here.