The meal was small and disappointing. Wi-Fi typically costs 20.99 pounds (about $26) for the full flight. Required fields are marked *. The physical kind, of course. Overall, Virgin Atlantic's Airbus A350 is a great aircraft to fly. With new aircraft, several carriers are doing away with overhead air vents for passengers. Editorial disclaimer: 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. Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Other main courses on this flight included stir-fried pork with vermicelli vegetable noodles and Beijing bean sauce, and chicken-and-mushroom casserole with buttered new potatoes and green beans. Along with 38 . Virgin Atlantic was one of the first airlines to introduce a premium economy cabin, back in 1992. 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. For my main, I ordered the vegetarian meal, asparagus and ricotta gnocchi with spicy tomato sauce, sweet peppers and broccoli. Delta Premium Select: 21 - 25 BDGH; Delta Comfort+: 30 - 33 CDFG; Main Cabin: 34 - 39 CDFG, 41 - 54 CDFG, 55 DF * Delta One: Movable armrests require the assistance of a Delta employee. Virgin Atlantic has a dedicated section of the terminal area for its passengers, including a priority queue for premium economy travelers. I really try not to eat on planes and always aim to eat a healthy meal on destination time before departing for the airport. The Countries Where You'll Get The Most Bang For Your U.S. Dollar, My (Successful) Virgin Atlantic Upgrade Strategy, British Airways Tier Points: Complete Guide To Earning And Status. While the welcome beverages were a pleasant surprise, both meal services were not. Plus, we all have different tastes, so even if I like something, you might hate it. Our Dreamliners take efficiency to new heights. It was well organized, with separate boarding lanes already in place and plenty of seating for passengers. Even at 6'3", my knees weren't even close to the seat in front. The meal service was quick, the crew was attentive and, most importantly, I didn't have anything that I thought was bad except for the tough roll. Moving toward the middle of the plane, I next entered Virgin Atlantic's premium economy cabin known as Premium. I think that even with a full cabin of 56 passengers, the three lavs would've sufficed. Photo: Pranjal Pande | Simple Flying, Boarding the A350 is definitely an experience. The first row is located next to Upper Class, and also just behind Door L2, which is the primary door used to deplane the aircraft. Airbus A350-1000 Virtual tours Upper Class Premium Economy Economy Our newest Economy seats are designed with bespoke woven fabrics inspired by fashion houses. There was no bottle or label to be seen, but I assume it was Ayala Champagne, which has been Virgin's house brand for several years. I couldve just as easily used premium and finished in the same time. Overall, I found the lounge to be good for a rest before a long-haul flight. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. Recliner. Unfortunately, I soon realized the wrong items had been loaded onto the aircraft and did not match the menu description at all. Terms and Conditions Apply. Sadly, the check-in perks don't extend to Virgin's private security channel, and it took a full 30 minutes to complete security. Airlines seem to insist on having only one full meal on flights between New York and London, with a second meal being a lighter "snack." Inside, they were pretty standard economy-size lavatories with no special features or extras. However, compared to the 787-9, for which I only had positive words last year, this certainly feels like a downgrade. Several times prior to takeoff and upon landing, the crew took particular interest in reminding passengers it was a new aircraft and how to enjoy its new features. also the table came out of the armrest . I haven't found my premium economy experiences in the past to be twice as good as economy but was willing to give Virgin a chance. It was a fine, if unremarkable, flight. When prices are competitive with economy, that alone can make the cabin worth the upgrade for anyone with lots of baggage. By comparison, Virgin Atlantic's A350 aircraft has 11.6-inch screens in the economy cabin. Austrian's B777-200 aircraft hold a total of 24 premium economy seats configured 2-4-2, while B767-300ERs contain 30 seats (expanded from 18) configured 2-2-2. Fully open, it was somewhat flimsy, though my 15-inch laptop could fit on it. While not a huge space, and definitely not enough to store a laptop, it was sufficient for my passport, AirPods and my phone. Premium Rich, custom leather seats with a generous 7 inch recline and high end finishes. Even for a premium economy snob which I am these seats are excellent. Tell us about your experience in the comments! The Virgin A350 Premium Economy Seat Virgin's Premium cabin on the A350 offers 2x4x2 seating. As someone who struggles to sleep sitting up, I don't fancy the thought of flying this on an overnight, long-haul journey to, say, South Africa. Soon after trays were collected, flight attendants came through once more to offer liqueurs: Amarula cream, which retails for around $20 per bottle, or Baron Otard Cognac, which retails for around $40 per bottle. [flight_stats ticket-class="econ" review-stat-section="Food and Beverage" tpg-rating="23" tpg-rating-max="25" live-tv="0" tailcam="0" headphones="0" comp-meal="2" comp-alcohol="Yes" extra-pillows="0" turndown-service="0" /]. After being one of the first carriers to introduce a proper premium economy cabin, Virgin launched its A350 with new seats, larger inflight-entertainment screens and a supposedly more comfortable experience. I'm all for sustainability with these kits, but I was not a fan of the crumpled and battered "goodie bag" pouch the items were presented in, as it is not something I would ever use again. When I started blogging, I had one very clear pillar for what success might be. Award availability on this route is usually good as there are multiple daily frequencies. Seats are 2ay better than the old PE seats which I found v uncomfortable on the old plane. Our Airbus A350-900 aircraft offers a variety of signature products and experiences unlike anything else in the sky. The dish covers were still on, and the cutlery was lodged inside two drinking glasses, which were laying down on their side. VS138 New York, NY (JFK) - London, England (LHR) Monday, September 16, 2019 Aircraft: A350-1042 Registration: G-VLUX Duration: 6 hours 57 minutes Seat: 50D (economy class) Virgin Atlantic A350-1000 side view illustration by Norebbo.com Earlier this summer, British Airways launched its first-ever A350 routes to Madrid before launching it on long-haul flights. The fees, taxes and surcharges were paid with The Platinum Card from American Express, which earns 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar on purchases made directly with airlines (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), picking up a further 1,751 Membership Rewards, worth $35 by TPG's current valuation. The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is a stacked card with a rewards rate that will help you earn bonus points on everyday and business-related purchases. I had a glass of the Casa Piero sauvignon blanc from Spain, which was bright and crisp. Offer ends 5/3/23. Row 45 is the first row of economy and isn't a "delight" seat, which means it can be acquired even on lower fares. You can also transfer American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards and Capital One miles at a 1:1 ratio to Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club program. I flew PE on the way back from JNB, no problem with space even if the person reclines. Additionally, the seats not by the bulkhead had upper and lower seatback storage spaces primarily for literature like the new A350-1000 safety cards. My only minor gripe was the foreign language films. Unlike passengers in Virgin's Upper Class cabin, those in the Premium cabin weren't entitled to enter the lounge, so my lounge experience isn't factored into the score of this section. . Registered as G-VLUX and nicknamed "Red Velvet," the aircraft was delivered to Virgin on Aug. 10. Fortunately, it sounds like Virgins new A330neo aircraft will. The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. Both dishes were listed as being served with a side of overnight oats with mango and coconut. Perhaps the personal freedoms Virgin (rightly) affords employees plays a role there. Each of the Premium-cabin seats besides the bulkhead seats featured a built-in IFE screen in the back of the headrest. Airbus A330-300 (333) Airbus A350-1000 (351) Boeing 747-400 (744) Boeing 787-9 (789) Check-in; Baggage . I arrived at London Heathrow's Terminal 3 about three hours prior to departure. How bad is it when the seat in front of you fully reclines? I was ravenous by the time the trolleys appeared again in the cabin for the second meal service, about an hour before landing. Proving that the very best cabins in the world could be unlocked with points became an obsession. I arrived at my gate an hour before departure. I took a picture of the menu for you, so that you can see whats being offered anyway. ", Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Virgin partners with celebrity ptissier Eric Lanlard for a tea service as a prearrival meal. Not only was the service fantastic, but the crew members seemed equally as excited about the new A350 as I was. Just returned from Florida. . That small feature can make all the difference between a comfortable and uncomfortable flight. Unbeknownst to me, Gate 22 was about a 15-minute trek away. Thats what travel is for, right? The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. Enjoy a 11.5 inch seatback screen, USB power, and a six-way adjustable headrest for ultimate comfort. "And again, we have that Bluetooth connectivity, so at every seat, you can connect your headsets there . compared to the 787-9, for which I only had positive words last year, giving British Airways a run for its money. It wasn't a long trek from the duty-free maze to the gate, which was helpful considering I didn't leave much time for leisure at the airport. Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. cons="Somewhat narrow seats and flimsy headphones." Terms and conditions | Being Virgin Atlantic's largest passenger-carrying aircraft by length (73.8 meters long vs 62.8 for the 787-9 and 63.7 for the A330-300), the Airbus A350-1000 correspondingly has the largest capacity in the airline's fleet. Not least among them is Virgin's premium economy cabin, simply called Premium, which is available on the carrier's A330-220 and A330-300 planes, its A350-1000s, and Boeing 797-9. It would have taken the crew only a few seconds to tidy up the trays before serving them, but instead, passengers had to do it themselves. Economy Delight Premium Upper Class; Width of seat: 17.4 inches: 17.4 inches: 18.5 inches: 20 inches: Seat recline: 5 inches: 5 inches: . While this is a lot, the high ceilings and straight sidewalls of the A350 give a sense of space, preventing it from feeling claustrophobic. Lounge access is not provided for Premium passengers and I have no elite status with Virgin Atlantic or its airline partners, as British Airways Executive Club is my go-to program. On the A350, The Loft occupies the area in front of the door, giving all passengers a view of the social space reserved for passengers at the front of the plane. I did the same journey to AUS on the 380 and back from LAX on the new plane. . While its new Upper Class Suite got the bulk of the addition and it is a dazzling product, indeed the carrier also gave its Premium product a facelift with the A350. I got a glass of prosecco, which was tasty and light and fit on one of the armrests. I found the legrest and footrest on the bulkhead row to be useful. Here's how my Virgin Atlantic Premium experience rated. Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card. During the course of the flight, crew members left out a small bin of chips and snacks for the taking in the galley. I think any seat width about 18 doesnt really make much of a factor. Each of the bulkhead seats had the advantage of both a leg- and a footrest. Both flights were far more comfortable than a standard cattle class seats. In the terminal, there were two Priority Pass lounges: No.1 Lounge and Club Aspire. Not to be outdone, crosstown competitor Virgin Atlantic soon thereafter began taking delivery of its own A350s. Premium, upgraded: A review of Virgin Atlantic's new Premium product on the A350, This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Virgin operates a mix of aircraft on this important route, with Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Airbus A330 and A350 aircraft being used each day. Instead, Virgin let passengers connect their phone to the screen via Bluetooth and then control it from there. In total, the carrier offers 235 seats here. Virgin Atlantic premium economy seats recline between 7 and 8. I flew LHR to JNB in August. Because Virgin and Delta had an entirely different entrance for Upper Class/Delta One passengers, the check-in space for those passengers in the main check-in area was fairly limited. 2022 Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. All rights reserved.Registered office: Registered office: The VHQ, Fleming Way, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9DF Visit delta.com to learn more. Instead, I stretched my legs wandering through the modern and fairly peaceful Terminal 4. With its A350-1000s, Virgin Atlantic actually opted for a roomier arrangement with just 335 seats total. Boarding commenced 40 minutes before departure with Upper Class guests invited to board as well as Flying Club Gold elites, followed by Premium and Flying Club Silver members.