Virgin Atlantic have also revealed plans for a new Upper Class seat which is planned to arrive in their new Airbus A350-1000s between 2019 â 2021. Pre-departure it’s bottled water, but once airborne I was ecstatic to see a proper drink trolley come around, with full sized bottles of wine, booze and champagne. The hot main courses are served in disposable cardboard containers. For now, this means you’ll find Virgin Atlantic immediately upon entering Heathrow T2, where you’d struggle to miss the well placed desk. Great to read that you have met her. The best seats are on the ‘A’ side of the plane, where more privacy is afforded by facing the back of the middle seats. It contains such goodies as Ren toiletries, a Bamboo handled toothbrush by Bambuu and some rather snazzy socks. Watch this space for an update. Virgin Atlantic always offered one of the best and most enjoyable ways to fly business class with Upper Class, the cabin originally launched by Richard Branson to bring first class features to the business class cabin, and as an avid flyer, I was really curious to see if the things I enjoyed before still existed today. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Required fields are marked *. Virgin took first deliveries last year of its outstanding Airbus A350-1000 fleet, and planes continue to trickle in. With some business class flights having plastic glasses and food from a box, the Virgin dining experience was a welcome relief. Virgin Atlantic Upper Class London LHR to New York JFK Review Airbus A340-600. Passengers can control how much light enters their window with a push of a button. The crew was eager to make up beds for passengers while you got yourself ready for bed with the help of the Ren toiletries provided in the washrooms. Virgin Airlines Business Class benefits One of the longest fully flat beds in Business Class, up to 82â in length and 33â width, with full lumbar support and soft leather exterior ⢠Seat comes with its own ottoman which doubles as a seat for a guest, so business can be done with a colleague, or a drink can be shared with a friend My areas of expertise are airline and hotel loyalty, all things British Airways and oneworld, as well as how to stay in the finest hotels for less. The Caribbean yakitori chicken looked something of a mess, but was similar to a very flavorful Bajan version of an Indian biryani rice dish. An instant noodle cup and a can of Coke was served as lunch to a customer who paid for a $2,500 ticket. Would I do it again? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Full bedding was supplied with a mattress topper, duvet, and sizeable plump pillow. On the Sydney-Brisbane route, Qantas business class showed at a steady $900, with Virgin's business class fares again at $449 and $599. The 737s are outfitted with eight business class recliner seats, in two rows of a 2-2 configuration. Business class guests experience second-to-none space and comfort, and exceptional inclusions. That’s likely contingent upon the UK removing impractical 14 day quarantine measures in favor of safer, covid-19 testing based solutions, which they say they’re “looking at”. Entertainment was provided with the high definition TV and a large selection of movies, TV shows, music and games. Among other changes, the beds will no longer need flipping and the bar will become a lounge. The first thing I was thrilled to see was that pillows and bedding were in tact, to pre covid-19 levels. But even with so few seats to choose from they're not all created equal when it comes to legroom. Short story: aim for an A350. Not in business class. Virgin Atlanticâs new business class seat lacks storage. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning over 200,000 miles a year and his travel exploits are regularly... The service started with a welcome drink. There were only 9 people in upper class and 60 on the whole flight. 737 Business Class seat features include: Luxury leather; Generous recline; 38 inch (96.5 cm) seat pitch; Comfort. Next up was our long layover in London, some time in one of the best business class lounges in the world (The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse) then our onward flight to Dubai. I’m not much of a drinker on planes, but knowing that many airlines are serving economy cabin wines to premium customers, it was nice to see Virgin Atlantic hasn’t cheap’ed out and taken then easy way. With Virgin Australia emerging from bankruptcy as a leaner operation with an exclusively narrow body fleet of Boeing 737 jets, the era of fully flat beds in domestic Business Class is no longer.. Back in 2012, Virgin Australia upped the ante by launching their âCoast to Coastâ service with a few older Airbus A330âs formerly flying for Emirates. All aircraft feature 37 business class seats (dubbed âthe businessâ), 23 premium economy seats branded âPremium,â and 278 seats in economy â 57 of which are branded âEconomy Xâ and offer extra legroom with at least a 34-inch pitch. Virgin Australia Business Class cabin only has 8 seats and is in a 2+2 configuration. Fly with another, and you might not know covid-19 had changed the world, minus the mask you wore on board. There was no starter at all and no choice of dessert. Virgin Atlantic always offered one of the best and most enjoyable ways to fly business class with Upper Class, the cabin originally launched by Richard Branson to bring first class features to the business class cabin, and as an avid flyer, I was really curious to see if the things I enjoyed before still existed today. A slightly less fun addition was the new ubiquitous airline "hygiene" pack, which contained wipes, hand gel, and face masks. Virgin Australia was sprung last week for serving two-minute noodles in business class. If you ever find these "falling" into your carry-on, it's highly advised to empty them first unless you want a bag full of salt and pepper! There is no fast track at Barbados security, but it would be a little pointless when it's this quiet. There was complimentary WiFi which worked fine. Why donât they make it recline like every other business class seat. When you look at the two popular âoff the shelfâ reverse herringbone products out there, both have storage. It’s not a big deal, but it’s a nice acknowledgement of the weird times we’re all living in. Not Clubhouse nice by any means, but still nice, and the food wasn’t half bad. Upgrades to a business class ticket for a long-haul international flights. It felt safe, fun, stuffing and enjoyable. I have spent 27 years working in the travel industry with a large proportion of that spent working in Air Traffic Control. Virgin Atlantic's Clubhouses have a space to suit every kind of traveller â whether you want to chill with a cocktail or find a quiet spot to work â and are reserved for Upper Class passengers and Flying Club Gold members. As a reminder, I travelled to New York as the guest of Virgin Atlantic on the official media flight to celebrate the A350 launch. I write about travel specialising in airlines and luxury travel for less, EY & Citi On The Importance Of Resilience And Innovation, Impact 50: Investors Seeking Profit — And Pushing For Change, Why Capitol Rioters Are Unlikely To Land On The No-Fly List Anytime Soon. Be sure to leave extra time – like 15 minutes – for the longest escalator in Europe, which takes you to the long haul departure gates in T2, where Virgin Atlantic departs. Virgin Staff and (kosher) food were all excellent. I never understood Virginâs upper class seats on any of their planes. I don’t want to think of someone breathing on my food right now before serving it to me. The leather seats have a 38-inch pitch and are more like Premium Economy than business. In one of the sweeter things that’s ever happened to me on a plane, one of the crew members, Yuki, made an origami swan for our 8 month old daughter, Olive. The amenities were top notch (amenity kits, pajamas, etc. That’s the main bad news: there were between 5-8 people in Upper Class on flights which would typically be oversold, showing just how hard it is for airlines right now. After the turbulent time ⦠Photo: Virgin Australia. Flying is generally much safer than people think during covid-19 anyway, but every little helps. For Melbourne-Brisbane business class, Qantas varied between $817 and $1,163, compared to Virgin Australia's $549 and $699. The Upper Class bar slash social space on each aircraft is a bit of a grey area, but that’s the only remotely different bit. At the boarding gate, there was something comfortable and soothing about still seeing the same – famed Vivienne Westwood red coats. Their recent enhancements, such as non-expiry of frequent flyer miles and tier points on reward bookings, are likely to help win back customers. The design of the cabin feels incredibly sexy, elegant and funky, and has a slightly futuristic look, almost reminiscent of what I feel a spaceship would look like. The staff helped you to what you needed from the buffet, and there was also a separate makeshift tended bar to get a beer or glass of wine. Wi-fi was available and, although a little patchy at times, was reasonable value at $19.95 (£14.99) for 150mb. Drinks were served from proper glasses even if they were standard airline glasses rather than the usual Virgin stemless wine glasses. All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. There was no actual champagne, but instead, there was prosecco or the excellent English sparkling wine, Hattingley Valley. I even had a glass of champagne because I missed flying so much. Many had only recently returned from furlough, and having spent a few nights in Barbados, they were all in high spirits. Fortunately, most of the usual amenities were there, such as Virgin's environmentally friendly "goodie bag" made from responsibly sourced recycled kraft paper. Given that they follow the same government guidelines, it's incredible how much they differ between airlines! Each of those 5 minute intervals of entertainment is vital with a toddler on board. The carpets had been vacuumed and there were no obvious signs of wear and tear. The one exception was the main course main dish, which was served in a sealed box from the caterer. Upper Class cabins offer roomy leather seats that double as sumptuous flat beds, ensuring you arrive refreshed and ready for anything. 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