Its inaugural operation was on the same route from LHR to JFK on Sept. 10, and it returned to London on the red-eye that night. In the evening, the Premium queue was even shorter than the one for Upper Class, and far quicker than economy, which was nearing capacity. Rich, custom leather seats with a generous 7 inch recline and high end finishes. The food, however, was a comedy of errors, including the wrong items being loaded for the tiny first meal, the messy, upside-down tray for the second meal (with someone else's special order initially served), the hidden tortillas and the warm beer. The Premium cabin on the Virgin A350 comprised a total of 56 seats across a single cabin. compared to the 787-9, for which I only had positive words last year, giving British Airways a run for its money. Well, not a joy for my hopes of a flat bed, but a joy to see the world traveling again. By comparison, Virgin Atlantic's A350 aircraft has 11.6-inch screens in the economy cabin. 2x points on all other eligible purchases. It was a fine, if unremarkable, flight. 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. Totally agree with all points here. The carrier uses two seating configurations on the type, and both outrank the 787 and the A330. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). I chose orange juice and coffee to go with it I did at least appreciate the sturdy mug the coffee was served in. Positioning itself as a luxury yet affordable . Though the seat was on the narrower side, because I didn't have anyone seated next to me, it felt rather spacious. This flight did not change my earlier thoughts that premium economy is currently overpriced across the industry. They are laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration across seven rows. (Photo by Emily McNutt/The Points Guy.) 3/1/2020, seat 22D. Additionally, the seats not by the bulkhead had upper and lower seatback storage spaces primarily for literature like the new A350-1000 safety cards. View the current offers here. As to the food, Im the worst person to ask. Premium Rich, custom leather seats with a generous 7 inch recline and high end finishes. Gilbert Ott is an ever curious traveler and one of the world's leading travel experts. It seems like its getting better so fingers crossed? 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. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). While it was small and thin, it was cleverly designed to rest with a rubber edge against the center drinks console, meaning it remained stable while being used. Pitch remains the same, but the seat did lose some points due to the standard footrest in front, which doesn't offer the most room to stretch out when sleeping. Floor storage for personal effects is not available for use during takeoff and landing. "Starlux is a premier global airline offering world-class service and amenities," said Nap Pieper, senior vice president of fleet, finance . Nonetheless, I managed to work productively for most of the journey to London, another advantage of daytime flights. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning over 200,000 miles a year and his travel exploits are regularly Plus, we all have different tastes, so even if I like something, you might hate it. Our newest Economy seats are designed with bespoke woven fabrics inspired by fashion houses. Going has found deals as low as $1,121 from DCA to London on Virgin Atlantic. 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. 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. It was definitely an exciting experience to see the shiny new A350-1000, registration G-VLUX, a three-year-old bird. The blanket was a deep purple with gold trim. The fleece material of the blanket felt almost worn, but I liked that the blanket had a special neck cutout, which made it easier to cover yourself in an upright position in Premium or economy. Photo: Pranjal Pande | Simple Flying, Boarding the A350 is definitely an experience. Included in the IFE system was an AvGeek favorite, the tailcam. Everything from nose to tail feels fresh, contemporary and new. Tip: Not well publicised, if you have the paid version of the Virgin Atlantic Credit Card, you can sign up for free Boingo WiFi to use onboard, unlimited. The screen itself was completely touchscreen, and, as you would hope with a brand-new aircraft, I found the responsiveness to be great. [tpg_rating tpg-rating-score="85" ground-experience="5" cabin-seat="21" amens-ife="12" food-bev="23" service="24" pros="Fast Wi-Fi, great crew, solid food and a fun experience overall." That small feature can make all the difference between a comfortable and uncomfortable flight. The breakfast offering took a noticeable hit. Flying from South Africa to the Uk in October 2021 my food tray broken when I told the cabin crew I was told we dont have the tools onboard to fix this problem economy class on my return in February 2023 I decided to check my seat and food tray and get comfortable food tray fine seat broken as I was told on my way out of Africa we dont have tools onboard I did not contact cabin crew needless to say when I could not put my seat in an upright position cabin not impressed with me my thinking was they dont have the tool to fix it Economy class not very impressed, I think a lot of people dont realise that Virgin actually shrunk the size of their premium economy seat when they brought out the A350. The Premium cabin on the Virgin A350 comprised a total of 56 seats across a single cabin. You'll earn 15 elite night credits each calendar year, and receive automatic Gold elite status. The A380 offers 8 seats in First Class, 78 seats in Business Class and 52 seats in Premium Economy. With an early morning departure and an evening arrival at Heathrow, these two meals were the only things I ate all day. My flight was on the emptier side, so most passengers who were seated in the middle section of four seats had empty seats between them. Though I didn't use it to sleep, I think it would have been more than sufficient. They can so a lot better than this. Just before landing, the cabin crew came around with a final treat: Swizzels Love Hearts. I did not realize until I had finished the meal that there were two small tortillas folded up in the foil lid to enjoy with the meal. While it was my fault for not realizing where the tortillas were held, I observed several passengers around me making the same mistake. Upper Class travelers (a cabin we reviewed recently too! I appreciated their high spirits for this early morning departure and they made me feel very welcome, but there were service gaps during mealtimes. The mozzarella salad was tasty and fresh, though the portion was a little small given how light the first meal was. Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. There was some issue with getting the service up and running to begin with, but once it was, about 45 minutes into the flight, it worked seamlessly. Virgin tends to release plenty of award tickets, especially in economy. 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. The Virgin Atlantic Airways Airbus A350-1000 is the flagship of the airline's fleet (July 2019). For larger customers it may well be a problem. 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. I found the footrest to be rather close in, but the added support was a huge win, especially on a long-haul flight. I flew LHR to JNB in August. Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card, Southwest unveils stunning new Hawaii-themed aircraft, How to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for maximum value, IHG Rewards Premier Business card review: The annual fee is justified. I counted 117 movies and 81 TV shows to choose from, including "Top Gun Maverick," "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" and "Sing 2." Tell us about your experience in the comments! Upon boarding, crew told passengers that to celebrate the launch of the A350 into service, Wi-Fi would be free for all passengers for the flight. The cabin was arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration. We've written extensively about the premium economy offerings on Virgin's Boeing 787-9s and Airbus A350-1000s in the last year. The best Virgin Atlantic economy seats on the A350 are without a doubt found in rows 45, 52, 53 and 54. 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. Though Sept. 11 wouldn't be the date of the inaugural flight, our thinking was the day following the first would be a more accurate representation of what the Premium experience would be like. By contrast, on the carrier's old A340s, 747s, 787s and A330-300s, Premium seats have 21 inches of pitch in a 2-3-2 configuration, though the 747 is also a 2-4-2 because it's a wider aircraft. Your email address will not be published. During boarding, the crew passed through the Premium cabin with trays of welcome drinks. It was served with a salted-caramel clair, passion-fruit-and-yuzu macaron and a scone with clotted cream and jam. We all know tray tables are plastic in economy and premium economy, and it's a small but noticeable decision for a carrier to either go with a basic plastic color or to add a little oomph to the aesthetics. For the month between delivery and its first commercial operation, the aircraft operated several test flights within the UK, mostly from Glasgow (GLA) to Glasgow, according to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24. This was a very large cabin for what is supposed to be a more exclusive product than regular economy, and it left me feeling like I was just another number at times. Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350-1000 Seating Chart Most up-to-date seat map 2023. I traveled along with my TPG UK colleagues Nicky Kelvin (Upper Class Suite) and Jean Arnas (economy) to test out the product myself on the aircraft's third-ever passenger flight. Although I didn't sleep or lounge at all on this flight, I did recline the seat just to test the comfort of it. Certain hotels have resort fees. They are laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration across seven rows. Virgin opted for the denser layout on the 350, resulting in some noticeable changes. Have you ever flown Virgin Atlantic in premium economy? Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Taking off at 7PM in New York, its already midnight UK time, so im desperate to conk out ASAP and did exactly that on this flight. I finished it only because I like Mexican food and was starving, but it wasn't visually appealing and not something I would serve a guest in my home. All three courses appetizer, main and dessert were served at the same time, and I appreciated that they expedited the meal service this way. Virgin Atlantic flies 2 versions of Airbus A330-200 (332 . Each has the same configuration. With its A350-1000s, Virgin Atlantic actually opted for a roomier arrangement with just 335 seats total. I didn't have much time to enjoy the lounge, but I found it to be a nice space overall. 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. We know the journey is as important as the destination. These seats cost around $2,370 roundtrip between NYC and London. Upon entering, I definitely got that new-plane smell. This time around, after flying the very luxurious British Airways First to the United States to film an all-cabin video review with the U.K. team, I decided on something a little more economical for the return journey. For a day flight, its a total no brainer. Inside were more environmentally friendly products, such as a bamboo toothbrush, a small tube of toothpaste, paper-wrapped pen, eye mask and earplugs. Cash fares in Premium on Virgin Atlantic currently start from $1,160 round trip, which is just over twice the price of Virgin's economy fares on the same dates. In-flight connectivity The A350s come with wifi if you choose to pay for it. Photo: Pranjal Pande | Simple Flying, Around 70 airlines will be affected by the strike. The beer I had with dinner wasn't cold, and setting up the meal trays with a little care before serving them would have made a big difference in the experience. Virgin Atlantic currently flies from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to its home at London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) four times daily, increasing to five daily flights from Mar. The drink was served with sour-cream-and-chive pretzels. My seat, 21A, was a bulkhead window seat, meaning there was no one seated in front of me. Review: How Good Is Virgin Atlantic A350 Premium Economy? As someone who enjoys spending as little time in airports as possible, I was happy to whisk through, enjoy a quick dash through security and hop on board. Virgin Atlantic includes premium economy passengers in the Priority boarding section, right after status holders and Upper Class travelers (a cabin we reviewed recently too!). 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. On the 787 -9, seats measure 21" in width vs 18" in economy and offer 38" in pitch vs 31" (34" in Economy Delight). 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