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. Additional baggage allowance can be purchased at check in. Which airline's offering is better, Delta's Premium Select on the 767-400 or Virgin's . 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. There was the standard recline, the legrest option and a footrest option. Virgin calls the kit the most sustainable in the skies, and it felt like it. There was a neither-long-nor-short queue, but it looked worse than it was, and I was through in about five minutes. Virgin Atlantic is a quirky yet adventurous way to fly to London. Virgin's Premium Economy seat dimensions are 18-21 inches seat width, 38 inches legroom. Passengers can choose their seat online as soon as they book . Virgin Atlantic's A330neo will make its debut on the airline's Boston to London route in October 2022; tickets will go on sale this month. Whats the value of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points? has said it is developing premium economy seats. But what about the middle ground between the two: Virgin Atlantic premium economy? Included extras Upgradeable with Virgin Points Extra legroom seat Premium check in Priority boarding Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card. FREE TRIAL Sign In. Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club program offers some tremendous value especially on Premium itineraries. We plan to sit in Premium Economy. Cookie statement | There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. Virgin Atlantic premium economy gets you priority check-in, two free checked bags and impressive in-flight meals. However, passengers can also choose to bid for an upgrade. This information may be different than what you see when you visit a financial institution, service provider or specific products site. As in, my flight was just the aircraft's third commercial service. Because it was purchased with the Platinum Card from American Express, directly with the airline, the flight earned 5x Membership Rewards points, for a total of 5,165 points (earn 5x points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year). Premium Economy: Seat Dimensions. Virgin Atlantic premium economy passengers get a dedicated Premium check-in and bag drop line. See the Virgin Premium Economy experience in this review of Virgin Atlantic flight VS26 from New York JFK to London Heathrow. Seat map of Premium on a Virgin Boeing 787-9 (Image courtesy Virgin Atlantic) Best Premium seats on a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330-300. 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. Related: 3 reasons to fly premium economy (and 1 reason not to). This innovative aircraft joined the Virgin Atlantic fleet in October 2014. For my main, I ordered the vegetarian meal, asparagus and ricotta gnocchi with spicy tomato sauce, sweet peppers and broccoli. After a seamless bag-check experience and obtaining my boarding pass, I ascended the nearby escalator to the security checkpoint. All three courses appetizer, main and dessert were served at the same time, and I appreciated that they expedited the meal service this way. Find out how our Upper Class, Premium and Economy seats measure up, p to 27 inch touchscreen in The Retreat Suite*, Extra large, Leather, Extra legroom, Fully flat bed. Megan Lee joined the travel rewards team at NerdWallet with over 12 years of SEO, writing and content development experience, primarily in international education and nonprofit work. Find the right card for you. Elsewhere in the fleet, the main difference across the cabins is whether or not the view from the window is obstructed by the wing. Additionally, because I was in the bulkhead row, my inflight-entertainment screen could be ejected from underneath the armrest. However, this does not influence our evaluations. . Our Economy cabin provides brilliant service, great food and inflight entertainment. Virgin Atlantic bucks the trend here, letting you select your own seat for free, although they have recently introduced 'Preferred Premium' seating which reserves c. 30% of the cabin (typically . On board, Virgin Atlantic offers high-quality food and drink options, starting with a glass of bubbly before departure and continuing with meals served on real dishes with metal cutlery. Crew then distributed menus for the flight, which included drinks, main courses and the teatime selections. There are 56 seats in the cabin on both the Heathrow and 'leisure configured' A350s. We've picked the best seats based on the one that would be best for a solo traveler. Read our detailed review of premium economy on Virgin Atlantic's 787-9 here and on the A350-1000 here! One of the airline's values is to become the "most loved travel company who delivers amazing things.". Virgin Atlantic A330-900neo Premium. All of Virgin's aircraft are long-haul, wide-bodied jets. If you find discrepancies with your credit score or information from your credit report, please contact TransUnion directly. Still, Virgin Atlantic premium economy doesn't check all the boxes. If you're planning to check two bags, factor the cost into your decision between economy and premium economy. Considering the value that can be had for redeeming miles for a Premium experience on this route, the product is a huge step up from standard economy and worth it on a route like this, a seven-hour jaunt between New York and London. Premium economy seats feature lots of extra legroom, a deeper recline, larger in-flight entertainment screens and a footrest. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. A 46-seat Premium cabin is located behind the Upper Class section . American Express has expanded The Centurion Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. 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. These seats are referred to as Extra Legroom Seats. Bookings made by credit card or debit card no longer incur a fee. He published over 2,000 articles on The Points Guy before becoming a freelance writer. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. If you're looking to travel in style, this is the way to do it. Welcome to Virgin Atlantic. Sleeping. The leather seats are the biggest in their class: 21" wide (up from 17" in economy), with a 8" recline (compared with 5" in economy), and 38" pitch (from 31" or 34"). Virgin Atlantic's trademark burgundy Premium seats, with a 38" pitch remain, but they're accompanied by calf rests in every seat and a 13.3" touchscreen with Bluetooth audio. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Check here before booking an award fare. You won't get priority security or lounge access in the airport. Enrollment required. Based on TPG's most recent valuations, those points were worth $103, not a bad return. I found the amenities on the flight to be more than enough especially on a relatively short long-haul flight like London to New York. Or, if you're a Flying Club or Virgin Red member, you can use your Virgin Points to upgrade. This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. Just follow the steps below: Step 1: Check how many points you'll need. Related: 6 features that set the 787 Dreamliner apart from the rest. It's full of sweet and savoury treats - so take your pick!*. The headphones distributed were lightweight and insubstantial. Virgin Atlantic has you covered. The Virgin Atlantic Airways Airbus A350-1000 is the flagship of the airline's fleet (July 2019). At present, you can choose your seat for free from when you make your booking when flying Virgin Atlantic Premium. Learn more: Whats the value of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points? Flying is about to get even better - Virgin Atlantic has revealed its new Airbus A330neo, with a premium, personalised experience for every single customer. I liked the purple, though it did make the cabin feel dark even at midday. 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. Though there wasn't a ton of storage in the seat, I found there to be about as much as expected for a premium economy seat. I found the legrest and footrest on the bulkhead row to be useful. I tried a bite of it and didn't go back. Credit Card Companion Reward - as part of the Virgin Atlantic Reward and Reward + Credit Card, a companion can travel points free, but taxes, fees and surcharges are payable.You can earn a companion reward if you spend 20,000 in a year on the Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card, or 10,000 in a year on the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card. However, passengers can also choose to bid for an upgrade. It consists of 48 seats in total; six rows in a 2-3-2 configuration, one row configured 2-2 and the front bulkhead row, 18, only has two seats, 18A and 18C. Though there are some flaws in the product, such as a narrower seat and poor headphones, I found the experience to be well worth the cost. This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. And in this case, it was just about as good as it gets. 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. Then again, the catch is that Virgin Atlantic has hefty carrier imposed surcharges on award tickets, so you're going to be paying . Virgin has long been an industry leader in premium economy products, and this helps the carrier continue to make waves in offering a great experience for passengers in the Premium cabin. When not traveling, Megan adventures around her Midwest home base where she likes to attend theme parties, ride her bike and cook Asian food. Serving up a restaurant experience in the sky. This is only one less seat per row than the economy cabin. This handy table shows the seat width, pitch and legroom in each of our cabins. The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. In-flight entertainment: Virgin Atlantic boasts over 300 hours of movies and TV shows in premium economy. This kit contains the essentials: an eye mask, brush, pen, earplugs, toothbrush and toothpaste. Learn more. Taxes, fees, and carrier imposed surcharges apply to all reward flights. And while our site doesnt feature every company or financial product available on the market, were proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward and free. Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy Cabin. Depending on your route, an upgrade might just make sense. Our partners compensate us. Because my itinerary was booked shortly after Virgin put A350 flights on sale, award availability wasn't great. If you need to stay connected with friends and family or simply can't miss your next deadline, our on board WiFi is available from 2.99. The premium economy 777 AA seats themselves are 19 inches wide - 2 more than AA economy, so a substantial difference. 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. More than just offering extra legroom, these seats also tend to be wider than in economy. Related reading: Virgin Atlantic reveals 5th A350 destination. With 35 seats in total in a slightly staggered 2-3-2 configuration, the cabin is cozy and compact. The smaller cabin is quieter and the crew come by frequently to check in on travelers. But seats shrink to nearly economy sizes on the airline's Airbus A350 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. As previously mentioned, the IFE screen in my bulkhead seat came out from underneath one of the armrests. Enrollment required. 9. Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money. Virgin Atlantic's A330-900neos will feature 46 premium economy seats, in a 2-3-2 configuration. This cabin is also a win for the window-seat lovers, as six out of the 10 window seats in the cabin have views that are unobstructed by the wings. And the large premium economy cabins may lead to slow service. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. This was a brand-new aircraft for Virgin. Other aspects of the "soft" product are also improved, such as priority service in the airport, an amenity kit and better headphones. The large check-in area had dedicated lines for Upper Class/Delta One, as well as one for Premium and a large section for economy. 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. Ron says: March 5, 2020 at 3:51 am . The seat definitely felt on the narrow side. . - All Upper Class seats face toward the aircraft windows. Seats are 18-21 inches wide; recline 7-8 inches, and pitch up to 38 inches. On this count, Virgin Atlantic offers a more compelling product than British Airways. If you're feeling peckish during the flight just pop along to our onboard Wander Wall. This works out at just 62.50 per person per flight. United rolls out free fleetwide Wi-Fi for select flyers. During the course of the flight, crew members left out a small bin of chips and snacks for the taking in the galley. The seat had direct aisle access but the armrests couldn't be raised. Top picks: 20A, 20K or row 25. That also meant that I had extra legroom and a slightly different product than the rest of the cabin. The -200 offers a newer generation seat used by Singapore Air, while Virgin has its own comfy seat on the rest of its planes like the 787, A330 and A340. By contrast, on the carrier's old . The dish was absolutely lovely and roaring with flavor. You won't get priority security or. But what about the middle ground between the two: Virgin Atlantic premium economy? Accessibility | Virgin Atlantic premium economy offers an elevated way to fly across the Atlantic and potentially onward to one of the airline's dozens of overseas destinations. You'll find the largest, 13.3-inch screens on Airbus A350 aircraft, but only 10.5-inch screens on Airbus A330-300 aircraft. Virgin Atlantic economy is a perfectly fine way to cross the Atlantic, and the airline's snazzy "Upper Class" business class product is considered one of the best ways to fly to London. The main difference is that these seats are newer than the Premium seats on all of Virgin's Airbus A330-300s and most Dreamliners. Canadian tariffs. 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. Canadian tariffs. Shortly thereafter, it was time for tea service. However, Virgin Atlantic doesnt offer leg rests in premium economy. So how do we make money? 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. For shorter flights or those where sleep is not essential, Virgin's Economy Delight product offers the perfect middle path for customers, with extra legroom and priority boarding without a substantially higher price. More seats may mean more availability, but they may reduce the feeling of "exclusivity" in the fare class. From the pre-boarding experience in the lounge or Club House, to your spacious seat and bed during your flight, long-haul journeys will . The lounge also boasted shower facilities, though those were subject to an additional charge. Though the seat was on the narrower side, because I didn't have anyone seated next to me, it felt rather spacious. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. Select Premium seat any time: Select Upper Class seat any time: Width of seat: 17-17.9 inches: 17-17.9 inches: 17-17.9 inches: 18-21 inches: 20-22 inches: Recline: 4-6 inches: 4-6 . Each of the screens in the cabin, whether in the bulkhead row or in one of 48 other seats in the cabin, was 13.3 inches, larger than existing offerings with the carrier. Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Features of the aircraft include: - 44 Upper Class open suites with partial sliding doors. Meanwhile, the rest of the seats in the Premium cabin had just a pedal attached to the seat in front there was no legrest. Tried ++ times to bk premium econ, quoted 721.00 went to pay told 1700.00 then 2930.00 pp round trip, tried at airport 295 !! That said, there were significant improvements with this product, as well as design decisions that went a long way in terms of enjoyment. 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