Looking ahead to brighter skies The seat featured the smallest in-flight entertainment screen Ive seen on any plane in Business Class, although the resolution was up to modern standards. Since passenger flying restarted in July 2020 the airline simplified its onboard service to minimise interaction between customers and crew. I flew from London to Delhi on a 787-9, which has quite a small entertainment screen of 11.1 inches (as does the A330-300). Upper Class fares can be priced from 1,000 return, which is a great price for the benefits you get if you break it down on a cost-per-hour basis. As per TPG U.K.'s Nicky Kelvin's review of the Upper Class Suite on the A350, you'll probably be happy with any of the seats you sit in on an A350-1000 as "there was really not a bad seat in the house, although Row 1 definitely had an edge, as its footwell was larger than in other rows.". Cheese plate Wensleydale with cranberry, cheddar, chutney , grapes and crostini. 1- When arriving LHR by taxi you check in at a private upper class area very far from the maddening crowd. I was much more successful on the return overnight flight, and it also reminded me how good the Virgin flight attendants are, something I had forgotten in the two years Ive been away. So, if you like to spend your time in-flight gazing out the window, then you might end up with a stiff neck by the end of the flight. Best of all was the area designed for sleeping/resting. Virgin Atlantic's A350 aircraft features one large Business ("Upper") Class cabin, which is located in the plane's front section. The tray table is excellent, and I think has been redesigned from the one on the first aircraft. Im Amanda, an Australian who has called London home for over 15 years. Once on board I was offered a choice of orange juice, Champagne or water. I have visited over 70 countries and love finding hidden gems, boutique hotels and great food and wine. Snacks are available after the first meal is served and until 40 minutes before landing. So my departure back to the UK was via Atlanta where Delta now steps in and "hosts" the pre-flight experience. Naturally, I filmed my experience for my YouTube channel: Virgin uses Terminal 2 at Manchester, which is a much weaker premium experience than its other bases at Heathrow or Gatwick. Virgin Atlantic 787 Upper Class, London Heathrow - Delhi (February 2021) Boarding began at 8.45pm, 45 minutes before our scheduled departure time of 9.30pm and, with priority boarding, it didn't take more than a couple of minutes to get on the Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 (which I've flown many times, pre-coronavirus). The cutlery was full sized and of course the iconic Wilbur and Orville salt and pepper shakers were present too with crew encouraging passengers to take them home. You also cant see out of the window unless youre in bed mode, or willing to risk a minor neck injury. different airlines offer incredibly varying products, A350 suite showdown: British Airways' Club Suite versus Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class Suite, 14 Airbus A330-900neo aircraft that Virgin has on order, 6 features that set the 787 Dreamliner apart from the rest, review of the Upper Class Suite on the A350, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. And lastly, it does make it awkward if you wake in the night and want to get up, since it is quite difficult to get up with the door shut, and opening it again while lying down isnt completely intuitive, or physically easy, though with practice it would become easier. And to make matters even more confusing, some airlines offer different products within their own fleets. The clubhouse has the most innovative and tasty offer in the world of business-class lounges. The wonderful Virgin Atlantic staff brought her up to the bar in Upper Class and got her a glass of champagne. Then again, in this situation, something like a quad suite in Qatars Q suites would be far preferable. The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. Onboard both aircraft, row A is the place to be. My expectations were high, but they were quite honestly exceeded in almost every way onboard. However, you had to be very careful not to place a thinner item here, as it would invariably fall into the wretchedly filthy area below. We also had the same. Virgin Upper Class Menu Virgin is almost entirely back to pre-covid catering now and the menu included multiple options for each of the three lunch courses. It definitely felt like I made a far wiser choice with the chicken burger, served with a packet of crisps and a chocolate cake. This aircraft has a total of 335 seats configured in three classes: 235 in economy, 56 in premium economy and 44 in business class. The crew were very happy to set up a meal for us here and commented that it was a great idea! Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. Virgin Atlantic 787 Upper Class Wilbur and Orville. Strangest of all was the proximity that we had to neighbouring passengers heads, that peered up over the very short walls of their seats. Jenny Southan reports As we predicted in our 2022 Travel Trend Forecast , Long-Haul Revival has become a major travel trend, with many people around the world finally able to book long-distance flights with . + -.Upper Midland Products [3PK] Candy Jars For Candy Buffet With Candy Scoops - 48 Oz Clear Gumball Candy Buffet Bar Containers Set Plastic Candy Display Jars With Lids Check out our party candy buffet selection for the very best in . Double-check which aircraft operates the route that you're about to book. Plus Ups are excluded. It isn't, however, completely flawless and the narrow footwells and the lack of storage space around the seat are going to irritate quite a few . Cellar selection of the day (there wasnt one). Entertainment screens are available on long-haul flights and wifi is offered on selected routes. Having said that, if the crew dont demonstrate this feature, in my experience, no one uses it, and certainly on our flights both to and from New York, one of which was a day flight and one of which was a night flight, I didnt see anyone use the door. If it were a newer plane, I would definitely take Virgin Atlantic Upper Class versus its competitors at the same price. We picked seats 5A and 6A, figuring that it would be a good idea to be neither too close to the galley nor too close to the bar. After spending my 20s and 30s as a Marketing Director who made use of every vacation day travelling the world I am now a nearly full time travel blogger who focuses on unique adventures in interesting places which end with a high thread count on the sheets and a decent glass of wine! The inflight entertainment system, the Zodiac Rave System from Zodiac Inflight Innovations (Zii), is very innovative, not least because there is no remote control for the system, so you either have to use the 18.5 inch touchscreen, or pair the system to your device. Special Diets Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Meals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Late Night, Drinks View all details meals, features Location and contact Heathrow Airport 234 Bath Road, Hayes TW6 1AP England Website +44 844 335 1801 Improve this listing Reviews (711) Write a review Traveler rating Excellent 571 I even prefer the Premium Economy in the 787 -but they are mysteriously not available on the same plane. Plus, your own feed of TPG content. Food and drink Whichever cabin you're travelling in, you'll enjoy delicious food and drinks throughout the flight. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Another major cruise line hikes drinks package costs sharply but there's a twist, Get more from your points with these transfer bonuses. While some airlines operate four classes on some of their long-haul jets, Virgin Atlantic opted for three: Upper Class (business class), Premium (premium economy) and economy. Suffered the same issue, booked with the promise of an upgraded A350, then got switched to inferior 787 with cramped coffin seats and almost no window view. The onboard bar and purple lighting are all well and good but ultimately do little to make up for the woeful seats. Thank you Virgin Atlantic! As of May 2022 this is still not something that British Airways is able to offer. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). 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. The bag itself is plain purple and can be recycled eg it isnt something you can keep and reuse, which is unusual for business class. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. Cabin service was non-existent on the overnight flight I saw people ring their call buttons to never have a FA appear. When I booked these flights they were scheduled to be operated by an A350 with a competitive product but unfortunately theres a huge chasm in seat quality on Virgin. The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. The cabin is laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration with all window seats facing the window and all middle facing seats facing the aisle. The bathroom was also very generously proportioned, with a separate seat next to the toilet. lLondon to JNB) I must say the flight attendants were absolutely fantastic. Once you are in flight there is a side table with two shelves above it, but thats it, really. Despite multiple attempts to connect, the in flight wifi just wouldnt work for me on any of my devices. Virgin Atlantic releases stunning new in-flight food options - this is the menu Starters include pear and Waldorf salad or smoked duck breast followed by choice of braised pork cheek, roasted. Related: How to pick your perfect airplane seat. However, this will only apply to a minority of the fleet at the moment. In Fall 2019, the long-awaited A350 started flying to New York (JFK) and is slowly being introduced to other destinations. On the day flight they were always available offering drinks and snacks, and on the night flight having had a good nights sleep (well, almost five hours, which coming back from New York is the most youll ever get), they were still serving full breakfasts 30 minutes before landing. Deltas new suite product (this one without doors) are a huge improvement over their old biz class product, and given the choice between Delta and Virgin codeshare flights, its Delta that wins out in every possible way. The Luxury Traveller is a luxury travel agency affiliated with Classic Travel. From the photos here it looks as if that purchase was the exact moment they also stopped hoovering and cleaning the seats. Upper Class passengers with Virgin Atlantic can enjoy a full-service meal in the lounge at the airport before boarding (the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at LHR is fantastic, by the way). This was the last time booking with Virgin Atlantic. The Retreat Suite can only be booked 14 days before departure on a first come, first served basis.