Additionally, because I was in the bulkhead row, my inflight-entertainment screen could be ejected from underneath the armrest. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. 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. The minimum bid is linked to seat availability and how far out you choose to place one. All three courses appetizer, main and dessert were served at the same time, and I appreciated that they expedited the meal service this way. Just before landing, the cabin crew came around with a final treat: Swizzels Love Hearts. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway. One of the primary reasons to book premium economy instead of economy is to get a larger seat with more legroom. 2022 Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. All rights reserved.Registered office: Registered office: The VHQ, Fleming Way, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9DF 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. The cabin is comprised of 35 seats in a slightly staggered 2-3-2 configuration. Serving up a restaurant experience in the sky. Of course, in premium economy, you shouldn't expect Bose total noise-canceling headphones, but they could've done better than the economy offering. Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club program offers some tremendous value, Virgin unveiled its brand-new amenity kits, called "Goodie Bags. How Much Does It Cost To Fly Virgin Atlantic?, headquartered in Chicago, is the world's largest airline . Our partners compensate us. Virgin Atlantic advertises that premium economy passengers get "premium" headphones. 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). I headed to Gate 22 about 10 minutes before boarding was set to begin. Stretch out and enjoy every minute. By contrast, on the carrier's old . It consists of 48 seats in total; six rows in a 2-3-2 configuration, one row configured 2-2 and the front . Seating Seat pitch up to 38 inches Extra large leather seat Select Premium seat anytime. Lead Journalist - India - Pranjal is an experienced journalist with a strong focus on Indian aviation. Outside of the current welcome bonus, youre only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so its not a great card for other spending categories. Virgin partners with celebrity ptissier Eric Lanlard for a tea service as a prearrival meal. The A330 may be narrower than a number of other aircraft that also offer Premium Economy cabins, but the presence of just 3 seats in the center section rather than the 4 seats that you'll find on, for example, the 747, gives this cabin a good feeling of space. And these checked bags will hopefully arrive quickly thanks to priority baggage delivery. The layout of the seats on the A330-200 is not too dissimilar to those we've already seen on the -300 and the Dreamliner. 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. If you're looking to travel in style, this is the way to do it. That wasn't the case. Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, Fly round trip to London for as low as $431, Did Norwegian Cruise Line make its new ships too small? 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. The building on the left was reserved for Virgin Atlantic and its close friend Delta. . Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330-200 economy seat map (Image courtesy Virgin Atlantic) Best economy seats on a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350-1000. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Boarding took place via two entrances to the aircraft: one for Upper Class passengers and a rear door for Premium and economy passengers. Virgin Atlantic premium economy seats might be a tight fit width-wise on some aircraft. I tried a bite of it and didn't go back. In addition to the tailcam was a selection of 104 movies and about 140 TV shows, as well as games and videos that explored Virgin destinations. Premium Class. The cabin was arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration. Have you flown Virgin Atlantic in economy or premium economy? Additionally, I was a fan of some of the small design features of the seat. Even the extra-legroom Economy Delight fares get only one free checked bag. If there isn't one on your flight, then a selection of snacks will be available at the front of the galley. If you find discrepancies with your credit score or information from your credit report, please contact TransUnion directly. I quickly noticed that there was no additional remote-control option, which likely helped to open up some storage space in the seat. Premium Economy Class. The dish was absolutely lovely and roaring with flavor. 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. The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. The seats are wide, the drinks are cold, and the atmosphere is calming. The Premium cabin of the A330-300 is quite similar to the Dreamliner. Pranjal is enthusiastic about new aircraft types and has his stories regularly picked up by renowned publications including Forbes. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Enjoy 3 more inches than the rest of economy. 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. The Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9 aircraft features a three class configuration with 31 lie-flat bed Upper Class seats, 35 Premium Economy seats, and 198 standard Economy class seats. Here's a look at a menu from one of our recent trips. For one way, the points are simply half of the round trip. 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. My seat, 21A, was a bulkhead window seat, meaning there was no one seated in front of me. Whats the value of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points? Baggage 1 x 10kg hand luggage 2 x 23kg checked bag* Priority baggage delivery. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu. Upgrades for infants not occupying a seat will be charged at: Economy to Premium - 1,000 points per flight Premium to Upper Class - 2,500 points per flight Seat map of Premium on a Virgin Boeing 787-9 (Image courtesy Virgin Atlantic) Best Premium seats on a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330-300. The most recent Airbus A350-1000 that Virgin Atlantic took delivery of featured an all new configuration, intended for leisure routes. Find our best fares on your next flights to the US and beyond, with a fantastic choice of food, drinks, award winning entertainment and onboard WiFi. However, passengers report that these aren't noise-canceling. Here are our picks for the. 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. The Airbus A330neo will be the first aircraft in Virgin Atlantic's fleet with a brand-new Upper Class seat, a refreshed social space, and The Retreat Suite - the most . Passengers get a welcome drink upon sitting, usually sparkling wine or orange juice, and a paper menu to choose their meals. Here's our guide to whether you should upgrade from economy to premium economy on your next flight. Virgin only flies long-haul routes and as such, only aircraft able to fly long-haul routes. TPG U.K.'s Emily McNutt flew the product from London (LHR) to New York (JFK) on the A350 and noticed the two-and-a-half inches less of seat width is really quite noticeable and means the armrests are not really big enough for two to share. Less than one week before launching A350 service, Virgin unveiled its brand-new amenity kits, called "Goodie Bags." Learn more. So how do we make money? American Express has expanded The Centurion Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. If you haven't booked yet, premium economy usually costs at least 40-50% more than the economy fare. The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. These seats have built-in power outlets to charge your gadgets and are more spacious than any of the seats in Economy. With dedicated check in and bag drop, we'll fast track your airport experience. Virgin Atlantic's A330-900neos will feature 46 premium economy seats, in a 2-3-2 configuration. Step 2: Contact Virgin Holidays to confirm that your trip has been ticketed. Though these are the closest to the front of the cabin, the seats are right next to one of the main galleys on the aircraft. Depending on your route, an upgrade might just make sense. His background in political science and economics gives him unique insight into issues surrounding international travel and governmental regulations. 2022 Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. All rights reserved.Registered office: Registered office: The VHQ, Fleming Way, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9DF All of Virgin's aircraft are long-haul, wide-bodied jets. The premium economy 777 AA seats themselves are 19 inches wide - 2 more than AA economy, so a substantial difference. Earlier this summer, British Airways launched its first-ever A350 routes to Madrid before launching it on long-haul flights. Step 3: Call the Virgin Atlantic team to check for . Sign up and well send you Nerdy articles about the money topics that matter most to you along with other ways to help you get more from your money. Overall, the meal service was enjoyable and tasty. The best time to pay for an upgrade is on overnight flights. Sleep through a meal? Screen sizes vary by aircraft but this time the pattern is reversed from what you can expect with seats. Your first checked bag will run you $75 out of pocket, while the second is $100. The 787s (and A330s) represent a huge leap for us and our whole industry in improving our carbon footprint. Even though no one was seated next to me, if someone had been, it would've felt cramped on a long-haul flight especially the armrests, which were on the narrow side. They were flimsy and not noise-canceling in the slightest. The main difference is that these seats are newer than the Premium seats on all of Virgin's Airbus A330-300s and most Dreamliners. However, passengers can also choose to bid for an upgrade. 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"). Cookie statement | 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. 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. 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. I arrived at London Heathrow's Terminal 3 about three hours prior to departure. Each of the Collins Aerospace MiQ seats featured 38 inches of pitch and 7 inches of recline. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. We've picked the best seats based on the one that would be best for a solo traveler. . Features of the aircraft include: - 44 Upper Class open suites with partial sliding doors. Virgin Atlantic A330-900neo Premium. Or, if you're a Flying Club or Virgin Red member, you can use your Virgin Points to upgrade. But what was it really like? The first is that instead of the usual 2-3-2 configuration on most of its own aircraft and many other premium economy cabins around the world, the airline decided to go for a more tightly packed 2-4-2 config. Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card. 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. 5 best uses of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points, Virgin Atlantic checked baggage allowance, Virgin Atlantic premium economy amenity kit, Other aspects of Virgin Atlantic premium economy. Related reading: Virgin Atlantic reveals 5th A350 destination. If you want an undisturbed sleep and aren't too bothered about being near the front, then you should pick row 25. Included extras Upgradeable with Virgin Points Extra legroom seat Premium check in Priority boarding Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. Choose Economy Classic for the great value service you know and love, including 23kg baggage allowance, plus hand luggage and free seat selection. There were three lavatories in the Premium cabin, which I found to be a perfect number for the number of passengers on my flight. Disclaimer: NerdWallet strives to keep its information accurate and up to date. Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. I had a glass of the Casa Piero sauvignon blanc from Spain, which was bright and crisp. Austrian . Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club program offers some tremendous value especially on Premium itineraries. After working as a tax accountant for a decade, JT turned his analytical skills to points, miles and credit cards. Read more. 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