While Virgin Atlantic offered excellent service onboard my 787-9 “Upper Class” (business class) flight from London to Los Angeles, everything else about the product left me disappointed.
It had been four years since I had last flown Virgin Atlantic Upper Class. That flight was an overnight flight from Cape Town to London aboard an A340 and I liked just about everything about the flight. Most importantly, I slept well, though perhaps it was because I was exhausted more than anything else. Now I had the chance to try Virgin again.
I booked the flight using 75,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles plus about $500 in taxes/fees. American Express was offering a 30% transfer bonus to Flying Club at the time, so the ticket ended up costing me only 58,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points. While I hated the hefty out-of-pocket expense, this gave me a chance to provide a fresh review on Virgin Atlantic and check out the Virgin Clubhouse at London Heathrow for the first time.
Virgin Atlantic LHR Upper Class Check-In
I arrived at Heathrow Terminal 3 by car, but was dropped off in the general departures area rather than the dedicated entrance for Upper Class passengers. What I should have done is followed the sign for Upper Class check-in, which would have taken me up a private driveway and to a special entrance where I could have sat and enjoyed a cup of coffee or tea while my carry-on bags were screened.
I spent about 90 minutes in the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse – you can read my full review here.
About an hour before departure time I left the lounge and proceeded to the gate, a 10-minute walk. Boarding had already commenced by the time arrived. In fact, most Upper Class passengers were already onboard. I got stuck boarding behind a Lebanese couple that did not have the correct visa to enter the United States. Finally, after 10 minutes, a proactive agent led me and the queue behind me to the second desk to scan our boarding passes.
Virgin Atlantic 23
London (LHR) – Los Angeles (LAX)
Sunday, December 16
Depart: 2:35 PM
Arrive: 5:55 PM
Duration: 11hr, 20min
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
Seat: 10A (Upper Class)
Boarding the aircraft, I turned left and into the large single business class cabin, featuring 31 flat-bed seats.
Virgin Atlantic 787-9 Upper Class Seat
Virgin Atlantic uses herringbone-style seats across its fleet (with the exception of a few ex-Air Berlin aircraft). Unfortunately, these are the worst lie-flat business lass seats on the market. I find them to be especially uncomfortable in the upright position, making a daytime flight worse than overnight flight.
The seat must be manually folded over to be converted into a bed. The lack of partial recline is what makes the seat most uncomfortable.
If the most important thing in business class is the seat, then Virgin Atlantic is to be presently avoided. I didn’t sleep on the flight, though not for lack of trying. Part of the issue was I was operating on a full night’s rest. But the other issue was the warm cabin temperature: even individual air nozzles, which were present, did not make a difference.
The good news is that Virgin Atlantic is unveiling a brand new business class seat later this year. Let’s hope Virgin says good riddance to its herringbone seat.
Virgin Atlantic 787-9 Upper Class Dining
Meal service on this flight included drinks and lunch after takeoff, then meals on demand for the remainder of the flight. Here’s the food and drink menu for my flight:
Rather than mixed nuts, Virgin Atlantic serves potato chips (crisps) with the first post-flight drink. I appreciated the cocktail menu and ordered a mojito.
FAs set the table for lunch and I like that Virgin has not strayed from its iconic salt and pepper shakers.
I’d call Virgin quite stingy on meal service. Passengers were asked to choose only one appetizer, even though they were small and on many airlines you’d see all three come standard. It was a cold day and I ordered cauliflower soup, which was probably the best part of the meal. The bread was not fresh. Service was via cart.
I ordered coffee-rubbed beef filet for my main course because it came with red chimichurri sauce, something that can make a dry piece of beef taste good. Sure enough, the beef was very dry, but the sauce actually made it somewhat tasty. It was served with au gratin potatoes, cooked carrots, and cabbage.
Dessert comes before cheese in Great Britain. I ordered the rhubarb sponge pudding, which was served warm and was delicious.
Finally, I finished out the meal with a decent cheese plate.
The main meal was not exceptional, but perfectly acceptable. It was the next two snacks that were quite disappointing.
Snacks
About midway through the flight I ordered a cheeseburger off the a la carte menu. It was so terrible I just took one bite. The beef patty was dry and tasteless and the bun stale and cold. What a disappointment!
While disappointing there was no cappuccino or even espresso onboard (unlike the A340), the coffee wasn’t bad.
Additional snacks were available at the bar including corn nuts, chips/crisps, and gummy bears.
Before landing, I ordered afternoon tea. Once again, Virgin Atlantic seemed to be having a bread problem. The sandwiches were tasteless and frankly repugnant. The scones, thankfully, were acceptable (though British Airways and Aer Lingus offer tastier scones).
I did appreciate the tea menu and enjoyed a tasty peppermint tea.
So in short, Virgin Atlantic onboard dining was not terrible, but also not great. The pre-arrival afternoon tea was very disappointing. I was also disappointed that no hot towels were offered at any point of the flight. Singapore even manages this in economy class…
Virgin Atlantic 787-9 Upper Class Bar
One of the onboard amenities that is a staple of every Virgin Atlantic Upper Class cabin is a bar. I was seated very close to the bar and worried that passengers would congregate there and be loud during the flight. Thankfully (and oddly), the bar was left practically deserted for most of the flight. Perhaps that is because it was also unattended for most of the flight.
Virgin Atlantic 787-9 Upper Class IFE + Wi-Fi
Unable to sleep but too tired to work, I turned to IFE to help me get through the flight. Virgin Atlantic offers an excellent selection of movies, TV shows, audio, live news and games.
I watched The Power of One, which I have not seen since middle school. It’s such a powerful epic and remains a favorite movie nearly 20 years later.
I also greatly enjoyed The Children Act.
Noise-cancelling headphones are provided.
Virgin’s 787-9 aircraft also offers wi-fi onboard, which is ridiculously priced at 14.99GBP for 150MB. I skipped it.
On the wi-fi landing page was an invitation to take a survey in exchange for free wi-fi.
Oddly, when I clicked on the survey I received this error message:
Virgin Atlantic 787-9 Upper Class Amenity Kit
A Herschel-branded amenity kit was waiting on each seat and included lip balm, eye cream, and body moisturizer from Rituals, a pen, toothbrush, toothpaste, earplugs, eyeshades, and socks.
Virgin Atlantic 787-9 Upper Class Lavatory
Two lavatories are located just behind the bar. The forward lavatories appear to be reserved for crew use.
Virgin Atlantic 787-9 Upper Class Service
I know this has been a fairly negative review, but I do want to laud the Virgin Atlantic crew onboard my flight. FAs were charming, witty, and worked hard. I do not fault FAs for an uncomfortable seat or poor food; they must work with the tools they have. I appreciated that excellent service they provided.
CONCLUSION
We landed over an hour late in LAX in Terminal 2. I won’t be rushing back to Virgin Atlantic anytime soon, but it wasn’t a terrible flight. Still, I would have preferred any other carrier (American, Air New Zealand, British Airways, or United) on this route in business class. I know Air New Zealand has the same herringbone seats, but they just felt better padded to me. I’m happy that Virgin Atlantic will finally introduce a new business class seat later this year because its LHR lounge is on the best business class lounges in the world.
How do you find Virgin Atlantic Upper Class?
Dude you sound like a douche. It’s a lovely product.
It so remarkably terrible on pictures that I can only imagine how bad it is in real.
Are you talking about the mood lighting?
I couldn’t agree with you more Yea you. I use Virgin Upper all the time it’s the best airline other than Singapore or Qatar. I pay for my seats though. I have absolutely know idea who on earth would order three appetisers on a flight, although I’d Imagine they’d require a seatbelt extender. At one point I flew Virgin Upper Class three times a month London to JFK. The seats recline about half way and then you simply press a button and they fold into a bed. They even have a mattress topper with memory foam. If you fly on deeply discounted Virgin to Vegas or the Caribbean, they may have older seats, but they’re still fine. The food is standard business class fare, but they serve real champagne and cocktails. The cheese isn’t nasty and pasteurised like the American carriers. They have a ‘freedom’ menu. I don’t know who’d order a hamburger on a flight and consider it a decent option. I’ve had their pasta and curry and it’s quite good. The only decent food in the air is in true first class, the rest in ‘MEH’. I’ve flown almost every carrier for work, and hands down, Virgin, Singapore and Emirates are the best carriers. I’m American by the way and based in London. I avoid American carriers like the plague for transatlantic flights. Virgin’s service is fabulous and their lounges are as cool as any Soho House. The entertainment is fantastic, drinks plentiful, service smiley, mood well lighted, seats comfy and did I mention the free PJs, ice cream and beauty services in the lounge? Some people just like to complain a lot. I don’t know how a sandwich can be vile when there are three ingredients, perhaps I’m not as discerning. I’m just a simple broker.
I’ve flown Upper Class more times than I care to count and will always complain about the seat/bed. It’s very overdue for an update. I’m hoping they go with the same seat Virgin Australia now employs. That would make great brand alignment *and* provide a better experience for pax. The food, though, has always been spot on for me, especially the burger which is my go-to mid-flight snack. Perhaps you’re unlucky, or I’m just particularly lucky, when it comes to the soft product. I’ve only once seen the bar actually utilized as a bar, much to your point. It always seems to be a food/drink prep area every other time. The one time it was acting as a true bar, though, it was quite rowdy. Anecdotally, I’ve heard others mention that this happens only on all-daytime flights – ex-LHR en route the US East Coast – which jives with my experience LHR-ORD.
I know it’s been a fair few years since I travelled Upper Class but what happened to the on board lounge?
Wasn’t there both a bar and a lounge? Was there a roving masseuse?
That A 350 SQ premium economy looks more comfortable. I loved my 787 flight on DY (!); is the A 350 as comfortable a plane?
I have pictures of the bar in my report above.
Virgin uses the same crummy seat config they did 15-20 yrs ago. Why do that on a new plane. Made no sense to me. I don’t see anything great about Virgin Upper class but have taken it because it is convenient for me out of MIA. Right now Virgin has most of the 787 fleet grounded. It has been grounded for more than 1 1/2 yrs due to engine inspections. The MIA flight is still A340s. British air business class 777 sucks so Virgin seat is better than that. British First class on the 747-400 is nothing special either. Probably on par with Virgin Upper Class.
Over promise and under delivery is the norm with the Virgin brand wherever it touches. It’s always, for me, one to avoid.
At least you commented on the nice crew. Virgin crew in my experience are simply the nicest out there. I don’t want the Gulf Robots and don’t start me on American crews in general. Give me a VS crew over BA any day. The UC seat, I like it – but accept there is general moaning about it. I don’t think the majority will be retro-fitted even after the new seat is announced. Too many Delta people in the clubhouse now.
Walked by those same herringbone seats on a Delta A330 last week and it does look so antiquated. I’d much rather have the privacy of a reverse herringbone, even if it’s just superficial.
Did you find London safer than Saudi Arabia though?
Why do you always order beef on a flight?
I appreciate personal preferences etc, but need is almost always terrible on flights.
You do a disservice to the readers by not at least trying a dish that will have a chance of being less terrible.
I always order what I think will be the best choice. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Admit it, doesn’t coffee-infused beef filet with chimichurri sauce sound tasty?
Haha, I can see being drawn in by the description!
I’m not a huge fan of the overall Virgin experience, but I find that ordering the Asian influenced dishes normally ends up a winner (normally Chicken or fish) . They are better with vegetables than most airlines that cross the Atlantic.
That being said, I whole heartedly agree the afternoon tea is an affront to good taste.
I agree with your comments on the seats. I hate the openness of the VA cabin and the seats have NO padding, leaving this old woman with very sore joints after a trans-Atlantic flight.
Interesting, in that previous report you posted, you didn’t seem to mind the seat that much…
You mean the Air New Zealand or Air Serbia reports? You’re right. But I felt so uncomfortable on this flight.
For Virgin Atlantic (the one you provided the link to above).
https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com/2017/02/07/review-virgin-atlantic-a340-upper-class/
“Virgin Atlantic uses herringbone-style lie-flat seats in Upper Class in a configuration in which each seat is fairly private. It is not great for traveling as couples, but quite comfortable for sleeping. Some complain the seat feels too narrow, like sleeping in a coffin, but I did not experience that.”
“It was great to experience Virgin Atlantic and I would not hesitate to choose them again.”
On that flight, though, I just slept.
I beg to differ about the seats not partially reclining. Just notbtrue, they do! You can use the arrow keys to recline the back and get quite comfy without making up the bed. I do concur that they are actually hard and in need of padding. I also think you were unlucky with the burger, it’s usually moist and a tasty snack which is available on demand. I have a large appetite but have never wanted or expected three appetizers, so can’t relate there. In my experience, UC is superior to BA and many US carriers when you consider all factors, UC drive up checknin, fabulous lounge and spa, decent onboard food and entertainment and wonderful service. It also costs less typically than other carriers. Your review although appreciated won’t stop me flying UC, new improved seats will be a bonus though, I agree!
Maybe my seat was broken, but the arrow buttons did not work for me.
Probably worth looking in to if you’re reviewing it?
I found this article as uncomfortable as you found the seat..
Fairly balanced review based on my experiences of VS Upper class albeit some years go,there wasn’t any wow factor such as you get on the likes of SQ.
Maybe they’ll introduce the seats from the Q400’s since they’ve just bought out Flybe!
Matthew,
Pretty accurate review. I love the JFK & LHR Clubhouses, but the seats are long overdue for an update. You can request a sleep suit on daylight flights. These are proactively offered on overnight services.
Agree about the seats. They don’t recline enough to sleep (unlike Delta One) and having to go through the manipulation of getting them flat is ridiculous. Additionally, if you are not facing the barrier you are treated to the back view of passengers wrestling with the seat opposite which is often embarrassing (for them) and even in recline the opposite seats are much too visible for privacy.
Some time ago I flew Virgin Atlantic LHR-BOM. I was so impressed that I went out and bought 90,000 miles with AmEx points, looking forward to traveling with them again.
Since then I have flown IB, SQ, BA and other Business Classes, and Virgin doesn’t look quite so attractive any more. As you say, Matthew, service is good, and helpful. I was asked more than once if I wanted help converting my seat to lie-flat. What I do remember as above par was the clubhouse at LHR. Food seemed decent, although it was London catering, so any ethnic or regional specialities did not come out as expected (hard to believe since London has such large ethnic communities), One note: Please tell Virgin Atlantic that the Bodega Colomé vineyards in Argentina are at more than 3000 meters, not 3000 feet, as their menu states. Altogether a very helpful review — thank you Matthew.
The other thing that makes me crazy about the VA seats is that, unless you have your tray table out, there is no place to put your drink other than over your shoulder…
Did they offer PJ’s & slippers, Matthew?
No. Neither one.
Mathew – I am a very frequent Virgin customer.
Mostly agree with your review – Virgin’s London Upper Class Wing, Security and Lounge are the best.
I agree their seats need a big upgrade, they are narrow and uncomfortable and I have noticed that the Bar on the 787’s doesnt seem to be used much vs. A340 – think it is a lot smaller.
They don’t seem to have enough restrooms for upper class on the 787
Virgin FA as really excellent – I like the more relaxed style vs. British Airways.
They need to switch to Bose Headphones – the Virgin Ones Suck.
They do offer PJ’s on the daytime flights – you just have to ask.
Thanks for your comment! I am bummed out I missed the PJs!
Did you keep the salt & pepper pots?
Yes.
Virgin’s upperclass provides a true London Tube experience @ 30,000 feet.
Extreme social setting of seats ,to strike a conversation or peep over what your neighbors are watching. It is an unique communal experience.
Seats makes one appreciate ‘pigeon hole’ . It forces you to take a walk and while sleeping, the extra hardened bed gives nightmare.
Plan for an extra day off to recuperate,after traveling in Virgin’s Stiff upper class
I’m curious if “worst” includes the Delta 767? I can’t sleep in those and there’s no privacy at all. Any comments?
I love Virgin but Matthew is spot on. Seats too narrow and seem shorter than they used to be on the older planes. Seat into bed is a faff. But, a lot better than BA Club World. BA First too stuffy. And Delta beds like coffins.
My answer for transatlantic: The new United Polaris for work, Virgin for pleasure, when clubhouse + fun crew + bar make up for the seat.