Pitch (legroom), amenity, tech, and other factors are bigger for me. 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. We flew out to Las Vegas In premium on the Dreamliner . Originally from Australia, he is the primary points and miles writer for the U.K. site. The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is a stacked card with a rewards rate that will help you earn bonus points on everyday and business-related purchases. I went for the chicken lasagna, which was well plated and came with a vacuum-sealed bread roll, chickpea salad, and dessert. [flight_stats ticket-class="econ" review-stat-section="Ground Experience" tpg-rating="5" tpg-rating-max="10" tail="G-VLUX" age="0.08" departure="13" departure-2="49" duration="07" duration-2="19" live-tv="0" tailcam="0" headphones="0" comp-alcohol="0" extra-pillows="0" turndown-service="0" /]. Virgin Atlantic was one of the first airlines to introduce a premium economy cabin, back in 1992. I chose a Brewdog Lost lager with my meal. It was served with a salted-caramel clair, passion-fruit-and-yuzu macaron and a scone with clotted cream and jam. The card also earns 3 Virgin points per dollar spent on Virgin Atlantic tickets and duty-free items purchased directly from Virgin Atlantic. No tears in seat upholstery, no nicked corners or stained carpets. With the Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard, you can earn 30,000 bonus points (enough to book this flight) after spending $1,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening. Use this seat map to get the most comfortable seats, legroom and recline before booking. Wi-Fi typically costs 20.99 pounds (about $26) for the full flight. I think any seat width about 18 doesnt really make much of a factor. As someone who struggles to sleep sitting up, I don't fancy the thought of flying this on an overnight, long-haul journey to, say, South Africa. Virgin calls the kit the most sustainable in the skies, and it felt like it. 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. Virgin Atlantic offers 56 seats in a 2-4-2 layout on the A350, spread over seven rows. I arrived at my gate an hour before departure. Instead, I stretched my legs wandering through the modern and fairly peaceful Terminal 4. Premium Economy is found mostly on international flights and, compared to standard Economy, offers about 5-7 inches of extra legroom as well as additional amenities, which can include: 1-2 extra inches of seat width . The A350 has a slightly tighter layout with a width of 18.5" vs 17.4" and the same pitch of 38" vs 31-34". However, with each award ticket comes a hefty amount of taxes and fees -- in this case about $250. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. 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. The seat hadn't been cleaned properly, and I found crumbs on the leather upholstery, which is an issue I've found common across almost every carrier I've flown this year. 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. All three courses appetizer, main and dessert were served at the same time, and I appreciated that they expedited the meal service this way. I quickly noticed that there was no additional remote-control option, which likely helped to open up some storage space in the seat. However, if you have a choice, always pick the Boeing 787-9 in premium economy with Virgin Atlantic, which remains one of the best in the game. The answers yes. Your email address will not be published. The crew that worked the Premium cabin on my flight to London was friendly and well-meaning, but not overly polished. Many business class seats are circa 18-19 width. Virgin recently took delivery of two brand new Airbus A350 airplanes, which made for a perfect opportunity to revamp its onboard offering. The Loft is featured on seven of our A350 aircraft: G-VDOT, G-VJAM, G-VLUX, G-VPOP, G-VPRD, G-VRNB, G-VTEA. 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. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. The carrier uses two seating configurations on the type, and both outrank the 787 and the A330. Both aircrews were fine, the outward bound flight seemed a happier bunch. Hot options seemed to be carb heavy: rice, two kinds of penne pasta and what appeared to be a chickpea dish. Fortunately, I realized this before opening or touching anything and I was able to give the meal back to a crew member so they could serve it to the passenger who actually ordered it. Not least among them is Virgin's premium economy cabin, simply called Premium, which is available on the carrier's A330-220 and A330-300 planes, its A350-1000s, and Boeing 797-9. The aircraft showed its youth especially considering that we were parked next to one of the oldest aircraft in the airline's fleet, an A340-600 that was brought out of retirement in February 2018. We've replaced our Upper Class bar with a unique space to gather, grab a drink or dine with friends. However, the decisive factor will always be . The basic amenity kit contained an eye-catching, Virgin-branded red eye mask, earplugs, a sustainable pen and a toothbrush with a tiny tube of toothpaste. Bookings made by credit card or debit card no longer incur a fee. For example, the tray table and two drink spaces on the armrest were colored in a faux-granite design. For each of the seats in the cabin, the tray table ejected from underneath one of the armrests. Additionally, I was a fan of some of the small design features of the seat. It is flown by a mix of aircraft, but fortunately on my day of travel, an A350 was scheduled to operate the service. Beyond the hard product, Virgin Atlantic's service remains top-notch as usual. Note: some photos from this review are from a previous flight, where it was easier to snap the cabin. It will use 306-seat A350-900s, of which it presently has three. I arrived at London Heathrow's Terminal 3 about three hours prior to departure. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. Upon entering, I definitely got that new-plane smell. Virgin provided the standard premium economy headphones, blanket, and amenity kit on this flight, all of which were helpful (minus the plastic headphones). According to their website, in addition to the A330neo, Virgin Atlantic's current fleet includes the Airbus A350-1000, Boeing's 787-9, and Airbus A330-300. The entre was the exact opposite, a dense, cheesy, sloppy dish overflowing with rice. Offer ends 5/3/23. Not to be outdone, crosstown competitor Virgin Atlantic soon thereafter began taking delivery of its own A350s. Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly. My only minor gripe was the foreign language films. Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card. 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. shipping, 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases, Earn a free-night award each card renewal month (up to 35,000 points), Receive 15 elite night credits to jump-start status, Must spend $60,000 in a year for second free-night award. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. 2x points on all other eligible purchases. 31-3417.4: 45-71: 235: Reviews. I really try not to eat on planes and always aim to eat a healthy meal on destination time before departing for the airport. Is The White Lotus breaking up with Four Seasons ahead of Season 3? The cabin was arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window). While not a huge space, and definitely not enough to store a laptop, it was sufficient for my passport, AirPods and my phone. Virgin Atlantic has 56 Premium seats on both layouts of its Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. Terms and conditions | When I started blogging, I had one very clear pillar for what success might be. To me, the extra width is a massive bonus and I would always try NOT fly on a Virgin A350 in premium for this reason. While this is a lot, the high ceilings and straight sidewalls of the A350 give a sense of space, preventing it from feeling claustrophobic. The sunrise provided a gorgeous backdrop to the sleek Airbus A350 aircraft with its signature curved wingtips, standing ready to take me home to London. If you hate feeling groggy after a flight, youll absolutely love the Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350. I appreciated their high spirits for this early morning departure and they made me feel very welcome, but there were service gaps during mealtimes. While it was nice to have the screen out when I wanted it and stored when I didn't, I had to have it stored for taxi, takeoff and landing. I really liked the sturdy tray table that folded out of the outer armrest. However, one point to note is that dinner took a full two hours from takeoff to table. 2022 Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. All rights reserved.Registered office: Registered office: The VHQ, Fleming Way, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9DF On the A350, The Loft occupies the area in front of the door, giving all passengers a view of the social space reserved for passengers at the front of the plane. Boarding took place via two entrances to the aircraft: one for Upper Class passengers and a rear door for Premium and economy passengers. Your email address will not be published. Our story; Business as a force for good; Media centre; Annual reports; Visit delta.com to learn more. The Booth is featured on two of our A350 aircraft: Designed with love, built for the future.