Waiting on my seat when I boarded was a wrapped blanket of an unusual shape — there was space for a head cut out at the top so it could be worn like a giant bib. with possibility to take this further: they proactively show they care about the passengers. I flew premium economy with Virgin from Hong Kong to Heathrow in May and had the best experience. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The Upper Class wing is quite different to BAâs First Wing and both have their own advantages. I’m a big fan of premium economy this year, as airlines attempt to sway passengers from economy with good prices. Horrible seats, Uncomfortable, narrow (apparently ,only 17 inches?) I’ve received menus in normal economy class on leading carriers like Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways, so I was expecting one in premium economy on Virgin Atlantic. 8.30pm OVERNIGHT flight. My assignment was to fly Premium (the name of its premium-economy product) to and from NYC — I picked one of the newer planes in the fleet for one direction and an older jet in the other in order to compare the two. i work in the travel industry and have only recently started flying virgin: i have experienced american and BA, the latter of which have some very tired aircrafts and seating… and the former having converted their main cabin extra small cabin of 4 rows into premium economy, taking away another perk for us frequent flyers or for people who could pay more to get better eceonomy seating and more legroom and a small quiet private cabin /. I settled on Guy Ritchie cult hit “Snatch” the follow up to Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels which passed the time before zzzz’s. “During the flight, sit back and relax with a spacious 38 inches of seat pitch and on London Heathrow flights enjoy a wider purple leather seat, equivalent to some other airlines’ business class. I arrived in Europe 9 days earlier via SWISSâ solid business class throne seat. This was a good experience. There was also an unwrapped pillow and cheap over-ear headphones that turned out such appalling sound that I quickly swapped them for my own. I liked the purple, though it did make the cabin feel dark even at midday. Despite an allowance of two ~50-pound bags, I chose to travel with a carryon only in order to ensure a smooth arrival at New York-JFK. As someone who struggles to sleep sitting up for more than 20 minutes at a time, I didn’t find the seat much more comfortable than a standard economy seat to sleep in, other than my knees not touching the back of the seat in front. The gate was a fair walk from both security and the lounge. I waited until final passengers were on board and then made my way, and was still able to store a full sized carry on roller bag directly above my seat. Even the food has shrunk, the meal tray is smaller than A4 now. Virgin Atlanticâs A330-300s have seven rows of Premium, mostly in a 2-3-2 configuration. From dropping the luggage at the down town check in(amazed this isn’t a thing everywhere else! In fact, revenue fares for my flight were over $2,600 round-trip. The flight was oversold, so there was little to no chance of getting an empty seat next to me in the Premium cabin. on other planes VIRGIN gives bulkhead pax a WEDGE to rest their feet on… which is brilliant: on other virgin premium flights I had turned the wedge on its shorter length which meant my feet were nearly at right angles: really comfortable.. Halfway through the flight, the crew passed through the cabin for a drinks run. 10 hour flight… well at least i wont have too high expectations, and i hope it will be delightful! A RED VENTURES COMPANY. While I was surprised not to receive a menu, I was very surprised when I was handed this: It looked like it had been dropped from a great height — everything on it was a mess. The area quickly filled up before boarding was called, around 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Even with a full cabin, the mood was relaxed and calm for both crew and passengers. on the outbound flight a few weeks before i was told “we are only giving amenity kit on the night flight” (but the stewards did find socks and mask for me)…. Virgin have removed the socks without publicising this: I was barefoot in sandals and a very condescending stewardess offers Me a blanket to wrap my feet in and asked if she should wrap my feet for me! Visually, at least, they were definitely a step above standard economy. If you want the best in flight entertainment, try to avoid Virgin A340 aircraft, which are a bit older and sluggish. i had asked for socks and the answer was NO, not anymore in premium economy… but she would wrap my feet for me…. I avoid it at all costs, especially on short overnight flights but having sampled Donal Skeehan’s new dishes, I think this is a huge improvement. ), AMENITY KIT is a joke: The 2-4-2 economy cabin is also receiving reupholstered seats. Be sure to use these facilities whenever you can, and if you happen to hold Delt⦠Messy food presentation, service gaps, limited recline and frustrating IFE touchscreen. I travelled to san Francisco from Heathrow with Virgin Atlantic, worst thing I ever did, no power on board, no inflight entertainment and when I complained, the staff said “we have more important things to worry about”, shockingly bad rude staff, one member of staff swore because she was fed up, she did later apologise and said she was fed up. The service I experienced in Premium was relaxed and friendly, but a little sloppy. I’ve had some fantastic economy flights on the likes Singapore Airlines, and with, say, an exit-row economy seat with a good crew, there’s not a big difference between Singapore economy and Virgin premium. Virgin charges reasonable prices for award tickets — especially during the off-peak season. Your email address will not be published. This was probably the biggest difference between economy and premium economy the entire flight. The scrolling feature barely worked, and when it did would shoot through the options far too quickly. The food also tasted excellent — especially the desserts. i sat next to a lady who had mobility issues: she too was upset there was no wedge offered as foot support for the bulkhead seats: she had gotten one on her outbound flight too and was expecting that on this flight too. That’s an additional 9 points on top of the 1 point you earn for these purchases. About 90 minutes into the flight, the main lunch tray was served. If it's the former then it appears all P/E seats have a window, if the latter then it appears 21A & 21 K do not have a window. I did appreciate that on this relatively new seat the adjustable headrests folded up and stayed up. I had a choice of a beef or vegetable sandwich. The economy seats are uncomfortable shell type, but worse, are at 30â pitch. The older Virgin Atlantic seats on my return journey didn’t have this strength, though. The Points Guy will not sell your email. Virgin Atlantic unveils brand new interiors for its A330-200 fleet with business class, premium and economy all getting eye-catching makeovers Virgin Atlanticâs A330-300s have seven rows of Premium, mostly in a 2-3-2 configuration. Worth It? I settled into my seat and was pleased to find a friendly looking amenity kit with useful accessories like an eye mask. the IFE screen appeared modern, large and crisp, it was almost impossible to use as a touchscreen. Terminal 3 was busy, as expected, on this Sunday morning, with various US departures all morning. she was short and her feet did not stretch to be able to rest on the wall… and she was worried her feet would swell. As with every other No1 Lounge I have visited in London, this was crowded, loud and chaotic. That’s not the point: the point is i am used to an amenity kit with socks… And then virgin don’tven e tell me in advance I won’t get it so i could bring my own!! Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Though there was some recline in the seat, I was still sitting mostly upright. Virgin Atlantic becomes the first UK airline to order the A330-900neo, strengthening partnership with Airbus and Rolls Royce; By 2024, the fuel efficiency of Virgin Atlanticâs fleet will have improved by 32 per cent and the average aircraft age will halve to just 5.3 years Had breakfast and then we landed. Virgin have become a budget airline! I napped for around an hour midflight. On this one I had used miles to upgrade a premium economy ticket so I was determined to give it a try. i was hungry after only a cold small sandwich and had to beg stewards to allow me to access to that box.. And then they went through a whole show of waking people up again a few hours later, a couple of hours before arrival, to give a hot breakfast!!! Starting January 1, 2021, earn 5X points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. Airbus A330-300 operated by Virgin Atlantic is used during the flights to East and West Africa, India, the Middle East and to the US East Cost. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. I know from experience that some airlines have menus already at the seats before boarding, even in economy, while others hand them out during the boarding process or after takeoff. !… Be sure to use these facilities whenever you can, and if you happen to hold Delta Gold or above, or Virgin Gold, you can also use Upper Class check in for even faster service. The cabin was full, and, as this was a short, daytime flight, the crew had a lot of work to do in a fairly short period. One thing I’d love to see: better pillows and bigger, more duvet style blankets. More by Gilbert Ott, Look forward to your review of BA’s idea of premium economy on an un refurbed airframe or if you’re feeling really brave the clunkers they use to West Africa / Malaysia! Virgin Atlantic A330-200 Premium Economy. I had Seat 20K, a window seat toward the front of the cabin. For this particular flight there was quite a queue for economy, but premium check in took no more than 10 minutes from queueing to boarding pass. Most annoying. Sign in. Many premium economy passengers enjoy the priority boarding and getting on early, but that’s not quite my advice. There were a few slips in the service flow, though: As they collected the last bits of trash from the lunch service, I asked for a drink refill. Learn More{{/message}}, Stay up to date on everything travel, with our handy newsletter, Review: Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy A330 On An Overnight Flight…. April 3, 2019. My first impression of the seat Virgin Atlantic A330 Premium Economy was that it was clean, well padded, comfortable on the back and featured a fast, sharp touch screen. © 2021 THE POINTS GUY, LLC. There were plenty of ground staff available as I entered the terminal, and they cheerfully asked which carrier and class I was traveling and pointed me in the right direction. Perfect!!! The rolls, while a decent size, were 99% dry, floury white bread, with a tiny sliver of roast beef and arugula filling. Virgin Atlantic sent me a press release last week to promote winning the TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Award for âBest European Premium Economy Product 2018â.. For this and two other reasons, I thought it was worth taking a quick look at how Premium Economy compares between British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.. We will be publishing the results of our âwhich Premium Economy ⦠Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Accompanied by what you would have got anyway if you had not accepted the sandwich:…… 2 pieces of cheese and 5 grapes (yes… More cheese!) half of it on brown bread with cheese and half on white bread with egg… I caught a glimpse of my plane at my gate as I walked through the terminal. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning over 200,000 miles a year and his travel exploits are regularly... There were no amenity kits on this daytime flight. The new airbus 350 has the worst premium economy I have experienced in a long time.The seats are barely wider than old economy.There is a SHARED middle armrest: ONE OF THE PLUS POINTS of premium economy was always to have a wide armrest enough for separate armrest space for each person. NO CHOICES AT ALL: “would you like a sandwich?” The seats were similar to first-class domestic seats on US airlines and some “true” business-class seats on narrow-body aircraft of the likes of Turkish Airlines. There were 33 different movies, and having watched the recent Academy Awards but not having had time to see any of the nominated movies, I was pleased to see several of the nominees. and that’s it…. I was in need of a return flight from Berlin to New York. The server responded with {{status_text}} (code {{status_code}}). Many of the credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. Seat map of the Airbus A330-300 (333) This version of Airbus A330-300 may transport 266 passengers in three classes: upper class, premium economy and economy. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. I hunted around the seat and seat pocket but couldn’t find a menu anywhere. Learn More. Great review though…at 6’4’’ these things matter! I use all four active terminals at Heathrow regularly, and Terminal 3 is my second favorite one to fly out of after Terminal 2, which is home to the Star Alliance. it has been cathartic … and I do hope virgin will do something to make premium better on the 350s. Apart from that, good review. WAS IT A JOKE: the food came on a tray… with china…. Ten minutes after that, I tried again and was ignored. As Virgin is a British airline, I opted for a gin and tonic and enjoyed the spectacular views out of the window. For this particular flight there was quite a queue for economy, but premium check in took no more than 10 minutes from queueing to boarding pass. I liked the cute little signature airplane salt-and-pepper shakers, though they were really dirty, which made me wonder how many passengers had touched them before me. Visually, at least, they were definitely a step above standard economy. 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. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. thanks for reading!!! Welcome to Virgin Atlantic. This review is a bit deeper than just this one flight though. The only options (given to me verbally, not on a wine list) were “red” or “white.”. Flying west across the Atlantic to the East Coast of the US is a quick and easy daytime flight, so there wasn’t a need for a lie-flat bed or an enclosed suite. Flying for first time on Virgin PE LHR to JFK and looking at middle seats for the three of us - wife and 14 year old daughter in Row 25. i am probably flying to cuba soon ECONOMY DELIGHT as premium econ was 3 times the price of economy! WHEN SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT WITH some OTHER AIRLINES they try and make it right… On our most recent trip to London, Sharon and I decided that we would save some miles and book tickets in Virgin Atlanticâs Premium (Economy) cabin for the flights. My first post here…. Virgin Atlantic has a great reputation in the premium-economy market, and there was plenty to like about the experience. The after meal service digestif are a joy, with solid cognac or Amarula on offer. a bit more incline, a few more inches, and dreadful food and amenity kit…. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). When I asked, the Stewardess told me economy passengers got a box (no tray) … with the same sandwich!! Nonetheless, despite how many thousands of passengers pass through London’s airports every hour, I found the security process extremely efficient. I sampled Virgin Atlantic Premium on a day flight, night flight and another night flight, and here’s what you need to know to make the most of your Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy experience at the airport, and on board. Boarding began with families and those needing extra time to board, followed by Upper Class and status passengers, followed by Premium passengers. Flight Review: Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy â Airbus A330 â VS6 Miami to London Heathrow December 16, 2018 rewardingtrips Leave a Comment Today Iâd like to share my experience of trying out Virgin Atlanticâs Premium Economy product for the first time. Pilot announcements were difficult to hear and understand because of a significant amount of static in the speakers. The Premium cabin was completely full. The seat pocket turned out to be the perfect size for my 13-inch MacBook Pro, as was the foldout tray table. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered. {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}Your submission failed. Flight Review: Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy JFK-LHR on an A330. ), to the staff on board, the ife, the food, I really couldn’t fault it!! Earn 75,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. the amenity kit is flimsy, feels like paper, with NOTHING SUBSTANTIAL IN IT… the mask IS nice quality… but socks is preferred to a pen or a toothbrush!… but actually all the above is the LEAST virgin can give in premium economy which costs substantially more than economy. FOR WHAT? well…MY RETURN FLIGHT WAS A NIGHT FLIGHT… BUT I STILL GOT NO SOCKS ) It would have taken a crew member all of five seconds to straighten the items on the tray, take off the plastic lids and hand it to me facing the right direction. I eventually managed to flag down a crew member passing through the cabin (from another cabin), who quickly fetched the missing drink. People want to be entertained. This was served in chunky white mugs rather than proper teacups with saucers. the attitude of the stewards was either indifference, or embarrasment: they said the FOOD is NEW (or lack of…) , and the PLANE is new, and the AMENITY KIT is new (or lack of…) and they would pass on comments.. I’ve never waited more than five minutes to pass security, and my travel day was no exception. It failed to connect when I first attempted (two hours into the flight) but when it did, it worked fast enough to upload images for an hour. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. The two bathrooms remained clean for the duration of the flight, and there were never more than a few minutes’ wait to use them. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. The PE link at the end takes you nowhere.A dead end. this time i was disappointed. Virgin Atlantic Airways | Flying Club - Virgin A330 300 Premium Economy Row 25 questions - Searched without finding answer. And stewardess had the audacity to say ah but you got served on China with real knife and fork!!! I was sad to see the cleaning around the floor of the seat was so lax, and there were gaps in the service flows, as, I assume, crew members had a rest and changeover period. VIrgin A330 200 are cheap retro fitted Air Berlin aircraft. Virgin Atlantic A350: Best Seats In Upper Class, Premium And Economy. apologies for its length but i wanted to get my comments out to the world! The cutlery was so cold I had to let it thaw before I could hold it. But given the flight operated during the day, it was certainly a comfortable seat to sit in. Virgin Atlantic has unveiled the first of four refurbished A330-200 aircraft featuring the carrierâs Premium seating and a revamped Upper Class offering. WELCOME OFFER: 75,000 Points Terms Apply. Considering the cost of the revenue tickets, I received excellent value using miles, even with paying the surcharges. The sparkling wine before take off is nice, and on this occasion I was offered a top up. I’d be happy to pay a small premium in terms of cash or points for the extra benefits, as I think it’s worth it for the most part, but wouldn’t go out of my way to seek this product over a leading economy carrier with a more convenient schedule. If you don’t have bags, being able to use the Virgin Atlantic mobile app to download a boarding pass is even better. Service was mostly fine and similar to the service I received in Upper Class on Virgin Atlantic. There was Wi-Fi available on the flight. If anybody can help that would be great :-) Flights Vacation Rentals Restaurants Things to do Post. Hello you. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Fortunately, there was excellent award availability using Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club — this flight cost 17,500 miles plus a fairly hefty $450 in fees, taxes and fuel surcharges. It was rated first for premium economy in the Skytrax World Airline Awards in 2019. In the seat pocket was the standard safety card, inflight magazine, duty-free catalog and motion-sickness bags. I’m 6’3’’, a fact I mention only to state that legroom is awesome here. After about five minutes of waiting, I pressed the call button to follow up — it was ignored. People want to sleep… Not be woken up to a Mediocre cheese (yes again cheese) omelette (yes… Eggs again) (or full english breakfast with egg! Maybe Netflix on demand? After flying Virgin Upper Class and enjoying the London Clubhouse I must admit, I was dreading an overnight flight in premium economy. Around 90 minutes before landing, afternoon tea was served, again from the trolley. When the price is right, which these days it often is, it can definitely be worth the added experience and little conveniences. Seat map of Premium on a Virgin A330-200 (Image courtesy Virgin Atlantic) Best Premium seats on a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350-1000. Earn 10x points on eligible purchases on your new Card at U.S. Gas Stations and U.S. Supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership. There is a TINY space to store things,… but nothing really fits in there and you have to bother your seat companion to move their arm so you can lift your tiny storage cover! 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com. They were stocked with Noble Isle products. i felt stewardess treated me as if i was making a fuss over nothing but i was barefoot in sandals and the cabin did actually become very cold… My ticket didn’t give me access to the amazing Heathrow Clubhouse, so I had to settle for the No1 Lounge, to which I had access thanks to my Priority Pass membership. FOOD: i too am not a huge fan of airline food, but i have eaten well before on virgin so i did not buy anything at the airport… BIG MISTAKE!!! PE deals link at the end doesn’t take you anywhere, buddy. Virgin Atlantic was one of the first airlines to introduce a premium economy cabin, back in 1992. Stay tuned for a full review of that lounge, but since lounge access isn’t included with a Premium ticket, I didn’t factor it in to the score in this section. Virgin Atlantic says that their A330-900neos will feature all three cabins â Upper Class, premium economy, and economy. and a knife and fork! *Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. As I always do, I boarded as late as possible so as not to spend one extra minute on a plane than I have to, and I was instantly impressed with Virgin Premium Economy in ways I didn’t expect. Receive complimentary benefits through American Express Travel with an average total value of $550 with Fine Hotels & Resorts® program at over 1,100 properties. As part of the preparation for TPG UK‘s launch, I had to do a fair amount of traveling between my home in London and TPG’s headquarters in New York. Without too much hassle I was able to plug in and unwind, only knocking my audio feed out of socket once or twice. 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