Maybe Netflix on demand? Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. WELCOME OFFER: 75,000 Points Terms Apply. After takeoff, crew retrieved footrest cushions from overhead lockers for those sitting in the bulkhead seats, as these seats didn’t have foldable footrests in front of them. I did appreciate that on this relatively new seat the adjustable headrests folded up and stayed up. Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. The A330 remains a great choice for both couples and families traveling in economy because of the 2-4-2 layout: But given the flight operated during the day, it was certainly a comfortable seat to sit in. Apart from that, good review. 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. The cutlery was so cold I had to let it thaw before I could hold it. "I believe all the A330's are now in a 3 class configuration." As if the blanket is going to stay in place. You could almost earn all the points required for two round-trip tickets in Premium just by applying for The Platinum Card® from American Express, which is currently offering a welcome bonus of 75,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. With such a small cabin and a curtain ahead and behind, there’s almost always overhead bin space available, even when you board last. 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. The PE link at the end takes you nowhere.A dead end. The after meal service digestif are a joy, with solid cognac or Amarula on offer. Gilbert Ott is an ever curious traveler and one of the world's leading travel experts. In recline mode I could fully stretch out, sneaking my feet under the seat in front of me without issue. I was surprised not to be provided with a menu at all. Today it operates a stylish premium economy cabin, branded as Premium, on all its aircraft. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Delicious food, solid inflight Wi-Fi and drinks on boarding. Your email address will not be published. You know what it feels like schlepping into economy — like you’re in grade school, being shuffled into a que one-by-one to board an overcrowded bus with zero personal space and extra germs. Seat map of Premium on a Virgin A330-200 (Image courtesy Virgin Atlantic) Best Premium seats on a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350-1000. Let the battle commence! 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. 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! Check out Premium Economy deals with Virgin Atlantic here. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). The bulkhead has a footrest that barely raises.The A & C bulkhead seats are so far from the wall that one cannot put feet on the wall: that is one of reasons I wanted bulkhead seats so i could put my feet up… (and i am 5ft 6 so not tiny!). Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Virgin Atlantic’s A330-300s have seven rows of Premium, mostly in a 2-3-2 configuration. Look for a “D” next to the dish to signify the new, slightly healthier menu options. The 2-4-2 economy cabin is also receiving reupholstered seats. 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. Upon boarding, a crew member passed through the cabin with a tray of orange juice, water and prosecco. Many premium economy passengers enjoy the priority boarding and getting on early, but that’s not quite my advice. 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. While alcohol was available on request, this being afternoon tea, coffee and tea were gladly accepted by most passengers instead. There was nowhere to put the plastic tray covers, so I ended up with an even messier tray as I ate it. I headed to Gate 13 about an hour before departure. I flew premium economy with Virgin from Hong Kong to Heathrow in May and had the best experience. (knife and fork for WHAT????). I’ve never waited more than five minutes to pass security, and my travel day was no exception. Around 90 minutes before landing, afternoon tea was served, again from the trolley. by joeheg April 3, 2019. 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. Even with a full cabin, the mood was relaxed and calm for both crew and passengers. The rows behind the front row bulkhead do have more legroom than economy, but not really a lot. I settled on Guy Ritchie cult hit “Snatch” the follow up to Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels which passed the time before zzzz’s. 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! 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. 10 hour flight… well at least i wont have too high expectations, and i hope it will be delightful! Horrible seats, Uncomfortable, narrow (apparently ,only 17 inches?) 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. The BEST Premium Economy Seats + Experiences... Virgin Atlantic award chart (U.S.-centric), Kauai's New 'Resort Bubbles' Reboot Island Travel, British Airways Launches 'Buy Before You Fly' Food With Tom Kerridge, Hot Deal: £1270 Business Class London To Seychelles With Qatar Airways, Don't Worry Y'all, 2022 Already Has A Nudist Cruise Scheduled, Korean Air Impressively Delays Points Devaluations To 2023. The sparkling wine before take off is nice, and on this occasion I was offered a top up. Everyone else must play nice, but not you, last row geniuses. I eventually managed to flag down a crew member passing through the cabin (from another cabin), who quickly fetched the missing drink. 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. 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. 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. Who knows? And stewardess had the audacity to say ah but you got served on China with real knife and fork!!! Though the IFE screen appeared modern, large and crisp, it was almost impossible to use as a touchscreen. Perfect!!! I settled into my seat and was pleased to find a friendly looking amenity kit with useful accessories like an eye mask. A flight attendant told me I could have beef lasagna, pumpkin risotto or chicken teriyaki. Flight Review: Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy JFK-LHR on an A330. {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}Your submission failed. There was also a footrest that could be set into multiple positions. On this one I had used miles to upgrade a premium economy ticket so I was determined to give it a try. FOR DINNER! 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.. While any lounge is better than no lounge, it wasn’t exactly a relaxing start to the journey. Best of all, while I don’t have a huge sweet tooth, the macaron and eclair were spectacular, some of the best desserts I have ever had, on the ground or in the air. 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. “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. After some searching, I found a sub-$1000 round-trip Virgin Atlantic premium economy fare from London Heathrow to Newark. Could we have some pictures of Food/Drink without Stock photos or promotional images from the airlines website? Aircraft G-VLUV, an 8-year-old Airbus A330, was the bird designated to fly me to New York. 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. The two bathrooms remained clean for the duration of the flight, and there were never more than a few minutes’ wait to use them. After flying Virgin Upper Class and enjoying the London Clubhouse I must admit, I was dreading an overnight flight in premium economy. Virgin Atlantic was one Delta partner I was dying to try out. 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 /. 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!! Worth It? People want to be entertained. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. 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! 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. Considering the cost of the revenue tickets, I received excellent value using miles, even with paying the surcharges. Messy food presentation, service gaps, limited recline and frustrating IFE touchscreen. with possibility to take this further: they proactively show they care about the passengers. Virgin Atlantic A330-300 premium economy 30 Sep 2014 by Jenny Southan BACKGROUND Virgin Atlantic operates a daily seasonal summer route to Chicago from London Heathrow until October 25. Though there was some recline in the seat, I was still sitting mostly upright. Virgin Atlantic was one of the first airlines to introduce a premium economy cabin, back in 1992. and a knife and fork! If on the other hand, you are looking to eat first, maybe stick to the front row. Inbox. 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. I liked the purple, though it did make the cabin feel dark even at midday. SO… to the SEATS: thanks for reading!!! 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 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. I caught a glimpse of my plane at my gate as I walked through the terminal. 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 Atlantic’s fleet will have improved by 32 per cent and the average aircraft age will halve to just 5.3 years Virgin Atlantic Fleet Airbus A330-200 configuration. There was Wi-Fi available on the flight. 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. WHEN SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT WITH some OTHER AIRLINES they try and make it right… Please view our advertising policy page for more information. I had Seat 20K, a window seat toward the front of the cabin. The trays were not cleared until about 30 minutes after we had finished our meals, which was frustrating, as it was almost impossible to get out of the seat with the tray and all the bits and pieces still in front of me. Visually, at least, they were definitely a step above standard economy. 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 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. Although my aircraft (and therefore the seat) was not that old, the seat pocket was both scuffed and dirty, making it look older than it was. I went for the teriyaki chicken. Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your Platinum Card®. 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. Virgin Atlantic and Delta have joined forces at Heathrow Terminal 3 as two of the dominant carriers in the terminal, and their joint check-in area is impressive. 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. Sounds like the lady who had a different experience should pay for a business class seat rather than premium economy….. Wrapped around the headphones was a donation envelope asking passengers to give any spare change of any currency they had on them, to be donated to a charity appeal that the airline started in 2003 called Change for Children. i just flew UNITED new york to vancouver roundtrip (business) and they immediately did ON THE SPOT compensation for issues i had on that flight: monetary vouchers, and miles…. Premium economy is the new economy, and for a day flight particularly, this is more than enough. Be sure to use these facilities whenever you can, and if you happen to hold Delt… i had asked for socks and the answer was NO, not anymore in premium economy… but she would wrap my feet for me…. I wouldn’t have thought to add peas to the side salad, but it tasted great and fresh. ), to the staff on board, the ife, the food, I really couldn’t fault it!! The flight was oversold, so there was little to no chance of getting an empty seat next to me in the Premium cabin. Again, comparing this to a leading economy product like Singapore Airlines, I doubt they would ever hand me a tray as messy as this. My first post here…. Visually, at least, they were definitely a step above standard economy. Delta and Virgin Atl… ), AMENITY KIT is a joke: 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!!! The seats looked exactly as I’d hoped: wide and plush with decent legroom. Even the food has shrunk, the meal tray is smaller than A4 now. 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… From dropping the luggage at the down town check in(amazed this isn’t a thing everywhere else! great… so whats on the menu?? Virgin Atlantic A330-200 Premium Economy. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. I liked the purple, though it did make the cabin feel dark even at midday. 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. Learn More{{/message}}, {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}It appears your submission was successful. Editorial Disclaimer: 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. The seat pocket turned out to be the perfect size for my 13-inch MacBook Pro, as was the foldout tray table. 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. A horrid flight, these aircraft are to be avoided at all cost. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. As boarding passes and passports had already been scanned prior to each passenger entering the gate area, boarding was quite a quick process. I’m a big fan of premium economy this year, as airlines attempt to sway passengers from economy with good prices. 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!!! VIRGIN economy delight is i guess like main cabin extra but with some additional seat pitch/recline as well as legroom… but no separate cabin. Welcome to Virgin Atlantic. a bit more incline, a few more inches, and dreadful food and amenity kit…. and that’s it…. I did suggest VIRGIN move those bulkhead seats a few inches closer to wall and people can rest feet on wall… AND other rows get an inch more room each!… especially as the footrest is only a few inches high, and they no longer a wedge ….. AND BRING BACK THE WEDGE! I arrived in Europe 9 days earlier via SWISS’ solid business class throne seat. The economy seats are uncomfortable shell type, but worse, are at 30” pitch. Your email address will not be published. Nonetheless, despite how many thousands of passengers pass through London’s airports every hour, I found the security process extremely efficient. Without too much hassle I was able to plug in and unwind, only knocking my audio feed out of socket once or twice. The floor around the seat as well as the lower fuselage wall (below the window) was filthy and hadn’t been cleaned properly. Learn More. I ate, watched half a movie, and then slept.. And slept and slept and slept… All the way back to Heathrow. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Ten minutes after that, I tried again and was ignored. The rolls, while a decent size, were 99% dry, floury white bread, with a tiny sliver of roast beef and arugula filling. Most annoying. Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. © 2021 THE POINTS GUY, LLC. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered. 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