I had a look at the film selection and was impressed – it is a broad selection (clearly not on the scale of Emirates) and also well chosen. Virgin Atlantic's brand new Panasonic fully touch screen AVOD system JAM, is available in all classes featuring over 300 hours of on demand entertainment. As per Nicky’s review of the Upper Class Suite on the A350, you’ll probably be happy with any of the seats you sit in on an A350-1000 as “there was really not a bad seat in the house, although Row 1 definitely had an edge, as its footwell was larger than in other rows.”. The airline has spent some serious money on getting these suites just right, and it shows. These routes will boast the most updated, modern version of the airline’s Upper Class. The upside is that you can get some good photographs: I have flown airberlin twice in Business Class (reviewed here) and Anika has done it once (reviewed here). Regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a credit broker (FRN 690573). Each new Upper Class seat offers far more tray and table space, and much larger entertainment screens as well, not to mention direct aisle access. A New Experience In Every Cabin. This could mean that those sat in row 11 and maybe 10 and 9 might find passengers toing and froing from the Loft, and maybe being rather loud and chatty while they’re there. ... Upper Class cabins offer roomy leather seats that double as sumptuous flat beds, ensuring you arrive refreshed and ready for anything. If you are not sure which is the right product for you, you should seek advice. Upper Class wing check-in On all my previous Virgin Upper Class flights I had connected through Heathrow on ex Dublin tickets so I had never actually used the Upper Class Wing. Whether you're with us for business or pleasure, travelling in Virgin Atlantic Upper Class makes your journey something to look forward to. Upper Class can be found on all of Virgin’s aircraft, but the brand new Upper Class Suite is currently only on its A350-1000s. For example, seats 3A, 5A, 3K and 5K are called Solo Corner Suites, owing to the added feeling of privacy being farther away from the aisle. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. ), Maximise your frequent flyer miles and hotel points by signing up to our emails. Just returned this morning, flew Manchester to Atlanta return on the old Air Berlin/Virgin planes in economy and have to say it was not a pleasant experience. Miles June 13, 2018 Virgin Atlantic 3 Comments. Most of the time, the aircraft type will be written in the flight details while booking. They both have 31 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration with a bar at the back of the cabin. This move is a response to the engine issues that Virgin is having with its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. You can block cookies via your browser settings. VS4 was totally full in Upper Class with no tickets for sale. What makes it a unique Upper Class product is that these four A330-200 aircraft were purchased from Air Berlin when the airline went bankrupt in 2017. Virgin calls this a ‘solo corner suite’. The Virgin Atlantic Upper Class will offer three new experiences for flyers aboard their incoming Airbus A330-200 aircraft, including the “Love Suites.” Those in the front of the cabin will have their choice of connected Love Suites, the room of a Solo Freedom Suite, or the privacy of a Solo Corner Suite. In terms of comfort, the seats is more than wide enough. A330-200 Upper Class. Upper Class would be our method for costing the Atlantic via Atlanta. TOP HOTEL BONUS POINTS OFFERS (JANUARY 2021), Get exclusive benefits on luxury hotel bookings via HfP, How to get free hotel elite status from UK credit cards. They layout consists of a 1-2-1 configuration in a brand new cabin. The biggest change to the A330-200 interiors is that they will go from two class to three class, with a dedicated 35-seat premium economy cabin being retrofitted. There was a bizarre feeling of deja vu from this seat. Regular readers will know that I rarely bother with IFE and tend to use flights as an excuse to ‘properly’ read the newspapers and work through my magazine backlog. Virgin Atlantic A330 Upper Class cabin in the morning. We were swaying back and forth, and the angled seats meant that you feel it even more. A list of partners is here. Virgin Atlantic unveils A330-200 makeover in timelapse video The aircraft have been retrofitted with its premium cabin, while upper class and economy have received a makeover. This is a review of Virgin Australia’s business class offering on board its Airbus A330-200 aircraft flying from Melbourne to Hong Kong. The economy seats are uncomfortable shell type, but worse, are at 30” pitch. Airbus A330-300. I would like to subscribe to The Points Guy UK newsletter and special email promotions. Explore our fleet. Not only is it the airline’s newest, safest and most environmentally friendly aircraft, but it also boasts the newest, most comfortable and most modern airline seats of the entire Virgin Atlantic fleet. The rest of the flight was uneventful and we arrived into London Heathrow just a few minutes late. How do BA American Express companion vouchers work? While some airlines have chosen to cancel flights, Virgin Atlantic has chosen to fight to keep passengers on track, leasing four Airbus A330-200 airplanes to pick up the interim slack. The cabin received a complete makeover, including the fitting of brand new business class suites unique to the A330-200, the addition of a premium economy class section, re-pitched economy class seats, newly fabricated carpets, an upgraded IFE system, and modified lavatories. You’ll have to be flying on pretty specific routes to fly this unique configuration. And I've read widely mixed reviews of premium economy, with some people saying they actually got better sleep on on Virgin PE and others saying that it's super cramped if the person in front of you reclines. I've managed to secure an Upper Class ticket on Virgin's Airbus A330-200 that features a new Upper Class layout. This Virgin Atlantic A330-200 configuration features 3 classes including Upper Class, Premium Economy, and Economy seating options. For no particular reason I decided to spend the last 20 minutes of the flights watching the beginning of Paddington 2 again, which I do recommend. See, different airlines offer incredibly varying products, A350 suite showdown: British Airways’ Club Suite versus Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class Suite, 14 Airbus A330-900neo aircraft that Virgin has on order, 6 features that set the 787 Dreamliner apart from the rest, review of the Upper Class Suite on the A350. Virgin has put in a lot of effort given that we are only talking about four planes. Works with Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, The Ritz Carlton, St Regis and more. This move is a response to the engine issues that Virgin is having with its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. A list of partners is here. Add to scrapbook The Upper Class Experience Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. 1G to 8G are located in the centre with direct access to the right hand aisle. A couple of weeks ago we wrote about the refurbishment that Virgin Atlantic is about to undertake – at a cost of £10m – on the four A330-200 aircraft it has leased from the remnants of airberlin . Earlier this year, the airline added four Airbus A330-200s to its fleet, with “new” seats in business class. The major difference is that the bar on the A330 is perpendicular to the fuselage whereas on the Dreamliner, it’s parallel to the seats in row K. Related: 6 features that set the 787 Dreamliner apart from the rest. Early 2020, I flew with Virgin Atlantic in Business Class (or Upper Class, as it’s called by the airline) from London to New York. While this wasn’t my first flight in Virgin… Trip Report: Virgin Atlantic A340 Upper Class | London Heathrow to Atlanta - […] Class from London Heathrow to Atlanta would be our transatlantic segment. The Upper Class wing is quite different to BA’s First Wing and both have their own advantages. The seats are showing signs of wear and tear from the airberlin days. The blue leather used is almost the same shade as British Airways had on its short-haul fleet until the current brown was introduced. The planes are really tight on leg room and I’m only 5ft 4ins, old (it was rattling), not terribly clean and the toilets were terrible. I covered the Upper Class lounge provision, which is fairly woeful, at Manchester in this article. Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. There is, however, no shortage of overhead space as the A330-200 fleet has storage bins down the middle of the plane as well as down the sides. But why? (Photo by Daniel Ross/The Points Guy) And finally, the airline has four A330-200 aircraft with a completely different configuration altogether in Upper Class. Whilst this wasn’t the traditional Upper Class seat, it was the typical Upper Class food and service. These cookies do not store any personal information. Another note about the bed:  because this is not your standard Upper Class seat, you can make it into a bed by yourself using the at-seat controls. Virgin Atlantic has finally revealed its revised A330 Upper Class seating which has been redesigned in the style of the B787 product. Virgin Atlantic provides toiletry bags, even on day flights, with the usual bits and pieces from Rituals – nothing special, but handy for future trips and the Herschel bags are good quality. You’ll have to be flying on pretty specific routes to fly this unique configuration. Home . Another point worth noting is that service is generally started at the front of the cabin, meaning the farther back you sit, it could take longer for you to get those all-important food and drinks. Monkey Miles has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. As well as fruit the bar offered pastries, muffins and, surprisingly, hot dogs (in buns) and ketchup: Virgin Atlantic A330 Upper Class. What I didn’t fully work out, because I didn’t read the small print, is that this was only valid for text messaging from within a small number of apps. Upper Class. Virgin’s first ex-Air Berlin A332 with the brand new Upper Class and Premium seats is now flying Links on Head for Points may pay us an affiliate commission. All aircraft have been fully retrofitted with a new look and feel. Here’s a recap.Up front, the lovely Upper Class cabin now offers privacy seats nestled next to the window, and “love suites” in the middle, which are designed for star crossed lovers. If you’re flying Premium Economy, you’ll be able to visit our newly installed Wander Wall for the first time. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Lunch options were: Tomato and mozzarella carpaccio (picture below, this was very good). Editorial Note: The Points Guy UK is independent; the opinions published here are always those of the reviewer, who has final editorial approval. The suites, located in the center herringbone section, remained separate until cabin crew were requested to create the double space. Regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a credit broker (FRN 690573). Virgin Atlantic Airways: Upper class a330 200 - See 15,153 traveler reviews, 2,724 candid photos, and great deals for Virgin Atlantic Airways, at Tripadvisor. It seems that the Virgin upper class configuration on the A330 is sometimes criticized as the seats being cramped and narrow. There will be a new improved version of the existing airberlin seat: and the introduction of a Premium Economy seat, based on the one currently used by Singapore Airlines. Unwind and stretch out in this suite, just for you with easy aisle access. It is basically one locker per seat. When we test drove Virgin’s Upper Class seat, we found some minor niggles in terms of build quality. So, if you like to spend your time in-flight gazing out the window, then you might end up with a stiff neck by the end of the flight. Upper Class. Featured image by Nicky Kelvin/The Points Guy. Then, four coveted seats — 3A, 5A, 3K and 5K — are flush against the window for those all-important photo ops in the sky. The reason we suggest seats 2A-5A rather than starting at 1A, is because this seat looks onto the galley and therefore might be noisy and less private than if you sit a few rows behind. Is IHG Rewards Club the best hotel loyalty scheme? A horrid flight, these aircraft are to be avoided at all cost. We were positive about it although the obsession with sprout-based food always alarmed me! If you’re flying in business class, you want to make sure you’re sat in the best possible seat to maximise your travel. Virgin even calls these seats suites and went on further to come up with names for them. What makes it a unique Upper Class product is that these four A330-200 aircraft were purchased from Air Berlin when the airline went bankrupt in 2017. The first of the ex-airberlin A330-200 aircraft leased by Virgin Atlantic has been refurbished. Red Ventures Services Ltd is an appointed representative of Red Ventures Financial Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 803495). This is our review of Virgin Atlantic Upper Class on the A330-200 fleet. This being Virgin, there was also a cocktail menu as well as the traditional spirits and soft drinks. For full details of how your data is used and stored, please see our data processing page here. In premium, you’ll find the industry benchmark premium economy seat, which is the same offered by award winning Singapore Air, but with distinct Virgin Atlantic touches. Unwind and stretch out in this suite, just for you with easy aisle access. You can choose from two official Virgin Atlantic credit cards (apply here, one has a bonus of 15,000 Points): The UK’s most generous free Visa or Mastercard at 0.75 points / £1 Read our full review, 15,000 points bonus and the most generous non-Amex for day to day spending Read our full review. This is the ‘artists impression’ version of the current Upper Class cabin from the Virgin Atlantic A330-200 website which you can compare with the new seat image at the top of the page: Never in a million years can you get as smart a picture in real life! Click for details. Click here to see our recent articles on Virgin Atlantic and Flying Club and click here for our home page with the latest news on earning and spending other airline and hotel points. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. I ordered the scones and was persuaded to add a side order of Eton mess cake. Learn more on our About page. Rather than take an off the rack approach, Virgin Atlantic has given these new birds a uniquely “Virgin” makeover. AvGeek for beginners: How to tell Airbus A330s and A340s apart, How pilots keep their skills sharp during COVID-19 downtime. That can be hard, however, as different airlines offer incredibly varying products. Pics of : Virgin Atlantic A330 200 Upper Class Seat Map. Onboard both aircraft, row A is the place to be. Is Marriott Bonvoy the best hotel loyalty scheme? Towards the front of row K isn’t a bad second choice, the main difference being that the seat is less private and has a view of other passengers’ feet. What makes it a unique Upper Class product is that these four A330-200 aircraft were purchased from Air Berlin when the airline went bankrupt in 2017. Best Virgin Atlantic Upper Class seats on an Airbus A330-200 Top picks: 3A, 5A, 3K, 5K You’ll have to be flying on pretty specific routes to fly this unique configuration. However, Virgin Atlantic was well ahead of the curve with this trend, having introduced the commercial airline industry’s first double bed in 2004 when it fitted four pairs of double Upper Class Suites on two of its Boeing 747-400 aircraft. 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