When it comes to planning your holiday with style and maximum comfort, choosing the right cabin class can make all the difference. If you're booking with Virgin Atlantic, you may find yourself weighing up Virgin Atlantic Premium vs Upper Class - two very different levels of service and luxury.
In our latest post, we'll explore the differences between Virgin Atlantic Premium and Upper Class, helping you decide which is best suited for your travel needs and expectations. Firstly, let's start off by clarifying exactly what Virgin Atlantic Premium actually includes.
What is Virgin Atlantic Premium?
Virgin Atlantic's Premium class (often referred to as Premium Economy) sits between economy and full business class. It enhances your journey by providing more space, better service and added additional perks without the full business class price tag.
With Virgin Premium, you'll enjoy an extra large leather seat with a generous seat pitch up to 38 inches, giving you noticeably more legroom than what is generally provided in standard economy.
The width of the seat can also vary, but this generally depends upon the size of the aircraft. On some flights, Virgin Premium can bring an additional 21 inches of space in width, though on others the difference over economy can be smaller. With Virgin Atlantic Premium, the seats also recline deeper than in economy and come with a footrest.
From a service and convenience standpoint, Virgin Premium gets you a dedicated check-in desk and priority boarding, helping to reduce queues and stress prior to takeoff. You'll also receive a glass of bubbly on boarding, an upgraded meal served on china plates with metal cutlery, and the option to pre-order from a premium food menu.
Two checked bags (each weighing up to 23 kg) are included, along with priority baggage delivery. Onboard extras include an amenity kit consisting of noise reducing headphones, and a good selection of entertainment screens.
However, Premium does have some limitations. Passengers do not get lounge access, fast track security or the fully flat bed experience of business class. Also, in larger Virgin Premium cabins, service can sometimes feel a bit slower because there are so many more passengers to serve.
In short, Virgin Atlantic Premium is a worthwhile upgrade over economy, offering more comfortable seats, better meals and priority ground service without stepping all the way into full business class with its associated costs.
What is Virgin Atlantic Upper Class?
Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class is its flagship business class offering. It delivers a truly premium travel experience, from ground to air.
One of the defining features is the fully flat bed. With this, your seat can be converted into a comfortable lie-flat mattress, in many cases up to 82 inches in length! The seat often comes in a private pod configuration, sometimes in a "herringbone" layout, giving you privacy and direct aisle access. There is also often an ottoman or side seat so you can dine or chat with a companion.
On the ground, Upper Class passengers benefit from access to Virgin's Clubhouse lounges, which offer upscaled food, drink, relaxation opportunities, business facilities, and much more besides.
At Heathrow and a few other airports, Virgin Upper Class flyers enjoy exclusive check-in through the Upper Class Wing and even a private security route, delivering a seamless experience before you even reach the cabin. This also includes fast track security, priority boarding and priority baggage handling.
In flight, Upper Class offers luxury four course fine dining, with options to pre-order, paired with premium wines and cocktails. Passengers often receive pajamas, premium amenity kits and superior bedding including a pillow, duvet and more.
You can expect a more attentive cabin service with fewer people per crew member than with Virgin Premium. The service is tailored to your pace. Another advantage is a more generous baggage allowance (often providing a few kilos extra per checked bag) and a more flexible hand luggage allowance.
It should be noted, though, that Virgin's Upper Class experience can vary somewhat by aircraft. On certain older aircraft, privacy or seat width may feel less generous than on their newest jets like the A350-1000 or A330-900, which sport quieter cabins and more modern layouts. Still, even on older planes, Upper Class substantially outclasses Premium in terms of comfort, luxury, and exclusivity.
Virgin Atlantic Premium vs Upper Class - Which Should You Choose?
Understanding the differences between these two cabin classes is key, and your decision on which option to go for really depends on what you value most in your travel experience.
If budget is a consideration, Premium offers a compelling boost over economy without the high price of business class. You'll benefit from more legroom, better meals and priority boarding, making long flights more bearable, particularly on daytime crossings. For travellers who want more comfort but aren't willing to pay over the odds for full luxury, Premium is a sensible choice.
However, when you're flying overnight, or if you want to arrive well rested and feeling like your journey was part of the holiday, Upper Class is the clear first choice. The ability to lie flat, enjoy a full dining experience, use lounges, skip security queues and immerse yourself in luxury from start to finish is hard to beat. If your trip is long and sleep is precious, Upper Class often more than justifies the extra costs.
Also consider how much time you'll spend in the air versus on the ground. If your connection times or airport layovers are long, access to lounges and fast-track security becomes more valuable. In that case, Upper Class gives you greater luxuries on the ground as well as in the air.
Another factor is seat availability and aircraft type. On some routes the Virgin Premium cabin may be packed to the rafters. On Upper Class, the experience might differ by aircraft as well - the newer fleets tend to deliver a better overall experience.
In short, if you want elevated comfort without paying business class prices and are okay with not having lounge access or a flat bed, Virgin Atlantic Premium is a solid choice. But if luxury, privacy, full flat beds, lounges, enhanced service and a seamless ground experience matter to you, then Upper Class is where you'll feel the greatest difference.
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