Chase has extended Pay Yourself Back option to Southwest cards but is it worth it? Im Amanda, an Australian who has called London home for over 15 years. A lip balm, hand cream, and global protection day cream. As of May 2022 this is still not something that British Airways is able to offer. Virgin Atlantic has also added to its pre-order menu, where Upper Class and Premium customers can pre-select their inflight meals between 72 and 24 hours of departure. We also like there to be some flexibility to the service, so on many flights we offer 'Extra Bites' you can order at any time. The price is 21.99 for the entire flight, and it was reasonably quick. Skip the queues and experience an extra large leather seat with a seat pitch of up to 38 inches and extra legroom. It is divided into multiple areas for different purposes. It offers a host of additional benefits which add the most luxurious touches to your flight experience. I was on a day flight, so I didnt sleep but the linen was nothing special, nor were the headphones. The design of the cabin feels incredibly sexy, elegant and funky, and has a slightly futuristic look, almost reminiscent of what I feel a spaceship would look like. I couldnt help feeling that a redcurrant based sauce could have added a much needed dash of colour and acidity though. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). On this leg dinner (which was served around 11 am local time) was as follows: Tandoori Chicken bites with a cucumber, baby tomato and pepper salad, Barley salad with feta cheese, spring onions, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, olives, pomegranate seeds, and a lemon mint dressing. Toiletries were by Ren, a brand previously used in the suites and club rooms at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo. We had problems in the transit area of Delhi airport due to a lack of staff and a broken printer (believe it or not, the transit area at Delhi airport does not take electronic boarding passes). The inflight entertainment is good, with decent variation in the offers (300+ hours), but other airlines are offering a more extensive range. In Fall 2019, the long-awaited A350 started flying to New York (JFK) and is slowly being introduced to other destinations. There is also wifi on board courtesy of Inmarsat and T-Mobile, with is GX KA Band wifi connectivity. This was the last time booking with Virgin Atlantic. Which aircraft offer Upper Class seats? This aircraft has a total of 335 seats configured in three classes: 235 in economy, 56 in premium economy and 44 in business class (or Upper Class as Virgin calls it) in a 1-2-1 configuration of 11 rows (numbered 1-11) in an A-DG-K format. See a whole year of Reward Seat Availability on one page at SeatSpy.com, Hotel review: Canopy by Hilton Paris Trocadro. Not just 30 upper class seats but 44 packed in like sardines. Itineraries This A350-1000 has Virgins new Upper Class Suite fitted. Just flew the A350-1000 from ATL to LHR, 12/2/2022 will never fly Virgin again. Economy Light: Free at the airport or via online check-in, prior to the airport: 30 ($38) for standard seats and 40 ($56) for preferred seats. On Virgin Atlantic, the staff in Upper Class actually come to your seat and proactively ask if there is anything more you would like. On the 787, the video screen is quite small compared to most other planes and airlines, and the content selection is decent but not amazing. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). Virgin Atlantic Peak Dates Are: 19 June - 5 September 2021 15 - 26 October 2021 11 - 31 December 2021 1 - 25 April 2022 30 May - 5 June 2022 18 June - 4 September 2022 Hopefully you're clever enough to figure out that if your dates don't fall in this range, they're "off peak". At least in the UC wing you have some comfy sofas to sit on. But my friend who I was traveling with also had problems with them. Vegetable korma with green beans, pilau rice and paratha. Over 8 years later, Virgin are still flying an almost identical seat, when many airlines have private suites with closing doors in Business Class. Other than the shoe cubby, the only dedicated storage space was integrated into the left hand armrest and this was barely large enough to fit a phone and a passport. In addition to the bottle of water, we found an amenity kit waiting for us at our seats. Outside of the current welcome bonus, youre only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so its not a great card for other spending categories. This isnt something that particularly bothers me since airline beef is often cooked to the consistency of boot leather, unless youre flying on ANA First Class. In addition to the lack of privacy, the seat suffered from both a distinct lack of width and storage space. I have seldom experienced this, even in business class on other airlines. Virgin Atlantic 787 Upper Class chicken burger. Virgin Atlantic 787 Upper Class lunch starter. Kamara ordered the Mediterranean mezze, which much like my earlier main course, were awash in a sea of beige. Drinks and snacks after takeoff 3. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Virgin Atlantic 23 London (LHR) - Los Angeles (LAX) Tuesday, May 25 Depart: 2:30 PM Arrive: 5:45 PM Duration: 11hr, 15min Aircraft: Airbus A350-1000 Seat: 10K (Upper Class) I was first onboard and walked through the onboard lounge and turned left to find my seat on the starboard side of the plane. This aircraft has a total of 335 seats configured in three classes: 235 in economy, 56 in premium economy and 44 in business class. The wifi was a disaster both ways. Once the seat belt sign was off I walked to the back of the cabin to have a celebratory drink with some colleagues, and then returned to my seat to work. Credit ranges are a variation of FICO Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application. The seats are very narrow, lack storage, are devoid of privacy and are uncomfortable for sleeping in. It really is such bad business practice to pretend like all their business class seats are equally appealing. 35 Things to do in Vegas besides gamble, 29 Most Beautiful Cities in United States, Airline Reviews I then headed to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse in area H. I was quite excited as the Virgin Clubhouse has a very good name which I discovered was well deserved. The seats are wide, the drinks are cold, and the atmosphere is calming. We'll welcome you onboard with a chilled glass of Champagne or English sparkling wine. Food and drink Whichever cabin you're travelling in, you'll enjoy delicious food and drinks throughout the flight. They both have 31 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration with a bar at the back of the cabin. The seat featured the smallest in-flight entertainment screen Ive seen on any plane in Business Class, although the resolution was up to modern standards. It was a flight on Virgin Upper Class on the A340. However, this will only apply to a minority of the fleet at the moment. Virgin Atlantic 787 Upper Class afternoon tea. Virgin is almost entirely back to pre-covid catering now and the menu included multiple options for each of the three lunch courses. $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Best Spa Having said that, most people dont notice it and so ask a neighbour to help them if they arent tall enough. Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class Extra Bites menu also has some brand-new additions, including cream tea with fudge scones and clotted cream, salted caramel spread and strawberry jam. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. After spending my 20s and 30s as a Marketing Director who made use of every vacation day travelling the world I am now a nearly full time travel blogger who focuses on unique adventures in interesting places which end with a high thread count on the sheets and a decent glass of wine! Once we were on board the plane though, things improved. The bed width on both aircraft is 20 inches. A great selection of premium wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks can be served at your seat, at the bar, or in The Loft. So frustrated. After this meal it was time to get changed back into regular clothes but I kept the seat down in bed mode for as long as I could, so I could enjoy the views from the window, without the seat getting in the way. Such a shame that you arent able to guarantee the A350 on longer routes. The Upper Class Wing and Clubhouse still offer one of the greatest Business Class experiences in the world. Main meal Starter Mozzarella and tomato salad with micro basil and cress (v) Ciabatta roll with butter Main Roasted chicken breast, potato pure, sauted spinach, girolles mushrooms, Bourguignon sauce The IFE screens are tiny and the pull out arm digs into your body when youre lying down. And forget about arriving into T3 at LHR with any hopes of making a connection within a span of at least a 3 hour ordeal if you have to change terminals 2.5 hours to bus from T3 to T5 to catch an intra-Europe BA flight exhausting and stressful. Privacy Policy, Hi! This is followed by drinks and snacks (usually crisps) after takeoff. I figured that this would make for a much more spacious and sociable meal setting than sitting in my little coffin, watching a monitor the size of a gameboy. Thankfully, there are a few ways you can use credit card points and airline miles to book business class award seats on Virgin Atlantic's brand new A350 from JFK to LHR: Here's how many points you'll need: Delta SkyMiles: 85,000+. The A330-300 and 787-9 (which is what I was flying on for this review) have seat widths of 22 inches. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. The food was good, but I didnt find it to be very different from the food on Virgin Atlantic in premium economy and like many airlines these days, the serving sizes are not large. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. However, I was surprised to find that I could either sit completely upright or completely flat no halfway recline in between, which was quite annoying. After eating and working I tried to sleep for an hour or so but it was too noisy, which is fair enough since this was the first flight to New York on November 8, 2021. I find this process a significant plus. Once we were sorted, I told the Virgin Atlantic representative that he could make it up to me by getting my friend either upgraded or empty seats next to her. Privacy policy | A small snack basket had been set up but there was no permanent bartender or indeed much uptake from other passengers wanting to use this space. Thank you Virgin Atlantic! There is in-seat power for UK, US and EU plugs, and this worked once we were in the air, but the USB charging did not work for my phone, and so I kept swopping the power from one device to another as necessary. The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway. Prices vary based on the route, and there is often an offer for a limited time period and one for access for the entire flight. In a reversal of the simplification of its food and beverage service due to COVID, the airline is looking towards a return of some of the most popular elements of its Upper Class service. Passengers enter the cabin to find it bathed in colours including red, pink, orange, purple and blue. Secondly, its debatable just how much extra privacy it gives you anyone walking past can look down onto you sleeping just as they would normally. We had a very poor experience in the Upper Class wing last year, due to an issue with my wifes ticket resulting from the flight being rebooked due to COVID disruption. Cabin service was non-existent on the overnight flight I saw people ring their call buttons to never have a FA appear. the 2nd daily San Francisco flight having been switched from an A350 to a B787. They found her a seat in economy with spare seats and said she could come up to the bar in upper class whenever she wanted during the flight. After a quick refurb, the seats are up there among our favorite Virgin Atlantic Upper Class seats. Toward 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. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. - it is worth upgrading to Upper Class if you can afford the upgraded fare. Terms and conditions | We're talking three courses, an impressive selection . The bag itself is plain purple and can be recycled eg it isnt something you can keep and reuse, which is unusual for business class. We spend a lot of time, thought and effort creating our award winning meal service, with a painstakingly curated drinks menu to perfectly accompany it. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. It is worth looking out for deals and sales. The clubhouse is big much bigger than the average airline business class lounge. This seemed like more of an Economy Class snack; many airlines will serve a ramekin of warm almonds or cashews in Business Class. If they offered a complimentary flight change or even some kind of credit that would be a different matter. Find the right card for you. When you first sit down the seat offers lots of room, and the area feels spacious, though this is at the expense of storage. Despite the aggressively beige appearance, the food was delicious. Virgin currently only operates long-haul routes using wide-bodied aircraft -- each one complete with an Upper Class cabin. There is a bar in upper class on the Airbus 330 and Boeing 787. The Retreat Suite can only be booked 14 days before departure on a first come, first served basis. Main was a choice of one of the following: Pan-fried seabass, creamed mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables and a lemon butter sauce, Pepper chicken masala, carrot and beans poriyal, yellow dal and coconut rice, Kadai paneer, onion pulao, aloo saag and yellow dal, Black forest tart with berry compote and chocolate soil, The cheese plate included Emmental, brie, Danish blue and was served with grapes, mango chutney and crackers. The food is very good, the drinks on offer are excellent, and they have a bar. Had we been downstairs we or they could have walked over to the ticketing desk, but thats not possible from the Upper Class wing. Its a nice to have I guess, and we made the most of it catching up with colleagues, but it isnt the same as the bar and while I completely understand the economics of why the bar had to go (and before that, the on-board massage), its a reminder of the economics of air travel. There was enough room to slot a bottle of water between the grate and the armrest. The lack of a proper toiletries bag isnt great as is only having a flat or upright offer for the seat. Much of my work trip this time was in Kansas - I used domestic airlines Jet Blue and Southwest to travel within the US. Virgin Atlantic 787 Upper Class drinks service. The trays had a tablecloth integrated into them, as opposed to the crew setting a tablecloth directly on our tables. This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. There is also a QR code menu where guests can order food and drinks from their seats in the clubhouse on their phones. Having said that, I think the problem may have been my slightly old laptop. Here is my Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Review, including how it compares with the airlines premium economy offer and how it compares with business class on similar airlines. Kamara picked at a few things but noted that overall the dish was quite dry and not a patch on the mezze served by the likes of Emirates, Qatar or Etihad. The onboard bar and purple lighting are all well and good but ultimately do little to make up for the woeful seats. Hi! There is quite a bit of seat size variation across the different Virgin Atlantic fleet planes. In theory the Bluetooth on the aircraft allows people to sit together on this sofa and watch something on the big screen in front of them, but I cant imagine why anyone would want to do that, even if it was live-streaming a football match, but perhaps there will be occasions. Newer planes also have the Retreat Suite area at the front of Upper Class. A SEAMLESS TRAVEL JOURNEY Delta and Virgin Atlantic operate in the same terminal in LHR. 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