VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS   Customer Reviews and Passenger Trip Reports

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VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS customer review :  7 February 2010 by D Finlay   (UK)

Delhi-London Heathrow Upper Class. Arrived at Delhi Airport on an internal flight from Kolkata. Beware it takes well over 75 minutes to transfer from the domestic to the international airport at busy times so plan for that. Effortless check-in with someone even writing my exit visa for me for Immigration. The business lounge is shared with several airlines, plenty of drinks but limited food. A good flight with attentive crew and excellent food. Flat bed makes an enormous difference. Luggage quickly available.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS customer review :  6 February 2010 by H Hargraves   (UK)

Flew economy from London Gatwick to Antigua. We paid an extra £60 for better seats as these had 3ins more leg room. What we didn't know was the inflight entertainment screens were broken on these seats and the row in front. We also know that a week later the same seats still had no entertainment screens working & wonder for how long Virgin was charging more for what were in fact much worse seats! It took ages to find a crew member who was remotely bothered, and after several hours we were given a portable DVD player (with a very limited choice of films) for two of us to share. Complaints to Virgin have still not resulted in a refund of the extra £60. They offered us some airmiles but they are not much use as I don't think I want to fly with them again. On the return flight we again paid extra, but it was a night flight and these extra leg room seats were right by the galley which was noisy and constantly lights on and off as they opened and shut curtains. Even though we experienced a lengthy delay, they stuck rigidly to the meal schedule resulting in dinner at about 4am and breakfast (if you could call a salty roll breakfast!) at English lunchtime. On both flights the toilets were in a dreadful state by the end, and had run out of paper towels etc.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS customer review :  2 February 2010 by Jonny Clark   (UK)

LHR-LAX, Upper Class. From using the drive through check in at their Upper Class wing, to the hair cut in the lounge, the pre-boarding experience was effortless. Champagne and a full breakfast later, my partner and I are headed to our prebooked seats on board, where we are welcomed, acknowledging our frequent flyer status. The service on board was good, cabin crew friendly and helpful - the food was a little disappointing, but snacks and other items on the menu made up for that. Priority baggage was adhered to and we were out of LAX in 20 min. All in all, a comfortable bed, great service, fantastic extras and looking forward to our return flight in a few days.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS customer review :  1 February 2010 by N Power   (UK)

LGW-LAS-LGW. Without doubt the worst experience from start to finish! Arrived at LGW to complete chaos at check in. Having checked in online, we expected to be able to drop our bags but had to queue along with the masses. One member of staff trying to direct all passengers at check in for numerous flights. Outbound TV screen didn't work and you cannot pause entertainment, food and alcohol ran out. Returning, the staff at LAS refused to check out baggage straight through to Edinburgh - again ran out of food and alcohol and attitude of staff was laughable. Having asked an attendant to take some rubbish away, I was told they had no room for this and I had to keep hold of it. When I asked for her name she raised her hand in my face and advised that she was not prepared to speak to me again - there was me thinking I was the customer!

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS customer review :  30 January 2010 by J Lastowski   (USA)

SFO-LHR-SFO. The attitude of most employees is that they don't care. They are obviously more cool than we poor peasants who fly economy. I have achieved highest FF status with Virgin, the singular virtue of which seems to be lounge access. I must admit the lounges in San Francisco and London are pretty good. On the other hand, priority for baggage does not happen. My lonely backpack seems to always find its way to the back of the queu every time despite its wearing a little golden tag. The flight attendants are barely able to provide service other than dropping off a meal and then leaving the tray for a long time. The food was edible if uninspired. The seats are probably standard but seem cramped and the personal video screen suffers from poor technology that leaves every movie too dark and with a "negative" like effect in corners of the screen no matter at which angle it is placed.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS customer review :  30 January 2010 by Ken Wilkins   (UK)

LHR to NBO and return. Although I checked in on line, bag drop and security procedures took just as long. Plane appeared nearly new with good AVOD system. Leg room ok for me being 6ft tall. Cabin crew polite, helpful and good with free drinks when requested. Coming back plane was older, no AVOD although entertainment plentiful, same attitude from crew.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS customer review :  29 January 2010 by David Standring   (UK)

Heathrow - New York. Tried to use the check in booths as you enter Terminal 3, however the 2 people we were with could do it okay - but we could not (even though it was us who booked the flights ). Eventually got seats booked, but sitting separately. I later found out from Virgin ground staff that this is done on purpose so they can move people around if there are a lot of children on board. Actual flight was OK, food was OK.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS customer review :  28 January 2010 by K Bennett   (UK)

The staff were pleasant and helpful but the outward journey was disappointing. We sat in the middle bank of four seats and the seats are the narrowest I have ever experienced. The details concerning the film were the wrong date so there was no information on the entertainment. The cabin crew announced that they were suspending alcoholic drinks as some one had been abusive and they were concerned there would not be enough for the return journey. The return trip was better, meal choices were limited. In the morning both options, wraps, contained egg which I cannot eat.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS customer review :  26 January 2010 by F Ceresa   (UK)

LHR-JFK-LHR economy. On the way to JFK, check in was ok. It was a morning flight, so offered a sandwich with mushrooms, it was so bad in taste that I couldn't eat it, and I am not a picky eater. When I opened my folding table the surface was greasy and had a really bad smell. I asked the cabin crew to clean it, but they don't have wipes and just used a napkin. On my way back, I had the worst experience ever. Firstly, I logged in the night before my flight to check in online and confirm my seat selection and it wasn't working. I get to the airport and I ask for an aisle seat in the two seat section. Apparently they were all booked and they suggested me to check in online next time - yes if only it works. After boarding I realise is just in front of the toilet. I ask to move seats if anything else is available and the crew doesn't pay any attention to me. The entertainment system doesn't work for the first one and half hour of flight, at which point I try to sleep. But people keep using the toilet, barely 50 cm from my seat, and towards the end of the flight the smell of the toilet was very strong in the aisle too. Icing on the cake was what they called breakfast. I could smell croissant heated up.. only to discover that they weren't for economy. I have been served a coffee and a cold out of the fridge cereal bar. Overall, a really below the average experience that I am not willing to repeat.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS customer review :  21 January 2010 by D Poole   (Australia)

SYD-HKG-SYD. Virgin Atlantic has lost its sparkle. Felt more like a LCC - HK based cabin crew not nearly as friendly as UK-based crew - just threw out drinks (one service on HKG-SYD) and meal (tiny and pretty inedible). Seats chosen at booking not available at check-in. Used to be my carrier of choice from Australia to UK, but will think twice about choosing Virgin again - too many cuts have made them a very average airline. Only highlight was HK Clubhouse (SQ gold card access).

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS customer review :  19 January 2010 by D Casson   (UK)

LGW-MBJ-LGW. It is some time since I have used Virgin Atlantic and only chose them because of potential BA strike. Check in LGW was OK, checked in on line which took an age and seat choice limited - even more so given plane was not full when we boarded. Boarding a farce. Service by FA's was OK. No inflight entertainment in our part of the plane Rows 20-24 despite attempts to reboot. Food variable, my beef was poor, my wife's chicken was OK. Sandwiches appeared which were okay. Several drinks runs during the flight. Return flight very poor, apologised up front for lack of FA's - 3 down on the flight. Waited 2 hours for food and a drink. Not much in the way of other service. Breakfast a roll and a cereal bar. Being over six foot economy will be very tight for you, seems to be more room on the three seats next to the windows on the 747. When you compare the food and service on airlines from the Middle / Far East, Virgin Atlantic compares very badly. If there is an alternative to Virgin Atlantic I would take it. I used to think of them as gifted amateurs, trying hard but not quite there. Now they are not there. I wonder when Richard Branson last travelled in economy.