Virgin Atlantic Airways Passenger Reviews and Customer Trip Reports

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I flew from Schiphol to Gatwick and onward to Orlando with Virgin Atlantic. I had a very pleasant flight and was looked after in a great manner. It was my first flight with Virgin, I have travelled a lot with various airlines and this was good.

Return trip from Sydney to Heathrow. I appreciate that travelling economy does not come with the lurks and perks of Premium economy or First Class but overall, very disappointed. Food was awful, entertainment screens were poor quality and I was very surprised at the lack of interest shown by the cabin crew. Sadly, I think that the personal attention to detail has succumbed to the big quid and it would appear to me that the airline, along with some cheaper competitors, has taken a big nose dive. I will pay the extra next time and fly with Etihad, Japan or Singapore Airlines whom I have flown with before, and who, regretfully, make Virgin look a cheap version of Aeroflot.

We have been travelling Sydney to London return with Virgin Atlantic for 6 years now. Our flight over on 23 March returning 5 May was like it usually is in Premium Economy but I do have to say the meals served were not up to usual standard compared to previous flights and below sub standard compared to those served by Qantas. Breakfast on all occasions could not even be eaten! Served on a plastic tray with plastic cutlery, the omelette dish was dried out and tasteless, a long life cold muffin that tasted like plastic. Coffee and tea is no longer served in a cup but disposable paper cups. On previous flights crackers and cheese were served with meals but not this time! However, we will fly with them one more time just to use our well earned frequent flyer points - but will take a snack on board to substitute the inedible meals. This is the first time out of 5 or 6 Virgin Atlantic flights that I have found the meals to be such a poor standard in Premium Economy. There was absolutely nothing "premium" this time. Very disappointing.

I fly Virgin out of the sheer convenience of an afternoon flight out of India and an arrival time close to midnight in the US and have probably done over 100,000 miles with them in 6 months. The noticeable thing is that their flights are becoming more expensive and, as a result, more empty. Being a Gold Card on Virgin allows you entry to their lounge but really nothing else! The food on my flight last week was truly lousy! They offer an Indian food option out of Newark but that is such poor quality that they might as well change that. Inflight service was just about OK, and fairly below average when compared with Asian rivals. Aircraft out of Newark was old (A340) and the monitors very poor quality. Connecting flight to Delhi from LHR was new (A330) and better IFE but food was just as bad! Being a Gold Card holder I did not get any upgrades on all 4 flights I took (I had Premium Economy paid for outgoing and Economy incoming). I'm seriously considering switching to United whose service is much worse, but at least I would get all the upgrades I need.

LGW to Cancun Apr 2013. We had a daytime flight in seats 62A + C. In terms of Economy these seats were good. The cabin crew member was passing through the cabin with the trolley and hit someone's leg because it was in the way. Flight back was ok apart from one extremely rude member of cabin crew who was more occupied with giving orange juice to premium economy customers than helping and letting us economy customers pack our bags in what can be described as the smallest overhead lockers ever! During the flight she told us to move our pillows on landing as they would be a trip hazard instead of taking them herself. Virgin flights and reputation are being let down by very poor customer service!

Took Flight 300 LHR to Delhi.Very poor service, poor food, and a giddy crew. Took 1 hour 15 mins after take off to get a drink - dinner was 2 hours after take off, not ideal on a 10pm flight, I'd even asked for it ASAP. Chicken and potato was a school dinner standard. Seat in upper class not good, no armrests not comfortable and very narrow. Crew made too many rambling announcements, must have been told "thanks for flying virgin 15 times" that was just in English. Will try Jet next time.

The interior of the plane was in terrible condition, my wife's TV screen stopped working and she was told she would just have to cope without it for the trip from Heathrow to Shanghai (fortunately it started again by itself an hour later), then she went through two sets of headphones before she discovered the headphone jack was broken. My first pair of headphones was broken also. Then there was the food! The "Fresh Salad" was frozen, and when my wife complained we discovered that is was not just ours that were frozen. My seat was also old and the headrest was partially broken.

Boarded at Heathrow to very unprofessional staff and was seated at the back of a jumbo on a flight to Newark. Before take off you are made to feel like asking for alcohol is a crime, when the food trolley came to us yet again on another shambles as they ran out of options, then told I should sit nearer the front. The food was awful and dry, I have had much better on low cost airlines, the TV's had to be reset for 40 mins the seats were tatty. It is so noticeable the cut backs they have made.

My daughter and myself flew upper class to JFK from Heathrow and back, in March 2013. Outgoing flight was fair, the upper class cabin / suite, was the old style, on a 747. Unfortunately, return flight was a night time flight, and the whole experience was awful. JFK airport was undergoing refurbishment, so all passengers were in the same queue for security etc. Upper Class lounge at JFK did not live up to the standard described - it was small, crowded, tired looking, and the choice of food on the menu, was very poor. Onboard (an Airbus), the Upper Class seating was crowded, cramped and the new style "suites," were so small and uncomfortable, it was hard to move, without knocking your elbows into the sides. Food was awful, with hardly any choice. Cabin was put into sleep mode approx. 8.30pm and flight attendants were not seen again. I had to summon someone, as my "bed", which should have fully reclined into the sleeping position, refused to go down further than a slight recline. Breakfast was a slimy bacon roll. I could have had all of this in economy, and been more comfortable, but, having paid for Upper Class I was incensed.

Return flights Heathrow to Cancun, Mexico. Flight was 10.5 hrs outward, plus an extra hour waiting on runway in a cramped seat with no foot rest. Take off 1.30 pm and meal served fairly promptly but no pre-drink as advertised on menu. Food was mean in size with one glass of wine served in a purple plastic glass. Why? This was a day flight so with 8 hrs left one would expect another meal. After about 5 hrs greasy sausage rolls in their cling film wrapping were handed out without even a paper napkin. Afternoon tea, served just before landing, consisted of two little finger sandwiches of cheese and pickle. Unbelievably dry - don't think there was any butter on them. Also a cupcake with horrible thick butter cream. Return night flight menu promised Italian salad - it was the usual bowl of boring lettuce. All up this was the kind of food you would get on a budget airline - cheap and nasty. There were no comfort bags offered, although I did see some around later - seemed a bit hit or miss whether one got one or not. Given a choice, I would never choose Virgin Atlantic again.

Heathrow-Boston-Heathrow in Economy. Overall a really disappointing experience. As someone who has always been very loyal to the Virgin brand I thought they were pretty awful this time. Two things stood out - I travelled on new A330-300 aircraft and without doubt this is the most uncomfortable economy seat I have travelled in. Not just the leg room (which is standard economy spacing) but the seat is rock hard and offers zero back and knee support. Sitting on a park bench for 7 hours would be more comfortable. Secondly - crew attitude. It was bad on the way out, slightly less so on the way back. Literally from the time they looked at the boarding card as you entered the aircraft it was "oh, economy". During the flight out the crew pretty much vanished except when they had to serve drinks and lunch. These aircraft had the latest video entertainment, but it's not up to much compared to the likes of Emirates or even BA on their newest planes. I have been lucky enough to fly Upper Class and Premium Economy within the last year (on Virgin) and they remain good products but if I find myself flying economy again where I could go BA instead, I will go with BA, who, while not without faults, are better down the back than Virgin.

SYD-HKG Upper Class. Check-in was fast and agent friendly and personable. Virgin Atlantic use the Air New Zealand lounge in Sydney which is looking a little old and tired. The seats are herringbone configuration and a little narrow but comfortable enough. Inflight entertainment is woeful, limited content and the system looked to be on it's last legs. No in seat power that accommodates a plug for a laptop only the old style connections requiring the specially bought adaptors. Food was pretty horrible and the afternoon tea and sandwiches prior to arrival were a joke. Cabin crew were helpful and efficient. Baggage was on the carousel by the time I arrived.

Boarded the aircraft at LHR and the flight attendants were in clusters speaking to one another. They did not greet or welcome passengers, neither did they assist passengers with storing hand baggage. While serving meals, again, the flight attendants on my trolley were forced to interrupt their own conversation to ask "what was it again you wanted to drink?". The size of the economy meal was ridiculously small. The service was inconsistent to say the least. Lots of slogans and cool packaging, but little in the way of substance. When I asked for wine with my meal, I was scolded "I did come round and offer you a drink with your meal earlier. I can get you one if you don't mind waiting". Feeling like a bad school child I said I didn't mind waiting - and wait I did - I'm still waiting. At least I didn't get a "mixer size" can of Pepsi poured over me like the unfortunate woman 3 seats along. The flight attendant was so busy talking to her trolley counterpart about who one of their colleagues had gone out with the night before, that she didn't notice the plastic cup she was holding was completely cracked. She proceeded to hold it over the passenger and pour the contents of the can into it which quickly sprayed out of the edges and all over the passenger. I was sitting in economy seats near the upper deck galley and became fully aware of how incapable the crew on this flight were. As well as dousing a passenger in pepsi, forgetting to collect the special meals from the lower deck and forgetting to heat 3 of the upper class passengers' meals, during the economy dessert service I did hear an "oops, we were supposed to collect the trays first" comment between two flight attendants, followed by a giggle. At one stage, the purser's tannoy announcement contained so many grammatical errors, she sounded like Eliza Doolittle at the races. The plane did take off and land safely in both directions of travel. Check in and telephone reservations service was slick and professional. The seat was excruciatingly uncomfortable with poor recline and a very tight 31" seat pitch. All in all, I remain a customer who only travels Virgin Atlantic when there is no other alternative.

Lagos to Heathrow. My seat was 53D. Everything was fine on the flight except for the in flight entertainment. Apart from the public announcements, my own screen did not function through the flight. I called the attention of some flight attendants to this and after one of them came round once to fiddle with the unit, she told me she was going to check if the problem was from the control panel but she never came back to give me a feedback. Thereafter it seemed they all began to dodge me and all the passengers on row 53 and 54 who had similar problem. This denied me the pleasure of in light entertainment especially the flight progress which I usually enjoy during air travel.

JFK - LHR roundtrip with Virgin Atlantic. I read the reviews on this website, saw many people were disapointed with Virgin Atlantic, chose to ignore them as "It can't be that bad". Well, all reviews are true ... "It is that bad". Pro: friendly and professional staff. Cons: Economy seats are the smallest I have ever seen, food worst I have ever had on an airplane, Entertainment needs updating as TVs are 20 years old, and drinks were extremely limited (barely had 2 glasses of wine). For the same price I recommend a different airline (Lufthansa is my favorite but United/Delta aren't too bad). At least you're guaranteed better food and drinks!

Travelled on the new Little Red domestic service from Aberdeen to London Heathrow in April. Overall a very good experience and I am pleased that some element of competition has been introduced to this route. There was no queue for check-in. Check-in assistant helpful. Boarding relatively efficient despite limited seating and gate space at Aberdeen Airport. Cabin crew pleasant and the pilot kept us informed during the flight. Bar service offered which included alcohol and light snacks - the refreshments on offer are broadly comparable with BA short-haul/domestic. The cabin had coloured lighting and use of the virgin branding. Only criticism would be what appeared to be limited leg room (it appeared to be more of a tight fit than my BA flight the day before). I hold status with BA but I would use this service instead when it is considerably cheaper (it was less than half the price on the date booked). The flight was only a third full and I hope this high level of service will be sustained.

EWR-LHR-BOM and back. Upper Class. They try their best, and these days it makes a difference. Found seating to be private enough, meals to be appetizing enough, staff friendly enough, and journey uneventful and timely enough. Even though BOM-EWR had a problem with the plane and we missed the connection to NYC, we have to realize they try their best and I found that effort to be very much evident. Only thing they can do better is to upgrade their seats to fully flat with a touch of a button - right now you have to get up and the attendant makes the bed.

Travelled to Antigua on 12th April and returned on 19th April. It was hard to fault the outbound flight. We had immediate boarding at Gatwick followed by a glass of Champagne as we waited to leave. We found the cabin crew to be helpful and efficient and enjoyed the inflight entertainment. Although we have had better food in the past, it was perfectly adequate. Plenty of drinks which were replenished by the stewardess without us having to ask. The service on the return flight was a little more hurried although this does seem to be the norm these days. However, all in all, we think Virgin have got their Premium Economy package just about right and we would not hesitate to use them again or recommend them to family and friends.

What has happened to Virgin Atlantic? Had exceptional service until the last 2 trips where service was very poor - staff sullen bordering on being rude. Food portions reduced and diabolical. LGW-MCO 3rd April return 17th April. Had requested 2 child meals for my grandchildren, which were disgusting. Asked for another meal explaining food was inedible to be told there was no more. Food on journey home was just as bad. Virgin Atlantic have lost the plot in trying to save money at the expense of passengers. Have they forgotten that it's paying passengers that keep them in the skies.

Just returned from Orlando - last time on a Virgin plane was 18 yrs ago. Biggest change was the stewardesses. Their attitude to their job has gone downhill in this time - before the were attentive, chatty and helpful, it seems now that passengers are a nuisance to be dealt with. The entertainment was great and made the flight pass quickly, the blankets, sleeping mask, comfort pack and kids pack show that Virgin want to offer a bit more, but they need to look at how their staff act onboard. On both outgoing and inward flights the stewards seem a lot friendlier and more helpful than the stewardesses.

My family and I bought 5 Upper Class return tickets from LHR to JFK. On the way back at check in at JFK back we were told that we were being placed in a "sleep zone" and that we would a) not be able to be served food b) have to be quiet as soon as the plane took off and c) even though we had not asked to be placed here, and indeed hadn't heard anything about it until check in, we would not be able to change our seats. Given that we have 3 young boys aged 4, 6 and 9 this seemed crazy as we would have 3 hungry, noisy children in the quiet zone. And why should we have to pay for a full business class fare if we are not allowed to enjoy the whole service. Will never travel Virgin again.

Flew Orlando to Manchester, 16th April, 8.20pm flight. Plenty of drinks offered, both alcohol, water and fruit juice. Hot chocolate offered with tea and coffee. IFE very comprehensive with lots of TV shows, films and games. Have been flying with Virgin for a few years now. They had gone off the boil a bit, but in my opinion, are back up there again. Mentioned to stewardess that it was my grandsons birthday and the captain announced it and wished him happy birthday just before we landed. Flight on time, as was flight out. I will definitely be staying with Virgin if they keep this up.

LHR-LAX in Premium Economy. The plane standard was excellent! The staff were not in the best mood, but it was acceptable. Value for money on Virgin Atlantic is very good, except for one thing! The Entertainment is the same, as in economy. I do expect more than VGA resolution, on a +10 hours flight, in Premium Economy!

Flew LHR-DXB using Virgin for the first time. I had previously flown Emirates, so was slightly apprehensive that this would not be as good. The service provided by the crew was excellent both going out and on the return. The cabin staff were attentive, polite and chatty. The food, which I had led to believe was disappointing, was very nice and served in abundance on the return home. I would not hesitate to fly Virgin again and would thoroughly recommend it, especially as it was the cheapest option at the time I booked.

We (party of 4) first travelled from London Heathrow to San Francisco on the Boeing 747-400 named 'Lady Penelope'. Seated at the back of the Economy cabin where the plane narrows from a 3-4-3 layout to 2-4-2. I would highly recommend these seats as your have lots of room between you and the window. The inflight entertainment was great with various movies, TV shows, music, games and map. Food was above average and the cabin crew was brilliant. We returned from Las Vegas to Gatwick on the newly refurbished 747 'Barbarella'. Sat on the upper deck which was much quieter. Gatwick fleet has different seats and a touch screen AVOD system which had the same options but was of better quality. Economy on the upper deck is in a 3-3 layout and is shared with Premium Economy. With two members of the cabin crew serving only 6 rows of Economy and 5 rows of Premium you would have thought the service would be very attentive, however this wasn't the case. Legroom was great for economy. I would recommend Virgin Atlantic, but their Gatwick (Leisure) fleet is better than those at Heathrow.

Please do not book a specific seat with Virgin Atlantic, after 4 flights over 2 years when I booked our return seats the were changed at the baggage drop. Virgin in Orlando sited aircraft changes but on each occasion we found that the seating arrangements were identical on each of the planes, which does not explain the relocation of seats. Virgin should just say that seat allocation is decided at the airline desk and leave it at that.

Travelled to Orlando, Friday 22nd March 2013 from Gatwick. Pleased with twilight check-in, gave us a nice stress free start to our trip. No problem with ground staff. Boarded ok. It seemed staffing was very low. Food diabolical - there was only one option left. In fairness when I asked for more bread rolls so the children could have something to eat I was told she would check the staff trolley and see what was left, she later brought 2 bread rolls and 2 fruit bags! Then the fiasco of immigration, took 2 hours then 1 hour to go through car hire meant we had a difficult trip in the dark to locate our accommodation. Trip back Friday 5th April. More staff, better organised, more choice of food - slightly improved all round. We chose Virgin because we thought it top notch but we would think twice before we flew Virgin again! I also think people travelling in economy should not be able to recline seats there is just not enough room, I spent the whole night with monitor so close and unable to use the table.

MAN-LAS, 14/3/13, A330, LAS-MAN, 31/3/13, 747. Both flights on time. With the refurbished cabins VA have got premium economy spot on – well worth the 50% extra. This standard of seating and space should be the minimum for all long haul. The only minor niggles were that the new purple seats need more lumbar support, and well-fitting noise reducing headphones are needed for the otherwise excellent Vera IFE system. VA are stopping this service at end September, with no indication yet of a Spring restart. What a pity – it's currently the only tolerable way to get from N England to SW USA. Surely VA can exploit this edge?

LHR-EWR, IAD-LHR. A comfortable flight to Newark Liberty, arrived about 5 minutes early on Lady Penelope, a 747-400. Flight back was 20 minutes delayed and staff at check in were not the politest people in the world. Both flights were comfortable. The entertainment system was very good if you were a small child.

Manchester to Orlando, VS075 on 14 Mar 2013 in premium Economy on lower deck. Everything was excellent except for lack of the pre-booked child's meal which was not loaded. Handled well by the crew and resolved for return flight on 28 Mar on VS076. Travelled in a group of 12 based on my recommendations after previous flight, Virgin did not let me down. New Purple leather seating a vast improvement and more comfortable, IFE was fantastic. Second time in premium in last 10 months, it's a good product.

Older aircraft with drab, narrow seats in Upper Class. Rather claustrophobic Nanny style welcome and exhortations from purser. Sleep suits offered. Small kit. Three course dinner offered limited choices of unexciting foods. Later grazing items were on request, not offered. Perky FA crew and on time arrival of craft and luggage were the only highlights.

VS029, Gatwick-Barbados, 7 March / VS030, return 17 March in Economy. My expectation of economy scheduled flights isn't generally high, but even so Virgin remains poor in my experience. On the positive side, the flights were on time and the in flight entertainment was very good, although the control device is awkwardly placed down the side of the arm rest on the 747-400. Negatives, included: Atrocious food. The early morning tea and hot chocolate service - I did ask for coffee but was told I might be able to have some "if I waited". Only one alcoholic drink offered on each flight. Usually offered a pre-meal drink and then a second with the meal. Narrow, uncomfortable seats with very little leg room - I had some sort of metal box in my way so almost no room for my feet. Made far worse when the seat in front is reclined - could barely focus on the IFE screen as it was so close. The elasticated top of the storage pocket on the back of the seat in front was so tight it was almost impossible to put anything like a book in it. Cabin crew were efficient enough, but, especially given Virgin's marketing, they were surprisingly lacking in any customer engagement, friendliness or charm. Did the basic job but nothing more.

JFK-LHR and back on the new Airbus A330-300. Both flights on time, with pleasant, efficient crew. The A330 is a comfortable, large aircraft and in Economy, is thoughtfully laid out. The meal services clearly show where Virgin is addressing its financial woes. Portions are tiny and the food just isn't very good. The entertainment system is top notch, seats are much improved, and the extra legroom rows on either side of the aisle toward the back are worth the extra $50. I used to fly Virgin a lot in the late 1990's and early 2000's and it was going downhill fast. It has improved and still offers a far superior service than anything US-based flying across the Atlantic.

My husband and I flew from Sydney to London during the last week of February 2013. Pleasantly surprised by the Premium Economy area of the Airbus A340-600. We were between the Upper Class and Economy section of the aircraft and found it very comfortable. Leg room is definitely better than economy as is the service. The cabin staff were fantastic. Greeted on each leg by a glass of champagne and our food was served on china (except for Breakfast). The food we had was tasty and filling and we were offered beverages throughout the flight. I do not fly to be served gourmet food and I think that anyone that does is missing the point of flying to different destinations.

Flights VS029 on 18 March Gatwick to Barbados and VS030 return on 1 April in Premium Economy. Revamped Premium Economy well worth the extra (pity about the outrageous APD Taxes) as seats wide and reasonably comfy with plenty of legroom. Also offered Fast Track through security at Gatwick on the outbound flight. Top Class entertainment but not turned on until nearly an hour into the flight! The technology already exists for this to be turned on ready for passengers when they board so come on Virgin, get switched on to this, please. Food, however, only just acceptable as portions are now really quite mean - although a stab at a cooked breakfast on the return nearly made amends. Despite this definitely better than any Economy Flight ! And light years ahead of any North American carrier.

LHR-JFK. Delayed departure due to technical problem, we had to change planes. Offered bubbly pre- departure and due to delay it was topped up twice. Food was okay, served on a tray with white tablecloth and China, but food just economy standard and a bit mean. Offered wine with meal and brandy after, but lack of snacks and drinks run until afternoon tea, a couple of finger sandwiches (tasty) and small cup cake offered. Flight crew excellent on both trips. Return was delayed by an hour, food standards similar but was surprised to be offered hot breakfast. Seating was roomy and more than adequate for 7 hour flight. IFE was excellent with good choice of recent films and good sized screen, only issues were lack of noise cancelling headphones and system not available until +30 minutes after take off.

VS075 and vS074, Manchester to Orlando on upgraded 747. IFE and cabin crew very good on both flights and early arrival on both flights. Managed to book the economy seats upstairs in both directions which is good as there are very few people going up and down the isle which makes it all seem a more peaceful experience. As mentioned by others, food is a little disappointing and if you need more drinks just ask and they'll oblige!

Good ground service and friendly airport staff but things changed quickly once onboard. Crew couldn't wait to start the meal service, in fact one crew got up just as the planes wheels left the runway to switch on all the ovens and then return to her crew seat. Fast meal service thrown out - the starter slid off as it was pushed in front of us. Drinks service only came after diner and then it was over. The quick service clearly allowed max crew rest time and the ones who didn't go first spent the next block of time talking in the galley moaning about passengers moving seats. We were sat in the row right next to the galley so that you could hear everything and had the light coming through all night. Hours past until the even quicker breakfast and then thankfully the faster then normal SFO to LON flight time got us home. Couldn't wait to get off!

VS029, 9th March. Clubhouse staff very polite and efficient! Breakfast is not so good with very small portions and items unavailable. We stayed in the Clubhouse as long as we could and its disappointing that if you do this you then cannot walk straight onto the aircraft but have to wait in the main queue. Cabin crew onboard were attentive, chatty and obliging. Food was great, seat very comfortable and a pleasant experience. VS030 - not as good as outbound flight. Very slow to serve drinks after take off, nibbles came later than drinks, and dinner just ok. Father requested chicken dish for main meal but was later asked to change it to a PE meal of beef! Crew do like to bed everyone down as quickly as possible, however my parents, who did not sleep much, were very well looked after by the crew all night.

LGW to MCO (Orlando) on 10th March and MCO to LGW 27th March. This is the first time I have travelled with Virgin Atlantic. Aircraft going out was the A300 and was excellent. Coming back it was the upgraded 747-400, again it was excellent. The cabin crew could have been more friendly and are rather robotic. The entertainment system and the choice of movies were very good. I would travel with them again on my next trip.

JFK to HRW, 19th March, VS046. Virgins website description of economy is very misleading. Seats are very narrow and uncomfortable, the entertainment control is very difficult to remove being situated in the side of the seat arm rest. Service was very poor, requested a glass of wine with dinner, told that no drink service available. The food was very poor with very small portions, only serving tea or hot chocolate however was given a coffee on request. We found the crew very aggressive and rude and appeared to be rushing the service. In fact within 1.5 hrs they had been round with the drink trolley, served dinner and been round with the duty free. Lights were turned out and I presume we were all expected to sleep. Breakfast was a small fruit juice, a dry muffin bun, a cereal bar and at least tea and coffee. I have be fortunate to have flown on many airlines (including Virgin in the early days when they were good) I must say this was the worst flight ever.

My husband and myself flew to Cancun in Mexico from Gatwick on 16th March 2013 and returned on 26th March 2013. The seats are very close together but not uncomfortable. The leg room was okay for me, and my husband who is 6ft. No problem with the cabin staff service. They do come if you call them and kept us supplied with food and drinks, although they did say alcohol was served in moderation. The food is okay, not great but we enjoyed ours. The inflight enterainment was a bit hit and miss! In all we had no complaints. If you want roomier seats and a bit more comfort then it would be best to upgrade. We will certainly travel with Virgin again.

London to Cape Town, didn't get seat as requested. No pre-dinner drinks, when drinks did come dinner was already over. My husband requested a second coke but told only one drink per passenger. Allocated a row of 3 seats in the middle aisle, arm rests do not raise so my daughter couldn't put her head on my lap for comfort. Dropped my blanket on the floor but couldn't physically reach it for some time as there is no space whatsoever between the seats in front and ours. I am 5.5 and slim but felt wedged in. My husband is 6ft and suffered the entire flight. Food was unidentifiable. Staff took a very long time to clean up afterwards. Entertainment system didn't work initially and when it did you had to wait for them to inform us when a specific film was starting. Had to tilt our heads at an angle to watch anything so gave up in the end. Staff not friendly at all. Toilet door broke half way through flight Definitely not flying with them again.

Sadly, this once prestige brand is now a poor imitation. Mediocre is the best they achieve and that isn't very often in the flight. The entertainment system is embarrassing, at then end of our 12 hour flight 2 of the 4 restrooms in "Upper Class" were inoperable. Food is OK and as always, flight attendants are non-existent after the first 2 hours, good luck getting coffee in the morning before they begin breakfast service. I wish someone would have told me that companion seating should be in the next row number not the next seat number as a result of their arrangement. Book 7a and 8a not 7a and 7b.

Flew to Barbados on 13th March, flight was full. Very claustrophobic, like a budget airline short haul! Hadn't flown economy for about 1 0years and swear there is less leg room now. Was dreading the return journey, but managed to purchase extra leg room seats, which although we're next to the toilets, had much more space and I would say we're better than premium! However one of the hostesses obviously didn't want to be there and was very rude. When they came round with the night drinks and was offered tea or hot chocolate, I asked for coffee. She just kept repeating tea or hot chocolate in a rude manner. However eventually she said I could have coffee but would have to wait. Whenever she served us our food was more or less thrown at us with no niceties. All the others were friendly and attentive.

We flew from Cape Town to Heathrow in March 2013, this was the worst flight we have ever travelled on. We travelled in a group of 30 - we all pre-booked our seats to be told on check in no one had been allocated their seats - in fact many of our group were sat on their own - not a problem on a short flight but this was not a short flight. To make matters worse my husband was sat right next to the toilet door - not the best seat on the plane at any time but on a 12hr overnight flight this was dreadful. Added to this the food was dreadful - frozen salad & bread rolls and cabin crew not as professional as I would have expected - also the entertainment system was not working for which we were offered £20 off our next Virgin flight. We will not be flying Virgin again.

LHR-DXB-LHR. Flew Premium Economy on the new A330 aircraft. Very impressed, nice clean spacious cabin, pre take off drink and newspaper offered. My partner is 6ft 4in and found the seats comfortable although when the person in front reclines space is limited if you are taller. Would be nice if the crew asked people to put their seats up for meals. Food was good although the breakfast into Dubai wasn't great, very small serving of scrambled eggs, reminded me of charter food from years ago! They should offer the breakfast box they have on other flights. Return flight the food was bit better with added extra of Mars ice creams offered. They should get rid of the amenity kits they hand out on all flights and spend the extra money on better quality food. I would take snacks with you as portions are very small. New on demand entertainment is great, lots of choice although the person behind me would jabbing at the screen a lot, felt like they were punching my seat which was very annoying! Crew were great, especially the inbound crew, polite and always smiling. Offered juice and water throughout the flight. Looking forward to my next flight with them.

Although we flew economy we paid an extra £300 for extra leg room which unfortunately was next to the toilet. We were allowed one alcoholic drink on a 9 hour flight. We asked if we could buy a drink and were told there was none left. We asked if we could buy champagne as advertised but there was none of that either. I have a small appetite fortunately - where were the cheese and biscuits etc? Headphones worked intermittently which was very frustrating. I travelled with Virgin to New York in Feb. 12 and Havana in Feb. 13 and things haven't improved.

14th March to Havana from Gatwick and returned on 22nd. What a disappointment throughout. The flight was 2 hours late outbound and half hour late inbound. Check-in was very slow at Havana and we waited 55 minutes in the queue. Although we had pre-confirmed seats, we were given separate seats at both check-ins. No pre-dinner drinks, just 1 during dinner. When asked for a 2nd glass of wine, the crew were clearly reluctant. The meals were so minimal, poor quality and tasteless that we felt hungry at the end of the 10 hr flight. On both flights, they told us they had run out of our chosen meal, and so my wife (who is a vegetarian) was forced to accept non-veg. They charged extra for seats with extra leg-room, which is only found in cheap budget airlines. In brief, we felt that we were in a cheap budget airline throughout. Will never fly Virgin again.

Have just returned from Las Vegas to Manchester. We were served the same food on both these flights which I must say is poor, the worst being the breakfast bar and muffin. Cabin crew to and from Vegas gave very poor service, felt that all they wanted was to get you served as quickly as possible so they could sit in the back talking. On the flight to Las Vegas the drinks only offered once when asked for another drink they had run out? This was 3 hours into the flight and I did not see anyone abusing the so called complimentary drinks - may I suggest that Virgin withdraw this so called service and allow people to buy as it is obviously they do not cater for the amount of people onboard or are making cut backs. I would not fly with Virgin again, staff need to have training on customer care, and Virgin need to give customers what they advertise.

Flew JFK to Heathrow. Food okay though the usually thoroughly dull salad for a starter. Why bother with a bland bowl of lettuce? This is not a starter unless you happen to be a rabbit. Good IFE. Good crew who managed an unruly passenger well and very firmly (and rightly so).

Having just completed a round the world trip and used several different airlines, Virgin compared very favourably. Heathrow to Hong Kong, Hong Kong to Sydney and New York JFK to Heathrow. All flights were clean, efficient and the crews polite, helpful and hard working. Before departure I had read several disparaging reviews and was quite anxious. However, my experience has renewed my faith in Virgin and I would definitely use them again. The new A330 was fantastic.

Travelled Manchester to Orlando, VS75. Had booked all online and selected seats online, on day of check in found seats to have changed. Have travelled premium economy a number of times with Virgin and are very happy with the level of service, the seats on the other hand need upgrading, if your flying to Orlando be warned both Gatwick flight and Manchester arrived at the same time. Added to that a BA flight also came in at that time. It's not much fun with many hundreds of people with many children waiting in line at immigration, there were about 24 desks at immigration with only 6 manned. I'm told this is the result of the cuts taking place in the US economy. Little Virgin can do, but so much tourist tax dollars coming in for such very poor service.

Flew Gatwick to Las Vegas. Full flight. Competent and friendly crew, good catering and IFE. I do not like I when crew have personal discussions in front of customers when they are supposed to be working as it is not professional. Very uncomfortable seats. Toilets clean but the pillows all smelt like sewage for some reason, which was very off putting! Although IFE was good, the lack of a handset is a pain as you end up prodding the screen which must be off putting for passengers in front. Overall, very good.

Premium economy to Cuba in February. Outbound leg sat on upper deck where there was plenty of room, with little cupboards beside the window seats for belongings. During this day flight, service was excellent with little snacks between meals and a good drinks service. Film choice was very good and the 9.5 hr flight passed quickly. Return (night flight) had a 3 hr delay due to technical problems. We were all kept informed frequently, and returned to Gatwick only 2 hrs late. The service however on the return journey was not nearly as good. We sat on the lower deck, premium economy felt a little cramped with a 2x4x2 configuration. Meal choice was poor and no snacks offered. Drinks were also sparse with no pre dinner service. Ok for those able to sleep during the flight but some of us like to have a drink or two to aid relaxation. That said, we returned home safely and not too delayed. Sit on upper deck if possible for superior service and more relaxed atmosphere.

VS75, MAN-MCO, February 27 2013 and return on VS76 2 weeks later. Premium economy. Outbound flight on Airbus A330 was excellent, great crew, good food, on time. The only downside to this flight was the lack of overhead storage lockers in the centre of the aircraft, which means the lockers on the sides get full very quickly. Return flight was also on time and just as comfortable. This is the third time I have travelled with VS and have never had a problem, although I must say that I thought the seats in the Premium Economy cabin on the B747 were more comfortable. I never expect airline food to be a gourmet experience, but I have to say that the food on this flight was the best example I have ever had.

Flight v6 Miami to Heathrow March 10 delayed for 4 hours on plane, then finally told plane would not be taking off due to fuel leak in engine, waited another 3 hours in airport by which time it was 3am - babies had no nappies or food and we were told the bags were not to be offloaded and were to go to hotels without any change of clothes or toiletries. Hotels given to premium economy customers instead of family's with very young baby's. Finally took off March 11th at 6pm.

Monday 25 Feb 2013, VS603. Unwittingly booked in on 2 adjacent seats on the dreaded row 48 on an old A340. An awful flight made interminable by the toilet doors some 2 feet away and being used about 30 to 40 times per hour. Being a night flight the lights were off except when the toilet door was opened. This combined with the noise of the doors being opened and closed and the flashes of light ensued meant we got no rest or sleep for 12 hours. Cramped seating was also a factor which Virgin have very successfully adopted on this row. Pleas to the cabin crew were met with synthetic concern and no solution. On our return trip we were allotted the same seats as outward flight which we refused outright. We were given seats 53A and 53C with extra leg room away from the toilets etc. Apart from the food served which was the worst we have had on board a flight, the lack of any in flight entertainment because the whole system was down for the whole flight and the noisy engines, everything else was acceptable. Virgin are clearly aware of the problems with Row 48 but persist in marketing the seats on the poor unsuspecting public. I do not know what else they have up their sleeve, but I would suggest anyone reading this do what I will and that is to fly with a different carrier!

VS077, MAN-BGI and VS078, BGI-MAN on 747 one week later. The good: aircraft was clean, seats reasonable comfortable, with adjustable headrest. IFE excellent. The bad: Virgin boasts of 31" seat pitch as if it's good. It isn't. In any of the 3 lines of economy seats there is an IFE equipment bin (on the right side of middle section). Luckily three of us had four centre-section seats so we avoided that seat. Food was OK but just enough to feed a child if you eat all of it. Ended up very hungry by the time we got off both ways. We could not believe that they sent a trolley round selling snacks. We asked for some crisps and were so surprised when they asked for £1.50 that we numbly paid. On return flight they loaded no white wine. On outward flight they ran out of everything except vodka halfway through the flight, and most passengers of senior age are not heavy drinkers. Only one trolley service of cold drinks anyway after that you have to go and find them. Definitely not impressed by the penny pinching.

We travelled with Virgin 4 years ago and were very comfortable. This time we travelled on the much vaunted refurbished 747 fleet. The interiors were very clean, however the seats were cramped and very uncomfortable. As previously mentioned by others the seats are too hard, surely someone sat in them for 12 hours plus to see if they were suitable for long haul? Entertainment system 1st class though. Overall would not chose them again.

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