VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS review : 29 April 2008 : by K Shivji

Customer Rating : 3/5

Tokyo Narita - London Heathrow Premium Economy. This was my return journey back to London and having backpacked around Japan for 3 weeks, the staff at the airport gave me strange looks when I checked- in at the PE desk. It was rather annoying that the cabin staff (all-English) choose to congregate at the departure gate in a really noisy manner and openly discussing their last night's endeavors in the Tokyo clubs - some of which can't be repeated on these boards. On board, they were quite uninterested in the passengers in the Premium Economy cabin and didn't pass through the cabin very often. Premium Economy is a good cabin only for very long-haul journeys. The seats are mildly more comfortable then in Economy but don't think they are anything compared to a 'business class' seat, they really are just Economy seats which are a little wider and only a couple more inches of legroom, nothing to write home about.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS review : 29 April 2008 : by Mark Freyton

Customer Rating : 2/5

LHR-JFK Upper Class. Terminal 3 at Heathrow is a nightmare, and the only saving grace is the Virgin Lounge, which continues to be the best thing about the whole airline. Ate in the lounge, which was excellent, although the lounge seemed busy and less relaxing than previous visits. Onboard the crew did the bare minimum and I was disappointed with staff attitude. An announcement was made apologising for slow service due to a crew shortage that day, however I have heard this announcement several times. Entertainment system worked well, and the seat was comfortable and allowed me to sleep for several hours. When I asked for a snack before landing I felt like I was an inconvenience, and coffee served was cold. Virgin seem to lack polish and these days it is rare to have a really good experience, good seats, good entertainment, good lounge, but a group of staff who lack motivation and professionalism. Sadly Virgin are not what they used to be (or claim to be). Overall, nothing special.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS review : 29 April 2008 : by John Pinniger

Customer Rating : 3/5

Las Vegas to Gatwick April 2008. Late again for departure and seat legroom in Premium Economy poor with the seat in front reclined. About the same space as Economy so not worth the upgrade cost. Very difficult to get in or out if you have a window seat. Inflight entertainment system is now old. Dinner good but breakfast poor with a soggy egg and cheese muffin. Crew helpful but Virgin is losing the cachet as being a little but special.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS review : 29 April 2008 : by Antony Davies

Customer Rating : 4/5

LHR-MIA Economy. Self service check in and bag drop facility good with helpful staff on hand to help. I found the cabin crew welcoming and accomodating, only minor criticism was lack of attention to the toilets in-flight. A340-600 does not have the most comfortable seats installed but it is quiet - 30"seat pitch though is worse than most long-haul charter airlines in the UK. V-Port (AVOD) entertainment system is top notch, once one gets the hang of how to work the controls. The service was friendly and professional including announcements from the flight deck. We were given headsets and an amenity pack with eyeshade, socks and toothbrush. Drinks and a good 3 course hot lunch served with a choice of drinks plus wine. Crew provided sales service, drinks plus juice and water rounds, ice creams mid-flight plus a snack prior to arrival at MIA. All in all a very good first experience of Virgin Atlantic.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS review : 28 April 2008 : by Roy Smith

Customer Rating : 4/5

LHR to LAX. Online checkin worked as advertised, bag drop was efficient and new Virgin area at LHR is very good. Premium Economy seats and special assistance help were excellent. The food was acceptable and entertainment impressive compared to other transatlantic carriers I have used. The crew were attentive, considerate and helpful. Only downside was the flight deck not making any announcements until we began our descent into LAX. Flight was on time.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS review : 23 April 2008 : by Sally Brown

Customer Rating : 2/5

Heathrow-Dubai return Economy. New plane, very clean but terrible leg room. One drinks service before meal and then told to use the water fountain by the loos and kitchen. On the return trip which left Dubai at 9.25 a.m. they served lunch as soon as they got in the air which a lot of people complained about to the staff. Again one drink which came at the same time as the food (not good) no pretzels and no more drinks service after that. Then on landing we got a cup of tea/coffee and a cereal bar or muffin. Virgin are coasting on their previously excellent reputation. I have noticed the steady decline of Virgin Atlantic in the past 8 years. They are cutting all the customer service bits that they used to be so good at for the sake of saving a few pounds!

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS review : 16 April 2008 : by D Egar

Customer Rating : 2/5

Woeful experience. First and last time hopefully. Virgin area in T3 is a joke. Made to look like the next big thing, it is small and poky and slow moving queues. It took 25 mins to pay for excess baggage alone (I was second in line when i joined the queue). Aircraft both way were A340-600s (LHR- BOS, IAD-LHR). Although legroom isn't a huge issue, these are the narrowest, hardest seats I have ever experienced. I had headphone issues both ways which rendered the excellent V-PORT system redundant. Received dinner a full 2.5 hours into the outbound flight (a result of being given the worst seat in the house 64k), delayed on the way home so no drinks service. Cabin crew attentive but lacked a certain something - as if they were doing you a favour.

Virgin Atlantic review by L Ray

16 April 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Total chaos at the Virgin desk at Heathrow on our Premium Economy flight from London to Hong Kong thence onto Sydney. Upper Class staff took our checkin details and we found to our dismay that our assigned seats were not available. Given bulkhead seats, told that they are held over for overbooking in Upper Class, but not able to have for both segments, ie for both to Hong Kong and then Sydney. Told to speak to Virgin staff at Hong Kong to see if they can help. On speaking to them at HK tried to give us awful seats next to the loos, then given our original seats after being told that the flight was full - it was not. Food OK but not exceptional and cannot see that the Premium Economy experience was worth the extra money paid. Would not fly with them again especially after reading these varied reviews.

Virgin Atlantic review by K Clarke

15 April 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Joburg - LHR A340-600 Economy. Avoid economy on this plane if you can - it's awful! We were on the last leg of our 6 week round the world trip consisting of 8 flights with 5 airlines, and this was by far the worst plane and flight. Seats the most uncomfortable I can ever remember on a flight - much too short in depth, hard seat and with minimal recline - no chance of sleeping which does not make for happy passengers on a 10 hr overnight flight. Only 3 toilets for about 230 economy passengers (1 of the 4 economy toilets was out of order from take off, could it not be fixed at Joburg?!) so we had horrendous queues and because of the poor layout of the interior these were mainly through the kitchen area so were always in the way of the trolleys and cabin crew, or knocking in to some unfortunate passenger in their seat. Upper class and premium economy had 4 or 5 toilets for about 75 passengers. The plane interior was tacky, plastic and cramped. A couple of the male cabin crew were friendly enough, but most were miserable and rude, never breaking a smile - over familiar too "Got any rubbish mate? just stick it here" was one comment we received. On both our Virgin flights they missed my dairy free meal request despite me double checking for the 2nd flight - the other 4 airlines managed it perfectly first time! The food we did receive was also below average. We had 2 other long haul overnight flights with other airlines on our trip and they were frequently walking around offering drinks and snacks - I only saw the Virgin crew come through once or twice with water in between dinner and breakfast. I used to select Virgin over others airlines, even happy to pay a bit extra, but will not fly with them in the future if I can avoid it. They focus too much on showing off the Upper class, forgetting about the vast majority of their customers stuffed uncomfortably into the back, all forming their own opinions about the Virgin Atlantic brand and feeling like second class citizens - they need to be careful about protecting the Virgin brand for all customers, making them feel comfortable and valued regardless of class of travel. Other airlines seem to manage it ok. Plus, those that choose to fly Economy on leisure may also have the option of Business class on work trips and will not be selecting Virgin if our experience is anything to go by.

Virgin Atlantic review by Christos Shepherd

15 April 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-NRT (Tokyo), out in Upper Class, back in Economy. Upper Class excellent service in the clubhouse at Heathrow, attentive onboard service, first rate IFE, friendly crew, and a comfortable sleep in the long but narrow)lie-flat beds. The return in Economy, further back the plane, was miserable. Virgin's Economy layout (at least on the A340-600s) provides shockingly poor legroom (30" seat pitch - only an inch better than easyJet, on a 12 hour flight). IFE in Economy is better than on many other long-haul airlines. The cabin crew were rude and inattentive; there were few drinks rounds and not enough food was served. As far as I could tell, the toilets were not cleaned once for the whole flight. Virgin has cannibalised its formerly-generous amenity kits (even removed the earplugs!). Frankly, travelling in Economy with Virgin is like being on a mediocre charter airline, albeit with excellent IFE.

Virgin Atlantic review by A Benns

12 April 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Gave Virgin Atlantic the benefit of the doubt after a previous bad experience and flew LHR-CPT Economy in March. The outbound journey was delayed 12hrs, due to mechanical problems, and was told that we wouldn't be reimbursed for a hotel near the airport. They expected us to do the 6 hour round trip home, to save them money, despite the inconvenience and cost to ourselves. Was offered 25,000 club miles each as compensation, which equates to about 50% discount of revenue cost of journey, which means to benefit from this you must stump up the additional 50% plus taxes and of course fly VA again. I found the inbound flight uncomfortable, some cabin crew rude - one in particular ignored as many passengers requests for assistance as he could - and the food acceptable. Staff outbound great and IFE very good. Combining the two experiences of flying VA, I must say that I probably will not fly with them again.

Virgin Atlantic review by David Harrison

11 April 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Travelled LHR to Hong Kong in Economy, return in Premium Economy. Excellent flight, reasonable catering, attentive staff, clean aircraft, good entertainment. I am 6'00'' and was wary of Economy seating, but plenty of room. Would travel again by Virgin Atlantic.

Virgin Atlantic review by William Read

9 April 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LGW to HAV the flight was on schedule, reasonably tasty food and good inflight service, and a good price of £433 return. Sadly the inflight service on the return leg was far inferior, but satisfactory considering the price paid. Virgin Atlantic is worth a look for flights to Cuba, particularly if LGW is convenient for the traveller. However, an indirect flight with Air France, KLM, Martinair or Iberia from a regional airport is another option, and is usually far cheaper than Virgin Atlantic.

Virgin Atlantic review by Jill Martin

2 April 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Have not yet left on our journey from Cape Town (where we live) to San Francisco via Heathrow, but made the reservations (economy) in January. I am 69 and my partner is 77, so this is a long and somewhat gruelling trip to visit the family. We were supposed to depart form Cape Town airport at 21:35 tomorrow evening, but had a call today from Virgin to say that we had to travel on South African Airways from Cape Town at 15:10 tomorrow to board another Virgin flight leaving from Johannesburg in the evening. This is more than six hours before our previously scheduled departure time, and it will also entail a long walk from the domestic to the international terminal. The reason I was given was that the plane we were supposed to travel on had been replaced by a smaller one, so that some passengers had to be bumped off. I suppose I was unlucky enough to have been one of the people who was able to be contacted by mobile phone. And there we were congratulating ourselves for not having booked on BA and thereby avoiding the chaotic Heathrow Terminal 5.

Virgin Atlantic review by T Scott

27 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Travelled premium economy with family, check in service at LHR T3 was poor as we were moved from queue to queue, beckoned over to upper class to check in to alleviate queuing then told to go back by a staff member as our party was too large (6!) for him to check in. On the outward flight we had to haggle for the seat allocation we prebooked over the phone four months earlier because it is not guaranteed. My main gripe was at JFK we nearly missed the return flight due to bad advice at the airport about boarding. We went through baggage check late with around 80 other virgin passengers for the flight some of whom must have missed the flight, certainly the cabin in premium economy was very empty. It was a stressful situation. Virgin need to do more with their staff at JFK who were not particularly effective and the desk staff there who were surly.

Virgin Atlantic review by Alan Wan

27 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-JFK and LAS-LGW. A340-600 on the first leg felt roomier and fantastic IFE. The second leg on a worn 747-400 in need of updating, particularly the outdated IFE. The food on both legs was not great which lets down the overall experience. FA on both legs were cheerful and attentive.

Virgin Atlantic review by Vicky Coates

27 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-JFK Economy, EWR-LHR Economy on A340-600 both ways. We used the online check-in both ways and had no problems with it. At LHR bag drop the staff friendly and we only waited in the line 5 minutes. Terminal 3 at LHR isn't great but it's much improved from this time last year and at the end of the day it's only an airport terminal that you spend 2-3 hours in at most. The crew onboard were very friendly and one of the senior cabin crew noticed I was nervous upon boarding the plane and made an effort to check on me all the way through the flight despite the fact that she was working in upper class at the front of the plane. The food was good and we found that we had enough room (I'm 5ft 2 and my boyfriend 6ft) and the vport entertainment system was excellent. The crew were good at responding to call lights and were happy to serve extra drinks when requested. The flight home wasn't as good and there appeared to be a problem with the bags taking a while to load which meant we were on the plane for an hour before it left. The crew were pleasant on the way home but seemed a bit disorganised. All in all I had good experience and enjoyed my flights with Virgin and would use them again. I would like to add one thing, having walked through the PE cabin and had a brief sit in one of the seats, there is no way I would pay the extra as it didn't seem any different to economy!

Virgin Atlantic review by S Minchell

25 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

My daughter and I cannot but agree 100% with Mark Freyton in that we were relieved when our trip too was over. My daughter and I travelled to Grenada for the last week in February, our journeys out and back were delayed without explanation, suffice it to say we sat on board for an extra hour before leaving Grenada with the doors open (much to the crew's amusement!) and when we touched down in Tobago we sat for another 90 minutes before the doors were opened! The inflight entertainment was not that published in the flight magazine (both ways), and the food left much to be desired, even the vegetarian option. The crew however seemed to be enjoying themselves with their indiscreet chatter and childlike play. This coupled with the Virgin Holiday booking experiences we've had 3 times now means we will not be using a Virgin service ever again.

Virgin Atlantic review by G Hool

25 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-CPT return Upper Class. New check-in area at T3 Heathrow looks good, but the advertised warm welcome by staff is absent - they're too busy talking to each other. Check-in smooth, with private security channel working well until the BAA security staff do their thing. 4 talking to each other whilst only one other working was always going to slow things down. T3 lounge is brilliant. Lot's to eat, drink and do to keep anyone occupied. Warm welcome aboard aircraft, and service good. Seat OK, but I suspect about 6 inches too short for most to really sleep without obstruction from the foot stool. Food not as good as Virgin once was and the fact that Champagne ran out after 1 hour is really mean. Return flight marred by poor check-in at Cape Town. Upper Class computer broke down, so only those in Economy boarding without delay. Lounge at Cape Town is awful - not a Virgin one and cramped whilst the locals re-build airport. No fast channel at security. Flight home similar experience to that outward. Only real difference is that there was champagne and service lacking the required degree of attention. Baggage collection at both ends was good, with Upper Class passengers picking up their bags pretty much before the Economy passengers arrived in the baggage halls. Clearly Virgin are trying to ensure Upper Class passengers have a pleasant experience from the moment they leave their door to the point of arrival. However, they need to improve lounges away from "home", recapture historical food quality and make sure drinks do not run out. They also need to work more closely with their local partners to ensure the likes of airport security/check-in staff fit into what Virgin are trying to create.

Virgin Atlantic review by Irene MacRae

25 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Travelled to Orlando and decided to treat ourselves to Virgin Upper Class. Cannot fault the Cabin Crew but do not recomend the cabin. It is very non-sociable - the seating arrangement is just awful. I was looking forward to the massage but was informed they don't do that travelling from Manchester - only from London. Very misleading as it doesn't say this in their advert. Food okay but nothing special. Had a look at economy premium and in retrospect realised it would have been nicer there. I would never pay that price again for Virgin Upper Class - very over-rated and over-priced. Also the beds were uncomfortable.

Virgin Atlantic review by Mohamed Ghoorun

25 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

MRU to LHR : I was pleased with this and the outgoing flight from LHR in December. Both were on time, and appear to be efficient. The staff appear friendly and welcoming, and were available when needed. Nice idea having ice cream half way during the flight back from MRU to LHR. Online Check in was working OK (however this did not appear to be recognised in Mauritius as we were issued with new boarding passes). I liked the V port entertainment system on board the Airbus A340-600, out of LHR. The only thing I would request from Virgin Atlantic, is some leniency with Baggage Allowance. I was charged for excess baggage in MRU. For a family of 4, travelling after 5 years to Mauritius, this was a little expensive (MUR 12,000 or GBP £200)

Virgin Atlantic review by Mark Freyton

20 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Heathrow-Newark, JFK-Heathrow. Upper Class. Virgin has been going downhill for a long time, but now it has reached depths I thought were unattainable. Heathrow T3 absolutely horrible, despite a lot of attempts of improvement. Online check in didn't work so was treated to a young lady who obviously did not finish the course at charm school! Lounge is fantastic, but only leads to terrible disappointment when you board the aircraft. Dirty seat area, and no personal welcome from anyone, Crew were fairly friendly on the flight out, but the in flight entertainment did not work properly, and food was worse than school dinners. The eat anytime option was not really offered, and when I asked for a snack was made to feel I was an inconvenience. The return equally disappointing. Terrible food, a crew member (serving me at least) bordering on insulting and certainly not someone who should be taking care of Upper Class passengers. Baggage delivery was slow, and generally walked away relieved it was all over.

Virgin Atlantic review by M Wilkinson

19 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Travelled economy to Barbados Celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and booked flights in August 2007. Online check in not working. Arrive at desk 3.5hrs before flight and were not sat next to each other. Tried to sort it on the plane but they wont move us - but promise we will sit together on way back. Food awful and ran out of drink. Return flight guess we sat four rows apart! Flight entertainment broken, so no choice of film. Two hours after take off, food is finally served, which was terrible. Took 1.5 hours for trays to be cleared and only one drinks service. Breakfast a yogurt and cereal bar, and took an age to get a coffee.

Virgin Atlantic review by F Theobalds

19 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-Tokyo-LHR Economy. Left on-time, cabin crew pleasant, food excellent and plenty of drinks available, though you may have to ask for it. Great selection of films and quality TV programs. The new 12" screens were very good. Only negative was leg room.

Virgin Atlantic review by M Craggs

19 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

IAD-LHR, economy class. First and last flight with Virgin Atlantic. The seats were horribly uncomfortable, hard and unforgiving. The legroom was negligible, cabin cold. Had to wait 2 hours for even a meagre orange juice. Meal was a slushy mess, 2hrs and 15 mins after take off. I had to get out of my seat to ask for a drink. Cabin service sub-standard, even though the aircraft was not full. After 6 hours we were given a small breakfast chewy stick for breakfast, along with a lukewarm coffee, not the service of a class airline but one of a budget airline. The inflight video system wasn't turned on until nearly an hour after take-off, and switched off 45 minutes before landing, so you couldn't even watch the moving map, or even listen to music. Cabin crew insisted both before take off and well before landing to put all blankets away, even though we were all cold and very tired. I rank Virgin among the worst over-rated product I have been exposed to. I'm not writing to Virgin, as I don't want excuses or even any form of apology from them. If you go for a cheap flight, in this case Virgin, then expect a cheap service. It is truly a low class airline.

Virgin Atlantic review by Adrian Monteforte

19 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Sydney to London via Hong Kong (Economy Class). Entertainment system was good. The flight attendants were all self-absorbed and not very attentive. The meals were below average bordering on awful. Only 2 food services during each leg of the flight. I will only fly them again to accumulate points. I was disappointed and would not recommend them.

Virgin Atlantic review by A Flint

19 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-MIA-LHR and LHR-BOS-LHR. I flew Upper Class return to Boston last August and in February this year, Premium Economy to Miami, and return in Upper Class. The experience on both occasions was excellent. Check in was smooth and efficient and clubhouse at Heathrow is excellent. The crew were friendly and professional. There is a big difference in the attentiveness of the crew in the Upper Class cabin but that is to be expected when paying the Upper Class fare.

Virgin Atlantic review by Richard Millard

17 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

In reading other comments, I realize my experience was not unique. This company seems 'over- branded' - ie. more concerned with how it appears than how it performs. My journey was in Upper Class, DEL-LHR-JFK. The first flight was delayed 4 hrs, the second by 2 hrs. These delays were costly. Virgin's explanations for their causes seemed more like an effort to shirk accountability. Aircraft were dirty, food unexceptional, and flight attendants singularly self-absorbed. Heathrow problems have been adequately documented by others. Avoiding a London connection is reason alone to choose another airline. I have never been much impressed by the actual service of this airline and will not select them again.

Virgin Atlantic review by M Jeffrey

16 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LGW-MCO-LGW. Outbound flight was ok. Food was nice and this was a surprise as we fly Virgin a lot and its normally horrendous! Cabin crew ok but we only had one drinks service in a 9hr 20min flight, this seems to be the norm on VS but it is far from acceptable. The return on was diabolical and showed exactly how Virgin have lost the plot. Cabin crew we're not interested in doing anything other than talking about last nights events at the hotel and putting more make-up on, by the time the dinner was served they only had Vegetarian or Prawns left, the latter smelt horrific and the crew agreed and we are not vegetarians so the other choice was not acceptable. After much asking a chicken meal was found for myself from Premium Economy but if that is what you get when paying for an upgrade it isn't worth the money! My parents had to have the vegetarian option which was cold and not edible as the meal service took well over an hour. My tray table was broken so had to eat meal from my lap and once again there was only one drinks service the entire flight, even then they still nearly ran out of everything! Breakfast was a croissant which was thrown at you in a bag and that was all you got. We have taken a a lot of VS flights over the years but will now avoid them at all costs - they have never been great but now they have lost the plot completely.

Virgin Atlantic review by W Hamilton

16 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Heathrow to Boston Upper Class. Wanted to check bag through at Manchester BA desk but refused. Collected bag at Heathrow and proceeded through flight connections. Big mistake, had to carry bag to terminal 3. At Virgin transit desk terminal 3 bag could not be checked in so went to Virgin club lounge. Refused to check bag there also, so had to carry to departure gate! No trolleys either. Upper class service, I think not. No drink before take off, offered massage but didn't materialise even though cabin only half full. Staff inattentive although upper class not busy. Sorry Virgin, I'll stick to BA wherever possible.

Virgin Atlantic review by L Hide

14 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Premium Economy London to Barbados. After booking flights moved from Gatwick to Heathrow and with new departure times which were not at all convenient but had little choice but to agree. Unfortunately the old style planes came too with outdated and extremely uncomfortable seats and the smallest TV screens. Flight out to Barbados OK as it was a day flight, but it's a while since I've had to wait for the end of all the films to finish before I could watch the next one. I fly in economy a lot and Virgin Premium Economy is just not worth it. The return flight was the worst - in the bulkhead with a seat that didn't seem to recline very far - and so uncomfortable that I was awake all night. The one positive - the staff both journeys were friendly and helpful.

Virgin Atlantic review by C Lavelle

14 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR to Antigua Economy. I am not a great fan of Virgin's but they fly to a number of places that I wish to go to so I have used them a number of times. Of course if you can afford Upper Class that is a different matter (I tried it once - it was good). My main complaint is the FA's. Just where do they get them from? People more concerned with their appearance and gossiping about other passengers. Do they think we cannot hear if the curtain is pulled. If Virgin took on more experienced staff I think we would all feel better.

Virgin Atlantic review by J Churchill

12 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

We upgraded to Premium Class at a cost of £249. Worst service ever experienced. Onboard we were given a preflight drink by a stewardess and menu to chose our meal. After the meal we were offered nothing to eat / drink during the flight. It says that breakfast is served just before landing. We were not offered breakfast or drinks and the same stewardess put a piece of wrapped brown cake each on the arms of the seats - which we declined - no hot drinks. I repeatedly asked the stewardess for orange juice and hot drinks - each time she said she would return to us but never did. We were seated next to the galley and saw her continually throughout the flight with a mirror putting her lip gloss on. We were offered no complimentary newspaper, fruit, liqueur, or in fact any type of drink. Neither did we experience “Devoted cabin crew to guarantee prompt and attentive service” which the Virgin website boasts. There was certainly no attentive service.

Virgin Atlantic review by S Parry

12 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Cape Town to LHR my first flight with Virgin and my last. Flight delayed 10 hours, food barely edible (salad started frozen solid as with other passengers meals) when eventually served, run out of drinks though you were allowed one tiny glass of wine with dinner. After 3 requests for another glass I was suitably ignored. Staff with couldn't care less attitude to economy passengers.

Virgin Atlantic review by Charles Meyrick

12 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Premium Economy return Heathrow-Barbados. Plane out was filthy with spilt wine, coffee etc and very tatty carpets. I had read that the seats were being changed to leather but I think that we must have been on an old plane or a route that is not as competitive as the ones to USA. Cabin staff were efficient. TV screen broken. Food was not too bad. Flight on the way back was fairly diabolical. Seat at rear of upper deck and I never think that the seats go quite as far back as the others as the bulkhead gets in the way. Very uncomfortable night. I am 6ft3 so maybe these seats are not designed for me. Cabin staff banged around in the galley far too much and the steward made far too much noise prancing up and down the cabin. Food disgusting and I really expected something more than a cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin for breakfast. Hadn't flown Virgin for about 4 years, but overall I think a fairly poor service for the extra that you pay

Virgin Atlantic review by James Hazeldine

10 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Virgin are living on their past accolades. Out to Cape Town Upper Class. Couldn't check in online for some reason. Then told that we couldn't sit together having spent a lot of money. This was resolved after much "arm wrestling". Virgin lounge at Heathrow was hot, overcrowded and noisy. Flight was good, seat/beds excellent. Back from Mauritius via Premium Economy because Upper Class was full. Premium Economy was a rip off. Same disgusting food as Economy, lousy service as they were (on their own admission understaffed) - ran out of wine, shared toilets with Economy (one out of order), poor quality on-screen reception with old films, narrow aisles and cramped seats.

Virgin Atlantic review by Jorge Gonzaga

10 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-JFK-LHR. Speedy on-line check in, easy bag drop at Heathrow. Outbound flight economy, cabin crew not interested, pompous and rather rude. Inbound JFK check-in is horrible, staff very unhelpful, upgraded to Premium as could not face 6 hours in Virgin economy. Staff much more amicable and attentive. Seems that if you want to fly Virgin do so only in Premium or Upper to get the service you pay for - they do not seem to care for economy passengers.

Virgin Atlantic review by W Henderson

7 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Barbados return February 2008 - outbound in Premium Economy, back in Upper. There are two versions or this airline - the one that operates from Heathrow (slick check in and lounge, nice Upper Class product, decent Premium Economy with revamped leather seats and, on most aircraft, video-on-demand.) And then there's Gatwick. It all goes horribly wrong here. Perhaps Virgin should differentiate their service from Gatwick (which are essentially holiday routes not for business) by calling it "Virgin Lite" or "Virgin Vacation" because what you get is essentially a souped-up charter airline. Aircraft are old (mine obviously been in service with an Italian airline given all the bilingual signage). The inflight entertainment is clapped out and not a patch on the Airbus A340 flights ex LHR. Sound via the headsets is very tinny and seatback TVs small. Premium Economy has not been upgraded to match the same product from Heathrow - the cabin and seats look very tired indeed. On the way back in Upper I was seated at the back of the small front cabin near the bar which was very noisy indeed thanks to some Swiss travellers who decided to stay up all night. To be fair they weren't even that loud, even talking at regular volume I was disturbed by them due to the proximity. Generally when I fly Virgin from Heathrow I have a great experience but be warned - if you are flying them from Gatwick it's like you are using a different airline altogether. Certainly if you are used to the "new" Premium Economy used from Heathrow you'll be shocked how clapped out the Premium Economy is on the Gatwick aircraft is.

Virgin Atlantic review by Susan Perrin

6 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Gatwick Orlando return upper class, flight out excellent ,cabin crew excellent and luggage came off first. Return not so good, delayed 1 hour. When we boarded they had forgotten to put out the amenity packs, champagne so warm it was undrinkable, but crew were excellent. Our luggage at Gatwick did not come off first - it took ages, why do they tag it upper class? The worst thing about Virgin is the food - it is disgusting. The choice is very poor and quality is worse, in some cases almost inedible. The lounge at Gatwick is lovely, much calmer than Heathrow which can be frantic.

Virgin Atlantic review by Gillian Notton

6 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

The second worst flight I have ever had. Used to be a huge fan of Virgin flying many times transatlantic. On the AirbusA340-600 the economy seating is appalling - seat length is sacrificed for apparent leg room. At 5'6 the seat barely came to my mid thigh. But it is the minimal recline that makes the difference. Worse than being in front of the bulkheads. Service was bad - also 2 hours before even the first pass. Too much attention is paid to upper class.

Virgin Atlantic review by Jamie Land

4 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-PVG Shanghai return. My flight last month was the worst Virgin Atlantic flight I've had to date and was shocking. The entertainment system partially broke down and everyone was left with no video on demand nor the full range of entertainment. It also took an amazing 2 hours+ to serve food which seems to be getting more dire each time. As no attendants came later to pick the trays, a lot of passengers started to take their trays back to the galley themselves, something that I've never seen before. During the night no attendants came round with drinks or snacks because they appeared to be too busy in the galley getting chatted up by two passengers - so it was basically self service. Breakfast ok but served late and rushed - served less than 90mins before landing. I must add in general last 3 times I've used the new half automated "faster" LHR check in desks - chaos and takes much longer to hand in your bags. Seating on virgin compared to other airlines is average.

Virgin Atlantic review by Jeff Yerkess

4 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Our flight Orlando to London Gatwick got cancelled, after waiting in a long queue for 3 hours they booked us on a flight to Manchester with a 5 hour coach journey at the other end. The Manchester flight also got delayed so we ended up about 10 hours late. The reason we were given for the flight being cancelled was that the Captain was stuck in Granada with food poisoning, but then they gave the exact same reason for the Manchester flight delay. Even with the whole of the Gatwick flight being put on the Manchester flight there were still plenty of empty seats. This suggests to me they cancelled the flight due to the lack of customers. The service of the flight itself was terrible, they kept ignoring my son next to me, and I had to ask for the main food service and ear phones - rather them being offered. Lots of people had issues with the entertainment handsets and although I didn't have issues with mine they kept resetting it interrupting my service.

Virgin Atlantic review by Steve Eggers

28 February 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Stopped using Virgin 3-4 years ago, but my son talked me into trying again. Outbound from JFK uneventful. Returning from LHR we arrived to find our 1810 flight cancelled. We asked why they didn't notify us or post to web site which would have saved us a lot of hassle, but given no explanation. Were vague about reason for cancellation (we later found out about 20 total passengers aboard cancelled flight, and drew our own conclusions). Although there was space on an AA plane at 1830 refused to consider allowing us to go on another airline. We were given 2 options, 2130 flight to Newark or a morning flight to JFK. We were concerned about late arrival, but after discussions with supervisors, we were promised we would get a car service to take us to our car at JFK. We arrive several hours late at 1am, I get to car service line at 0130am., and they refuse to supply me a car, and tell me I must take a bus. They don't care about my agreement in London, they tell me to read my "carriage of service contract". I can't find a taxi at 2am so I have no choice. I wait until they jam 12 passengers into a van which means I wait another 1.5 hours, ie it is now 3am before we head off to JFK. I get home at 5am. I could have been home several hours earlier if they kept their word. They probably saved $100 maybe $150 on an upper class ticket and lost a customer for life. Go figure. If they promise something, get it in writing. Never again for me.