Virgin Atlantic Airways Passenger Reviews and Customer Trip Reports

Family trip to Florida - what a disappointment. Outbound journey - economy seats were very small and the cabin staff disinterested. When we pressed our cabin assistance light, it took them nearly half an hour to respond and when they did, we were rudely informed that the bar was now closed! When we explained we had been waiting for assistance for some half an hour they did reluctantly fetch us a glass of wine. On the return journey it was a much better flight with a little more room, due to it being a night flight we slept most of the way, however didn't rate the attitude of the staff again. It would have to be a cheap bargain to persuade me to fly Virgin again.

VS93 outbound VS94 a new route this year. We are frequent flyers and flying club members. Flight out to Cancun was good in the upper deck, seats allocated. This was a Virgin holiday so seats coming back were expected to be the same. No we were downstairs in the middle of 4 seats. No drink offered before a less than average meal, beef ran out. Staff disappeared for most of the flight. People will not pay the amount of money for less. We have flights booked in May 2013, what will we get?

London Gatwick to Cancun on 6th Nov 2012, returning 20th Nov. Very disappointed on our outward journey. 747, Virginia Plain was very shabby. Seats were very uncomfortable, my tray was broken and the upholstery peeling off. Carpets were dirty and we didn't have an inflight magazine. Some of the seats did not 'work' properly and some seemed to be reclined for the whole flight. Inflight entertainment was shocking. Food when served was average apart from the sausage and mash which was very tasty. The offer of drinks was very poor throughout the flight, even running out of wine, beer and Pepsi. Not offered a welcome cocktail as advertised and there was no amenity pack. Staff were friendly and professional, however the call button was often ignored. Flight out was 10 minutes late, but no issues, landing in Cancun on time. Return journey saw us fly with Jersey Girl. What a difference a refurbished plane makes. It was clean, seats very comfortable and the in flight entertainment excellent. Food was average, they did offer water and they did come when we pressed the call button. Staff again were friendly and professional. Half hour late leaving. Flight was great until about 4 hours in when we hit severe turbulence. The most disappointing aspect was the fact that the pilot did not update us and reassure us about what had occurred.

Flew Gatwick - Havana return in October. Found Virgin very good in all facets of their operations. On the outward flight the cabin crew were short staffed and worked very hard to make up the shortfall.

MAN-BGI on 5th November. Delayed 1 hour due to inbound being late from LAS. A refurbished 747-400. G- VAST therefore in excellent and clean condition. Staff very polite and efficient. Food was fairly good. IFE very much improved with the new touch screen monitors. Seats comfortable. All in all a very nice flight. Landed at BGI around 10 minutes late.

BGI-MAN on 19th November. What a let down comparing the outbound flight 2 weeks earlier. On a non refurbished 747-400 G-VTOP. The cabin interior very dated and shabby. Carpets worn out and taped in places- seats uncomfortable. Seat tables did not come down properly. Dated IFE on a spool system-old fashioned monitor controls. Food was of fair quality-had the chicken and rice which was quite tasty. Bread bun stale. Breakfast consisted of a pot of melon, a yoghurt and a blueberry muffin. Staff were pleasant and helpful. A friend travelling with me had the seat in front of him reclined for all the flight by a very inconsiderate woman so making getting out of the seat very difficult-he complained to the cabin crew member who suggested that he tilted his seat back which made no difference. I was lead to believe that all the 747's had been refurbished but this one has yet to take its turn. Very bumpy flight with terrible turbulence which the captain kept us well informed of throughout-very impressed with this. Landed at MAN few mins early.

LGW-MCO having not used VS for a few years, I was not expecting much after reading the reviews. On this route I normally opt for a transfer out of LHR to avoid using LGW which offers the only direct flights from London to Orlando. Check in online and bag drop easy and quick Gatwick feels much improved, seat 19K on a newish A330-300 comfortable with ample room and great VOD. Drinks offered straight after boarding by a very professional responsive crew who worked hard during the longer than average 10hr flight. Food offered was pretty good and well presented, the flight was very full, the cabin felt spacious and fresh. All in all I thought it was a great flight and I would not hesitate in using again. Might even opt for Virgin's premium Economy product on my upcoming trips.

Recently flew LGW-LAS return and was expecting a premium experience for the money, even in Economy. Both outbound and inbound flights were delayed by over an hour due to problems specific to the airline and when I boarded, the cabin hadn't been thoroughly cleaned which was evident from the dirt on the carpets. Staff seemed stressed before we even took off to the point of being quite surly and sarcastic and they seemed reluctant to address the problems that myself and the passengers next to me were having with our TVs and headsets. Return flight was a slight improvement, but still nothing special and certainly not worth the extra that you pay compared to BA or similar. Average selection of films, games etc. and average to poor in-flight meals. I found they way they self-promote via the IFE system and other means rather irritating, especially given that they don't deliver anything very impressive. I wouldn't bother using Virgin again in a hurry.

LHR-JNB. One of the worst flights I have taken. Firstly, the person sitting next to me should never have been allowed to sit in an economy seat. He took up both his seat and most of mine with the arm rest raised. The flight was full so the cabin attendants couldn't re-accommodate him or me. However, it is unacceptable to sit on half a seat for what turned into a 13 hour flight given the delay at LHR. I was wedged into half a window seat and couldn't get out in an emergency. The last time I will VS.

London to Dubai overnight in the snooze zone of business class, departing 11th November. The chauffeur service to Heathrow was on time and the drive through check in at Heathrow, with the separate security channel was very efficient and quick, allowing access to the superb Heathrow club house within a few minutes. I had an excellent meal along with a hair cut in the lounge before boarding the plane. Boarding was very efficient and I managed to change into the sleep suit before departure. Seats on the A340-600 I find very comfortable and spacious with sufficient storage space. Once airborne, my quick snack, night cap and duty free order were taken. Once the seat belt sign switched off, the very friendly cabin crew converted my seat into a flat bed and I managed to get a good 4 hours sleep before waking up 90 minutes before landing. A quick breakfast from the bar of a muffin and fruit juice set me up nicely for the day ahead. I did enjoy briefly the AVOD once I woke up and thought that the variety of films was very good. I think that the seat/bed is very good, the cabin crew were excellent and the London club house the best business class lounge that I have used in either London or Dubai.

Very disappointed with my flight outbound, but when time came to return home it was terrible. My husband is disabled so we pre-booked our seats only to be told that we were upstairs, explained about my husband but was told it was a full flight and nothing could be done about it. We were never given any help to get my husband upstairs. We would never travel with Virgin again.

LHR-LAX - Old 747 - Y Class. Had legroom seat which was nice, however only two drinks, they don't like giving out free drinks! LAX-LHR - A340/600 - Premium seat, better then Y class and able to sleep on the return.

Flew VS to IAD and returned from JFK in premium economy. Outward journey on an Airbus 346. Good seats and good food. Disappointed with the sandwich though. Return was on one of the new A333. New airplane and slightly better seats. Enjoyed entertainment. Good system.

San Francisco to London on 4 November in Premium Economy. Seat width and pitch pretty much as expected, the problem comes when the person in front of you reclines their seat, the personal space you thought you had reduces drastically. Meals were ok as far as taste was concerned but portions are small. Entertainment system not easy to use compared to other airlines we have used, and picture quality suffers as seat in front reclines. In another First for Virgin no pre-dinner drinks served so if you look forward to that G and T or your favourite tipple as your long haul gets underway, best fly with someone else! To top it all don't bother will the steward call button, they ignore it.

14th October from Melbourne Australia (domestic) to Sydney to LHR. Flight VS 201. First leg from Sydney to Hong Kong was very good, even the food was good. However, the next flight was not good at all. After serving dinner the staff were virtually unavailable. The lights were turned down and we were expected to sleep. We were told we could help ourselves from the water fountain, but when you are sitting in a window seat and the person on the aisle is fast asleep, it is not always possible to get up and fetch a drink. As another reviewer has said, the staff were nowhere to be seen until it was time for breakfast. I travelled back to Australia on October 30th and the same lack of service prevailed - once again we were expected to sleep for most of the 12 hour trip and then on the next leg from Hong Kong to Sydney we were expected to do the same again! Again no water was brought round. I know that I was in economy class, but it could almost be called 'cattle class'.

Very disappointed on our recent trip to Boston. We were travelling as a party of four and even though we were on the same booking and had booked seats in advance, we were still separated. This is not the first time this has happened to us and is always blamed on 'operating difficulties or 'change of plane' so don't bother complaining. On two other occasions our seats have been double booked. There was no pre-dinner drink service, no amenity pack, no water or orange juice offered during the flight. They did apologise for the shortage of staff but the service was very slow and the staff seemed disinterested. Seats in economy are hard and cramped. We have travelled a lot with Virgin and are silver members of their flying club.

Flight VS301 on 2/11/12 from Delhi to London. Informed that they were 3 cabin staff short, but balanced this by telling us that the other option was to cancel the flight - what choice did we have considering we were already on the plane? Consequently, service was slower, and with 2 hours left to fly when I asked for a glass of Red Wine, was rudely told (not informed) that no more wine is being served, only water and juice. This was the first request I had made for a drink during the flight as I had slept for a good part of it. Seats were ok for Economy and were as expected.

Flying from Narita to Tokyo to London Heathrow the flight was really quite good. I generally don't have high expectations for inflight comfort over 12 hours, but the food was good, the staff friendly and helpful, and the entertainment system was great. Leg room was limited which gave me some discomfort and I wish I'd taken the option to buy the exit seats which were offered at check-in. And the seat was stuck in the recline position and wouldn't stay upright. On the return flight the plane interior was noticeably older and the shoddier. The films were shown according to a fixed schedule rather than being available on demand and the audio jack for the headphones didn't work well so I had to keep fiddling with it. Also the meal was disgusting, an adjective I rarely resort to. What made the return flight comfortable was buying the exit seats for extra leg room - £75 for 2 of us. I think what makes me go back to Virgin is that they seem to be the cheapest airline for flights from Tokyo to London. I just wish they would at least pay a little more attention to the maintenance of the seating and entertainment systems.

Manchester to Orlando, 4th August. Party of 7 plus 19 month old infant in Premium Economy. We found the service of the attendants very poor. When ice cream was given out and the attendant missed giving my grandson one, I asked why and was informed he was not a passenger and if there was any left over he could have one. Returning, the drinks service was omitted. I will never travel Virgin again.

Flew to Orlando Premium Economy from Manchester. The airbus was quiet and the seats comfortable. Staff very attentive. Food quality poor. Return flight on 747 which had been upgraded. The centre console is flat so drinks easily spilt if slight movement. The tables don't fit correctly and rest on centre console. Food for breakfast very poor. No cold option, no Orange juice and no fruit. This is first time on Virgin but not impressed. Does live up to the hype.

Flew LHR-DEL in premium economy and all was well. New A330 and the interior was very clean. Premium economy seat was wide and had plenty of legroom, but was a bit too hard. The recline was good and the headrests nicely adjustable. The new VERA touch/JAM in-flight entertainment was excellent with a wide and much larger screen than in economy. The handset was also a touchscreen and together the entertainment offered many films and a wide range of music. The meal service was average with my first choice of chicken curry not being available even after 4 rows of premium economy. However, the other option was very nice and well presented on china with metal cutlery. Overall a good experience and good value for money.

Have travelled to Las Vegas many times and direct 3 or 4 times, I was under the impression that Virgin was a quality airline with comfort and passengers needs looked after, How wrong I was. Seats were cramped and uncomfortable, I was expecting more leg room than I had had with cheaper airlines, cabin staff were rude and inattentive. I went to the galley half an hour after I had asked for a drink and was told drinks would be served in a few minutes, half an hour later finally got a can of coke! My wife needed a drink of water and after ringing the over head bell and having no answer went to the galley, only to find one of the stewardesses sitting reading a magazine with her feet up.

I was on the 17.25 flight from San Francisco to London Heathrow on 29/10/12. Airside service at San Francisco airport was good with speedy check in (economy) and clear announcements at the gate. In flight service was poor, inadequacies including serving wine after meal, not serving the advertised pudding (Tiramisu), chatting to each other for lengthy periods during the night disturbing passengers, one attendant eating her own breakfast in sight of passengers (looked better than mine!). Service tending on the peremptory side with no interest in passengers. I have not flown with this airline recently (others have been cheaper) however on the basis of this experience I can say that standards have slipped which can be easily rectified with proper management of in flight staff.

Upper class from Heathrow to Newark on 18/10/2012. Despite ordering vegetarian option when booking we were told by cabin staff that there was only one vegetarian meal and we had to share this between us. There was nothing else available for us to eat. On our return trip we were in Premium economy as Upper Class was completely full on night flight from Newark on 25/10/12. Although my wife and I were travelling together the airline allocated us seats apart. Secondly the service was disgusting, with minute portions of food pushed onto you by cabin staff who were more interested in finishing so they could sit and talk to each other. The way the seats are, if the passenger in front reclines there is no way you can pull the table out and eat comfortably. The complaints to cabin staff made no difference.

VS201 flight HKG to Heathrow. We flew this route 2 years ago and found the footrests in economy to be super, good seat pitch and recline and had a great flight, and food was good. However this flight (and the flight out VS200) had no footrests, very short pitch and recline, very uncomfortable flight each way with the food very poor in comparison, despite their 're-launch'. This has put me off long haul.

My wife and I recently flew Virgin upper Class Sydney - Hong Kong - Sydney. Luckily we paid for our tickets with points as there is no way I would pay for these tickets with money. Cabin staff on the return leg were extremely efficient and polite. The seating arrangements and comfort must rate as the most uncomfortable business class seating available for long haul flying.

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