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Virgin Atlantic review by B Murphy
23 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating : 
I recently flew from Dubai to London Heathrow return in economy for the first time with Virgin
Atlantic. I have travelled with Air France, Czech Airways, Emirates and BA on this route several
times, and I would rate the experience overall with Virgin to be below that of these corresponding
airlines. On the positive side, the IFE is very good, and thankfully Virgin Atlantic continues to
offer full service on its routes. One does not have to pay for wine unlike some of the American
airlines (hopefully Virgin will maintain this policy!) and their flight prices certainly are
excellent. In addition, it was easy to reserve one's seat online in advance of the flight. Equally
the food on board was also reasonably good, but would not come near the food offered by both Air
France and Emirates. My main complaint refers to the fact that on board one sometimes feels as if
you are on board a charter airline or some sort of long-haul low-cost carrier. Passengers were
warned (literally) before the flight took off of the danger of drinking too much alcohol. In
addition, the FA's lacked the professionalism of Air France, Emirates and BA cabin crew. As regards
the airline itself, I guess it is a matter of taste - on-board, everything looks very plastic and
the flashy lights in the toilets look more akin to a night club! In summary, I would probably
travel with Virgin again, but I would rate them just about a 3 star airline. On the European-UAE
routes, I would however recommend Emirates, Air France or BA in preference – on all these airlines
the service is much better, and the FA's are more professional. At least you are not treated like a
school kid on a bus with stark warnings issued on board from the cabin crew. It is the tone of
delivery that was really annoying sitting on a runway in Heathrow.
Virgin Atlantic review by Simon Adams
20 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LHR-PVG Is a route I have been flying once or twice every year for the past 5 years with Virgin
Atlantic, and in the last 2 years I have slowly watched the level of service decline from excellent to
tbarely acceptable. Granted, the cost of flying this route is falling too, but the competition is
getting stronger as both British Airways and China Eastern also fly this same route now. Some of
Virgin's strengths still remain - inflight Entertainment is excellent, food is better than most
airlines, and help yourself snacks are a comfort, but my main gripe is with the Flight Attendants who
are now working on this flight. One opened an overhead locker just before take off causing the
contents to fall out onto my head and onto the floor around me. She did not apologise to me, or the
person the bags belonged to, but just picked them up, stuffed them back into the locker, slammed it
shut and walked away. Another FA in an attempt to get down the aisle in record time with the food,
repeatedly rammed the trolley into people's seats (again with no word of apology). Can we have the old
Virgin Atlantic back please?
Virgin Atlantic review by J Lam
18 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
HKG-SYD-HKG Economy. Good IFE and attentive FAs. The overall flight experience was let down by
substandard economy seats- noticeably less legroom than competitors and insufficient contouring for
long term comfort.
Virgin Atlantic review by Armin Dietrich
12 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating : 
LHR to New York and back. We came from a connection from MUC with a 10min delay. Nobody picked us up
at the connection arrival for a fast transit - as I'm used to in that situation. So hurried to the
next Terminal and came 5 min too late for check in and missed our flight. The ground staff there
seemed overstrained but managed it to get the next flight. Aarrived at JFK we lost our baggage. We
made our claim. The next day we tried to call the hotline. After half an hour recorded massage, we
knew that the VA mail box was full. After two days without luggage we went during our holiday to JFK
Airport and saw the VA office for lost baggage - a complete chaos. On our flight back from Newark,
they opened the counter exact 3h before flight - last check in is usually 2h before, but it took half
an hour to raise their computer systems and start work - super! The flight back was okay - but Star
Alliance airlines have better and more gentle service! Entertainment didn't work at all seats. So my
summary : never again with Virgin Atlantic!
Virgin Atlantic review by G Godall
11 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating : 
Flew VS for the first time LHR to SFO in mid August and my 4 star rating is mainly because of the
outbound flight and their easy to use internet site. The seats in economy felt really cramped but the
IFE system was good. The cabin crew were helpful and meal service was fine, but I feel that BA is
better. FA circled the cabin on a regular basis, offering drinks etc. On the return flight I felt as
though I was using a completely different airline. Although check-in was efficient, the service on the
flight was distinctly underwhelming. FAs practically ignored passengers and did not come around with
drinks often enough. The food was bland and overcooked. IFE froze about 30mins after the meal
service. Although the head FA apologised and tried to reboot, it would not work. The solution? Turn
off the lights, close the window screens and announce that 'many passengers would like to sleep so
please switch off your reading light'! After another 30 mins some bright spark decided to rattle
through the aisle with the duty-free trolley. Needless to say, the flight felt unbearably long and I
was fed up. I think that VS cabin crews need a little more consistency in the way they treat their
passengers. Although I'd give VS another try, it would only be if BA was not available.
Virgin Atlantic review by Neil Bond
6 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LHR-SFO Upper Class. Check in a breeze, lounge is superb. however, on board things go a little
downhill. Flew Upper Class now a few times on air miles. The product is starting to look a little
dated and tired. Seats and seating area looking shabby. Staff friendly. Would only fly Virgin if they
offered a much lower price than other airlines - or through air miles.
Virgin Atlantic review by D Hillyer
2 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating : 
LGW-Orlando we have been travelling premium economy with Virgin Atlantic for several years and noticed
Virgin Atlantic is now a run of the mill airline - not streets ahead as in years earlier. Aircraft are
very tired with seats uncomfortable - tv not working and dirty. When we complained about the tv not
working, they gave us 5000 flying club miles (no good to anyone). Take a tip book BA.
Virgin Atlantic review by C McNair
2 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
MAN-MCO : a huge disappointment. Economy cabin was tired looking and the seats are not as great as
they seemed in previous years. Beware of the exit seats they are almost half an inch narrower that the
normal. The food was very poor both ways. The return checking in at downtown Disney was very slow. Not
worth paying much over the cheapest price you can find for Virgin anymore.
Virgin Atlantic review by H Hasen
30 August 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LHR-DXB Upper Class. Have flown numerous times on Virgin but this is the last. The customer service
seems to get worse with each flight. My 5 year old discovered some used tissues in the side pockets
at the start of the flight. When this was brought to the attention of the stewardess she refused to
remove it as she was not wearing gloves (although presumably it is ok for a child to touch this).
Food was average. Baggage very late in arriving and Virgin staff extremely unhelpful at DXB.
Virgin Atlantic review by Suhail Kazim
21 August 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LHR-SFO Upper class. Check in done online and boarding passes printed out on the internet. The limos
came on time and chauffeur checked us en route to the airport. By the time we reached the drive thru
check in, baggage tags were printed and escorted to the lobby. We proceeded to the fast track for
security and that was where the problem started. The scanner could not scan the internet boarding
passes and only 3 out of the 7 papers could get scanned! That meant we had to go back all the way to
the upper class area and get new boarding passes printed out. This isn't the first time for us to face
such a situation and sometimes I wonder whats the use of online check in! The lounge is a haven of
luxury! On boarding there are no separate bridges or entrances for premium passengers. As a result it
took us a while to enter the cabin. Cabin was a different experience with single seats facing each
other. Cabin attendants offered welcome drinks, amenity bags and headsets in the seat pockets. IFE was
AVOD and very good. Seats extremely comfortable. It coverts to a flat bed at the press of a button.
Lunch and afternoon tea served. Food of VS is not up to the mark and quite bland and tasteless.
Virgin Atlantic review by Dorothy Steel
15 August 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LHR-Newark pretty horrendous due to delays. Flight OK but food average to poor. Returning overnight to
LHR flight quick. If I travel again with this airline it will not be through choice, although I have
several times in the past. I have flown Upper class in the past and Premium Economy and it was fine.
Economy this time - big mistake. Seems the standard has dropped as the aircraft are much busier now.
Virgin Atlantic review by J Kirkman
15 August 2007 Customer Trip Rating : 
MIA-LHR-MIA Upper Class. Check in at MIA was quick and painless. MIA lounge shared with several
other carriers. The only drawback to the lounge is that it is outside security, so time must be
allowed for that, though if you are a premium passenger, you have a dedicated line. Once the lounge
fills up, it can become noisy. Boarding easy, with Upper Class passengers given their own line.
Welcomed onboard and quickly offered a glass of champagne and explained how the seats worked. I did
not find the seat pods confining or too small, and didn't find having other passengers in front of me
a distraction. IFE system was nice, though I didn't use it much. The food was underwhelming on the
flight. They ran out of my first choice and the second choice, while presented well was rather bland.
Upper Class passengers have a bar area. LHR Revivals lounge wonderful and a great place to freshen
up. On the flight back to MIA, the lounge at LHR is amazing. The crew on the way back to MIA just as
cheerful and attentive as going over. LHR to MIA is over 9 hours and I actually got several hours of
quality sleep. All in all, this was a fantastic trip. I find their service to be very professional
and better than any first class service (domestic) in the US.
Virgin Atlantic review by R Taft
7 August 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LHR-DXB Upper Class. Over hyped and disapointing flights both ways, new flat bed a matter of taste -
found it small and claustrophobic, you have to be very flexible to plug in your headset and use the
drinks tray provided. Food was appalling, lukewarm and not what you would expect at this level, just
about ok for an economy meal. IFE system not as good as others, and froze twice - second time cabin
crew could not reset, so was without for last 3 hours of flight. Cabin crew on both routes friendly
although clearly embarrassed that food and drink choices were limited as apparently not loaded at LHR.
Overall impression, pods very claustrophobic and beds iffy, inbound flight grubby seat and table, food
choice and quality below average, boarding in Dubai is nightmare via long bus ride across airport and
no priority given to upper class passengers made to stand and wait for buses in heat for over 15 mins.
Much better service and food on offer with other airlines to DXB or AUH in Business Class for the
price. Would add that The Clubhouse at LHR is one of the best Lounges I have ever used, top marks for
this Virgin.
Virgin Atlantic review by Douglas Medrue-Googe
7 August 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
JFK-LHR and LHR-IAD Upper Class. Virgin's strongest point is its
lounges. JFK lounge had excellent meals before departure and while the
lounge is smaller than the LHR lounge, catering and ambience are ahead
of anything US carriers offer. LHR arrivals lounge is also excellent
and the food offering quite good. Can be a little crowded early in the
morning but not overwhelmingly so. Best to skip meals on board and eat
at both ends and sleep throughout the flight, having one of their small
snacks and a drink before bedtime. LHR departure lounge is wonderful
with even better food offering (in the restaurant and Deli). The upper
class cabin on the A340-600 has a quiet/sleep zone up front and that is
preferable. Seating involves diagonally slanted seats facing into the
aisles on either side, which has the disadvantage of leaving you facing
an array of fellow passengers which cuts down on the sense of privacy.
There is a third column where you face only a low barrier wall behind
the backs of the other seats and this is more private. The single-
column seating seems to be on the right of the plane in the sleep zone
and on the left of the plane in the remainder of Upper Class. If
unsure, best to check in advance so you get a more private seat.
Stylish decor inside the planes with usual amenity kit and sleep suit.
Drinks abound and you can book your meal when you want. The food
onboard was tasty but not superb. The service is fast and no trolley is
involved. The seat is a true lie-flat bed which flight attendants will
turn down for you. If you make sure the storage areas are all secured,
an average sized person will have ample shoulder room. The footrest is
a bit annoying because if you are taller than about 6', you may find
your feet colliding with the foot rest and to put them out in the aisle
usually involves a collision with one of the flight attendants moving
through the cabin. If you are slightly larger than average, you could
have a sardine feel in the Upper Class suite but still, it is a real bed
and it works well overall. The spiel the onboard masseuse/beauty
therapist has to go through at every seat before takeoff is delivered at
very high speed. A quick hello and a simple sheet explaining the
offerings would suffice. The bar needs to be set up more quickly and
properly staffed at all times. Better snack offerings than crisps and
almonds. The power system for laptops has to be sorted because if you
have a new laptop, they might not have a plug and no other adaptor
system will work on their planes, so either carry an extra battery or
check ahead if they can accommodate you. The flight attendants tend to
congregate around the bar and in the galley and have lengthy gab
sessions, which can leave you feeling like you have to interrupt their
group fun to ask for something. Would be nice if they circulated a bit
more throughout the flight. A short instruction sheet on how to operate
the suite features would make getting used to it quicker (excellent IFE
as others have commented). Since Virgin has a partner agreement with US
Airways, it's possible to get Virgin's miles into your Star Alliance FF
account, and with a 100% bonus for trips in Upper Class, a US-UK-US
return trip can earn you up to 14,000 miles, which is not shabby.
Virgin Atlantic review by Jim Yates
3 August 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Gatwick to Antigua in Premium Economy, and return in Upper Class. Used the twilight check in the
night before the flight and was given the seats next to the emergency exit seats on the upper deck.
The flight was very comfortable - found the seats wider and more comfortable than the ones in BMI
premium economy. FA's were polite, cheerful and friendly. Return flight was better - we liked the
check in & chill out service and lie flat beds in upper class. Only criticism was that the main meal
wasn't as good as we had experienced on other business class flights. All in all, we would quite
happily use the same combination again when flying to the US or Carribean.
Virgin Atlantic review by Patricia Connors
2 August 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
My husband and I have travelled three times per year to Florida, in
Upper Class, with VA for at least five years. Because of this, we have
accumulated over 100,000 air miles each. Over the last couple of years,
I have tried quite a few times to book a reward flight so that we can
use our miles, but every time we try, we are offered Premium Economy
only. I have been complaining to VA about this over the past few weeks
and it is only today that they have actually admitted that the only time
we will ever get a reward flight for both of us at the same time, is if
they predict low revenue on the route, which will probably be just a few
weeks before departure. I am so disappointed with VA, they seem to be
getting worse and worse as time goes on. People say how great their
flying club is and how generous they are with their air miles, but
what's the point if you can't spend them as you want?
Virgin Atlantic review by Paul Johnston
2 August 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
London Gatwick to Havana return. Check in pretty good on way out but on
way back baggage belt had broken down so we were in queue for nearly two
hours. Entertainment system not up to standard of Singapore or Air New
Zealand. They play the same TV programmes on the way out and the way
back. It wasn't an on demand system on the way out, and on the way back
it crashed three or four times. Food pretty good and drink plentiful.
Staff fairly friendly, but didn't do enough to stop people wandering
around when fasten seat belt sign was lit.
Virgin Atlantic review by Mattthew Morris
31 July 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LHR-JFK in Premium Economy - very good experience overall. New Premium Economy seats excellent, wide
and plenty of pitch. IFE was the best I have experienced although it froze once and my screen had to
be reset. Food was good (GFML). Cabin crew were very friendly, efficient and approachable, there
seemed to be a really good team spirit among the crew. My only criticism is that the crew were
really noisy in the mid-cabin galley. Didn't bother me too much but I can imagine for people paying
big money for Upper Class it must have been annoying.
Virgin Atlantic review by J Streeter
27 July 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LHR-DXB return. We flew out premium economy which was acceptable, and
back Economy. The seats in economy were the most cramped I have
experienced, you felt you were wedged into the seat. We had the bulkhead
seats and I was unable to release my tv screen, so pressed the call
button for help. The screens on our tv were filthy and we were given a
wipe to clean them ourselves. When our food arrived they had run out of
choices from the menu so we had what was left. Both meals were mainly
made up of stodge with no fresh fruit and only a tiny salad served with
the dinner. The "snack" consisted of a chicken salad roll and a square
of unappetising cake. Ice cream served mid flight was appreciated.
Only once during the 7 hour flight did the cabin crew come round with
water and juice unlike other airlines who come round far more
frequently. All in all it was not a pleasant experience and I was not
impressed with the attitude of some of the flight attendants.
Virgin Atlantic review by Mark Griffin
25 July 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LGW-LAS-LGW twice - May & July in Economy. Sadly the days of twice
weekly flights and empty cabins are long gone. It was once a pleasure to
fly with Virgin. The flights weren't over subscribed and staff had
plenty of time to take care of you. My last two flights with Virgin
have been simply awful. It would appear that the Stag and Hen Party
circuit have abandoned Prague and made Las Vegas their new party
capital. My flight on 11th May had 2 stag parties of over 30 guys and 1
hen party of over 15. My flight on 8th July had a similar stag party
set-up on board. I usually check seat allocations online and try to
allocate myself a seat in an emptier part of the cabin, which is usually
the rear of the aircraft. I know it's unfair to judge an airline by the
passengers that use it. I'm also aware that it can be a total lottery as
to whom sits beside or around you. However, I think it important to let
prospective passengers to this destination know the kind of passenger
this flight is now attracting. Within hours of take off the flights had
run out of beer, because members of the Stag & Hen parties were drinking
so much. In all fairness they intended no malice. However, they were
very loud and boisterous, being totally disrespectful of those around
them. Idiotic behaviour consisted of throwing pillows and cushions from
one side of the cabin to the next, as well as cutlery from the dinner
trays. Sweets seemed also to be a favourite projectile. Even with ear
plugs and headphones on, there was absolutely no chance of getting any
sleep. To make matters worse, on the first flight I had an 18 year old
idiot sitting across from me who was listening to an IPOD. He kept
shouting out 'Tune!' to every song he liked listening to. Then came the
continuous waving of his arms in the air, followed by shouting
profanity. I honestly thought I was having a breakdown at one point.
I did ask the cabin crew if they could ask both the stag party and
teenage idiot to calm down. The problem is, the cabin crew are usually
run off their feet trying to cater for them all. They sympathized
completely, but advised me that this was the norm for some of the Vegas
flights. I knew that my intervention in the issue would only cause more
trouble, as I was totally outnumbered and also sober - which they most
certainly were not. The only good thing that happened was when the cabin
crew eventually refused to give them alcohol. I've never prayed harder
for people to fall into a coma in all of may life. It's important to
note that I'm not a stuck up idiot - I can have a joke and laugh with
the best of them, and often do. Yet there comes a point when even the
most patient person shouldn't have to tolerate such behaviour.
Crew were polite and courteous - service of good quality. My criticism
of Virgin Atlantic cabin crew, is that they always appear very young and
out of their depth in certain situations. My advice to prospective
passengers is: Beware of Stag and Hen parties on this flight,
especially those flying for a long weekend. I would never fly economy on
this flight again. If you can upgrade to a Premium Economy seat, do so,
you won't regret it. Sadly I'm done with Virgin on this route. I will be
happily flying with Delta Airlines to Las Vegas this September. I may
have to fly indirect and arrive 2 hours later than the Virgin flight,
but these are small details compared to the sufferance of Virgin
flights.
Virgin Atlantic review by Brian Wedge
25 July 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
London-St Lucia-London. Check in chaotic, with ground staff surly and
unhelpful. Cabin was grubby, the seats (economy) very narrow and tight
together. FA more interested in their actions the night before, than
assisting the passengers. The food was dreadful, with FAs disappearing
once trays were cleared - any attempt to get further drinks from the
galley (where FAs had assembled) was met with a very unhelpful
reception. The return flight was as bad. A letter of complaint was
totally ignored.
Virgin Atlantic review by Mark Baughman
23 July 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Upper Class DXB-LHR-IAD. FA came to seat and explained how the new seat
worked. Fairly quick to take drink order. Food was outstanding. On-
board massage very good. Lounge in LHR T3 by far the coolest and most
comfortable I've ever been in. Onboard, flat seats are an acquired taste
- to make it flat you have to get out of your seat and flip back over.
However, you have to make the commitment to flat or seated. If you're
using the seated position, you have limit on how far back the seat will
go. On BA I find myself reclining gradually during the flight as I
watch movies, but with this seat you have to make a choice and then it's
hard to watch the TV as it doesn't pivot. The flat seat also feels more
narrow because of the shell design. If you're travelling with someone,
it will be very difficult to talk to them. Obviously that's a mixed
blessing. Seats point away from window, so you have to stretch around to
see out, which I like to do. The table top for the seat is very large.
Virgin Atlantic review by Nick Power
19 July 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Having been a huge fan with Virgin Atlantic for many years I have to say
now they have lost the plot! LHR-FO I found the "suite" tatty and not
very clean - service was ok but not like Virgin used to be in any way
shape of form! What has happened to the "Freedom Menu" - save paper and
put the limited choices on one side of paper. The food was dreadful and
they ran out of all choices. Bar is nice but crew always there chatting
and moaning.
Virgin Atlantic review by P Carter
17 July 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
London Heathrow to JFK. Flight late setting off due to Pilot not turning
up and replacement having to be found! Seats had good leg room and great
entertainment system with good choice of films / games. Food very
average. Flight back was on a 747, entertainment system crashed. Took
40 mins to reboot the whole system. Generally the stewardesses looked
fed up, didn't smile and just handed out drinks / food without saying
"thank you" or anything at all. You feel guilty for putting them to too
much trouble when asking for something. We've had better service from
budget airlines!
Virgin Atlantic review by Mark Bickerton
15 July 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LOS to LHR in Economy. On time departure from Lagos with a half-full
plane so plenty of space. Very friendly crew. Unfortunately the in-
flight entertainment didnt work; they made a few attempts to fix it and
apologised profusely, so we ended up watching Happy Feet, which was
quite fun; its been a while since I have been on a flight where everyone
is watching the same film. Food okay - not my style but quite a good
choice.
Virgin Atlantic review by C Shepherd
12 July 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Montego Bay to LGW, in Upper Class. I have flown Upper Class before and
been happy with the service, but this flight was, frankly, a disaster.
Check-in at Montego Bay was chaotic, with no dedicated Upper Class desk
and certainly no fast-track security lane. The lounge (run by Air
Jamaica) is little better than the general departure lounge in the main
airport building, and the only freebies on offer were tepid cups of tea
and syrupy glasses of Coca-Cola, together with a bag of plantain chips.
The lounge manager moved us to the gate a full 20 minutes before it was
necessary, meaning that when we arrived at the gate we had to stand up
(there were no free seats) while the plane was readied for boarding.
Perhaps there was a failure in communication? It was simply idiotic.
Boarding proceeded badly, and there was no priority system for Upper
Class passengers - everyone just boarded at once. Once onboard, a
completely unexplained 2-hour delay annoyed everyone on board, a
situation compounded by the fact that the air-conditioning system was
broken. The inflight entertainment system (Nova) was clapped-out and
completely outdated, looking positively pitiful next to the business-
class offerings of other leading airlines like BA, Emirates, Qatar and
Cathay. The food was even worse; dinner was grotesque and breakfast - a
bizarre concoction of curled, wafer-thin melon slices drizzled in a
miserly amount of astonishingly revolting yoghurt - was abysmal. On the
plus side, the cabin crew were reasonably friendly and attentive, and
the beds were comfortable (even though the design of the Upper Class
suite is bizarre). On the whole, very disappointing. Other than the flat
bed, I don't see that I got any extra benefits by paying £1000 more for
each ticket. Why bother upgrading from economy?
Virgin Atlantic review by C Taylor
6 July 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LGW to Havana. Out premium economy, return upper class. Speedy check in
both ways. Had also booked Virgin lounge at LGW which was superb.
Outward flight good value for money with friendly FAs, good food
frequent drinks service. No ice cream unless you were in economy!
Ghastly dim lounge at Havana. Hardly any snacks & what was there was of
very inferior quality - nothing to drink if you dislike rum & beer.
Stayed about 10 minutes. Seats in upper class very odd indeed. No
privacy, narrow lumpy beds & only 1 toilet in action for both premium
cabins. Food unbelievably awful - Sausages & mash, a vile looking
chicken tikka or cottage pie - a vegetarian mess that looked & tasted
dismal. Really not worth the money to go upper class.
Virgin Atlantic review by Sean Kyte
6 July 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Economy Class. LGW-MCO, and back from LAS to LGW. Online check in excellent allows you to pick prime
seats and speeds airport process to a minimum. Onboard crews both ways fairly attentive, food quite
tasty for economy class and aircraft looking tired but clean. The only complaint I have is the in-
flight entertainment system. As flights from Gatwick no V-Port, and the older systems are becoming
unreliable. Outbound because the IFE wasn't working in every seat it had to be re-booted
2 times, which meant I saw the beginning of the movie I was watching 3 times! On flight back a
number of channels where not working. Overall a good experiance, but with Virgins charter rivals up
dating their IFE on bucket and spade routes from Gatwick and British Airways getting AVOD on there
planes Virgin really need to think about updating theres.
Virgin Atlantic review by Charles Smith
4 July 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
London Gatwick - Barbados in Premium Economy. Decided to use
conventional check in as opposed to online options. Upon arrival at
South Terminal check in, Premium and Upper Class lanes were empty. My
baggage was processed with red priority tags and boarding pass labelled
for fast track security clearance. What a complete and utter waste of
time fast track is at Gatwick now. Eventually emerged 45 minutes later
in a state of half undress (as seems to the vogue at security posts
around the world) wondering where the "fast track" had gone - it
certainly didn't seem very fast and left me feeling thankful I had still
allowed myself 2.5hrs for a so called "speedy" priority check in
service. Not exacty a benefit when you consider standard security lanes
had processed in exactly the same length of time. Priority boarding
extended to Upper Class, Premium Economy and Gold Card members. Economy
boarded by row numbers. Boeing 747-400 in traditional Gatwick
configuration which meant the upper deck is for Premium Economy
passengers. Disappointed with the seats which now appear old and out of
date. IFE controls are screwed in to the seat and do not extend in
"remote control" style as on some aircraft. Instead these are positioned
quite far back and on the inside of the armrest which make them
difficult to use while seated. Managed to get row 75 which is the exit
row on the upper deck and allows an extra 3-4 feet of space over
standard seats. Offered juice, water and sparkling wine prior to
pushback. Washkits, menus and headsets already in situ upon boarding.
After take off, drink orders were taken and lunch served. Good quality
and decent sized portions. Crew took nearly 2 hours to clear in the
empty trays. In fact, I had nodded off and had woken up again to find
the leftovers of lunch still sitting in front of me. Other passengers
appeared to be in the same situation. Eventually, trays were cleared,
duty free offered. . I was able to position my handbaggage opposite my
seat and use as a foot rest. I noticed the seats hardly reclined at all
and left me with pins and needles in the base of my spine if I stayed
seated any longer than a few hours. This was definitely due to the old
design of the seat which features on all Gatwick based aircraft. 2hrs
before landing afternoon tea of cookies and sandwiches served, again,
the leftovers appeared to take an age to clear in. Disembarked by steps
from the 2 forward exits on the main deck. Economy passengers were not
held back to allow Premium passengers off first. Baggage delivered
surprisingly quick for Barbados, Upper and Premium bags being delivered
first. Overall, a satisfactory in flight service severely let down by
inferior seating. Virgin is in the process of fixing this but these
aircraft aren't due to be refitted until next year. Had the my seat
been in the standard configuration as opposed to being by the exit, I
doubt I could have offset the great service against the level of seat
comfort.
Virgin Atlantic review by J Brennan
4 July 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LHR - JFK in economy. Overall a very good flight. A 747-400 instead of the
A340-600 as advertised, but it was clean and comfortable. Meal ok and IFE is the best I have
experienced - a very good-size screen. My complaint would be with the leg room in economy. At 6ft I am not exceptionally tall but
there was very little space to stretch my legs compared to other airlines I have flown
transatlantic. Also by the window seat there is a box for the IFE under seats which restricts legroom further.
Virgin Atlantic review by B Teladia
25 June 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LHR-MIA return in economy. Good service, food. Inflight entertainment
very good. Seating not that comfortable but managed to sleep for a
little - mainly due to being very, very tired. Staff all good from check
in to cabin crew all served us with a smile and made conversation.
Baggage arrived in good time, for return out of terminal within
30minutes of flight landing.
Virgin Atlantic review by Alastair France
25 June 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy is a very nice product if you are a
standard size. Unfortunately for those of us over 1m90 for comfort BA
WT+ is now much better. The bells and whistles that have been added to
the seat have impacted hugely on the comfort and usability for the
taller passenger. If the person in the front reclines their seat I am
unable to sit with my knees straight forward - and this has the much
vaunted more room than economy. On the way back I managed to persuade
check-in to put me on a bulkhead seat - then got on the aircraft to find
they wanted to put me back somewhere else and they told me they had
reallocated my seat. I stayed put. In short, I will be avoiding them
again. A pity - because it used to be a nice way to travel, but they
have sacrificed comfort for all passengers for the benefit of most.
Virgin Atlantic review by J McAllister
25 June 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LHR-EWR, ORD-LHR. Haven't travelled with Virgin before but was pretty
happy on this trip, despite travelling in economy on a pretty cheap
fare. Going out on a 747-400, the flight was not completely full so had
three seats between two of us - enough space to stretch. IFE very
comprehensive with a great deal of choice; food met expectations.
Return flight on A340-600 - thought that it was going to be more cramped
but although the flight was full didn't feel worse than on the way. IFE
was a little disappointing as it wasn't fully on-demand but perfectly
acceptable.
Virgin Atlantic review by Paul Leahy
19 June 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LGW-LAS-LGW Economy. I think Virgin are on the decline. I understand
that this flight is very 'Stag and Hen party heavy', and this can be no
fun for the FAs, but I don't believe that their standards should drop
dramatically. The whole experience reminded me of the so-called discount
airlines (Easyjet/Ryanair style) - the ones where you're made to feel
like a complete inconvenience, and the FAs have been taught the subtle
art of patronising sarcasm. Check-in was chaos, both ways, as if us
passengers had suddenly turned up unannounced! I will forgive the huge
delays of security and passport checks, as this appears to be a global
phenomenon - I understand the need for security, but as a European
traveller I don't think procedures have really changed that much post
9/11, but somehow every airport now has huge queuess. Virgin clearly use
their oldest airplane stock for this route, and seats are hugely
cramped, with an inflight entertainment system that reminds you just how
much things have moved on - but not on this plane!! The service was
totally unacceptable. I read with interest another comment about how the
plane was 'drunk dry', so they shut the bar with about 3 hours to go.
Amazingly this happened on my flight. And even more amazingly, it
happened on the flight a friend of mine took 6 weeks earlier. If I were
a betting man, I'd lay good money that every flight gets 'drunk dry'
with 3 hours to go! If they want to stop serving alcoholic drinks then
ok, just be honest about it. If people are drunk, then don't serve them.
But I was sober and just fancied a beer, but no. But in fact it was a
struggle to get any kind of drink, or get any FA assistance. Eventually
I decided to employ a 'self service' approach, and try and get a Coke
(sorry, Virgin Cola!). This seemed to upset the 3 FAs in the galley that
were discussing Paris Hilton's prison sentence. Maybe everyone was just
having a bad day, but the return flight was even worse. It's an
overnight so understandably they operate a blackout policy so people can
sleep. But surely the FAs shouldn't try to get 40 winks as well. I tried
to persevere with the 'calling' button, but to no avail. Once again, I
was in self service mode. Only this time I had to walk pretty much into
'premium economy' before I found an FA. This is not what I expect from a
major airline, especially one that used to promote itself as being very
customer orientated.
Virgin Atlantic review by Phillip Clements
19 June 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LHR-PVG, Upper Class. Limo Arrived on time straight through check-in and
to the lounge. The lounge was great, plenty of gimmicks. Onboard, the
experience started to pale. This was the first time that I had travelled
with the suites and not impressed. The seat felt claustrophobic but
exposed at the same time. The seat also kept reclining which was
annoying whilst eating and working. The IFE was not V-Port so had to
watch the movies on the repeat cycle. The food was very disappointing -
sausages and mash followed by ice-cream is not J/F class food! As soon
as the food had been served the crew disappeared! Flew back BA F and
there was no comparison for service and food. Give the pre-flight 5
stars, but the flight only 3 stars. It certainly does not live up to the
Virgin Atlantic hype.
Virgin Atlantic review by J Simon
19 June 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
JFK-LHR-JFK Upper Class. We arrived at JFK to enjoy a quick breakfast
in the Club House - very nice, professional service. FA gave us a a
brief tutorial on how to operate the seat and IFE - greeted by the
inflight therapist and chief FA.. We departed on time and had a lovely
flight - crew couldn't have been nicer or more attentive. Constantly
coming back to refill drinks. Return flight very late leaving
Heathrow, but we were able to have a meal at the club house (which was
pretty mediocre) and a manicure in the spa. Service on the flight back
was professional - flight attendants visible and constantly checking on
us. I resisted the temptation to have the bed made in an attempt to get
back in synch with the time difference, but many of the passengers did
take a nap.
Virgin Atlantic review by A Newbery
19 June 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Upper Class return LHR-LAX. Both ways the journey was excellent. Check
in and lounges great. No fault with the quality/quantity of food and
beverage. Cabin staff attentive through the outward leg. Not sure about
the return leg, I slept most of the way. The flat bed, sleep suit, duvet
made for a long rest. Limo service either end added icing to the cake.
Virgin Atlantic review by Carole Clements
14 June 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Orlando to Gatwick economy. From start to finish our ordeal with VA has
been horrible. I tried to manage our fllights online, choosing seats,
meals etc but their website is so bad it can't find your flights until
you've tried about 20 times over the space of hour. Then when you get to
choose your seats, there are only 4 or 5 scattered about the plane, to
find a pair together, well nearly impossible. (I checked the plane when
we flew and there were more empty seats than were showing on the
website!) I tried a few times and eventually got 2 seats together,.
Checking in at Orlando is an ordeal. We arrived 4 hours before our
flight but boy we needed the time & more. It was total chaos at the VA
desks. We'd walked past BA and a member of their staff asked if we
needed any help. If only we'd booked with them as that was the only
helpful person we spoke to. As we'd checked in online we looked for the
'fast bag drop' desk. We were directed to one queue by a VA member of
staff only to be told we were in the wrong queue & directed to another .
We joined this 'queue' if you can call it that. It was a shambles with
people, bags and children all over the place. It hardly moved for over
an hour, don't know why, maybe the girl on the desk felt like a go slow
day. She certainly got fed up with her job because she left the desk &
disappeared through a door never to be seen again, leaving our desk un-
manned. After waiting patiently in line for at least 10 minutes I called
to a passing VA staff member & told her that the desk was un-manned. She
went off and managed to get another person on the desk & after another
long wait we were checked in! Checking in online is absolutely useless,
don't waste your time & effort, you still have to wait in line to show
ID, Passports etc & for the bags to be tagged. After this long process
we didn't have time for a cup of coffee or food, just more or less
straight through to the Gate. I'd ordered a veggie meal online & what I
was served was horrible, the worst meal ever on a plane. Noodles & 2
grey mange tout that tasted like it had been boiled in sweet vinegar,
yuk. With this were a salad consisting of a lettuce leaf & 1 tiny
tomato, plus a fruit salad consisting of 4 grapes & a few chunks of
melon. The only tasty thing on the tray was the salad dressing. I asked
if it would be possible to have the other vegetarian meal being served
and was told that at the end of service if there was one left over I
could have it. Well over an hour later with all food trays being cleared
away, I was asked if I still wanted it, I declined. The member of staff
was so obviously relieved, I guess he couldn't be bothered to put it in
the oven for me. I asked for a coffee at one stage & never got it. Near
the end of the flight , the attendant jokily asked me if I'd ever gotten
my coffee, I said no, he thought this was quite funny, can't think why?
He did mention that there were only 10 attendants to serve 300
customers, so I guess a meal or a cup of coffee were out of the question
then? During the flight, water was not offered except with the meals.
Fruit juice was offered once. Thankfully I'd bought 2 bottles of water
onboard. I would rate VA as the worst experience of flying I have ever
had, from their booking system online, their check in, their unhelpful
staff (too busy) to their inflight experience, zero out of 10.
Virgin Atlantic review by P Ganguly
7 June 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Travelled Virgin Atlantic Upper Class 4 times in past 10 months and I
have noticed quality of service deteriorate since my first upper class
flight 10 months ago. No doubt you are made to feel extremely special
when travelling upper class (the limo pick up, the in-car check in, the
lounge, the treatements etc., but the quality of food onboard and the
friendliness of crew has worsened. I agree with other comments about
the crew being in a rush to serve food ASAP and then dissapear for the
rest of the flight and crop up again 2 hours before landing to serve
breakfast. On a recent flight to the US from LGW on a 747-400, I was
pretty disappointed to find out that the plane did not have the V-Port
IFE system installed (I usually fly to the far east on the A340's) and
the general poor state of the upper class cabin (plus the LGW Virgin
lounge is nothing special compared to the Virgin Clubhouse at LHR)
And trying to book a reward flight with the virgin frequent flyer miles?
Don't bother, as the flight you want is never available!
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