Virgin Atlantic

We will never fly with Virgin again. This year on our annual Florida holiday we decided to take a direct flight back usually we like a break and fly via another US city. However for speed we thought we'd fly with Virgin. Our disappointment was almost immediate as we stepped on the plane and found our seats we expected a nice friendly welcome from the inflight staff but the surly stewardess couldn't even be bothered to acknowledge us. When I sat down I discovered that we were actually on a chartered flight as I'd never been on a scheduled flight with such a tight seat pitch. Inflight safety was almost criminal neglect as no one onboard would be able to stomach what passed for a safety video. Food was next and it was sparse and terrible. So here is my message to anyone thinking of flying with Virgin to Florida - do not do it - you can have a much better experience by booking a one stopper through a US airline. We have done Delta US Airlines and United in the past few years and whilst the staff are surprising mature they are extremely attentive provide great service and know how to feed you. They also have enough between their ears to have a sensible conversation with. An added bonus we had was a delayed flight from Florida to New York which gave us a free day in the Big Apple a few years back.

VS010 JFK to LHR on 27 July 2014. Finally took off 2 hours late an hour plus on the tarmac waiting to leave. The PA system was so bad you could not hear what was being said. Did not try the inflight entertainment where the screen is usually so bad you may as well not bother. Big no no was the evening meal I ordered Chicken Korma and it was disgusting. I told the steward and he offered me an alternative but I declined. Positive point was the crew are always helpful and professional. Pity about the rest.

Flew from Manchester to Orlando and Miami to London Heathrow. On both flights everything was top class. Ok seats and food. Very nice entertainment system with lots of movies music and games. Helpful crew. Both flights were on time which is especially convenient when having connecting flights.

MIA-LHR r.t. in Upper Class - July 20 - July 27 - service by flight attendants was outstanding. However the overall experience was disappointing. Seats have three positions: upright slight recline and flat bed. Upon request the flight attendant will reposition the seat into a bed and provide a duvet and coverlet with pillow. The bed is satisfactory for sleeping but it is not possible to readjust to a seating position without vacating the seat and removing the linen. The entire configuration is uncomfortable and impractical. When the seat is configured to a flat bed reading and watching TV is near impossible. A far better seat would allow the passenger to readjust the bed to a comfortable recline which would permit reading watching TV or eating which is the case with most other carriers. People with some limited mobility should avoid Upper Class at all cost.

LHR-JFK 747 Upper Deck economy class. Great selection of inflight entertainment. Food service ok 3 choices of main - chicken chilli con carne and vegetarian pasta dish I had the chicken and whilst the fillet was small it was tasty. Passion fruit mousse desert was better. Love heart candy is a great touch. Flight arrived 10 mins early. Be aware if looking for somewhere to sleep upper deck is not for you as there is a large gap between your seat and the window/bulkhead - however it is perfect for those needing a space to put more stuff in flight.

Little Red EDI-LHR 19 June. Service more or less on par with British Airways (Except that I note that the BA flight 10 mins later had a 30 min delay). Snack service with Drink Baggage included to 23KG which is nice. Seemed to take some time for baggage return in Heathrow. Entertainment on board consists of old school flight safety demo and a few sheets of glossy paper masquerading as an inflight magazine. In all if you're going to fly worthwhile to fly with them but personally I prefer the train service.

I travelled from Heathrow to Los Angeles and I found that the seating was cramped for such a long journey and with very little padding on the seats it was a very uncomfortable journey. The stewards ignored calls and refused to meet the eye. They also lost my luggage and it was more than 24 hours before I got it back. The food was good and can't complain about the service on the return flight.

HKG-LHR-HKG in Upper Class "Dancing Queen" into LHR and "Bubbles" into HKG. This was our first flight with Virgin and the three of us (2 adults and 1 seven year old) enjoyed it. The staff went out of their way to treat every one as if you are their only passengers. Their friendly and jovial attitude as well as the flexible dining options are something to be commended. I have bad memories of the old CX herringbone layout who based it on Virgin's but in the a340-600 at least the cabin was light and airy and the walls of your cubicle are not as high. The lounge in HK is great but the clubhouse in Heathrow is fantastic. It appears as if every member of staff from check-in to cabin like their job and are happy to do it. The only negative is the somewhat limited IFE with very limited choices of movies and tv shows. CX is far superior in that respect.

Flew from LHR to JFK in May 2014 and opted for extra legroom rather than premium economy. Can't fault it. Both me and my wife are over 6 ft and had a really comfy flight. Food was ok. It's after all airline food which is never going to overwhelm you. We normally fly with budget airlines around Europe so for us it was like luxury. I would recommend getting extra legroom if you're over 5 ft 11.

The baggage size was extremely limited. Normal overhead bags would not fit in the size checker. I travel a great deal and have never encountered such restrictions. So we wound up paying $80 to check one bag beyond our limit. When we boarded we found that the flight was only 1/2 full and the overhead compartments were the normal size. They would have fit our luggage easily.