Virgin Atlantic

Seat Reviews


4 star Skytrax Rating
Seat Legroom 12345
Seat Recline 12345
Seat Width 12345
Aisle Space 12345
Viewing TV 12345
Customer rating from 124 reviews
4/10
4 star Skytrax Rating
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2/10

"make tall people uncomfortable"

(United Kingdom)

Verified Review | Only issue with the Virgin flights on this and previous occasions is seating (e.g legroom and headrests) I'm 6'7' (2m) and I could only just squeeze my legs in behind the seat in front and my head and shoulders stuck up above the top of the seat back. I spent most of my time with my knees in the aisle where the stewardesses rammed them with trollies and they were a trip hazard to other passengers. The head rest at its highest was between my shoulder blades so left me with no option but to lean my head forwards to sleep. Chap in front slammed his seat back and thumped my head. Managed to force my knees down to get my feet under the seat in front but finished up playing footsie with the chap in front. Also, TV screen on flight out to US was fixed (couldn't pull base outwards) so when chap in front reclined his seat all I could see was a 1 inch high screen. In my view, Virgin want to make tall people so uncomfortable they'll pay for extra leg room. Why are they allowed to get away with it?
Seat TypeEconomy Class
Aircraft TypeA330-300
Seat Layout2x4x2
Date FlownJuly 2017
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Seat Legroom 12345
Seat Recline 12345
Seat Width 12345
Aisle Space 12345
Viewing Tv Screen 12345
Power Supply 12345
Seat Storage 12345
no
3/10

"could not recommend flying with Virgin"

(United Kingdom)

Verified Review | We were looking forward to our trip to India and our first time flying with Virgin Atlantic. Sorry to say we were very disappointed. The staff were mainly helpful and pleasant and the meals adequate but our complaint was with the comfort (or lack of) regarding the Boeing 787 aircraft. Everything seemed very cramped; seating, legroom, aisles etc. And I am probably a small average. The lady in front of me had difficulty reclining her seat but after being helped to do this by the hostess, I felt that the seat was about six inches from my nose! But I think the most dangerous thing was the food tray which kept slipping and sliding over the small table. I had to keep one hand on the tray while trying to do everything else with the other. We didn't take hot drinks with our meals in case of an accident and perhaps injuring our neighbouring passenger. During our stay in India we took an internal flight from Delhi to Jodhpur with Air India. A much shorter flight of course but the A320 aircraft was far superior in comfort,space and a great deal quieter. I could not recommend flying with Virgin.
Seat TypeEconomy Class
Aircraft TypeBoeing 787
Seat Layout3x3x3
Date FlownMarch 2017
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat Legroom 12345
Seat Recline 12345
Seat Width 12345
Aisle Space 12345
Viewing Tv Screen 12345
Seat Storage 12345
no
6/10

"bit more comfortable and roomy than coach"

(United States)

Unverified | I flew New York to London return in premium economy. The seats are essentially like US domestic first class seats, a bit more comfortable and roomy than coach, leg room is better than coach but not amazing or anything like business class. The service was pretty good, pre flight drink, amenity kit on the overnight flight but not the day time flight. Food was a little better than coach I hear but cant tell because I didnt try a coach meal. Served on glassware and a menu was provided in advance. It wasnt a huge amount of food as I expected so I had a few nibbles I had brought on board to supplement. The wines were the same as coach, little bottles of plastic provided. After dinner there was an offering of two liquors if you were in the mood. I was somewhat annoyed that the plane on either trip lacked a plug or usb for in seat power. When I asked the crew brought some sort of adapter which I suppose you could get if not too many asked. The in seat tv quality was poor on both flights, the display was low quality and frankly hard for me to see or hear via the headphones. The entertainment options were broad but the quality of the display and audio not so good. I did appreciate the over head individually controlled vents which seem rare on Airbus wide body jets. This ticket cost about 500 more dollars than an economy ticket since it was pretty close to booking and travelling. Maybe not worth much more than that given coach seemed quite empty and you could spread out. People were in middle seats in premium economy but not in coach. I downgraded to a full row towards the middle of the plane and slept much better than I could in the prem economy chair. I enjoyed the food and movie in the front, slept in the back.
Seat TypePremium Economy
Aircraft TypeA340
Seat Layout2x3x2
Date FlownMarch 2017
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Seat Legroom 12345
Seat Recline 12345
Seat Width 12345
Aisle Space 12345
Viewing Tv Screen 12345
Power Supply 12345
Seat Storage 12345
yes
1/10

"worst seat I have sat in"

(United Kingdom)

Unverified | Return flight to Johannesburg, I was really looking forward to this having never flown in this type before and i could not have been more disappointed. The economy seat has to be the worst seat I have sat in. If the passenger is front of you just fully reclines their seat without consideration, you may well end up wearing your meal or drink. The seat base moves all the time, sleep was almost impossible, don't expect to have anywhere to store blanket, pillow, other garb provided by them once you have taken your seat.
Seat TypeEconomy Class
Aircraft TypeBoeing 787
Seat Layout3x3x3
Date FlownFebruary 2017
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Seat Legroom 12345
Seat Recline 12345
Seat Width 12345
Aisle Space 12345
Viewing Tv Screen 12345
Power Supply 12345
Seat Storage 12345
no
4/10

"Seat pitch not enough"

(United Kingdom)

Unverified | Seat pitch not enough considering this is long haul. Add one magazine to the seat pocket and even worse. Then person in front reclines, well forget it. I think I am Mr Average height and yet had to splay my legs out into the isle most of the time - most uncomfortable especially when the trolley crashed in to my leg. After nearly 7 hours my knees ached! When the head cushion is raised a little there is a ridge along top of the seat (shoulder height) that is uncomfortable. Felt every movement behind me from the table being moved to the guy rummaging in the seat pocket. TV screen quite small by current standards. Overall not great and for the sake of a little extra space in front and a larger screen the experience would have been much better. Not impressed Virgin.
Seat TypeEconomy Class
Aircraft TypeA330
Seat Layout2x4x2
Date FlownFebruary 2017
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat Legroom 12345
Seat Recline 12345
Seat Width 12345
Aisle Space 12345
Viewing Tv Screen 12345
Seat Storage 12345
no
1/10

"awful from start to finish"

(United Kingdom)

Simply awful from start to finish. The cabin while looking great was horribly uncomfortable. The economy seats were so uncomfortable. You can feel every leg cross, table movement or rummage in the seat pocket behind you, because to save weight (and money in fuel for Virgin), there is no hard back to the chair to protect your lumbar spine from the people behind you who are also shifting uncomfortably in their seats. My partners seat bottom also broke in flight because she was shifting so uncomfortably. The TVs are tiny by today's economy standards. The 787 is a bum deal for passengers as it is as noisy as any other airliner (A380 much quieter by 10dB). The better quality air (not engine bleed fed on 787) is cancelled out by the internal noise and terrible seats. Finally the flight crew treated us like little children from the second we got on board telling us that we would only be having alcohol with food. I will be trying to avoid Virgin from now one and will pay anything to avoid their 787 routes..
Seat TypeEconomy Class
Aircraft TypeBoeing 787-9
Seat Layout3x3x3
Date FlownNovember 2016
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat Legroom 12345
Seat Recline 12345
Seat Width 12345
Aisle Space 12345
Viewing Tv Screen 12345
Power Supply 12345
Seat Storage 12345
no
2/10

"pay for something we don't get"

(United Kingdom)

We travel to Orlando on the 11:45 from Gatwick on 11th October 2016, a party of 10 adults and 1 child in a seat, another baby on laps, we paid £25 pound each seat, to book ours seats in advance, also we were first at twilight check in, where they then seated us all over the plane, even putting a mother and her two children on their own in two seats, whereas her partner was at the other end of the plane with his parents, other grandparent again in different seats. All of this which we didn't notice till the morning, as we had paid we assumed Virgin would put us in the seat we rang about and paid for- so very early next morning we had to rush to the airport to see if we could change them. We had difficulty as a number of others had booked in by then so we compromised, and came up with a do-able answer. So why do we have pay for something we don't get? On arriving at Orlando airport it more difficult to stay together so some of our party had to wait 3 hours to get though immigration.
Seat TypeEconomy Class
Aircraft TypeBoeing 747-400
Seat Layout3x4x3
Date FlownOctober 2016
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Seat Legroom 12345
Seat Recline 12345
Seat Width 12345
Aisle Space 12345
Seat Storage 12345
no
3/10

"how uncomfortable seats were"

(United Kingdom)

I have just returned from Las Vegas and was surprised how uncomfortable the seats in economy were. To improve customer comfort through offering a little more seat width and leg room and putting the cost of lost seats in an increase price could be easily implemented and I am sure would find customer acceptance.
Seat TypeEconomy Class
Aircraft TypeBoeing 747
Seat Layout3x4x3
Date FlownOctober 2016
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat Legroom 12345
Seat Recline 12345
Seat Width 12345
Aisle Space 12345
Viewing Tv Screen 12345
Power Supply 12345
Seat Storage 12345
no
5/10

"not getting what I paid for"

(United Kingdom)

Disappointed with my latest Premium Economy flight from Gatwick to Orlando with Virgin Atlantic. Sat on upper deck which was shared with economy passengers. Payed a big upgrade for PE but feel short changed. Seats were comfortable. Crew service good. Was bothered by constant queue for the toilets shared with Economy passengers and the fact that I was delayed getting off the aircraft. The toilet queue was within the PE section. Nothing against Economy passengers (flown economy many times) however when paying a lot more and not getting what I paid for is wrong.
Seat TypePremium Economy
Aircraft TypeBoeing 747 400
Seat Layout2x2
Date FlownAugust 2016
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Seat Legroom 12345
Seat Recline 12345
Seat Width 12345
Aisle Space 12345
Viewing Tv Screen 12345
Power Supply 12345
Seat Storage 12345
no
2/10

"Don't believe Virgins hype"

(United Kingdom)

London Heathrow to Hong Kong. Virgin advertise this as the best seats! If that's the case I would hate to be on the other flights. The plane was a new Boeing 787 and was a comfortable flight except they are the hardest most uncomfortable seats I've ever flown on. I'm 6'4" and just could not get comfortable. We fly to HK from London about twice a year but never again with this airline. It used to be via Air New Zealand but they no longer fly this route, sadly! Food wasn't that good either along with in-flight entertainment. Don't believe Virgins hype.
Seat TypeEconomy Class
Aircraft TypeBoeing 787-900
Seat Layout3x3x3
Date FlownNovember 2015
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat Legroom 12345
Seat Recline 12345
Seat Width 12345
Aisle Space 12345
Viewing Tv Screen 12345
Seat Storage 12345
no