In November, I flew from London Heathrow to Seattle and back. Because the flights were during the day, I didn’t think it was necessary to splurge for a business class flight as I intended to work, not sleep. About five months before our trip, we pulled the trigger on some Virgin Atlantic premium economy seats because the 10 hours to and from Seattle was a bit too long for the back of the bus.
Unfortunately, on the flight back to Seattle, Virgin Atlantic changed the departure time from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM so it quickly got dark and was indeed a redeye. We were given the option to upgrade to business (“upper class” in Virgin Atlantic parlance) for about $500 which was a Black Friday sale but stuck with our assigned seats. Had it been the new Virgin Atlantic Airbus 350-1000, I probably would have considered it, but I have flown their Dreamliner business class product before and while it is perfectly adequate, it doesn’t excite me quite that much.
But some might say that about Virgin’s premium economy product itself compared to regular economy. So, for those wondering, is Virgin Atlantic premium economy worth it? While on some airlines, premium economy is just a couple additional inches of legroom, Virgin Atlantic’s offering is a unique and special product. Hopefully, this review will help to shed some light on the subject.
Is Virgin Atlantic premium economy worth it?
In some ways, premium economy should be the standard for trans-oceanic travel. No one should be forced to sit in those tiny economy seats spread ten across on a Boeing 777. Premium economy is a bit like train travel in Europe or Japan. A decent-sized seat in a not-too-overcrowded cabin would be how everyone would travel in a perfect world, but alas, it is not a perfect world and you are going to have to shell out a few hundred dollars more for premium economy.
So, what exactly do you get that is different in premium economy? To begin, you get a dedicated check-in line which is shorter than economy. You get priority security clearance and you get to board first. Once you get on the plane, you get a larger seat, a larger TV screen, more premium food and drink options, and a quieter and more exclusive cabin. One thing which is unique about all of the seats in Virgin Atlantic’s premium economy class is that the screens are all pulled out of the armrest rather than being in the seatback so you won’t have anyone banging on your seat while playing checkers.
Food and drink in Virgin Atlantic’s premium economy
After boarding, we were offered a pre-departure beverage of orange juice, water or prosecco, which was a nice business class-esque touch. Menus were handed out and there were two meal services. The pork thyme and sage stew and English breakfasts were actually pretty good. I would have been happy with either of them on the ground, which is how I know that airplane food is good. Perhaps my favorite part of the flight service was the scones and clotted cream, which were killer. For tea and coffee service, they come through with full-sized ceramic mugs with a fun Virgin Atlantic-themed design which I also thought was a really nice touch compared to paper cups.
If, at any point in the flight, you find yourself feeling a bit peckish, you can get up and go to the galley, which is stocked with snacks of all kinds as well as non-alcoholic drinks. For someone who is a huge fluid head like me, having a large bottle of mineral water at my disposal is huge. Getting up to grab your own drinks and snacks is a great reason to get up and stretch your legs as well.
Virgin Atlantic customer service was above and beyond
One of the aspects of the flights that really stood out to me was that the flight attendants were on the top of their game. We were sitting in the two window bulkhead seats which was wonderful because we didn’t have to put up with anyone reclining into us. Immediately after takeoff, the flight crew sprung into action and distributed ottomans to rest our feet on as the seats behind us in premium economy have footrests as well.
When I tried to move my WiFi pass from one of my devices to another and was having trouble, I requested the assistance of someone on the flight crew and while many flight attendants would treat such a request as a disturbance, she took it on as a personal project and went to check with her manager about what could be done. In the end, the problem wasn’t even fixed, but it was more her attitude that mattered than whether or not she was able to solve the problem.
The cabin crew came through with water often and was helpful and full of smiles. After disembarking from the London to Seattle leg, I realized that I’d been treated better on the premium economy flight than I had been in business class on Air France the week prior.
The bottom line
Virgin Atlantic’s premium economy offering is a wonderful seat, even for a long journey. I can’t sleep on planes but my partner reported that it was fairly comfortable for dozing as well.
Perhaps the only qualm I have about the seat is that now, after thousands of butts in the seats, the padding on the Boeing 787-9 premium class (and likely economy class seats as well) is getting rather compressed and thin. I was able to mostly solve this problem by sitting on my pillow and blanket rather than directly on the seat. However, if I had spent the whole time with my butt on the cushion, I think I would’ve walked off the flights feeling rather numb in the butt.
I paid just over $1,000 roundtrip for the flight, but it could have just as easily been booked with miles as well. Virgin Atlantic’s frequent flyer program, Flying Club, often has premium economy and business class award tickets available and costs are quite reasonable between London and Seattle, for just 37,500 miles in premium economy and 77,500 miles in business class (Virgin Atlantic calls it “upper class”). Chase is a transfer partner at a 1:1 ratio and they often run transfer bonuses of 25%. With the sign-up bonus from the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you’ll be nearly halfway to a round trip flight in premium economy.
What do you think of Virgin Atlantic’s premium economy product? Is it worth it?