Virgin Atlantic fly their B747 from London Gatwick to the popular holiday and wedding destination, Barbados. When you travel in Upper Class on this flight, you’ll be kicking off your holiday in luxury and style. Compare this flight with my other Virgin Atlantic flight reviews.
Upper Class is, of course, the name Virgin Atlantic gives to their Business Class. On the B747, the main deck houses the Upper Class suites whilst premium economy and more economy seats are on the upper deck. The cabin color scheme is a pleasing grey, cream, and brown with red accents throughout and the Virgin Atlantic trademark purple backlighting to help you relax instantly. Towards the end of the cabin, you’ll find the small bar which comfortably fits 2 or 3 people.
The herringbone design suites are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, angled in towards the aisles. This means direct aisle access at every suite, which is a bonus as you never have to climb over anyone to visit the lavatories or the bar. However, because of the nature of the layout, traveling as a couple can be tricky, especially if you are traveling on your honeymoon (which Barbados hosts a lot of), as each suite has a screen between them. If you are traveling with a companion, this is easily solved by reserving a suite across from each other.
The seat itself is very comfortable and spacious. It can be configured to a number of reclining positions with an ottoman at the end of the seat, which helps further facilitate this and forms part of the fully flatbed. When you’re ready to sleep, a crew member will come around for a ‘turn down’ service and provide you with a duvet and pillow. Although outbound to Barbados is an afternoon flight, you may still want to have a snooze and try the generous 6’6” bed.
The Best Upper Class Seats On Virgin Atlantic B747
We wouldn’t recommend seats A11 and A12 or K11 and K12 as they are directly opposite the bar, which can get noisy with people enjoying a drink and a chat. The best seats would be rows 7-9 as they are well clear of toilets, crew areas, and the bar.
Dining In Upper Class
The dining experience on Virgin is excellent. A crew member will set your table with a white table cloth and charming salt and pepper shakers shaped like wing propellers. Try the tomato and basil soup to start, which is served with warm, seeded bread, then move on to the free-range chicken breast served with mashed potato and broccoli. But what’s most delightful is Virgin Atlantic’s famed ‘afternoon tea’ – a salute to its British roots. Enjoy a selection of fresh sandwiches, tarts, and scones that come with jam and classic Cornish clotted cream.
Just a quick note, the ottoman at the end of the suite comfortably sits another person, so if you’re traveling with someone, it’s a nice touch to be able to enjoy your afternoon tea together and imagine you’re sitting in a fancy London establishment for high tea.
Amenity Kit In Upper Class
The inflight goodie bag comes in the form of a grey pouch that contains everything you need inflight. Inside you’ll find a pair of socks, eyeshades, earplugs, toothbrush and toothpaste, facial tissues, and a Mentos mint. Although there are no fancy, high-end cosmetic products provided (as seems to be the trend with many other leading airlines), the pouch may come in handy for storing personal items like earphones or loose change.
The Upper Class Experience
The Virgin Atlantic Upper-Class experience is very good, with the highlight being the actual suite itself which boasts a generous seat pitch that truly is one of the most generous in the skies today. Virgin Atlantic has now rolled out its retrofitted Boeing 747s – part of a £50 million GBP overhaul project.
Virgin Atlantic features in my top Business Class airlines and we compare which is better overall; British Airways Club World vs. Virgin Atlantic Upper Class including the Galleries Lounges vs. Virgin’s Clubhouses.
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