Flight Review: Virgin Atlantic's "Premium" Service
What is it like to spend an overnight flight to Europe on Sir Richard Branson's airline? Virgin Atlantic — which provides international flights between the USA, UK, Dubai, and a few other global destinations — has Premium cabins on its routes (the brand's spin on "premium economy"), and The Daily Meal got to test the Premium experience from Atlanta and London's Heathrow Airport.
Does the Premium cabin service measure up in comfortability, customer service, and cuisine, or is one better off sticking to economy? We give you the low-down below.
Check-In & Boarding
While a Premium ticket won't get your own plane pod with lie-flat seats like Virgin's Upper Class cabins, it will give you a few handy VIP perks. There are dedicated check-in desks, and at the gate, Priority Boarding assures getting to your seat in a breeze. Virgin also places checked bags on priority status for baggage claim in the arriving airport, so that bags will be among the first to appear on the carousel. (Did my suitcase actually appear at Heathrow's baggage claim early? Read until the end for the answer).
As Premium passengers — based in a section between Upper Class and the Economy zones — began situating themselves, attendants provided sparkling wine, orange juice, and water (and with an extremely hectic morning, an adult beverage was just what I needed). Later, newspapers such as The I, Financial Times, and The Times were offered as well.
Seats & Amenities
The deep purple leather seats were comfortable and spacious, at 21 inches wide and with a 38-inch seat pitch. There was a wide central armrest which comes in handy for placing drinks/snacks or just providing enough arm space for two seat row mates to share.
Surprisingly, there were no plug outlets or USB ports, which one would perceive to be customary on an upmarket flight product...perhaps it's an older plane model for this particular Atlanta to London route.
An amenity kit in a handsome small red Herschel pouch contained purple pressure socks, foam ear plugs, an eye mask, pinky-sized toothpaste, and a pen.
The Food
We were given a lovely foldable menu which detailed the three-course dinner meal choices, a light morning breakfast, and that non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks will be on offer throughout the flight.
Berry Bros. & Rudd, a premier London-based wine merchant that's existed since 1698, was chosen as Virgin Atlantic's consultant for the selection of white and red wine (Fuerzas Blandas Sauvignon Blanc from Spain and St Clements Shiraz & Mourvèdre from South Africa, respectively).
I ordered the Chicken Tagine for the main course, which came with the one-choice starter of cherry tomato and mozzarella salad and lemon pistachio cake for dessert.
Dinnertime arrived soon after, and the three courses were served together on proper individual chinaware, along with metal cutlery, a wine glass and a regular drinking glass, a "Virgin red" linen napkin, and a collector's item-quality set of plane-shaped salt and pepper shakers. This spread was surely was five steps above what's normally presented on any basic economy meal flight service.
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And the verdict on the food? Delicious. Non-business/first-class meals get a universally bad reputation no matter the airline, but based on my Premium meal, Virgin Atlantic can provide sufficient defense to the contrary. The subtly-spiced chicken breast was tender and juicy throughout, and the marinated vegetables with couscous and sauteed kale worked perfectly for a wholesome Moroccan meal. I would have gladly eaten this meal outside of the plane (with full restaurant portions, of course).
After a bit of sleep, the sun was out and breakfast was served: a small bowl of fruit, Chobani Greek yogurt, Rustic Bakery's Vanilla Almond Granola, and a warm, bakery-quality pain au chocolat. From beginning to end, the Virgin Atlantic food program delivered.
Landing/The Verdict
We landed in Heathrow Airport without a hitch (in fact, we arrived a few minutes early) and Premium passengers disembarked rather quickly due to its proximity to the front exits. Once I went through Border Patrol I headed straight to the Baggage Claim to collect my luggage.
So did my "priority" bag appear on the carousel at a decent time as offered? Perhaps I was lucky, but I waited exactly zero seconds as I saw my luggage rotating along before I made it to the conveyor belt. It worked.
In fact, the entire Virgin Atlantic Premium experience worked. Thus, it receives a highly positive verdict from me. If you want a cut above economy class and desire consistently courteous service, quality cuisine, and a comfortable ride, the Premium service is worth the upgrade.