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I flew Virgin Atlantic from London to New York to see if Richard Branson's airline is still one of the world's best - here's the verdict
I flew Virgin Atlantic from London to New York to see if Richard Branson's airline is still one of the world's best - here's the verdict
Benjamin ZhangAug 9, 2018, 19:15 IST
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
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Virgin Atlantic Airways is the crown jewel of Sir Richard Branson's aviation portfolio.
I recently flew Virgin Atlantic from London Heathrow to New York's JFK International Airport.
VA's service, style, and entertainment options lived up to expectations while its economy seat comfort left much to be desired.
Virgin Atlantic is a survivor. For most of its 34-year history, the plucky British airline has been taking the fight to larger and more established rivals.
In late 2012, Willie Walsh, CEO of British Airways' parent company IAG, bet Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson that his airline would be out of business within five years. Loser gets kneed in the crotch.
With roughly 45 planes in its fleet, Virgin Atlantic isn't a very big airline. British Airways, for example, has more than 270 planes while a major US legacy carrier like Delta has nearly 900 mainline jets in its inventory.
However, the crown jewel of Sir Richard Branson's aviation portfolio is certainly influential. From its mood light drenched cabins to its stylish dressed staff, Virgin delivers service with a style and flair all its own.
On a recent business trip to the UK, I decided to fly Virgin Atlantic bread and butter route between New York and London. It's arguably the most competitive route in a highly lucrative trans-Atlantic airline market. On the flight out from Newark Liberty International Airport, I took VS02 one of the airline's original routes dating back to its days as a one plane operation.
Since it was an evening flight that took off at 10:30 pm, I decided to document my afternoon flight back from London.
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Here's a closer look at my most recent on Virgin Atlantic Airways:
My Virgin Atlantic experience starts at Heathrow Airport Terminal 3. To be safe, I arrive two hours before my flight. Fortunately, baggage drop and security took a brisk 30 minutes. Which means I was left with half an hour to do nothing before boarding gates are announced one hour before take off.
While waiting for my flight, I caught a glimpse of Qantas Boeing 787-9 "Great Southern Land" ahead of its return flight to Perth. I was actually on this plane's delivery flight last October.
As I make my way through the labyrinth that is Terminal 3, I catch a glimpse of our plane.
An hour ahead of departure, I find my way to the gate where my passport and boarding pass are reexamined by airline staff.
I am then ushered into a gate side waiting room complete with vending machines and...
... Complimentary reading material.
Waiting for me at the gate is our plane for this flight. Christened Beauty Queen, G-VSXY is a seven-year-old Airbus A330-300.
Time to board! Unlike most airlines, Virgin boards its economy cabin based on rows beginning from the back of the plane.
At the plane, I am met by a cabin crew member who pointed to my seat.
I file past the airline's "Upper Class" premium cabin and premium economy cabins to economy class.
I'll be sitting in the outside aisle seat in a 2-4-2 layout.
At every seat, there is a blanket, a pillow, and a pair of headphones. My past trans-Atlantic trips with VA also featured small economy class amenity kits. However, I did not receive one on either of my flights.
Each economy seat is 17.5 inches wide with 31 inches of seat pitch. Each seat is also equipped with a USB plug and a nine-inch touchscreen. Wifi is available but with a fee.
The seat had adequate legroom, but just barely. Anyone taller than 5'10 will find its to be a bit of a snug fit.
Soon we are aloft. Since this was an afternoon flight, the mood lighting wasn't as apparent.
Shortly after takeoff, drink service commenced. As Forrest Gump famously said, "I wasn't hungry, but I was thirsty." and then promptly drank 15 Dr. Peppers. Well, I wasn't that thirsty, but I did order a gin and tonic as well as a coke. The flight attendant gladly obliged with my request.
While most airlines service soda from 12 oz. cans, VA uses 5oz cans. I understand complaints about America's lack of portion control, but five ounces is a bit lacking.
Next, I explore Virgin Atlantic's Vera in-flight entertainment system.
Vera is load with a massive collection of Western and international films, TV shows, music, and...
... Games.
There's also an interactive flight map with several different viewing options.
Overall, I really liked Vera. It was packed with a broad selection of entertainment options from around the world. Picture quality was decent while its scrolling interface can be finicky at times to use.
Lunch is served! We were presented with the option of a chicken curry, Toulouse sausages, or a rigatoni bake. Because your senses tend to be duller at altitude, I went with the dish with the strongest flavor, the chicken curry.
The chicken curry was delicious. The chicken was flavorful and tender while the coconut cream and saag smooth out the curry's spice. The creamy pest pasta salad also hit the spot. The dessert was a little cup of fruity cheesecake. It was decent enough but not nearly as good as the airline's tiramisu which is one of my personal favorites.
After lunch, I settle in for a movie.
About four hours into the seven-hour flight, the seat starts to feel uncomfortable. Even with the seat reclined, it was not comfortable enough to sleep more than an hour at a time.
Shortly before landing, we were served afternoon tea completed with a cheddar and tomato chutney sandwich which wasn't bad but only if you're into cheese and marinara sauce sandwiches. The potato chips were particularly memorable as they were flavored with sea salt, honey, and butter. Sweet, salty and buttery chips were new to me and I kind of like them.
Our flight ended with an on-time landing at New York JFK International Airport.
My verdict.
This was not my first flight Virgin Atlantic and it certainly won't be my last. But my experience with VA wasn't perfect. I could certainly use a little more room in economy and some version of Delta's free messaging program would also be nice.
But I'm nitpicking. At the end of the day, Sir Richard's airline is known for offering friendly service and stylish presentation at reasonable prices. And that's exactly what Virgin Atlantic delivered here.
