I paid $1,100 to upgrade my flight to first class. It was great, but a few drawbacks made me hesitant to splurge again.
Emma Kershaw
- I spent $1,100 to fly upper class with Virgin Atlantic from Manchester to New York.
- The three-course dinner was delicious and I slept comfortably.
Flying first class has always been on my bucket list, but I never could afford it until I came across a deal to upgrade my flight from Manchester, England, to New York City.
On the outbound journey, it was $1,100 to fly upper class, which is the airline's version of first class.
The Virgin Atlantic upper-class tickets I've seen usually cost considerably more — I've seen them as pricey as $8,000 — so I snapped up the deal.
My original flight cost $865, which included a premium economy ticket from New York to Manchester and an economy ticket from Manchester to New York.
Here's what flying upper class on Virgin Atlantic was like.
Check-in at the airport went smoothly.
Upon arriving at Manchester Airport, I swiftly checked in via the upper-class desk.
With my ticket, I could check in two bags with a combined weight of up to 70 pounds for free, which I made the most of.
After dropping off my suitcases, I spent about five minutes in the fast-track security line and went to the upper-class lounge.
The upper-class lounge felt luxe.
Upper-class passengers flying from Manchester Airport have access to the 1903 lounge.
When I walked in, I noticed the lounge had a full self-service bar with sparkling wine, premium spirits, and a rotating menu of hot and cold food.
I grabbed a seat facing the runway and relaxed.
I enjoyed a glass of sparkling wine and a full English breakfast, which included back bacon, scrambled eggs, potatoes, and baked beans.
Then, I made the most of the high-speed WiFi and caught up on some emails.
The boarding process started early.
Boarding began about one hour before my flight was due to depart.
There wasn't any sort of line when I arrived, but eventually, staff members called my group to board first.
As I waited, I saw passengers from other groups trying to board the plane early, which seemed to cause a little confusion among staff and passengers.
Once on board, I was greeted with a can of water and a cocktail.
After boarding the plane, I headed to my spacious seat.
I was offered a choice of sparkling wine, orange juice, or Virgin Atlantic's ruby-slipper cocktail, which consisted of sparkling wine, rhubarb and raspberry tonic waters, and freeze-dried raspberries.
I also received an amenity kit containing socks, REN Skincare products, an eye mask, a bamboo toothbrush, and toothpaste.
The seats were comfy but lacked storage space.
I was very comfortable in my seat, which had plenty of legroom and a plush footrest, but I wished there was more storage space.
There was a small table for drinks next to the seat back and a pocket on the seat itself.
But aside from these areas, I had trouble finding space for my phone, headphones, and books.
My seat configuration wasn't very private.
On the flight, some seats, including mine, were angled to face another row of passengers.
Though the high walls surrounding the seats made the space feel more private, facing someone almost directly for eight hours felt a little jarring.
My seat also faced away from the window, which I wasn't sure if I liked at first. However, it was still easy enough to turn around and gaze at the clouds.
The menu offered a variety of seemingly high-quality food.
I'm sometimes a fussy eater and am not usually fond of airplane food.
However, the meals offered on Virgin Atlantic's upper-class menu seemed to rival those found at a restaurant. The menu included a variety of starters, mains, and desserts, from roasted trout fillet to mousse.
I was pleased with my appetizer.
When it was time to eat, Virgin Atlantic staff members set my table with a tablecloth and silverware.
For my appetizer, I chose butternut-squash-and-sage arancini.
The golfball-sized arancini were served alongside a grilled lemon wedge, romanesco sauce, and pea shoots.
The arancini was the perfect mix of sweet and savory, and the breadcrumb exterior was crispy.
For my main course, I chose the chicken.
My main course was a roasted chicken breast with fondant potatoes, Broccolini, mushrooms, and Madeira sauce.
The chicken was juicy, and the vegetables were soft and tender.
Finally, it was time for dessert.
My dessert of choice was chocolate-and-salted-caramel mousse.
The rich mousse was served alongside Chantilly cream, crispy caramel flakes that resembled sprinkles, a strawberry slice, and a sprig of mint.
We were also offered a light meal about an hour before landing. The choices included burgers, flatbreads, bao buns, and a traditional British afternoon tea with scones, cream, and jam.
The bar area offered a change of scenery.
After dinner, I checked out the upper-class bar, which had four seats.
I thought it was a nice place to sit for a change of scenery, especially if you're traveling in a couple or group and want to socialize without blocking the aisles.
There wasn't a bartender, but a cabin-crew member stopped and asked to take my drink order.
The cabin crew converted my seat into a bed.
About halfway through the flight, I wanted to take a nap. The cabin crew laid my seat flat, added a fitted sheet, duvet, and pillow, and I dozed off.
I managed to get around two hours of solid sleep, so I felt well-rested when we landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The upper-class upgrade was worth it, but I wouldn't pay more than I did.
Overall, I'm glad I upgraded my economy ticket to upper class for this journey. I was comfortable, felt taken care of, and had a memorable flight.
However, I wouldn't pay more than $1,100 to upgrade my ticket if I were flying on this particular aircraft.
If I had to splurge on an upper-class ticket again, I'd go for a flight with more luxurious suite-style seats.
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