Later this summer my wife and I, our adult daughter and teenage grandson will be traveling to the U.K. on Virgin Atlantic. Several years ago, I flew Virgin America before it was absorbed by Alaska Airlines and was quite impressed, so I am hoping that our Virgin Atlantic experience will be just as favorable.
According to the recent assessments of my fellow travelers, it will be.
In the 2025 SKYTRAX World Airline Awards announced June 17, 2025, Virgin Atlantic ranked No. 16 of the world’s Top 100 Airlines. That is higher than all of the U.S. carriers; only one made the top half of the survey results:
• Delta (NYSE:DAL) ranked the highest at No. 22
• United (NASDAQ:UAL) No. 51
• jetBlue (NASDAQ:JBLU) No. 52
• Alaska (NYSE:ALK) No. 69
• Southwest (NYSE:LUV) No. 76
• American (NASDAQ:AAL) No. 83
• Hawaiian (now part of Alaska Air Group) at No. 100
My previous experiences were short-haul flights which differ considerably from the long-haul SEA-LHR flight we have booked. To make things both as comfortable and affordable as possible, we opted for the Economy Delight seats with their “extra legroom.”
Because no data is available for the Airbus A330-900 NEO on SeatGuru.com, I reached out to the airline’s PR department to get some figures. In a display of excellent customer service, they responded promptly with the information I was seeking.
While 17-inch-wide seats with 31-inch pitch are common across most airlines, Economy Delight seats aboard the A330-900 NEO are 17.9 inches wide, with pitch “up to 34 inches.”
When my wife and I flew to Munich last year, our Premium Economy seats on American each had a pitch of 34 inches and were quite comfortable, so I am anticipating the same this trip. And I’m always pleasantly surprised by how much difference that extra 0.9 inches of seat width can make.
Different from my previous short-haul flights, the carrier allows passengers to bid on upgrades to seats in higher cabin classes. As of this writing, upgrading to Premium Economy would cost over $600 per person one way for those who chose to upgrade without the uncertainty of bidding, so we’ll see whether bidding seems worth the effort and the uncertainty as we get closer to travel time.
Whether the airline accepts a proffered bid is based, in part, on the number of empty seats available in the upgraded class. In 2022, I bid $500 to upgrade from Economy to Business Class for my return trip from Krakow, Poland to Seattle on Lufthansa, and my bid was ultimately accepted. Compared to that, paying more than $600 to upgrade to a Premium Economy is more than I want to pay, especially before experiencing Economy Delight, which seems like it could be just fine.
My last experiences on a Virgin airline included flight attendants who were on the younger, hipper side and who clearly enjoyed their work. Hopefully, that aspect has not changed. I'll report my findings here.
Visit my main page at TheTravelPro.us for more news, reviews, and personal observations on the world of upmarket travel.
Click on photo or graphic to view larger image
According to the recent assessments of my fellow travelers, it will be.
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| Photo provided by Virgin Atlantic |
In the 2025 SKYTRAX World Airline Awards announced June 17, 2025, Virgin Atlantic ranked No. 16 of the world’s Top 100 Airlines. That is higher than all of the U.S. carriers; only one made the top half of the survey results:
• United (NASDAQ:UAL) No. 51
• jetBlue (NASDAQ:JBLU) No. 52
• Alaska (NYSE:ALK) No. 69
• Southwest (NYSE:LUV) No. 76
• American (NASDAQ:AAL) No. 83
• Hawaiian (now part of Alaska Air Group) at No. 100
In addition to its high overall ranking, Virgin Atlantic ranked No. 1 for its Premium Economy seating and No. 14 for its Economy seating.
The last time I flew any version of a Virgin airline was 2016 when I flew Virgin America to LAX prior to an around-the-world trip with Emirates. It was delightful, as was my first Virgin America trip in 2012, which I wrote about here.
At that time, I extolled the virtues of the airline’s founder, Sir Richard Branson.
At that time, I extolled the virtues of the airline’s founder, Sir Richard Branson.
A Baby Boomer and rock-n-roller, Branson is an upstart who has never been afraid to go against the grain. That attitude shows in the airline’s relaxed, casual approach. Not that its employees are in any way unprofessional, unless you consider enjoying your job unprofessional.
The rock-n-roll theme is not over-the-top but is definitely evident from the start. Passengers are greeted by music as they approach the main counter, either to check in or just drop their pre-checked bags, setting an upbeat mood in most cases (the occasional maudlin Janis Ian tune notwithstanding).
My previous experiences were short-haul flights which differ considerably from the long-haul SEA-LHR flight we have booked. To make things both as comfortable and affordable as possible, we opted for the Economy Delight seats with their “extra legroom.”
Because no data is available for the Airbus A330-900 NEO on SeatGuru.com, I reached out to the airline’s PR department to get some figures. In a display of excellent customer service, they responded promptly with the information I was seeking.
While 17-inch-wide seats with 31-inch pitch are common across most airlines, Economy Delight seats aboard the A330-900 NEO are 17.9 inches wide, with pitch “up to 34 inches.”
When my wife and I flew to Munich last year, our Premium Economy seats on American each had a pitch of 34 inches and were quite comfortable, so I am anticipating the same this trip. And I’m always pleasantly surprised by how much difference that extra 0.9 inches of seat width can make.
Different from my previous short-haul flights, the carrier allows passengers to bid on upgrades to seats in higher cabin classes. As of this writing, upgrading to Premium Economy would cost over $600 per person one way for those who chose to upgrade without the uncertainty of bidding, so we’ll see whether bidding seems worth the effort and the uncertainty as we get closer to travel time.
My last experiences on a Virgin airline included flight attendants who were on the younger, hipper side and who clearly enjoyed their work. Hopefully, that aspect has not changed. I'll report my findings here.
Visit my main page at TheTravelPro.us for more news, reviews, and personal observations on the world of upmarket travel.
Click on photo or graphic to view larger image
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