How My First Time Flying Virgin Atlantic Fell Apart at the End

Man, I was so excited to fly Virgin Atlantic for my first time ever — and do so in the airline’s well-reviewed Upper Class product.

In the lounge and inside the plane, the experience was very good. I won’t pretend it wasn’t.

But after I stepped off the plane, the experience unraveled. It all started with my suitcase not being loaded onto the flight, and then an airline representative put me in touch with a fictitious Virgin Atlantic social media account that made things progressively worse.

Here’s a look at my flight, how great it started, and how things fell apart in a way I won’t forget.

Booking Virgin Atlantic Upper Class

Virgin Atlantic flies between the U.K. and multiple U.S. airports, including the route I took between New York City (JFK) and London Heathrow (LHR).

Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club program doesn’t use a fixed award chart, meaning you can book Virgin Atlantic Upper Class with points at different prices, depending on the dates. It’s possible to find these flights starting at 29,000 points, but on the date I needed to fly, Virgin was charging 39,000 points per person, plus $380 in taxes and fees.

Hot Tip:

In the time since I booked this flight, Virgin Atlantic has increased fees on business class award tickets. You’ll now pay closer to $600 in fees when booking this flight with points.

What I Liked About My First Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Flight

I was excited to fly Upper Class for the first time. In fact, I’d never been on a Virgin Atlantic plane before, so I was anxious to check it out after the great reviews from friends and colleagues.

The actual aspect of flying with the airline was great.

Virgin’s Clubhouse at JFK

I enjoyed my time at the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at JFK prior to departure.

I wouldn’t consider the lounge large, but it had ample seating for visitors, and staff members were friendly. I also enjoyed the digital menu for meal service, rather than a buffet. Options included Indian fare, pan-fried salmon, chicken pot pie, and more.

I also appreciated that the lounge had a good range of nonalcoholic beverages on the drinks list, so I got a virgin mojito.

Cabin Layout and The Loft Social Space

My flight was on an Airbus A350-1000 plane, and Virgin Atlantic uses a 1-2-1 layout in business class on this plane type. The Upper Class cabin, as the airline calls it, features mood lighting to avoid harsh light that can hurt your eyes late at night.

Those traveling together will like the middle seats, while window seats are great for those traveling alone. All window and aisle seats are essentially the same, and none of the seats is more private than any other.

The cabin also features a social space at the rear called The Loft. Guests can hang out here, grab snacks, and watch movies on a screen. This space is exclusive to those flying in Upper Class.

Seat

I chose seat 7A, a window seat in the middle of the cabin, and its distance from the lavatories and galleys made for a quieter experience.

The leather seats had a shoulder harness and several small cubbies for storage, though I didn’t find an ideal place for my laptop. The seat felt spacious and had all the usual amenities, such as a reading light and outlets.

Each suite also featured a sliding door for added privacy, which I appreciated.

As a lie-flat bed, I found the sleeping position good — not great, but good. It was roughly 6 feet, 7 inches long and had enough width to not feel cramped.

When I arrived at my seat, I found a mattress pad, a pillow, and a blanket. Before takeoff, flight attendants passed through the cabin offering pajamas, asking customers their preferred size.

Entertainment

I thought the entertainment on my flight was great. Each seat had an 18.5-inch, foldout entertainment screen. There were abundant movies, TV series, music, and games, among other offerings.

Dining

At boarding, I found a menu at my seat. The multicourse menu had smoked salmon, soup, a vegetable curry, and multiple desserts.

There was also an order sheet guests could fill out, including an request to not be woken up for breakfast.

Along with the standard menu, Virgin Atlantic also offered a speedy meal, letting passengers get to sleep sooner. Additionally, there was an extensive list of drinks.

Arrivals Lounge in London

I also liked the Revivals lounge at London Heathrow, available for arriving Upper Class passengers. There were drinks and snacks, along with information about onward travel. I only stopped by for a minute to ask about getting to London Gatwick Airport (LGW) for my onward flight with a different airline.

And Then Things Stopped Being Good

From the lounge to touchdown in London, I enjoyed my first flight with Virgin Atlantic and my first experience in Upper Class. Once I arrived in baggage claim, problems started.

After moving to Spain earlier this year, I knew I would be back in the U.S. on this trip and left 2 suitcases with a friend. At the airport, I had checked those 2 suitcases in to bring home to Barcelona. Virgin Atlantic simply didn’t put one of my suitcases on the plane, despite my 5-hour layover at JFK, so it wasn’t as if the suitcase was left behind in a rush.

When I filled out the paperwork at baggage claim in London, Virgin Atlantic’s agent promised, in no uncertain terms, that the suitcase would be delivered to my home in Barcelona — despite the fact that Virgin Atlantic doesn’t fly to Barcelona. (I asked 3 times to be sure.)

That later turned out to be untrue, and I had to go to the airport in Barcelona to retrieve the suitcase. Given that Virgin Atlantic doesn’t serve Barcelona, airport staff struggled to locate my suitcase (though I had an email saying it was there), and I spent multiple hours dealing with this issue.

However, that was only after 10 days of repeated delays, including airline agents alternating between telling me my suitcase was permanently lost and informing me it was still at JFK.

The real kicker, though, was the baggage agent at London Heathrow putting me in touch with a fake Virgin Atlantic account on X (formerly Twitter). I hope it’s an honest mistake, but this experience really soured things. This all started when I asked how to get updates on my baggage delivery, given Virgin doesn’t fly to Barcelona and not wanting to call the U.K. (and pay international rates) for updates. He pulled up this account on my phone, bookmarked it, and I went on my way.

Maybe I should’ve asked more questions, but I followed the advice the baggage agent gave me and DMed this account. Employees from this service called me over and over and over until I answered, despite it being an inconvenient time. They then yelled at me for not answering on the first call.

The employees also demanded my personal details — in aggressive tones — and I’m glad I was suspicious, now that the real Virgin Atlantic confirmed this was a fake account (and has since had the account shut down).

To its credit, once I submitted receipts for reimbursement, Virgin Atlantic paid me within 3 days.

Also to its credit, Virgin Atlantic got the fake account shut down and reached out to contact me to ensure everything was resolved with my baggage situation.

How do I put the whole frustrating situation into context, when some of the complaints I have weren’t things Virgin Atlantic actually did? I mistakenly reached out to a scam account, but I only wound up exchanging messages with those people because the baggage agent put me in touch with them, and that’s hard to get over.

Maybe knowing what I know now will soften things over time, but the experience was maddening.

Hot Tip:

Protect yourself and learn more about phishing scams in our detailed guide.

Final Thoughts

I was so excited for my first flight in Virgin Atlantic Upper Class, hopping over the Atlantic from New York City to London. The lounge and flight experience started great; after I walked off the plane, the experience went poorly.

The airline couldn’t figure out where my suitcase was — or if it was even still on this planet — and I was directed (by one of its employees) to an imposter social media account that attempted to steal my personal details.

Given everything that happened after my flight, I am at a loss for words. I can’t forget what happened or how frustrated I was during the process.