How Virgin Atlantic’s Different Upper Class Cabins Compare

Virgin Atlantic is a U.K. airline that exclusively operates twin-aisle, long-haul jets. With 11 destinations in the U.S. and a close alliance with Delta Air Lines, it’s a popular choice for many U.S.-based flyers.

The airline sends all of its airplane types, made by both Airbus and Boeing, on flights to the U.S. Because the quality of the Upper Class seats on those airplanes differs greatly, it pays to know beforehand which cabin you’ll find on your flight.

Here are the differences among those cabins, along with a look at what you can do to ensure you get the better ones.

787, A330, A350: How They Compare in Upper Class

First, the good news: whatever Virgin Atlantic airplane you are on, you are almost guaranteed great service.

I have flown every one of Virgin’s airplane types, in every class of service, across the Atlantic and beyond to Asia and Africa, over many years — and I have yet to encounter a single surly staff member. That goes for ground staff as well as cabin and flight crews. Even customer service phone reps have been unfailingly nice and able to solve problems quickly.

The bad news is that Virgin Atlantic Upper Class seats are either among the best in the world or the worst. The good ones are found on the Airbus A350-1000 and A330-900, and the subpar ones are installed on the Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 787-9.

On the ground, the experience is the same, and every flyer in Upper Class — that’s what Virgin calls business — gets access to world-class Clubhouse Lounges. On the plane, though, things vary widely.

You can avoid the airplanes with lesser business cabins by looking at the seat map during booking, but beware: Virgin sometimes swaps in an aircraft type for another at the last minute.

With that in mind, let’s explore each plane model.

Bad: Boeing 787-9, Airbus A330-300

Like the Airbus A350, the Boeing 787 is a latest-generation airplane, with enhancements in cabin pressure and humidity that make flying easier for passengers. The backbone of Virgin Atlantic’s fleet is the 787-9, the middle sibling of the 787 family in terms of size, which flies all over the airline’s network.

Unfortunately, Virgin has the same business cabin aboard its 787s that it installed when its first one was delivered from the Boeing factory in 2014. Even then, it wasn’t the latest product, and 11 years later, the cabin layout and seat technology are clearly dated.

The airline industry calls this a herringbone layout: The 1-1-1 arrangement of the seats resembles a fish skeleton, with all seats facing in the same direction. Nobody has to step over a neighbor to access the aisle, but the low dividers mean there is zero privacy.

The vibe of the cabin feels vaguely like a spaceship from a 1970s sci-fi movie with its individual pods. While it may be aesthetically pleasant, this can’t hold a candle to the best business cabins flying today.

Another major issue with these seats is that the entertainment screens are tiny, not crisp, and with low resolution. When extended, they do provide a modicum of privacy, but the viewing experience is vastly subpar.

Storage is limited, too. Virgin’s 787s can go on flights lasting more than 11 hours, and the objects people tend to take along for that length of time hardly fit in the single, open storage space at the seat.

The saving grace of this seat is a bit of a paradox: It works best when it is not a seat. When it’s in flat-bed mode, it actually offers a pretty solid surface for sleeping. That’s also thanks to the mattress pad that Virgin provides on all overnight flights. And most of all, when you’re lying down, no one can see you.

The other good thing about Virgin’s 787s is the onboard bar. All the airline’s planes have a lounge area behind the Upper Class cabin; on the 787, it’s an airy, open concept that works well with Virgin’s cool, space-age brand.

The 787s are currently the most numerous type in the Virgin fleet, serving destinations all over the airline’s network. You can expect to find them on almost any route operated by Virgin, although they are rare on the flagship route between London Heathrow (LHR) and New York (JFK).

The only other airline in the world with this type of cabin on 787s, Air New Zealand, is swapping it out for a more modern product. Virgin hasn’t announced a refurbishment plan for its own 787s.

You’ll find the exact same seat aboard the Airbus A330-300s. Those show up more often on leisure-focused routes from London to Florida and the Caribbean, and on flights from Manchester (MAN) to Atlanta (ATL) and New York (JFK). They are being retired and will be gone by the first quarter of 2028, according to a table published by the airline:

Good: Airbus A350-1000

Things get much better aboard Virgin’s A350-1000. The larger of the 2 versions of the European-made long-haul jet also flies all over Virgin’s network, and has been in service with the airline since 2019.

Its Upper Class is in keeping with today’s best 1-2-1 layouts, and while it may look a little cramped when you first walk on board, it’s anything but.

Nitpickers may observe that the leather seats look scuffed after a few years. Aside from that, they are spacious and comfortable.

Each individual pod has a door, but note that it does not extend fully. Even so, you have plenty of privacy.

When the table is lowered, you are effectively trapped in your pod, so make sure to time any restroom breaks away from meals.

Storage is much better than on the 787 and A330-300. There’s still no enclosed storage space, but there’s a convenient shelf for your electronics and other objects.

In bed mode, the large entertainment monitor remains easily visible. Even without a fully enclosed door, you feel like you’re in your own private world.

The lounge area is more private than on 787s and A330-300s. Overall, Upper Class on the A350-1000 is a solid choice to book with points.

Great: Airbus A330-900

The A330-900 is the most recent model of the A330. While it’s the same size as the older A330-300, it’s in many ways a different airplane.

The biggest difference is new engines, making the cabin much quieter. From the outside, you can easily spot the A330neos — another name for the plane’s latest models — thanks to the shading around the flight deck windows and gracefully upturned wingtips. But the real beauty is on the inside, where the Upper Class cabin is Virgin Atlantic’s best. In fact, it’s among the best flying anywhere.

You feel the spaciousness as soon as you step inside. If this cabin reminds you of Delta One business class on the A330-900s, you are correct: It’s the same seat, although with different, airline-specific finishes.

Each pod has a sliding door, which goes all the way. When it’s shut, you really are in your own cocoon.

Flight attendants and people walking by can still look inside your cubicle, but your seated neighbors are shut out.

Storage is very good at this seat, with an enclosed cubby that has room for phone, wallet, headphones, and various small objects. No risk of things flying off if there’s turbulence.

Unlike on other Virgin planes, all seats face forward: Looking out the window is easy. And when it’s time to sleep, unfurl the mattress pad, close your door, pull the comforter up, and dream — the A330-900’s extremely quiet engines make it easier than on previous jets.

If you’re not sleeping or want to stretch, the lounge area is perfect.

How To Know Which Virgin Atlantic Plane You’ll Fly

Fortunately, it’s easy to know beforehand which airplane is scheduled to fly on a certain day. In Google Flights, you see it when you expand the search results using the arrow highlighted in the screenshot below.

On the Virgin Atlantic site, it’s right in the search results.

Note that last-minute substitutions are always possible. If that happens on your flight and you get a 787 when you booked a plane with a better Upper Class, you can try calling Virgin’s customer service and asking for compensation. You did, after all, book with the expectation of getting a great product, but ended up with an inferior one. It’s not a given, but far from impossible, that you will get a good chunk of Virgin Atlantic points as a result if you ask nicely.

Final Thoughts

Virgin Atlantic is known for great service in the air and on the ground, but some of its planes have Upper Class cabins that don’t match that excellent level. Until the airline retires its older A330s and refurbishes its Boeing 787s, it pays to look out for subpar business cabins — and to fly on a different day, if possible, to get a much superior seat.