1st class service no matter which class you're travelling, fantastic value for money
Disadvantages:
A few annoying things but only noticed because everything else is so good
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Over the past 12 months I have travelled on two occassions to the USA with Virgin Atlantic. The 1st was to and from Washington DC (Economy Class) and the second into JFK New York, and out of O'Hare Chicago (Business Class). At all times I was offered the utmost courtesy and service. Not once did I have to go out of my way in getting what I wanted. An excellent selection of drinks were served regularly throughout the flight. The menu for meals was varied and actually tasted good. The flight staff were also sensitive for the people who wanted to sleep and they ensured that noise was kept to a minimum.
The in-flight entertainment was again very good. Each seat having its own tv screen either mounted in the headrest of the seat in front (Economy Class) or in the armrest of the seat (Business Class + a slightly larger screen). The choice of movies was on the whole good, with something for everyone. Although on one of the return flights I could not sleep and only one film really caught my attention and I ended up watching James Bond 2 1/2 times. The radio stations were also a little too repetitive so I would suggest music lovers to take their own equipment.
There was the facility to use a satellite phone which scanned your credit card, but was a little expensive at around £20.00 per call. Ideal for emergencies though. This handset also doubles up as a controller for the Nintendo games system. One slight point to note was that some controllers were a little worse for wear and did not work too well.
Ground staff at the check-in desks and at the boarding gate were also very polite and could not do enough for me. Check-in and boarding were swift and waiting around was kept to a minimum. On one of my trips there was a disabled couple and I noticed they were well looked after and had all of the facilities to enable their trip to be most comfortable.
The overall flight times because of the weather conditions etc. were actually less than the time stated and all of the flights left on time.
I cannot forget to mention the amount of freebies that were available. A bag containing the following: toothbrush, earplugs, headphones, socks, postcards, pen, eye cover and magazine.
On the whole I was extremely impressed with the Virgin Atlantic experience and I would certainly make a point of choosing Virgin even if it meant spending a little more money. I would recommend paying a little more for an upgrade to either premium economy or business class. The extra leg room and wider seats are definately worth it when you consider it is to be your home for the next 8 hours or so.
More details
Class flown most frequently
Business Class
How often do you travel with this airline
Frequently
Where did you book
Travel Agent/Tour Operator
Safety
Very safe
How well does it cater for disabled people
Well
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