Virgin Atlantic is a major UK airline based in Crawley, England, that specializes in long-haul transatlantic flights. It was founded in 1984 by British tycoon Richard Branson and operates routes to more than 30 worldwide destinations, including 12 cities across the United States. Although Virgin Atlantic does not strictly offer a first class service—it’s Upper Class tier is essentially business class—the airline offers a consistently attentive service with all the amenities expected by frequent fliers. Its reputation for providing top-of-the-range in-flight entertainment makes it especially appealing to younger travelers.
October 01, 2022
As the name suggests, Virgin Atlantic has a strong focus on the UK and U.S., with 20 out of the 35 available destinations in one of the two countries. Popular destinations in the United States include New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Outside its transatlantic focus, Virgin flies to six Caribbean islands and nine cities across Africa and Asia. The airline's base of operations is Heathrow, with secondary hubs found at Manchester Airport and Gatwick Airport. Virgin has a smaller fleet than most well-known airlines, with a relatively modest 37 aircraft under its command.
The Flying Club is the name of Virgin Atlantic's frequent flyer program and it’s free to join. As with other similar schemes, points or miles are earned in various ways, the most common of which is purchasing airfare, either with Virgin or any of its partner airlines. Points can also be transferred from Tesco’s Clubcard or any other Virgin loyalty schemes, such as Virgin Holidays or Virgin Experience days. Virgin Atlantic also offer a range of branded credit cards which allow customers to earn miles by shopping.
When you have enough points on your account, they can then be redeemed for certain services. The option offering the best value for money is almost always buying flights with Virgin. However, other selections are available, such as shopping with other Virgin companies or purchasing holiday experiences from selected providers.
Passengers can also acquire tier points by booking flights with Virgin, with the amount earned dictated by fare class. Once someone has enough, they can move through the elite status levels of The Flying Club, each one offering progressively better perks and benefits.
Red - Available upon joining Sky Club
Dedicated phone line
Discounted access and earned points at No1 lounges
Earn points at Virgin Holidays
Silver - 400 tier points within one year
Benefits of red
Free seat selection
Premium check-in
Tier renewal bonus
Household account linking up to nine flyers
Virgin hotels member benefits
Priority waitlist
30% more points earned
Gold - 100 tier points within the last 12 months
Benefits of Silver
Free seat selection for you and your party
Extra hold and carry-on baggage allowance
Clubhouse access + one guest
Access to Heathrow Revivals lounge
2,000 birthday points
Silver membership for a friend
Guaranteed economy seat for any flight
Virgin Atlantic has three types of fare, Economy, Economy Premium and Upper Class. Economy has three booking categories within it.
Economy
Last to board
Standard seating
Free snacks and drinks
Carry-on
USB charging point
Economy Light
Seat pitch up to 31 inches
Seats assigned at check-in
Carry-on only
Economy Classic
Seat pitch up to 31 inches
Standard seat selection
Carry-on
Checked in bag
Upgradeable with Virgin points
Economy Delight
Seat pitch up to 34 inches
Preferred seat selection
Carry-on
Checked in bag
Upgradeable with Virgin Points
Extra legroom
Priority boarding
Premium Economy
Large leather seat, up to 38-inch pitch
Free seat selection
Carry-on
Two checked-in bags
USB charging point
Priority baggage delivery
Upgradeable with Virgin points
Priority boarding
Free restaurants with quality food and drink
Upper Class
Lie flat beds
Large leathers eating
2 x carry on
2 x checked-in bags
Priority baggage deliver
Upgradeable with Virgin Points
A la carte dining experience
Virgin Atlantic allow passengers to bring different amounts or baggage and maximum weights depending on fare class.
Economy Light
One 10kg carry on
Economy Classic
One 10kg carry-on
One 23kg checked-in bag
Economy Delight
One 10kg carry on
One 23kg checked-in bag
Premium Economy
One 10kg carry-on
Two 23kg checked-in bags
Upper Class
Two carry-ons, maximum 16kg
Two 32kg checked-in bags
Different allowances are available depending on the route, with more details available here.
Additional baggage
Passengers can bring a maximum of ten bags on a flight, although there are some journeys where less will be allowed.
Economy passengers who wish to bring a second bag must pay a flat rate of £65 per bag. Any additional bags, regardless of fare class, cost £140.
Overweight bags
Bags that exceed their maximum weight cost £65kg per bag.
Oversized bags
Oversized bags cost £200 per bag.
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