Recently, I travelled to Los Angeles with Virgin Atlantic in Upper Class from London Heathrow. Yes, it was extravagant but well worth it. I paid £2500 for my return ticket back in 2019 but after covid restrictions I finally boarded in 2022.
There's a dedicated check in which was cool but the best part was the separate security area. We travelled at a time when there were issues with queues at security at most airports so being able to use a separate area was much quicker and easier, and I did get a glimpse of the 'normal' security area which was heaving.
After security, we headed to the lounge after a quick peek around duty free. The lounge was so spacious and we were waited on hand and foot, which did feel a bit weird.
There were loads of seats to choose from, some with a view of the runway, but of course, we had to choose the bubble chairs!
There's also complimentary food and drink which you can either order using the app, from the wait staff or from the buffet bar. I ordered an eggs benedict which was yummy but a bit stingy on the portions, but maybe I was just hungry!
We'd arrived at the airport 3 and half hours early because of the issues occurring at airports at the time, so we had loads of time before our flight, however there's loads to do in the lounge. There's tonnes of reading material like newspapers and magazines, free wifi, a gym, a massage area and a pool table and games area.
However without a shadow of a doubt, the best part of the lounge is the little outdoor terrace which gives you a view of the airport hanger with all the stationary planes and the runway. We easily spent almost an hour watching all the planes taking off and landing wondering where they were going or had come from.
Our gate was announced about an hour before we were due to take off so we headed there with plenty of time. We had priority boarding so went straight onto the plane.
We sat on the left hand side of the plane (Seat A) which had a view of the cockpit so we got a glimpse of the pilot.
The seats were comfy and had lots of room and it was nice to be able to stretch the legs with the footstall.
We were also offered a glass of champagne which of course I accepted, however that may have been a mistake as it soon went to my head!
After take off- going along the runway sideways due to the seat orientation was weird!- I started browsing the entertainment range. Happily, I found the first Harry Potter film, so of course I watched that but there were lots of recent releases available too!
About an hour after take off, they started the food service. The air-stewards came round to each person to take their order for starter and main. I'd previously requested a meal online when I'd been sent an email but you don't have to do that.
I ordered hot smoked salmon on a beetroot salad for starter and pasta meatballs for main, both of which were tasty. I did feel like they were trying a bit too hard to make the food fancy in upper class- the other main options were a prawn curry with a fancy sauce or a chicken dish with spicy vegetable so I chose the meatballs because I wanted something plain.
You get a proper tablecloth, cutlery and the famous salt and pepper shakers and a choice of selection of alcoholic and soft drinks. The dishes were so filling, I didn't have time for pudding, however it was the choice of a fancy crumble or a chocolate and passionfruit fondant- again an example of them trying too hard with the food- what's wrong with a normal chocolate fondant?!?!?
After dinner, they dimmed the lights so I asked for my seat to be converted into a bed. I continued watching Harry Potter for a bit which felt like the ultimate duvet day.
I slept for a couple of hours on the flight there, but about 6 hours on the way back due to the timings of the flights, but the beds were comfy and the duvets were good. In the amenity kit there was an eye mask and ear plugs which were useful.
About an hour before landing, I ordered from the snack range. I chose a pulled pork burger which was delicious and an apple juice.
On the flight home, we were offered breakfast about 90 minutes before landing but I wasn't hungry so just had a hot chocolate, which was a PROPER hot chocolate.
One thing I found different to flying economy was the service from the crew. I've never had bad service from crew on Virgin Atlantic but whether it's because there's more people for them to serve in economy, or I've just never had the need to talk to them, it was almost like we became pals with the crew for 11 hours. We chatted to them about their shift, if the canyon we were flying over was the Grand Canyon (it wasn't, but it was still pretty grand!) and general chit chat about our trip coming up. The staff are always friendly I've found, but our little cabin felt a bit more 'intimate' which made a big difference to our trip.
Also, being in Upper Class meant we were the first to disembark which meant we were the first of our plane to join the immigration queue, which ended up taking 2 hours to get through- I wonder if the people who were off last are still in the queue!
As I said earlier, I paid two and a half thousand pounds for the return flight, which is expensive. However, a return ticket in economy was about £800, so for an extra £1300 I think it was a worthwhile expense, which I appreciate not everyone will have to spare, and I am so thankful I did. I felt like with the complimentary service in the lounge, the separate check in service, and most importantly, being able to stretch out in my seat and even have a bed it was worth every penny! I'm not sure I would pay for upper class on shorter, long haul flights, such as to the East Coast, however for flights over 8 hours, I think to know you can settle down and get some sleep is definitely a major factor in choosing this cabin... I hope I get to experience it again one day!
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