Virgin Atlantic will undergo a complete interior retrofit of its B747-400 aircraft operating out of Gatwick and Manchester, beginning May 2012 and aiming for completion by October 2012.
The £50 million refurbishment will see new seats being installed in economy and Premium economy and a new IFE system in all three cabins. The Upper Class cabin will also be refurbished but the seating product will not change.
The new IFE System, JAM by Panasonic, will offer over 300 hours of content and is controlled by a touch screen handset. The handset allows passengers to multi-task while in the air, for example follow the moving map on the handset without interrupting the movie on the seat back display. To read more about the new IFE system see online news 02/04/11.
The aircraft will also be fitted with the ‘eXphone’ system which will allow passengers to make use of their mobile phones on board for voice, text and email services.
The new leather Premium economy seat will have a pitch of 38”, a dual position footrest, lumbar support and adjustable headrest.
This move forms part of the carrier’s broader £100 million product investment plans (see online news 10/08/11) and the 747s will join the brand new Airbus A330s in the carriers Gatwick and Manchester fleet.
The B747-400 aircraft flies from Gatwick and Manchester to popular leisure destinations such as Orlando, Las Vegas and the Caribbean.
For more information, visit virgin-atlantic.com.
Scott Carey
