Tried & Tested

Virgin Atlantic A340-600 premium economy

24 May 2011 by Jenny Southan

CHECK-IN I arrived at Heathrow Terminal 3 by taxi at 0630 for my 0920 flight (VS003) to New York JFK. Virgin’s check-in Zone A was quiet, with plenty of staff on hand to help. I used one of the numerous self-service kiosks to check-in and print my boarding pass, and noticed I had been assigned window seat 55A, which I stuck with, although I was hoping to be upgraded.

After consulting with a member of staff, I was told that if I was going to be, it would either show up on the screen at this stage in the process, or I would be told when I got to the gate so I kept my fingers crossed and headed for one of the bag-drop desks.

There was a two-minute wait before my case was weighed and tagged – passengers are allowed to check in one piece of luggage weighing no more than 23kg in economy, two pieces weighing 23kg if going premium economy or three items weighing 23kg each if flying business (Upper Class).

Security was upstairs via a set of escalators and plastic bags for liquids were provided free of charge. There were plenty of channels open and so the wait was no more than five minutes to get through – laptops came out, coats, belts and shoes off. I was airside by 0700.

THE LOUNGE For those travelling in Upper Class, follow the signs to lounge H, which is Virgin’s excellent Clubhouse.  Free à la carte cuisine is served throughout the day, there is free alcohol including champagne, plenty of seating in a slick, space-age environment, and a salon and spa where travellers can get complimentary 15-minute massages, pedicures and manicures. 

BOARDING The boarding process started at 0830 from Gate 17, a ten-minute walk from departures. I arrived at 0845 and there was no line. Fortunately, I was granted my upgrade and was assigned seat 19D. Upper Class passengers were called first to board via airbridge B, followed by those in premium economy and then economy via bridge A. The crew were friendly and welcoming, directing people to their seats as required.

THE SEAT This three-class A340-600 is configured with economy seats in a 2-4-2 (A-C, D-E-F-G, H-K) layout, premium economy in a 2-3-2 (A-C, D-E-F, H-K) configuration, and business aligned 1-1-1 (A, D, K). Premium economy occupies rows 18-23 and each seat has individual nine-inch screens and audio-video on-demand (AVOD) entertainment, as well as tray tables that slide out of the armrests, bottles of water, purple leather upholstery, blankets, and amenity kits containing socks, toothbrushes and paste, eyemasks and biros. 

WHICH SEAT TO CHOOSE? Bulkhead seats A-C and H-K in row 18 offer more legroom so are preferable for those who are taller. Don’t choose seats A-C or H-K in row 22 or seats D-E-F in row 23 as they are directly in front of economy class and the washrooms so you may suffer from disturbance. They also have limited recline. Middle seats E are also best avoided as you don’t have direct aisle access or a view out of a window.

THE FLIGHT Once settled in my seat I was offered a glass of champagne and my coat was hung. The captain came on at 0920 to say that there would be a 30-minute delay to replace a missing part of the navigation equipment but it turned out to be closer to an hour, as we didn’t push back until 1010. After take-off at 1030, the meal service started at 1050, with drinks including wine, beer and spirits offered. I asked for another glass of champagne and the attendant was happy to oblige. It was served with a packet of sour cream and chive pretzels.

To pass the time I started watching a film – of which there was a good selection (click here to find out what’s on your next flight), and at about 1120 lunch was dished up. Despite having pre-ordered a vegetarian meal there was no suitable starter for me (my tray came with a prawn cocktail like everyone else’s) and the bread roll it came with was a bit stale.

The main course of mushroom risotto was rather tasty, though, and there was also a small packet of crackers, some red Leicester cheese and a small square of toffee and ice cream cake for dessert. The amenable crew were generous with drinks, coming around several times giving top-ups, followed by liquors, coffee and tea.

The flight was about eight hours in total, and at about 1400, the cabin lights were dimmed to allow people to rest. Afternoon tea (hot drinks and a biscuit or brownie) was served about one hour 45 minutes before landing. The seat reclined enough to make you feel comfortable on a daytime flight of this length and I arrived feeling rested.

ARRIVAL Landing was 30 minutes late at 1250 local time but disembarkation was efficient meaning I was off the plane and into the terminal by 1300. It was a ten-minute walk to immigration where there was a long, snaking queue, so I then had to wait about half an hour to be processed. Surprisingly, this was done with a smile and I was promptly through to baggage reclaim where my suitcase was waiting. Taxis from JFK to downtown New York cost about US$50 and take 30 minutes depending on traffic.

VERDICT A good premium economy product with seven extra inches of legroom compared with economy, a broad selection of drinks including champagne, decent food, and priority boarding and disembarkation. I was impressed by the crew who went out of there way to make all passengers feel welcome, safe and looked after.

PRICE Internet rates for a return premium economy flight from London to New York JFK in June started from £1,719. Economy tickets started from £425.

CONTACT virgin-atlantic.com

SEAT STATS

PLANE TYPE A340-600

CONFIGURATION 2-3-2

SEAT PITCH 38in/96.5cm

SEAT WIDTH 21in/53cm

SEAT RECLINE 8in/20cm

Jenny Southan

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