Virgin Atlantic Economy Class Review: Our Flight from London to the US

Even though we have recently completed one of the longest flights, departing from London Heathrow Airport direct to Tampa Bay in Florida, it was the best!

Virgin Atlantic proved to be one of the most reliable companies on the route from the UK to the States.

In this Virgin Atlantic Economy Review, we give our honest observations on the trip overall, seats, services, and more. From the invaluable hostess on board to snacking, dining, and entertainment, you’ll prepare for your next trip or decide whether you need an upgrade!

FAQ | Virgin Atlantic Economy Review

How is the checking process with Virgin Atlantic

We have plenty of experience with websites that crash, don’t work right, or even don’t allow you to check in at all. The Virgin Atlantic website, instead, is very user-friendly, walking you through the whole process step by step.

When you start the check-in, you can even upgrade easily or change the seat (some economy tickets allow that without extra charge).

Ale had the tickets on the phone and correctly activated through the App, which made the whole process very straightforward. As our Economy Light ticket didn’t allow the “jump the queue” we had to wait in line for about 20 minutes.

Most of the inconvenience was only to demonstrate the right to travel to the US, so that’s why we had to wait. However, the drop-off bags and formalities were smooth. Since we were just for a few days in Tampa, we carried our luggage.

Your seat on Economy with Virgin Atlantic

To be honest, we were expecting minimal comfort. After all, this is the cheapest flight to Florida you can get. However, the seats are more comfortable than those of other companies.

I mean, we flew to Barbados with BA, and it seemed pretty decent in economy, but this with Virgin was overall the best.

I know that doesn’t seem like the best seats ever, but we are used to flying economy all around the world, and this isn’t what you usually find on a 7+ hour flight. Flying with Virgin Atlantic in Economy is like a premium class with China Eastern.

The Cabin

The plane was half empty, and we had entire rows all for ourselves. There were no kids screaming, and it was a very nice, silent flight overall.

The cabin offered a dim light, which was great on the return as we wanted to sleep to kick jetlag. The seats are comfy with an adjustable headrest, with enough legroom and large enough. I could stretch my legs in every direction without annoying anybody.

The overhead luggage storage is smaller on the side and very ample in the middle. I had to store my wheel in the centre overhead. Overall, the ambience surprised me, as you have a nice setting for walking around in, never getting too sleepy or too awake.

Toilets are pretty normal in the Economy. I haven’t had a chance to check the rest of the plane. The seats in the cabin on our flight were on 3-4-3 with the central row bigger.

What’s included in your seat

Apart from legroom and seat space, I was surprised by the quality of the amenity kit. It was nothing special, but it was good. I am used to headphones being distributed when you board, so it was nice not to have those double pins that are hard for my ear.

I have generally small ears and find it difficult to comply with company standards. These at Virgin Atlantic fit perfectly. Apart from headphones, a blanket and soft pillow set complete the Amenity kit.

Food and drinks in economy on a Virgin Atlantic Flight

Luckily, we don’t have any food intolerances. Still, you can present it before check-in or either way, if you want a Vegan or Vegetarian meal. The food served in the economy is decent and good quality for the money you spend.

They do not provide hot towels (Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and Sri Lanka Airlines, do this great service). I was served two meals on the 8—to 9-hour flights. Also, the team will pass through two to three times, offering cold drinks and once for hot drinks.

To accompany your meal, you’ll get cheese, plain crackers, yoghurt, marmalade, and butter. For hot drinks, the choice is mainly between English breakfast, Earl Grey, or filter coffee, black or white.

In-Flight Entertainment System

Let’s discuss what to do on board. To avoid getting bored while on a long-haul flight, the entertainment must have a decent selection of movies for both adults and kids.

First of all, all the monitors were working, which is a great thing, as sometimes low-cost companies deal with broken appliances, and you’ll be without them for the whole flight.

Virgin Atlantic offers one of the most user-friendly platforms, with a touch screen that works like a charm. Let’s be honest, the last thing you want on a long flight is having to deal with technology.

We found the selection of movies very basic, with just a few high-end blockbusters, but in some ways decent to watch a couple of good ones. In all honesty, the movie selection could be better, but I do believe that higher classes offer different options, too.

I did watch Planet of the Apes and Deadpool 2, and Ale watched the long-awaited “It Ends with us” after having read the book.

Is Virgin Atlantic’s Economy worth it? Overall opinion!

Yes, Virgin Atlantic’s Economy has exceeded our expectations, and as first-timers fly to the US, we couldn’t expect better. We don’t usually write guides on the flights. Still, the experience was so good, and we found many wanted to know their honest opinions before embarking on such a journey.

Our overall Virgin Atlantic Economy Review is good, apart from entertainment, which could be better. The meals were good, served at the perfect time, and the personnel on board were very professional yet attentive.

We actually arrived early on the flight back to London, which was super appreciated to avoid the rush hour on the tube.