Virgin Atlantic B747-400 business class

Originally published on businesstraveller.com 27/08/2010   RSS

CHECK-IN Being the tenth anniversary of Virgin’s daily London to Las Vegas route in June, this was by no means a normal journey. Flight VS043 was set to depart at 1125, and I arrived at Gatwick’s South Terminal at 0830, in good time to enjoy the celebrations in the lounge. I was greeted by balloons and singing Elvis impersonators on stilts in Zone A, where I was immediately checked in at one of several business class desks that were open. I was presented with a lounge pass and boarding pass, as well as the necessary immigration and customs forms. (For changes to the registration process to the ESTA visa waiver scheme for UK travellers going to the US without a visa, click here.) 

THE LOUNGE Fast-track security was very quick (liquids and laptops out, jackets off as usual), and I was able to head straight upstairs via an escalator to the Virgin Clubhouse, which is located between Kurt Geiger and Sunglass Hut. Staff were dressed in red feather boas and Elvis sunglasses, and plenty of champagne, bucks fizz and breakfast canapés (bacon/sausage rolls, mini croissants, fruit and granola yoghurt pots) were on laid on. The lounge was busy with regular Upper Class travellers enjoying coffee and reading the paper, as well as the Vegas-bound passengers who were in high spirits. 

The facility was refurbished at the end of last year, and now features a Cowshed spa, which provides one of five types of 15-minute treatment (facial, manicure, pedicure, shoulder massage or facial hair grooming) to all guests free of charge, as well a selection of paid-for experiences ranging from 60-minute cut-throat shaves with a face and scalp massage (£50), to a hot stone leg and foot treatment (£30). The therapists were obliging and upbeat, and I had a very effective 15-minute neck and shoulder massage. Treatments are available on a first-come first-served basis. 

As well as sporting floor-to-ceiling windows, 130 seats (at tables or in the form of armchairs and sofas), free food and cocktails, waiter service, and a selection of complimentary reading material including The Economist, Business Traveller, the FT and The Independent, the venue has a kids’ play area at the back with Wii entertainment systems, a business centre with four laptops, the Snug for meetings and free wifi. 

The à la carte morning menu included: the Clubhouse British breakfast with poached or scrambled egg, Cumberland sausage, grilled back bacon, vine tomatoes, field mushrooms and toast; smoked salmon on toast with scrambled eggs and black pepper; an open sandwich of warm marinated chicken on a Caesar salad with fresh Parmesan; a bloody Mary cocktail made with Grey Goose vodka; and a classic mimosa with freshly squeezed orange juice, a splash of Cointreau and topped up with fizz. 

BOARDING Despite there being a number of departure screens on view throughout the Clubhouse, the Las Vegas flight was called at 1025, with boarding from Gate 19 about five minutes’ walk away. There was a short wait before business passengers could board via the airbridge at will, and were welcomed on board by crew, again in feather boas and sunglasses. Coats were hung, and champagne, juice and water offered once people were seated. 

THE SEAT I turned left to find my seat (20D), was in the middle, at the front of the second business class cabin (the first is in the nose of the plane). The upper deck of this B747 is exclusively for business passengers. Upstairs, rows one to 11 are configured 1-1, as they are downstairs in rows 12-19 (no row 13), while rows 20-25 are 1-2-1. All are arranged in a herringbone layout and provide passengers with direct aisle access. Rows 28-37 are for premium economy passengers, and 39-66 for economy. 

There are 54 Upper Class Suites in total on this version of Virgin’s B747, with each seat flipping over into a fully-flat bed at the touch of a button, with storage compartment behind for the cotton duvet, sheet and soft white pillow. The design of the suite, which has a hard shell surround, provides added privacy and looks contemporary, and the large sturdy table that slides out of the side is excellent for working and dining on. At one end is an ottoman with a seat belt, which is ideal for guests who want to join you for a drink, and also forms the end of the bed when converted. 

The seat, with full lumbar support and upholstered in stylish purple leather, has a width of 22 inches/56cm, a length of 79.5-82 inches/202cm-208cm, and ten-inch individual in-flight entertainment (IFE) screens that pull out from the side of the suite and feature a good selection of movies and TV shows on-demand. There is storage space under the buddy seat, a slot for magazines, lilac mood lighting, noise-cancelling headphones, bottled water, a chrome reading light and in-seat power. Menu cards, “snooze packs” containing an eye mask, socks, toothbrush and paste, earplugs and a shoe bag, were placed on the ottoman. Seat belts are broad and padded, which make them more comfortable to wear, especially when sleeping. 

WHICH SEAT TO CHOOSE? The front cabin downstairs is quieter, more spacious and feels more private than the main cabin configured 1-2-1. However, those in row 19 may be disturbed by light and noise from the galley. The upper deck is also a good choice, except for seat 11K by the staircase, which may suffer from footfall nearby. 

My seat (20D) was near the washrooms so I did experience some disturbance from people banging the doors and walking by, but the worst ones are in rows 23-25, which are closest to the bar (particularly rowdy on this flight, but on normal daytime services, when you are not trying to sleep, it shouldn’t be quite so much of a problem). I also didn’t like being in the middle of the twin aisles as prefer to have a window seat, and given all have aisle access anyway, you don’t have to choose between having a view and the freedom to get up and move around. Legroom is the same for all Upper Class seats. 

THE FLIGHT At 1100 passengers were given a warm welcome by the pilot on behalf of Richard Branson. The in-flight safety video was then played. It was the most entertaining and informative I have seen, with a voice-over by Vic Reeves and music by Mr Scruff. (Click here to watch.) Take-off was on time at 1125, and 35 minutes later hot towels were handed out. The journey was estimated to take ten hours, 45 minutes.

Orders for lunch were taken at 1330, when most passengers started to return to their seats for lunch, after about an hour spent at the bar drinking mojitos and champagne. Tables were set with white cotton cloths, chinaware, large wine glasses, metal cutlery and little plane-shaped salt and pepper shakers with “Pinched from Virgin Atlantic” written on the base, which I thought was quite humorous. 

The starters were poached flaked salmon salad with avocado, feta cheese, pea shoots and fresh mint with a lemon vinaigrette or a (vegetarian) virgin Mary soup with blended tomatoes, Tabasco sauce and a celery julienne garnish (a shot of vodka can be added on request). I ordered this latter dish (without the booze) and it was first rate. 

The mains were: lavender and garlic-infused lamb with crushed, minted new potatoes, green beans, buttered carrots and thyme gravy; braised flaked ham hock on summer vegetable consommé; or the vegetarian option of chickpea, chilli and coriander cakes with cumin-roasted sweet potatoes, sun-blushed tomatoes and onion raita. I also ordered this last option, and it was very tasty. 

A choice of warm breads included roasted red pepper, sesame, and poppy seed, with olive oil. For dessert there was either clotted cream cheesecake with strawberry compote or summer berry pudding. A cheese platter combined Garstang Blue, Denhay Cheddar and Cornish Camembert, and fairtrade tea and coffee were also available. 

The wine menu listed Lucas Carton brut NV champagne and Berry’s extra dry Blanquette de Limoux NV, Jean-Louis Denois sparkling wine. Whites were an Australian Working Dog chardonnay (2009), a French L’Herre Gros Manseng sauvignon blanc (2009) and a South African Signal Cannon chenin blanc (2009). Reds were a Spanish Tochuela Tempranillo Seleccion (2007), a French Domaine de la Cessane grenache/merlot (2008), and a South African Signal Cannon merlot (2008).  A range of spirits, beer and soft drinks were stocked in the bar, but when I asked for a vodka and tonic at around 1700, I was told they had run out of vodka. 

I watched a couple of films, making the odd trip to the bar to stretch my legs throughout the flight. At 1600, ice cream was served and at 2000, afternoon tea, which consisted of tandoori chicken, egg mayo or prawn mayo sandwiches, warm sultana scones with clotted cream and jam, and Victoria sponge cake, came around. There were also “smaller bites” such as Red Leicester and tomato focaccia, chicken tikka masala with steamed rice and pitta bread, and mackerel fillets with red chard and gooseberry coulis, all of which could be ordered at any time. 

ARRIVAL The plane started its descent at 2115 (1315 local time) and hot towels were handed out. It was very bumpy coming into land because of the rising hot air, but the pilot assured us there was nothing to be concerned about. Upon landing on time at 1410, the crew thanked everyone for flying on “this special anniversary flight”, and after taxiing for a few minutes came to a standstill on the tarmac where a dozen more Elvis impersonators were waiting, along with a mob of paparazzi, burlesque dancer Dita von Teese – who was painted on to the tail of the aircraft as the “flying lady” – and Richard Branson himself.

As I mentioned before, this was not your average flight, so once the premium and economy passengers had been disembarked, Sir Richard ascended the B747 via a flight of stairs with von Teese following behind him. He then walked through the cabin and out on to the wing, where he lifted her up to pose for the cameras. Once the 40 minutes of publicity stunts were out of the way, Upper Class flyers were disembarked and shuttled to the terminal, where there was another 40-minute wait to get through immigration, in spite of there being 14 desks open. Fortunately, once at baggage reclaim, my priority-tagged suitcase arrived within five minutes, and I was able to hand my customs form to an official upon quickly exiting the airport. 

VERDICT Outstanding service from a jovial cabin crew in far from easy working conditions – the bar staff worked particularly hard. The fully-flat business class product is excellent for working, sleeping and relaxing, and the AVOD entertainment system and drinking and dining options very good indeed. 

PRICE Internet rates for a return business class flight from London Gatwick to Las Vegas in October started from £3,235.

CONTACT virgin-atlantic.com

Jenny Southan