Following my evisceration of EgyptAir in my last flight review, I am pleased to be reviewing a product which is markedly superior in every respect.
My latest long-haul travel season began with a flight on Virgin Atlantic’s flagship route from London Heathrow to New York JFK. Careful flight selection ensured that this flight would on the carrier’s Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, with its on-board lounge area and superior hard product.
My travel day began with a visit to the highly rated Virgin Clubhouse at Heathrow’s Terminal 3.
As I was planning to eat on board, I paid only a short visit for a couple of glasses of champagne and a fruit salad. The fruit was fresh and the champagne was crisp and chilled. It was a very pleasant start to my travel day.
The boarding process was very smooth and I was soon settled in for the 8-hour journey to New York.
Seating was in a 1-2-1 all-aisle configuration, which I consider the gold standard for business class.
A pre-departure beverage of Laurent-Perrier champagne was offered. I, of course, happily accepted.
As this was a daytime flight, I decided to buy the WiFi package for the full flight, which is offered at £20.99 or $26.95.
Take-off was on time and the lunchtime meal offering was served soon afterwards.
There was an extensive and varied wine list and cocktail menu.
I chose the arancini starter, which was well presented and paired well with a glass of Chardonnay.
The menu did not feature a beef main course, due to Virgin Atlantic’s environmental policies. At any restaurant on the ground, I would scoff at this, but it did not faze me on this occasion as I have a long history of complaining about overcooked beef on flights.
Instead, I happily opted for the Lemon and Thyme chicken, which was nicely presented, tender and moist. To accompany the main course, I decided to stay with the Chardonnay, which was liberally topped up.
For dessert, I enjoyed the apricot and lavender cake. As all of the white wines listed on the menu were rather dry, I requested a dessert wine and the crew found a bottle which was not listed.
Following dessert, a selection of British cheeses was offered, along with a Quinto do Noval port.
I rounded off a very enjoyable meal with a visit to the on-board lounge area and another couple of glasses of port, before returning to my seat for ice cream and a few cognacs.
After a short port and cognac induced nap, I was awoken shortly before landing for afternoon tea.
Arrival in New York was slightly early and I was soon through CBP and landside.
This was an extremely enjoyable flight experience and a thoroughly civilised way to cross the Atlantic.
In conclusion, Virgin Atlantic’s A350-1000 Upper Class product is an excellent business class product and very good choice for this route.
