Thanks to a stash of points and a companion voucher, I finally got to try Virgin Atlantic Upper Class; a ticket would normally set me back a few thousand pounds.
Entrance
The experience started in style at Heathrow’s Virgin Atlantic Wing. You can’t just walk in; you’re dropped off by taxi at a private entrance that feels straight out of a James Bond movie. Picture a circular driveway, a giant art installation sphere in the middle, and parking bays fanning out around it. Very “secret luxury hotel” vibes.
Inside, the entrance looks more like a boutique hotel lobby than an airport. The bag drop is right by the door—no queues, no fuss. From there it was just a short walk down a sleek corridor to fast-track security, and within minutes I was in the main concourse heading towards the Clubhouse lounge.
Clubhouse
The Clubhouse is huge. There’s a quiet area, a terrace, a sunken lounge, even a shower zone. You can just sit anywhere, scan a QR code, and have any food or drink delivered to your table. Since it was morning, I ordered from the breakfast à la carte menu (plus nibbled from the deli counter). My favourite dish was the smoked trout eggs Benedict, of which I had two servings. I lingered there for four hours, moving between spots, enjoying countless drinks, and just soaking up the atmosphere.
Flight
The flight was on an A330-900neo. Each upper class seat was like a small hotel room. It reclined fully flat, and they offered a pillow, mattress topper, and duvet if you wanted to sleep. There was also a bag of toiletries and creams waiting for me. The engines were so quiet that my regular non-noise cancelling headphones worked just fine.
The only downside was that the entertainment screen looked great in size but the video content was heavily compressed, which really spoiled the quality.
Meal service, however, was excellent with proper table setting, real cutlery, and genuinely good food. But honestly, even with all that, I don’t think it would be worth paying full price. You can’t possibly eat, drink, or enjoy enough to justify thousands of pounds, and while the seat is lovely, it’s not life changing. For points, though? Absolutely worth it.
