Virgin Upper Class or BA First Class?
Discussion
Can any of you regular flyers give me a bit of advice please? There's a massive price difference between Virgin upper class and BA first class on the London to Chicago route (and by massive I mean circa £3,500 or so!!) and I wondered whether there's such a big difference in service levels, comfort etc. I've not flown Virgin upper class before and it certainly seems pretty impressive from the web site. I'm taking clients over on a business trip so want to make sure they get the best possible flight and service. Any thoughts and advice welcome. Thanks. David
Willo M900 said:
Can any of you regular flyers give me a bit of advice please? There's a massive price difference between Virgin upper class and BA first class on the London to Chicago route (and by massive I mean circa £3,500 or so!!) and I wondered whether there's such a big difference in service levels, comfort etc. I've not flown Virgin upper class before and it certainly seems pretty impressive from the web site. I'm taking clients over on a business trip so want to make sure they get the best possible flight and service. Any thoughts and advice welcome. Thanks. David
I fly BA FIRST between London and Chicago twice a month, and it is a pretty empty route. 3 flights a day, two on a 777 and one on 747. If you're going BA, try to choose the 747 because sitting in 1A or 1K in the nose is much nicer than the 777 cabin. It is pretty quiet too, not uncommon to only have 2 or 3 other people in the cabin with you.Having said that, it is still leaving from T4, and the ground service on the BA FIRST product doesn't compare to Virgin. The BA lounges in Chicago are also being rebuilt, so the pre-flight dining isn't available, and food on offer is rubbish until the end of May.
NONSENSE!
Virgin Upper Class IS first class. You have a freakin' six-foot flat bed, a personal private "pod", limo service, drive-in check-in, Heathrow Club House that makes the Playboy Mansion look shabby, sleep suit, free sit-down bar, duvet and meals served on bone china. How much more First Class do you want?
Writes a loyal Virgin Atlantic loyal Flying Club member who would rather be strapped to a Sopwith Camel than give his business to the luggage-losing, and hatchet-faced staff of BA.
Virgin Upper Class IS first class. You have a freakin' six-foot flat bed, a personal private "pod", limo service, drive-in check-in, Heathrow Club House that makes the Playboy Mansion look shabby, sleep suit, free sit-down bar, duvet and meals served on bone china. How much more First Class do you want?
Writes a loyal Virgin Atlantic loyal Flying Club member who would rather be strapped to a Sopwith Camel than give his business to the luggage-losing, and hatchet-faced staff of BA.
Virgin Upper Class is pitched as a first class service at a business class price, most business class give you lay flat or near enough lay flat beds. Don't get me wrong, it's nice, but it's not first class
so speaks the fiance of a virgin hostie who works upper (I've flown this and first, there's a difference)
Not knocking it before you get your knickers in a twist! all of it's better than being cooped up in the back!
so speaks the fiance of a virgin hostie who works upper (I've flown this and first, there's a difference)
Not knocking it before you get your knickers in a twist! all of it's better than being cooped up in the back!
audidoody said:
NONSENSE!
Virgin Upper Class IS first class. You have a freakin' six-foot flat bed, a personal private "pod", limo service, drive-in check-in, Heathrow Club House that makes the Playboy Mansion look shabby, sleep suit, free sit-down bar, duvet and meals served on bone china. How much more First Class do you want?
Writes a loyal Virgin Atlantic loyal Flying Club member who would rather be strapped to a Sopwith Camel than give his business to the luggage-losing, and hatchet-faced staff of BA.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^Wot he said - 1000 times over!!! It's the whole Virgin experience! ^^^^^^^^^^^^Virgin Upper Class IS first class. You have a freakin' six-foot flat bed, a personal private "pod", limo service, drive-in check-in, Heathrow Club House that makes the Playboy Mansion look shabby, sleep suit, free sit-down bar, duvet and meals served on bone china. How much more First Class do you want?
Writes a loyal Virgin Atlantic loyal Flying Club member who would rather be strapped to a Sopwith Camel than give his business to the luggage-losing, and hatchet-faced staff of BA.
Remember, the 777 is the ultimate 'cobbled-together' piece of s
te - regardless of the seats!
Yes you can eat when you want in Upper Class (or pig out on a gourmet meal in the Club House and then go straight 'to bed' when you board).
If you're taking clients you can all sit around the bar at 30,000ft.
If flying from Heathrow get there three hours before take off and enjoy the Club House (haircut, massage, shower, shave, great food etc). Make sure you join Virgin Flying Club and you'll get a stack of miles towards a free flight, upgrades etc.
If you're taking clients you can all sit around the bar at 30,000ft.
If flying from Heathrow get there three hours before take off and enjoy the Club House (haircut, massage, shower, shave, great food etc). Make sure you join Virgin Flying Club and you'll get a stack of miles towards a free flight, upgrades etc.
Edited by audidoody on Friday 16th May 19:55
Hello Dave, where have you been hiding?Virgin Upper I have found is like a premium business class, BA First is the best but unless you are entertaining clients I don't think it is worth the extra £££. Neither Virgin or BA compare to Emirates in the slightest though, Emirates are by far the best airline in the world IMO, did someone say they are starting to do Heathrow/Chicago, I ask because I have to do this trip twice a year and its coming up next month.
siscar said:
NDA said:
Upper Class looks like First, smells like First, tastes like First and walks like First - I've used it a lot and would say... it's First!
Immeasurably better than BA.
Have you flown BA First much? Upper Class is a good Business Class offering but it's not First.Immeasurably better than BA.
I stopped flying BA some time ago as I found them to be rather arrogant and not particularly service-orientated. I fly Virgin internationally, at least once a month and many times twice, and there is little doubt that the staff have had extensive training and do imho, give one of the best in-flight services of any European airline. 
However, over the last couple of years I have noticed that there has been quite a bit of cost-cutting going on, for example: the food is not as good as it used to be; the wine-list features much cheaper wines; and now they have cancelled the in-flight massage service. I know that they say you can get a massage in the lounge, but I time my limo pick-up to allow me to go straight through to the plane; once I have completed the usual formalities.
For me therefore, in-flight Virgin is somewhere between BA First Class and their Business Class. The thing that swings it for me is their limousine service, particularly since they have opened their new facility in Terminal 3. It really is excellent and makes checking-in almost a pleasurable experience.
On one of the routes that I fly to Emirates offer an alternative and their First Class service is the SAME price, as Virgin and BA's Business Class offering. A real no-brainer, especially as they also use the same limousine service (Tristar) as Virgin. Dom Perignon is the champagne offering (Charles Heidsieck on Virgin) and you can have as much caviare as you want, something I did not see on BA First Class in year's.
So to create that wow factor, my 1st choice would be Emirates, followed by BA First Class, then Virgin Upper, and last BA Business. HTH.
P.S. However, if you were flying to the Far East then all bets are off, Singapore Airways still take some beating.
However, over the last couple of years I have noticed that there has been quite a bit of cost-cutting going on, for example: the food is not as good as it used to be; the wine-list features much cheaper wines; and now they have cancelled the in-flight massage service. I know that they say you can get a massage in the lounge, but I time my limo pick-up to allow me to go straight through to the plane; once I have completed the usual formalities.
For me therefore, in-flight Virgin is somewhere between BA First Class and their Business Class. The thing that swings it for me is their limousine service, particularly since they have opened their new facility in Terminal 3. It really is excellent and makes checking-in almost a pleasurable experience.
On one of the routes that I fly to Emirates offer an alternative and their First Class service is the SAME price, as Virgin and BA's Business Class offering. A real no-brainer, especially as they also use the same limousine service (Tristar) as Virgin. Dom Perignon is the champagne offering (Charles Heidsieck on Virgin) and you can have as much caviare as you want, something I did not see on BA First Class in year's.
So to create that wow factor, my 1st choice would be Emirates, followed by BA First Class, then Virgin Upper, and last BA Business. HTH.
P.S. However, if you were flying to the Far East then all bets are off, Singapore Airways still take some beating.
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