About Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd.

Virgin Atlantic is a British company established in 1984. It still has its corporate headquarters in Crawley, England. Initially founded with the intention of scheduling flights between the UK and the Falkland Islands, its remit quickly expanded. The airline's first recorded flight was in 1984 between London and Newark, New Jersey.

The company uses a mixed fleet of Boeing and Airbus aircraft to serve destinations around the world. Its main base is at London Heathrow Airport, however, it has a secondary base in Manchester and operates various seasonal flights around the UK.

Although it is recognised as one of the larger long-haul airlines in the world, like many airlines, Virgin Atlantic was significantly impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In May of that year, the company announced significant reductions in staff numbers, as well as the early retirement of its Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

IATA Code	VS
Airline Hub	London Gatwick (LGW), Heathrow (LHR) and Manchester (MA
Fleet Size	35
Number of Destinations	30
Airline Punctuality	‘8.2 out of 10’ rating
Alliance	None
Loyalty Program	Flying Club
Inflight Magazine	Vera
Airline Website	www.virginatlantic.com

Further information

Check-in information

Virgin Atlantic offers passengers the following check-in options:

● Mobile check-in

● Mobile App

● Mobile boarding pass

● Kiosk check-in

● Special check-in (Hong Kong, Disney World, and Gatwick)

Online Check-In:

The online check-in opens between 24 hours and 70 minutes before scheduled flight departure.

Kiosk Check-in:

The Kiosk check-in closes 60 minutes before scheduled flight departure.

Food on board

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Virgin Atlantic offers one main meal along with soft drinks and juices. Water and orange juice services available throughout flights.

Virgin Atlantic focuses on quality food presentation to its passengers. Passengers have the option of selecting from 3 main meals, including dietary preference for vegetarian. Biscuits, cheese, and pudding are served too.

The airline serves a selection of drinks, including spirits, wines, beers, and soft drinks.

Cabin classes

Virgin Atlantic has the following cabin class options: Economy, premium and Upper Class.

Economy Class:

Economy Classic - The cabin has an advanced seating arrangement.

Economy Delight - Passengers enjoy premium check-in desks, seat with 34" seat pitch extra legroom, and priority boarding

Economy Light - All Economy Class guests have access to WiFi, movies, snacks, complimentary drinks, and a choice of a 3 course meal.

All Economy Class services include complimentary drinks and snacks throughout the flight, free 10kg hand luggage , non-stop in-flight entertainment, onboard WiFi for a fee, in-seat power for every device, and goodie packs for kids on all UK flights.

Premium Economy:

In 2019, the airline won the Skytrax "World’s best Premium cabin" award. Virgin Atlantic Business Class or Premium offers 21-inch (53cm) wide, with a footrest, headrest and 38in (96cm) seat pitch, onboard WiFi for a fee, seamless flight experience with world-class meals served on china crockery with proper cutlery.

Upper Class:

Passengers enjoy luxury and complete comfort from their arrival to destination. The airline offers chauffeur driven car service, access to clubhouses and lounges to help you unwind before you fly. The cabin comes with spacious leather seats that double as sumptuous flat beds, and a unique bar space.

The A350 planes replaced the bar with "the Loft", a relaxing social area with a live tailcam on the 32 inch TV.

Baggage information

Carry On

Economy and Premium Economy Class:

Virgin Atlantic allows one piece of carry-on luggage, measuring a maximum dimension of 23x36x56cm and 10kg or under. Passengers can carry a rucksack or a small handbag too.

Business Class or Upper Class:

The Virgin Atlantic allows two items of hand luggage. Each hand luggage must not exceed 12 kg or 26 lbs, and have a combined weight of 16 kg or 35 lb. Each item must also not exceed 23 x 36 x 56 cm. In addition, a handbag or coat can be carried.

Checked Luggage

Virgin Atlantic allows only one bag weighing not more than 23kg on most of its Economy Class, free of charge.

Premium Cabin: Two pieces of baggage. The weight of each bag should not exceed 23 kg (50lb).

For Upper Class: Three pieces of baggage allowed. Each bag must weigh up to 32kg (70lb) with a maximum dimension of up to 90 x 75 x 43cm (35.5 x 29.5 x 16ins).

For long trips, the airline offers a Ship Your Luggage service, where passengers send their luggage pre-flight.