Why is Virgin Atlantic’s new Business Class so comfortable?

Virgin Atlantic launched its last new business seats in 2019 with the A350 Upper Class seat, which had a partial door. So many people were wondering exactly what their newest aircraft delivery would do to improve on an already good seat.

Stepping onto the plane, first impressions were of a sleek new interior with 30 forward-facing Upper Class suites (previously, the seats were at an angle). Arranged 1-2-1 across eight rows, everyone has aisle access but only A and K provide views through the window. Branded Upper Class, the cabin is business class rather than first class (and priced accordingly—with return flights for about $3,400), but the experience is so comfortable you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in first. Interiors of the A330neo are illuminated with hot pink mood lighting, and every seat is enclosed in its own private cabin with sliding doors, creating a huge amount of privacy.

Virgin Atlantic’s latest aircraft is a new version of the Airbus A330-900neo. This brings 25 percent less fuel burn and carbon emissions compared to previous-generation competitor aircraft. The new aircraft took to the skies with passengers for the first time at the end of October 2022.

One of the most cutting-edge aircraft in the skies, the A330-900neo is not only quieter and more fuel efficient than its predecessors but it also features wireless mobile charging pads, large HD screens, Bluetooth connectivity so you can use your own headphones, and speedy Wi-Fi that can even cope with photo uploads to Instagram Stories. Pricing is 20 minutes free with ads, $6.99 for an hour or around $22 for the whole flight.

The Airbus 330 brings a challenge itself for seat design due to its narrow fuselage. There is only really one option if you wish to buy a business class seat off the shelf. Otherwise, designing a new seat from scratch can be costly as well as taking much longer to produce. Virgin Atlantic went for a hybrid of the two by customizing the existing Thompson Vantage XL by adding a full door to make it a proper suite and using the customary Virgin color palette. The seat is already in use by several airlines, such as Delta and Qantas.