Virgin Atlantic’s A330neo Upper Class cabin is glamorous

Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class cabin has had a glamorous revamp. We tried it out on the inaugural route from London to Tampa, Florida.

It may not be as thrilling as flying to the edge of space with Virgin Galactic, but the debut of Virgin Atlantic’s new A330-900neo aircraft, which comes complete with an entirely redesigned Upper Class cabin (as well as premium economy and economy), is not far off it. After a highly challenging time for the airline during the pandemic, it is now returning to form with a new route from London Heathrow to Tampa, Florida, a sector being operated by its newest plane—dubbed “Billie Holiday.”

I was on the debut TPA flight, and upon landing in the U.S., passengers were welcomed by Richard Branson himself who came aboard wearing a red Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey from the local football team. The new year-round Tampa service will initially fly four times a week before increasing to daily from November 28, 2022, complementing the airline’s services to Miami and Orlando.

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 (although people can still see you’re watching Good Luck to You, Leo Grande when they walk past).

I was particularly grateful for the doors on the return night flight, when I was able to recline the seat to a fully flat bed, lay out the soft mattress, cotton duvet, and pillow, put on some Virgin Atlantic pajamas, and go to sleep feeling secure. There’s even a “do not disturb” sign if you don’t want to be woken for breakfast. At the front is the Retreat Suite, an entirely new concept for the airline, which takes the form of a pair of ultra-spacious suites in row 1 with two extra “buddy” benches opposite that allow four people to dine face-to-face (these seats also convert to 6-foot, 7-inch long beds, even longer than British Airways’ first class). Confusingly, you can’t book it outright—sitting here requires Upper Class passengers to pay for an upgrade on a first-come, first-served basis, 14 days before departure.

The outbound flight to Tampa is during the daytime (the journey is just under 10 hours), so lunch is served after the morning take-off—Champagne and juice are handed around as soon as fliers are seated. The food on my flight was excellent—in fact, my starter of roasted and finely diced beetroot salad with goat cheese mousse looked as beautiful as a dish served in a fine-dining restaurant. The vegetarian main course of vegetable korma and paratha was more rustic but nourishing and spicy. Someone sitting across from me ordered the chicken and wild mushroom pie, which looked delicious. There was also the option of miso and sesame-crusted salmon, desserts of black forest gateau or brioche bread and butter pudding, and a cheese plate with port.

The drinks menu was equally well thought out. Not only does Virgin Atlantic serve Ayala Champagne, but also Hambledon English sparkling wine and Italian prosecco. There were also a trio of signature cocktails including the Orchard Margarita, made with Patron Silver tequila, apple juice, and Fever Tree light lemonade. Personally, I like to try and “biohack” my flights these days by not drinking booze (it makes you feel so much worse when you land), so I was delighted to see “functional” cocktails made with trendy zero-alcohol brand Three Spirit. I drank a couple of “Liveners” throughout the journey, which are high in natural caffeine and mixed with tonic. If you get peckish, you can request a cream tea, samosas, or a gourmet fish finger sandwich. With departures from Tampa late evening, most people want to get to sleep so prefer not to have the full dinner service, in which case there is the option to have a quick bowl of soup and a grilled cheese.

One of the most cutting-edge aircraft in the skies, the A330-900neo is not only quieter and more fuel efficient than its predecessors (taking the carbon emissions down a notch or two) 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 (although video is a struggle). Pricing is 20 minutes free with ads, $6.99 for an hour or around $22 for the whole flight.

Other features I liked were the personal cupboard with a mirrored panel inside, easily accessible plug (UK/US/EU) and USB sockets, a pouch of REN skincare minis, a good array of new films, a slide-out tray table, and an expansive counter for placing a laptop and other personal items on. That said, this does mean that shoulder space is a bit tight when lying down. The A330neo’s final unique selling point is its new communal social space called the Loft, which replaces the bar found in Upper Class on other Virgin Atlantic planes. But don’t worry, there are fridges where you can help yourself to a can of pre-mixed Negronis. When business class is this good, who needs first? cntraveller.com