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Virgin Atlantic is the same family as Virgin Blue, but
budget carrier this is not.
Now operating between Sydney and London via Hong Kong,
pitched at around the same price as Business Class on BA or
Qantas, Virgin’s Upper Class is all about the journey being as
important as the destination – manna for the incentive travel
planner with a good budget. The configuration of the business
cabin in the sleek wide bodied A340-600 is completely new. Every
seat is set at an angle on the aisle and there’s comfortable
ottoman as a footrest which also stores shoes and doubles as a
seat for guests.
There are no overhead bins down the centre of the Upper Class
cabin, giving a light, airy feel to the room. The seating is
cunningly arranged in a herringbone effect which means you can
be quite private if you choose, barely catching a glimpse of
fellow passengers – one of mine being a member of the Osborne
clan en route downunder for a music awards night.
Business class amenity bags which 15 years ago were packed
with lotions and potions, dental and shaving kits but have
become progressively leaner are a return to the good old days on
Virgin Atlantic. It’s a multi-pouch unisex affair and actually
worth something. One minor stroke of genius is to provide proper
socks in the kit emblazoned with the Virgin “red”.
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They’re good enough to wear
after the flight and the red flash is a constant re-branding of
the Virgin Atlantic experience.
There are other touches in the product offer that simply
amaze. For instance the seatbelt is padded to make it just that
bit more comfortable on a long flight. The ottoman is equipped
with a seat belt so couples can dine together as if they were in
a plush restaurant. A spacious tray table floats out of the wall
of the suite. It has to be said that the electronic controls for
the seat and the entertainment system do take a little while to
master, but the flight attendants are proactive and happy to
show how things are done. The entertainment system is
outstanding. It starts with video on demand throughout the
aircraft. So often flight crews start the entertainment system
and fail to announce it, meaning you plug into the movie 15
minutes late. Here you can stop, start and fast forward as much
as you like. Virgin Atlantic’s V:Port system has 300 hours of
video on demand, 15 computer games, Kid’s Zone programming and
flight information. As can be expected from Virgin, the music
selection is extensive and first class and the headphones are of
the noise canceling variety – most useful on those long flight
sectors to Europe. The entertainment on my flight included an
entire series of Friends as well as Father Ted, that anarchic
Irish series about Catholic priests which ran on the ABC some
years ago. |
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Ted, that anarchic Irish series about Catholic priests which ran
on the ABC some years ago. You can also send email and text
messages from your seat and make phone calls. Before take-off
a beauty therapist offers a complimentary choice of massage
during the flight. This takes place in a cubicle to the front of
the Upper Class Cabin. To the rear is a small cocktail bar which
is well stocked with snacks, confectionary and magazines.
You are asked if you’d like to be wakened for a massage and
those passengers the therapist is unable to get to on a flight
receive a card giving them priority service on their next flight
with Virgin Atlantic, which in most cases is their return flight.
The menu arrives before take-off and there’s a “Snack and
Snooze” option if you want to sleep. On my flight it included
cream of chicken soup and a bacon roll, but I wasn’t going to
miss the main menu – for research purposes! There’s no set
meal service, with passengers free to order whenever they’re
ready, though in reality most choose to dine fairly soon after
take-off. Sydney superchef Luke Mangan’s signature dish,
Duck Confit, is on the menu, as is his cured salmon with leek
and ice cream plum pudding. There’s also a warm wattle seed
and white chocolate baked-cheesecake. The menu contained a
highly Australian cheese selection – King Island Red Leicester, Tasmanian Heritage Camembert, and King Island Blue. I enjoyed
my bacon roll sitting at the cocktail bar, which has space for
about six passengers. The bar is well stocked with drinks,
but also fruit and snacks for the munchies which happen
mid-flight. Other dishes on the snack menu were stir fried
pork with Chinese egg noodles and marinated artichoke in an
olive pesto panini.
With dinner over, it’s time to navigate the “seat into bed’ situation.
It’s best to let the flight attendants do it the first time and rather
head off to get changed into your stylish black pyjamas. When
you return, your seat is now a bed and is completely flat and
covered with a thin mattress, substantial doona and really soft,
comfortable pillows. If you can’t fall asleep in such splendour,
you can work your way through all the movies and games on the
entertainment centre. You take the pyjamas home. Perhaps the
only slight disappointment on my flight back to Sydney was the
breakfast which hadn’t been properly heated through. I’m sure
it would have been seen to had I complained, but I was more
than prepared to let it go as the coffee was hot and strong. To
top of your journey Virgin Atlantic Upper Class passengers get
a limo transfer to within a 60km radius of the airport. visit: www. virginatlantic.com.au |
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