Your best upperclass experiences?

Ok, so i’m ready to use my hard earned miles on two upper class redemptions next November.
I have only flown in PE with virgin before and that was on an A340.
But before I book, one if the things i’m wanting to consider is what type of aircraft to try and get on. So to help me decide, could you let me know your thoughts on the best upperclass cabins and why.
TYIA

For me the biggest factor on enjoying the journey is the crew, and sadly you have no input in choosing that.
As for planes, my favourite is the 747 on the Gatwick configuration with 14 seats in the cabin and Me and Mrs D siting in 6A & 6K up the front. That is not everyone's choice and some will say it is cramped when I say cosy because there is no traffic coming past you.
Because the cabin is so small reward seats are hard to come by so you need to get in early.
Best of luck on your quest.
Dick D

I would agree with Dicky, the best experiences largely come from having a friendly and engaging crew. My best experience was coming back from Dubai a few months ago. It just so happened to be on an A330, and I wouldn't say the cabin layout had much of an influence on my experience.

The A333s and B789s have a near identical layout. The A340s are a little long in the tooth these days but I like the bar layout, and if you have good service it can more than make up for the older cabin. The B747s as Dicky says is a very unique experience though, sitting in the nose of a 747 is quite a novelty but with such a small cabin (14 seats), finding two reward seats in Upper will require some perseverance and date flexibility, but it is doable especially in low season. The A332s are undergoing a new cabin refurb and the new VS layout has not done a commercial flight yet so nobody can say.

My honest opinion though is that if Upper flights are going to be a rare thing for you I would not book a flight based on aircraft type. It is always subject to change, particularly on routes like NYC where there is a myriad of different aircraft types in use. If you want to minimise the risk you can pick something like LGW-MCO which is traditionally a 747, or LHR-LAX/PVG/HKG/DEL/JNB which is traditionally a 789 these days. But again there is never a guarantee that you will fly a certain type.

My advise would be to choose where to go based on well, the destination!

I love the queen so I'd still say 744.... it's just a bit more of a weird experience.

I'd personally rank my preference of UC cabins as follows -

789, 333, 744, 346.

Which is basically, new to old.

In terms of the overall experience, it is always crew specific really. I have had some amazing flights in PE thanks to the crew. And likewise had bad ones in UC due to the crew.

You can get a feel from the FSM, if they are on it from the moment you get onboard, it will be good.

Like others have already said, forget the aircraft type, choose your destination 1st. There is no way any aircraft type would persuade me to go to any destination just so I could fly on it.

The 1 caveat is that I would avoid the 332's until they've all been refitted and I've seen a review with some decent pictures.

For me, I travel in UC (when possible) for a few simple reasons: A bigger and comfier seat, more personal space that cannot be take away by someone reclining in my face, a bed and better food. I also like the bar area for a change of scenery sometimes. Virgin are very good in UC for all those things in my opinion. The rest is rather immaterial to me. There's nothing the crew could do if I wasn't happy with those aspects of the flight if I'd paid what it takes for UC. Apart from the 332's, all the aircraft offer basically the same thing for what is important to me. The only exception (as already mentioned) being the 747. Most frequent flyers (me included) like it. Others (my wife) find it too small and lacking in privacy.

Thanks for all your comments. There are plenty of destinations we want to go to and i would never plan a trip soley based on an aircraft, it was just one of my considerations. The time of year is the main consideration, that being November next year. That coupled with your comments has reassured me a little. I have been looking at LGW-MBJ which is a 747 route with plenty of reward availability at the moment. I was a little concerned that these aircraft are fairly old now and being phased out so didn’t want to end up with tatty/outdated hardware etc. I think its the relatively small cabin that appeals.

My best Upper class experience has always been the service and food, Every time the crew has been exceptional although we find them great in any cabin. The seat on the other hand is good in the seat config but for me (and I will probably be flayed alive for this) in the bed config it is really uncomfortable. Padding is thin and a narrow curved design makes me feel like a sardine although slightly better on the 747. I definitely wouldn't choose Upper for sleep quality but for service no question.

For me the biggest factor on enjoying the journey is the crew, and sadly you have no input in choosing that.
As for planes, my favourite is the 747 on the Gatwick configuration with 14 seats in the cabin and Me and Mrs D siting in 6A & 6K up the front. That is not everyone's choice and some will say it is cramped when I say cosy because there is no traffic coming past you.
Because the cabin is so small reward seats are hard to come by so you need to get in early.
Best of luck on your quest.
Dick D

Totally agree. Best seats ever 6A and 6K. like having your own aircraft if you don't look behind you. So quiet and as 'dickydotcom' says " cosy " loved it. We still talk about it now as our best flight ever.

Hi.

I don't know if you have ever used any of the clubhouses before, but that is an essential part of the UC experience. I haven't been to the LGW CH in a while, but while it's great, it doesn't (imo) with the LHR CH

For me my best UC experience was a
flight to Boston about two years ago. I was taking my best friend for his 30th birthday, and we had one of the best times I have ever had. The Clubhouse was fantastic, we were looked after so well, the crew were amazing and we ended up doing cocktail making at the bar with other pax! Hands down the best expeirence I’ve had!

Hi.

I don't know if you have ever used any of the clubhouses before, but that is an essential part of the UC experience. I haven't been to the LGW CH in a while, but while it's great, it doesn't (imo) with the LHR CH

I haven’t been in a clubhouse before. I really wanted to do a LHR route for this exact reason. However, due to various circumstances we find ourselves having to go away in November and we really want a bit of sun and a decent beach so that kind of forces us over to the Gatwick side anyway. We did NYC a couple of years ago and felt like we needed another holiday once we got back.
We live in Manchester so will have a bit of a drive down, but i feel it will be worth it all just for the experience. I did consider doing BGI from MAN UC, but to miss out on a clubhouse would be such a shame.

Hi Shifty

Unlike many of the of the good folk here who are seasoned and regular travellers with VS, my missus and I have only flown 18 times with them since retirement in 2006. ( Just got the calendar and calculator out to check ! ) The first 6 flights were in PE and since 2008 they have all been in U.C. and all were either to Boston or Washington DC departing Heathrow. As many folk state here, once you go UC you can never return to the rear of the aircraft again !

I agree with all the advice you have received here. We have never ever been anything other than truly impressed by the service we have had flying UC. In our opinion type of plane isn't a factor. We have flown 747, 2 types of Airbus and new Boeing 787 in 2017. ( The 747 was a last minute replacement to DC one February ) We also agree that the cabin crew and FSM are important. Once again we have never experienced a bad crew but have been looked after by some crews who have been truly exceptional.

However, for the two of us, the start of the experience flying VS Upper class is the joy and pleasure in being guests in the Clubhouse at Heathrow. Everything there is truly fantastic.....staff, ambience, food and booze. And if you can start your flight by using the Upper Class drive through then so much the better.

To experience the the thrill of taking that private left turn lane in your chauffered car before you get to Terminal 3 and be met at the door by VS staff, tickets checked, bags labelled and whisked away and then a quick stroll though the private security channel and then a short walk up to the Clubhouse is something we will never tire of.

I stand to be corrected here by much more frequent UC passenger than me but I am pretty sure that the Drive Though procedure was, just a few years ago ,limited to folk who had paid full price for their ticket ( Being retired Oldies ,we can only fly on a Sale UC ticket ) So, up until 2008/ 9 ( I think ) we were never offered this on our sale tickets. And then in 2009 I think, we were contacted by phone by VS a few weeks before our departure and asked if we would like to use the Drive through. We of course said yes please and it' always been offered since.

So my advice is to pick a destination, don't be too concerned on type of plane.....and just make sure you have a reasonable amount of time spent in the Clubhouse and enjoy the whole thing.

Just to end.....we have enjoyed the Clubhouses in Boston and Washington on our return flights. They are both lovely as I think most of the Clubhouses are. However the Heathrow Clubhouse is the flagship and you must experience that to start your journey.

All in my humble opinion of course.

I actually the workhorses that are A340s. Something very comfortable about them. Have yet to try UC on a 747.

+1 for the 346! I love them! They look amazing from the outside, and I think they have the most spacious and comfy bar area!

My best upper class experience was my first one as it was a free upgrade. I checked in really early at Heathrow for a day flight to JFK pre-Christmas, and there was hardly anyone around so the woman on check in and I had a bit of a chat, which went on for about 10 minutes. I can't even remember what we talked about except she was giving me tips for my first visit to New York. I was in economy class and when I got to the boarding gate the woman scanned my boarding card, looked me up and down a bit surprised and scanned it again. Then told me to turn left

I was recovering from a rotten cold so having the luxury of a comfortable seat, nice food and free booze all the way to JFK was very special. I have no idea why I was upgraded from economy - I have read that solo travellers are more likely to be bumped but I don't think the plane was especially full. I think it may have been the woman on the check in desk feeling benevolent!

I've flown UC a few times since then mostly on the Vegas route, and agree with the comments about the seat configuration - 6A or 6K on the flight back is a wonderful option, so quiet and easy to sleep. But I tend to choose 8 or 9 on the way out. The crew do make all the difference to the experience, I especially like the friendly ones who keep my tea mug topped up all the way over!

B787 every day. The air quality is significantly better. When they arrive the A350 is very good too, and quieter than a B787.

[honey lamb]

Here's my tuppence worth! And it's a long post so forgive me.

I've flown with Virgin to many of their destinations both east and west with the exception of the Caribbean and India. Some of the routes I have flown no longer exist or are about to be pulled (Dubai). I started in (I think) 1998/1999. I can't remember which other than that it was 6 months after the JNB route opened - it may have been a year or two earlier/later and I stand to be corrected. I flew in Economy with my young son and my sister and it was one of those flights where if anything could go wrong, it did to the extent that at one stage it was necessary for them to take our tickets because of a problem with baggage (I and my son had had two connecting flights and my sister one but there was a discrepancy in the number of bags we had checked in). The plane took off and when I asked for my tickets (it was the era of paper tickets) ours were still in LHR. There was a further difficulty in retrieving our tickets which had been sent on the following days flight which was eventually resolved at the airport. However the check-in lady at JNB, when checking in my sister, my son and myself to DUB and my son and I with further flights to Cork, assigned us all seats on different rows. It all got sorted at LHR. I wrote to VS explaining what had happened, giving praise where it was due and suggesting extra training re the JNB check-in experience. We were newbies with no status but three weeks later at work I received a call. They had obviously got the number from the TA who booked the flights (no GDPR there then) and wanted to talk me through my letter. Three weeks later a package arrived with a bag of goodies including a watch for my son (showing passengers boarding a VS plane) vouchers, stickers and I can't remember what else. My son was about 10 and he's 30 on Sunday! Virgin handled it magnificently and we were wedded to them from that moment.

Fast forward! After that we tried PE and loved it but on our first trip to the US in a 747 we were assigned a faulty seat and were upgraded to UC, albeit in the B zone of a 747 which only long-term members of VS will remember. We loved it although my then 12 year old decided only he should have been upgraded as his was the faulty seat! We had a few more trips in PE but the urge to turn left was pulling at us and eventually we started and continued to fly UC ever since. Both as mother and son and as an individual we have enjoyed the good, the bad and the ugly! We both attained gold by some quirk of fate and a VS promotion and after that we found that it was the crew that made the difference. Sometimes we were recognised, other times not. There was a famous incident when the cabin crew ignored my son each time she was asking about drinks, meals, you name it. He was upset and was gold at that stage but even if he hadn't been, he didn't deserve to be ignored. When I said it to the crew, she replied that he was only a child, I pointed out he was a full fare paying passenger like any other adult in the cabin and what was more, he was a gold member and her response was "He's a kid, do you think I care!" Bad mistake!!! And the worst ever experience especially as the moment he stepped on a plane he was a model of good behaviour. Throughout his teenage years, I wish we lived on a plane.

Over the last twenty-odd years, I experienced a myriad of experiences. In the Clubhouses operated by Virgin around the world they have been superlative. OK, LHR is supposed to be the Jewel in the Crown but I know that many V-Flyers rate the LGW experience more because of the personalised service.and SFO and LAX received awards.. I accept that but when I recently presented at the LHR Clubhouse after a hiatus of a year or two more when my status had dropped from Gold to lowly Red, I was greeted by "Ah, Mrs honey lamb, you've been here before. Welcome back" You can't beat that.

With regard to the aircraft - never judge a book by its cover. My experiences have been on a range of aircraft from the 747 with both LHR and LGW configuration, the A346, the 343 (a smaller version of the 346) and the 787. I loved the 747 (what's not to love about the Queen of the Skies), the 787 and strangely the 343 ( there was something cosy about it) I never liked the 346 because of the dormitory feel of the cabin. I haven't flown the VS A330s

Having said all that , I wouldn't base my judgement on an aircraft but on the potential experience (and obviously your destination) I've flown on various airlines where VS has a codeshare such as Singapore or where the route has been discontinued such as Sydney, Japan and the US. Some have been good , others excellent but it hasn't been the mind blowing experience that we might have expected. Once I lost my Gold Status I was able to experience other airlines in different classes including Singapore in business, BA in both F and J, Garuda Airlines in J over four legs and Emirates in business especially when they re-routed me to Cork via LHR with a routing of DXB-LHR-ORK.

In my mind there is nothing to beat VS especially when the price is right and I'm willing to pay that little bit extra for the experience but I really have to hand my hat to Emirates the time I flew at exceedingly close notice with my niece on in DUB-DXB-DUR in Economy when her Mum died unexpectedly some 10 days after she had visited her. I'm sure other airlines would have risen to the occasion but it's good to know compassion is out there.

i would generally agree with the consensus on this one, a good and happy c/c is a great place to start for an enjoyable flight, something which in my opinion virgin do very well indeed !
as for the aircraft, my least fave in upper would be the 340-600 (and i'm not sure why) but by a country mile my outright favourite is the lgw-mco 744 , was never a great fan of row 6 in upper, just a little too close for my liking, but put me in 8A or 8K and i am elated !
for me the entire upper experience is greatly complimented by the ambience of the 14 suite layout that only the lgw 744's provide, a few years ago i flew the same route with BA (business) on a 777 i think it was, due to being unable to get upper with virgin on the dates i needed, sad to say the BA product was not nearly as enjoyable for me....

but on a happier note to end, my next lgw-mco upper experience is just over a week away, happy days !!