- From Spring 2018, customers will be able to choose to fly ‘economy delight, ‘economy classic’ or ‘economy light’
- Economy delight will offer the UK’s leading economy product – featuring a 34 inch legroom seat, free advanced seat assignment, and priority boarding/check in
- Part of a wider investment to deliver innovations on the ground and in the air
Virgin Atlantic has today (8th March 2018) announced the launch of three new ways to fly economy as part of a multi-million pound investment in the cabin for the 21st century traveller.
Recognising that one size doesn’t fit all, from spring 2018 Virgin Atlantic will introduce ‘economy delight, ‘economy classic’ and ‘economy light’ tickets. The three new ways to fly will allow customers to choose the product that suits their budget and travel style – but never compromise on inclusive food and drink, unrivalled service, and inflight entertainment.
economy delight will offer the leading economy product of any UK airline – customers will enjoy a seat with 34 inch legroom, priority check in and boarding as well as advanced seat assignment. economy classic will now offer free seat assignment – providing extra reassurance for families and groups that they can sit together. The new economy light ticket will always offer Virgin Atlantic’s lowest fare – making long haul travel affordable and accessible for millennials, and customers jetting off on city breaks.
What the new fares offer:
| economy delight | economy classic | economy light | |
| Seat pitch | 34” | 31” | 31” |
| Free seat selection at any time | ✔ | ✔ | Assigned at check in |
| Meals and drinks | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Inflight entertainment | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Checked luggage | 1 x 23kg | 1 x 23kg | X |
| Hand luggage | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Priority check in/ boarding | Via Premium | X | X |
| Blanket, pillow and headphones | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| USB charger in seat | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Craig Kreeger, Chief Executive of Virgin Atlantic, said: “We’re unveiling the biggest change to our economy cabin in over a decade – launching three new ways to fly, and a host of innovations on the ground and in the air as part of a wider £300 million investment in our customers. We know that one size doesn’t fit all, and from spring our customers can afford to be choosy and still travel in the UK’s leading economy cabin.
“We always want flying with Virgin Atlantic to be more special than other airlines, and we’ll never compromise on excellent service, industry leading food and drink and cutting edge inflight entertainment – regardless of which economy ticket our customers are travelling on, they’ll be able to enjoy all this onboard.”
Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Atlantic, said: “When I started Virgin Atlantic I wanted to challenge the status quo and make flying amazing – regardless of which cabin you’re in – and that’s still true today. We’re unveiling a multimillion pound investment to make Virgin Atlantic’s economy cabin the best of any UK airline and setting the bar for others to follow.”
The three new ways to travel are part of a wider investment in Virgin Atlantic’s economy cabin – delivering innovations on the ground, and in the air:
- Investing in additional economy delight seats: At a time when most airlines are packing seats onto planes, Virgin Atlantic is investing in extra leg room. The airline is retrofitting its fleet to provide up to 36 economy delight seats on every flight – offering customers an even comfier journey with spacious 34 inch legroom.
- Serving up the best economy meals in the sky: All customers travelling in economy will continue to enjoy a three course meal plus complimentary drinks and snacks –with a focus on supporting independent suppliers such as UK based Fairfield Farm Crisps, and the Grown Up Chocolate Company.
- More personalised service at the airport: For the first time Virgin Atlantic is introducing automated bag drop at London airports, freeing up employees to provide a more personalised service where customers need it most. Four kiosks will open at London Gatwick this summer, followed by a further 18 kiosks at London Heathrow from winter 2018.
- Keeping our customers connected: Every single seat in economy now offers a personal USB charging point, and every route offers access to high speed Wi-Fi to help customers work and play on the go.
- New aircraft: 12 new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft will join the fleet from spring 2019 – offering unrivalled levels of comfort and reliability for customers, and a brand new economy cabin designed with Virgin Atlantic’s customers in mind.
- Virgin scent: Virgin Atlantic has partnered with leading British candle maker Rachel Vosper to create a new scent called “Air.” Designed to evoke wellbeing and inspire future travel it will be available across check in, the gate and upon boarding the aircraft.
Virgin Atlantic and Delta offer the leading transatlantic partnership, and the new economy products will offer a seamless experience for customers travelling with the airlines. economy delight, economy classic and economy light will complement Delta’s Comfort +, Main Cabin and Basic Economy products – always offering a three course meal, Wi-Fi, hundreds of hours of inflight entertainment and excellent service regardless of the ticket type.
About Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson 33 years ago with innovation and customer service at its core. Today Virgin Atlantic carries 5.5 million customers annually, and was recently named the UK’s favourite long haul carrier by Skytrax, Best Transatlantic Airline at the British Travel Awards 2017 and one of the Top 5 Airlines in the World by Airline Ratings.
Headquartered in London, Virgin Atlantic employs over 9000 people worldwide and operates a fleet of 39 aircraft serving 26 destinations across four continents. Alongside joint venture partner Delta Air Lines they operate the leading transatlantic network – offering up to 39 flights per day between the UK and US with onward connections to over 200 US and international cities.
This year Virgin Atlantic became the first airline in Europe to be fully Wi-Fi connected, and in 2019 will take delivery of their first Airbus A350-1000 aircraft – helping to transform the fleet into one of the quietest and most fuel efficient in the sky.
For more information visit: www.virginatlantic.com