Better days ahead for Virgin Atlantic passengers

BETTER days are ahead for air travellers particularly the Virgin Atlantic customers in Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world as the British flag carrier has ordered a total of 12 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft worth $4.4 billion.

In view of the importance the airline placed on the Nigerian route, it’s Nigerian passengers are amongst those to experience the state of the art aircraft as one of the aeroplanes will subsequently be deployed on the Lagos/London route once the airline takes delivery of the full order.

Unveiling the details of the long-awaited Airbus A350-1000 aircraft to the world in Virgin Atlantic base in Crawley, London on April 9th, 2019, what makes the latest aircraft type unique lies in the jaw-dropping facilities installed on it for more comfort and convenience of the passengers.

Such features passengers that are meant for the seamless comfort of passengers across the cabin class includes an entirely new Upper-Class cabin, featuring a brand new suite and social space also known as The Loft. The introduction of the social space which is the largest social space in the airline’s fleet, it’s designed for customers to gather, chat, enjoy a drink or dine with friends.

Business class or Upper Class of the A350 will have a lie-flat bed facing towards the window in a 1-2-1 configuration. The seats will be 20 inches wide and stretch to a length of 82″. In front of the passenger will be an 18.5″ touchscreen tv providing the inflight entertainment (IFE) which can be controlled via Bluetooth on a phone.

As the first airline to introduce an onboard bar, Virgin Atlantic has taken its customer proposition to the next level, as customers can now enjoy a social space known as The Loft. As the largest social space in the airline’s fleet, it’s designed for customers to gather, chat, enjoy a drink or dine with friends.

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Speaking at the unveiling which had in attendance, huge representatives of the Virgin Atlantic Airways’ workers, global media representatives and key players in airline and aviation industry, Mark Anderson, Executive Vice President Customer, at Virgin Atlantic declared: “The introduction of our A350 represents a true evolution of our customer experience. We believe flying should be exciting, whether it’s your first or 100th flight with us and that’s why we’ve elevated our offering to provide our customers with something totally unique. The A350 forms a significant part of our fleet transformation strategy and by 2022, we’ll have our youngest, cleanest, greenest fleet in the sky as the aircraft transforms our customer experience, reduces our environmental impact and improves our route economics.”

According to Anderson, the first A350 which will take to the skies in August this year will commence operations from London Heathrow to New York JFK to be followed by other services to JFK later in the year while the remaining eleven A350-1000 are scheduled to join the fleet by 2021.

The A350 will also be the first aircraft in Virgin Atlantic’s fleet to feature its new Flying Icons, which are set to replace the airline’s famous Flying Ladies. The high flyers are a diverse range of men and women representing modern Britain, rolled out on the four A350-1000 aircraft this year, followed by a further eight by 2021.

Other features installed in the aircraft for the enjoyment of passengers can be found in “The Loft which extends the airline’s world-renowned Clubhouse experience to the skies, offering a wide range of cocktails, and the option for customers to dine together and enjoy Mile High afternoon tea by Eric Lanlard and a selection of delicious new dishes by Donal Skehan. As well as enjoying luxe comfort and high-end finishes, customers can settle in with Bluetooth headphones and connect to the 32” screen – catch a show, or watch the live trail cam. The Loft is not the only innovation to the Upper-Class cabin, as customers can also experience an entirely new suite, which has been designed in collaboration with a number of Virgin Atlantic’s most frequent flyers;

For customers travelling in Virgin Atlantic’s award-winning Premium cabin and its much-loved Economy cabin, they will also be able to enjoy the increased levels of luxury and comfort the A350 has to offer with both having the largest entertainment screens ever offered; 13.3” in Premium and 11.6” in Economy.

According to Anderson, just as the premium customers will also enjoy a generous 7” recline, increased space for storage, a four-way adjustable headrest and a luxurious leather seat customers know and love, economy seats have been upgraded to new luxurious fabrics offering adjustable headrests. Economy Light and Classic will offer a 31” seat pitch whilst Economy Delight offers 34”. The entire aircraft will also have access to high-speed wifi as well as the unique and personalized service of Virgin Atlantic’s world-famous Cabin Crew.