Born to be different
Since 1984, Virgin Atlantic has evolved from a challenger to a leading premium long-haul airline. The company continues to enhance its personalised guest experience across travel, hospitality, and entertainment, driven by its standout crews, as it aims to be the most loved travel company.
Travel
Following the completion of its $17 billion fleet transformation, by 2028, Virgin Atlantic will operate a mixed fleet of 45 100% next-generation fuel-efficient aircraft, including 19 A330-900s, 12 A350-1000s, and 14 787-9s, with an average age of just under seven years. Due to high demand for premium cabins, the premium seat count will be increased in its fleet.
- Reimagined 787-9 Fleet: The airline’s Boeing 787-9s will boast a full cabin re-design, introducing new seating in all three cabins. The cabins will be inspired by the award-winning A330neo design, taking guest experience to the next level. Both the Upper Class and Premium cabins will increase in size, offering 44 Upper Class seats and 56 Premium seats (up from 31 and 35, respectively). For the first time, the Retreat Suite will be introduced to the 787-9, with eight seats available in every Upper Class cabin. The Economy cabin will reduce from 192 to 127 seats featuring existing Economy Delight, Classic and Light products. Rolling out from 2028 and completed by 2030.
- More Premium Seats on A330neo: From Q3 2026, ten A330neo will be delivered configured with increased premium cabins, boasting 48 Upper Class, 56 Premium and 128 Economy (vs 32, 46 and 184 respectively). Following its popular introduction in 2022, four more Retreat Suites will be added into the A330neo Upper Class cabin. With a total of six per aircraft, the Retreat Suite is the airline’s most spacious suite yet. Your private space, made for sharing; the Retreat suite comprises of a 6ft 7” direct seat to fully flat bed, a 27” touchscreen with Bluetooth connectivity, wireless charging and an ottoman that doubles up as an extra seat, allowing up to four people to comfortably dine, work or play.
- Fantastic Flying Club: Virgin Atlantic continues to reward loyalty, now introducing recognition for guests with multi-year loyalty who may not travel enough for tier status progression. This follows previous innovations like reward flights counting towards status, non-expiring points, and Unlimited Availability of reward seats in 2024. Details to follow.
Entertainment
- Free, streaming-quality Wi-Fi: Virgin Atlantic was the first airline to introduce fleet-wide Wi-Fi across the Atlantic in 2017 and now it will become the first UK airline to announce a partnership with Starlink, the world’s fastest and most reliable connectivity, transforming how guests connect, engage and entertain at 38,000ft. Free, streaming-quality Wi-Fi will be available across its fleet, with unlimited usage for every guest that signs up to Flying Club. The new service aims to create a ‘home away from home’ Wi-Fi experience, allowing customers to connect seamlessly from the moment they board the aircraft, enjoying the same quality in the air as they do on the ground. The installation across the airline’s entire fleet of Airbus A330neos, A350s and Boeing 787s will begin in Q3 2026 and be completed by the end of 2027.
- The World of Virgin Atlantic in your Pocket: Available from December 2025, the new mobile app is designed to put the world of Virgin Atlantic in the pocket of every guest, making their experience faster, simpler and smarter. Seamlessly integrating both airline and holiday journeys into one intuitive platform, the app is designed to be a personal travel companion from booking to boarding and beyond. Built for Flying Club members but accessible to all, it brings inclusivity and accessibility to every interaction. Guests will be able to search and book Flights and Holidays directly through the app, be guided seamlessly through their journeys with a rich new suite of notifications, taking advantage of native iOS and Android features that put relevant and time-sensitive journey information at their fingertips.
- Your Virgin Atlantic Concierge: Virgin Atlantic, in partnership with OpenAI and Tomoro.ai, is the first European airline to integrate advanced voice mode through the Realtime API. Accessible through the Virgin Atlantic app, the concierge provides personalised, hands-free assistance when needed, anytime, anywhere and in any language. Whether you prefer to tap, scan or speak, it helps guests with travel ideas, airport navigation, and more, offering quick support on the go.
- Exclusive partnership with Joby: In March, Virgin Atlantic announced an exclusive UK partnership with Joby, the global electric air taxi service leaders. The partnership will bring fast, short-haul emissions free travel, seamlessly connecting airport hubs and cities across the UK, combining Joby’s expertise in design, engineering and technology with the power of Virgin Atlantic’s brand and award-winning customer experience. Launch of this exciting service is expected before the end of the decade once all regulatory and safety approvals have been obtained.
Hospitality
- Investing in iconic Clubhouses: Clubhouses are a hallmark of Virgin Atlantic, offering guests elevated comfort and style before they fly.Following the successful opening of the Los Angeles Clubhouse in March, a multi-million-pound investment will focus on the refurbishment of both the London Heathrow and New York JFK Clubhouses, updating the look and feel of both flagship spaces to provide an even greater sense of comfort.
- The Signature Ten: The airline has recently launched ten signature food and beverage creations, each unmistakably Virgin Atlantic, including The Clubhouse Burger, The Red Head cocktail, Mile High Tea, plus recently launched Virgin Atlantic Bloody Mary and Cherry Pie in the Sky Ice-cream.
- Luxury has landed: In a new partnership, Votary will provide luxurious new skincare. Thoughtfully crafted to be kind to the skin and to the planet, guests will enjoy indulgent wellness from the moment they step onboard. The first stage of the partnership will see Votary products such as face creams and mists, multi balms and hand creams as part of the Upper Class amenity kit, due to be on board from the beginning of next year.
Shai Weiss, CEO, Virgin Atlantic, commented;
“In the last four decades, we’ve evolved from a challenger to a leader and a premium, long-haul flag carrier. We exist to make our customers smile, it’s that simple – obsessing over finding new ways to delight our guests, delivered by our amazing people, on our journey to become the most loved travel company. We are investing billions to fly the youngest fleet across the Atlantic; the first UK airline to have free, streaming quality, fleet-wide Wi-Fi; more premium cabins and a full retrofit of the 787 fleet; alongside a new app featuring the world of Virgin Atlantic in your pocket, all delivered by our amazing teams. The best is yet to come.”
Siobhan Fitzpatrick, CXO, Virgin Atlantic, commented;
“Our announcements today provide a snapshot into the future of how we care, serve, and delight every single one of our guests. Every new product, partnership and platform unveiled has been shaped by guest insight and fuelled by our people’s ingenuity. We understand who our guests are and everything we do begins with them, as we use our insights to create thoughtful experiences that feel brilliantly different at every opportunity.”
