New Premium Economy/Economy Layout

[Neil]

Does this mean then if you are a y passenger in the bubble of the new config you will get off earlier than the rest of the Y passengers ? And will these Y seats in the bubble have a premium attached to them to sit in the bubble

Any Y pax in the bubble will get off earlier than the main Y cabin downstairs, which is held back until all the front two cabins (PE&UC) and the upper deck disembark first.

There is no premium in terms of cost for sitting in the bubble, but certainly some reports from the LHR fleet suggest it feels very cramped and narrow in those seats, so whether they are the best option who knows.

There is no premium in terms of cost for sitting in the bubble, but certainly some reports from the LHR fleet suggest it feels very cramped and narrow in those seats, so whether they are the best option who knows.

I know there are more seats across in Y in the new LGW 747 bubble format, but unless I am looking at the wrong seating plan there appears to be the same number of rows of seats as before in the rear of the cabin, so surely the legroom will be the same as it was when the bubble was all PE. This makes me wonder if an extra charge will be levied for these seats once all the LGW 747s have been refitted.

[Neil]

There is no premium in terms of cost for sitting in the bubble, but certainly some reports from the LHR fleet suggest it feels very cramped and narrow in those seats, so whether they are the best option who knows.

I know there are more seats across in Y in the new LGW 747 bubble format, but unless I am looking at the wrong seating plan there appears to be the same number of rows of seats as before in the rear of the cabin, so surely the legroom will be the same as it was when the bubble was all PE. This makes me wonder if an extra charge will be levied for these seats once all the LGW 747s have been refitted.

They haven't done it on G-VROM and the seats are not the same colour as the extra legroom seats downstairs. They don't do it on on the LHR fleet, so I see no reason or evidence to suggest this is what they are planning.

So some of the seats downstairs on the new PE config don’t have as much leg room as the ones upstairs? But the downstairs section has dedicated cabin crew and is a cabin on its own?

The way I’m feeling at the moment I really don’t mind if we are in the bubble or downstairs. If we are on one of the newly refurbished planes of course. As long as we are not seated in one of the middle rows with 4 seats as there are only two of us. It seems to me like there are pros and cons to both cabins.

From what I’ve been reading on here though is appears that PE pax are unable to change their allocated seats when OLCI opens. So if you want to check in you will have to accept the seats it gives you or wait until you get to the airport check in.

At the end of the day PE has more leg room and bigger seats so with me being 6ft4 this is obviously welcome. Add on the perks as well and it’s a lot better than economy. Plus my partner has never been with Virgin before or travelled as far as Barbados so it will be an experience for her.

Two seats together by a window will do me fine. Anyone have recommendations on which seats to try and select in case I can change them at OLCI? On the old or new layout!

[Neil]

Two seats together by a window will do me fine. Anyone have recommendations on which seats to try and select in case I can change them at OLCI? On the old or new layout!

To be honest on the old config, any of the seats in the bubble are good, my preference is 79A/C and on the new config again, I would probably choose a pair towards the back on the A side, as it will be quicker for getting off and to the immigration queues. I can't see that any one pair of seats offers anything better than the others, one thing to consider is that they do food service front to back and sometimes the most popular choice might have ran out by the time it gets to the back.

Thanks for all the replies Neil

I guess it doesn't matter what seat we're in if we end up travelling on an old config as long as we're in the bubble. I've booked with Virgin Holidays and requested this. I'm led to believe that while they can't guarantee it, they do give preference to people who have booked with them although I could be wrong?

If we get one of the new planes then I guess I'll just wait and see what seats we have been allocated. The new purple seats look better.

Do the food choices run out in PE?

[mitchja]

Do the food choices run out in PE?

Yes and quite often in my experience as well (certainly on Airbus A/C). On one ex-LHR PE flight last year, I saw the veggie option (usually pasta) run out after just serving the 2nd row as the other choices where poor.

No idea if this has improved with the PE menu re-launch or is any better on the larger PE cabins of the 744's though?

[Neil]

A couple of years back it used to happen on almost every flight, although all of my flights last year and my two flights this year it hasn't happened.

Whether I have just been lucky or they have sorted the issue out I don't know, but it is something to bear in mind.

Do the food choices run out in PE?

Yeap quite often in my experiences over the years.

Happened to us on route to MCO in April 11. Six of us sitting in rows 78 & 79 and looking forward to the curry. All gone by the time they got to us.

Then this year again from MCO heard the folk behind getting "all gone" comment. Luckily we'd eaten at the Outback restaurant before boarding

All these comments so far are giving me an uneasy feeling about flying on Virgin and in PE for the first time.

I do however have one question? I thought that with the new LHR configuration 4 PE there was no PE seats in the bubble that is what it says on the map. I know this thread is about the new LGW configuration but some people seem to say that LHR configuration does but I don't think they do. I will be flying on the LHR configuration 4 so I am hoping my knees don't get chopped off as I am in the middle row of four with my partner or that the food doesn't run out as I am in row 32and then 36 on the way back. No one is giving me the confidence that this might be a nice experience at all.

:0

[Neil]

You are correct, the LHR fleet does not have any PE seats in the bubble, it is a mix of UC and economy now.

I know you might find a few negative things said, but honestly you really shouldn't worry about them. I have taken many VS PE flights over the years as have family and friends and even with the odd issue like not getting my first meal choice, they have all been really good and many excellent. I am sure there you will have a great flight.

Thanks Neil. That's reassuring

rdbcay I really wouldn't worry to much about your flight with Virgin and things like meal choices. I was just surprised to hear that they could run out of choice in PE. I’ve only flown with Virgin a few of times and been in PE once. They have been great each time. Especially PE! I am only trying to find out more info on the new layouts and seats because I want this trip to be as special as possible for my partner.

I have been reading a lot of mixed things about Virgin lately but I’m not too worried. I like the way they do things and booking with them again this time has been very easy and they have been very helpful. There are always exceptions though! Things like grumpy staff, delays, mix ups, meal choices, drinks etc but that’s life. At the end of the day it’s a small part of your holiday.

Besides plane food is never anything to write home about anyway!

Relax and enjoy the PE experience!

Further to the comments regarding seat pitch versus leg room. I am 6'3", and my wife is 5'11 (hence why we have always gone PE or UC).

But the flight home MCO - GLA last year on the A330 was terrible - really bad. Food was awful (a common complaint for MCO loaded products), and the aforementioned seat pitch issue WAS a problem.

As I sit here now, the length from my knees to my backside is 23". There is no way on this earth that there is another 15" between where my knees are on the A330 PE seat, and where the person in front's backside is - no way. And unless I have made an error, THAT is seat pitch.

Preferred checkin is handy, yes, but I can live without it with OLCI & Downtown Check in at Orlando. Quick off the plane is good, yes, but an EC seat near the front would be just as quick.

Service - well unless it picks up dramatically this time, we'll sacrifice the convenience of a straight GLA-MCO-GLA service and go with BA out of LGW - it will be cheaper (even with 2 extra flights), and the food cannot be that bad.

Happened to us on route to MCO in April 11. Six of us sitting in rows 78 & 79 and looking forward to the curry. All gone by the time they got to us.

Maybe you should swap seats with the person who complained recently on FB that all that was left was curry !


First choice of meals can also run out in UC too (and happens on all airlines).

It must be incredibly difficult to try and anticipate how many beef, chicken and pasta to load on any particular flight and taking into account different passenger loads and routes.

All it takes is a family of vegetarians not booking a special meal and having the pasta to mess up all sorts of calculations and so dissapoint other pax.

How difficult would it be to offer the meal choice on line say 7 days before departure. Everyone gets thre choice, no wasteage lwer costs every ones happy

[Darren Wheeler]

A lot hard than we think I expect.

The supplier will then need to move the contract from a bulk supply to a bespoke supply which will put up costs and the passengers will pay for it. Last-minute bookings wouldn't be catered for yet will be paying even more for their ticket

SQ offer the 'book the cook' programme but only to their first and Business passengers.

How difficult would it be to offer the meal choice on line say 7 days before departure. Everyone gets thre choice, no wasteage lwer costs every ones happy

If you've ever organised a staff christmas dinner where people have to choose what they want weeks in advance you'd realise this really isn't practical !

No one can remember what they ordered and even if you produce a menu signed in their blood saying they wanted soup not pate and turkey not beef they will still deny it !

Also not everyone is on-line plus the way the VS IT system works PLUS it then has to talk to the catering supplier.

Plus what happens if there is a problem with the caterer and their deliveries?

[honey lamb]

How difficult would it be to offer the meal choice on line say 7 days before departure. Everyone gets thre choice, no wasteage lwer costs every ones happy

If you've ever organised a staff christmas dinner where people have to choose what they want weeks in advance you'd realise this really isn't practical !

No one can remember what they ordered and even if you produce a menu signed in their blood saying they wanted soup not pate and turkey not beef they will still deny it !

Also not everyone is on-line plus the way the VS IT system works PLUS it then has to talk to the catering supplier.

Plus what happens if there is a problem with the caterer and their deliveries?

Or people simply change their minds - like I did having booked the cook on SQ (although I did in fact take what I had booked)

[Darren Wheeler]

Or there's a seating change.

There's a TR somewhere here on a US carrier where a special meal was requested in advance but on the day there was a last minute seating change which the crew didn't get updated on. The crew delivered the meal to the correct seat, passenger ate said meal and complained that it wasn't very nice. Passenger who ordered meal had to go hungry.

yes Darren - that happened to me on a UA flight - swapped seats at the gate and new BPs issued with a woman so I could sit next to my friend (full flight) and the FA delivered the special meal to me rather than the lady who I had changed seats with.

It was a vegetarian meal so I knew it wasn't mine !

I have to say, all this talk of knees/legs almost being chopped off by recling seats is at the very least a bit over dramatic. By no means am I trying to underestimate the high ticket prices that some pay to sit in various cabins or the high expectations set by the airlines, I do however think some members of the flying public underestimate the costs involved in flying us all from A to B. Airlines are loosing money and more is lost on every extra inch of legroom that you are given. The only cabins on any airline where you are truly going to stretch out are business class and first class. Premium economy is always going to be a few extra inches here and there. When I'm stuck on a metal tube for 10 hours with 400+ strangers, I'll gladly pay for those few extra inches of legroom and seat width. I'm 6ft and I have never nearly-almost-by-the-skin-of-my-teeth come close to having my legs amputated by the recling seat in front. I have had to have a slight readjust in my seat and a tweak of my IFE screen but that is as far as my pain and suffering goes.

Star - then you are fortunate. But I can only relate my experiences, and I am beginning to think I am being short changed.

Certainly, excluding the new IFE system (which there is still no guarantee of getting) the service in PE is nowhere near what it used to be.

Indeed, UC is now closer to what PE used to be.

And UC is nowhere near the likes of business on SQ for example.

Now I am a HUGE fan of the Virgin brand overall, and wrote loads of letters / emails etc trying to get flights ex GLA, which we now have.

But lowering the "package" is not the way to gain or retain customers.

Well that is unfortunate daviec but what is it tht was better beforehand. Having not flwn any premium economy product I am wondering what people expect of VS? I am looking forward to my first flight with a product that has been highly lauded and some of the issues brought up make me a bit easy.

The upper deck has two crew. One for premium and one for economy.

Downstairs is also a dedicated crew member to look after the cabin.

So all the aircraft including Airbus have at least one crew member dedicated to the cabin.