Virgin Atlantic Flt VS39/VS40 Seating

[Old Photo.Fanatic]

I plan to fly to the US in July. London-Chicago (For "Oshkosh" week)
Best price at the moment is with Virgin Atlantic.
I am looking to book Premium Economy.

Can anyone tell me the Aircraft type on flights VS39/VS40.

Plus any info. on best seats to go for and what can I expect in the way of "Service" etc.

I have conflicting reports on the web so am looking for " Objective "
feedback.

With thanks for any help.

OPF

[sam1993]

Old Photo.Fanatic,

Flights VS039/40 are operated by an A340-300

Here are a couple of websites where the seats are rated by previous passengers, therefore highlighting good / bad seats e.t.c
Virgin Seat Maps (http://v-flyer.com/the-toolbox/seat-maps) (and select A340-300 from the drop down list)
SeatGuru Seat Map Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340-300 (343) (http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Virgin_Atlantic_Airways/Virgin_Atlantic_Airways_Airbus_A340_2.php)

Hope this helps :ok:

[MR7958]

I've tried all three classes of Virgin travel over the past 12 months (Economy, Premium Economy and Upper). In answer to your question about what sort of service you can expect, here is my objective view comparing PE against the two other classes:

- at the airport. No real advantage over Economy save for a dedicated check in desk. No lounge unlike with Upper. Verdict = not worth the money.

- at the gate. You get priority boarding over Economy, but I'm not very taken with that. Never one to race to spend longer stuck in my seat. Verdict = not worth the money.

- onboard comfort. PE seat is much more comfortable than Economy. Lots more legroom. I can never sleep in it, mind, but that's probably just me - lots of people seem to sleep well in PE. That said, I fell asleep in moments in Upper in the flat bed. Verdict = worth every penny.

- onboard service. PE has its own cabin crew and a different menu from Economy. You also get a drink whilst waiting to depart, which I found to be a really nice touch. Verdict = nice to have.

- on arrival. One great thing about arriving PE in the USA is that you are near the front of the plane, so can hot-foot it off and through immigration. It always makes me shudder to look at the length of some of the queues. I think PE has priority luggage delivery, but in my experience the bags are always more or less off the plane by the time I've cleared US immigration. Verdict = worth every penny.

So, on balance, I'd say:

- don't expect magic from PE. It is nice, but not so good as to give you treasured memories for life.

- if you can get PE for a couple of hundred pounds more than Economy (and so long as a couple of hundred pounds isn't going to break the bank) I would go PE every time.

- if I could afford it (which I for the most part cannot) I would go Upper over PE every time. The jump in quality from Economy to PE is noticeable. The jump from PE to Upper is huge.

[Old Photo.Fanatic]

Thanks for both responses.
I found them most informative and helpful

Cheers
OPF