I remember Virgin starting when I had my first job as a travel agent around the same time as People Express , both Gatwick to Newark. In those days they both offered a fresh lower prices option to New York, compared to BA Pan Am and TWA. Subsequently I flew with them on an educational visit to Miami and enjoyed the flight, I remember being offered Ice Cream while watching the film ( only one then ) , great innovation. Before this trip the last time I'd been to the US was on a Laker DC10 !
Many years later when I was working in a different industry all together, I flew Heathrow to Delhi and to Hong Kong. Both flights were nothing special at all, and felt a bit stale. Personally they would not be my first choice of carriers, not when there is choice to where they operate.