Forget About In-flight Bars — Virgin Atlantic's Latest Aircraft Features an Onboard Lounge That’s the 'Largest Social Space in the Sky'

Virgin Atlantic has welcomed the state-of-the-art Airbus A350-1000 into its fleet, now servicing its prime route between London Heathrow and New York JFK.

Aviation fans and regular travelers have been eagerly admiring the stunning interiors Virgin Atlantic showcased for its new aircraft back in April. The airline’s design team crafted stylish semi-private seats in Upper Class and reimagined the iconic onboard bar into a more social and work-friendly lounge area known as The Loft. Additionally, Virgin enhanced its popular premium economy and economy cabins to boost passenger comfort and utilize the A350’s jetlag-reducing features.

“We are always exploring ways to enhance our customers' travel experience,” stated Daniel Kerzner, Virgin Atlantic’s vice president of customer journey. “The A350, a cutting-edge aircraft, allowed us to innovate with tailored interiors, drawing inspiration from the hospitality, retail, and automotive sectors to deliver an exceptional experience.”

We had an exclusive look inside the new aircraft, named Red Velvet and featuring one of Virgin’s new inclusive icons, during a recent inaugural flight from London to New York. Here’s what passengers can expect aboard the first Virgin Atlantic A350-1000.

What exactly is an A350-1000?

Although the A350 has been in operation for several years, most aircraft in this family are the smaller A350-900 variant. To provide some context, Airbus has received over 900 orders for A350s, but only 180 are for the larger A350-1000. So far, fewer than 30 of these have been delivered to customers.

Virgin Atlantic is one of just five airlines to operate the larger model. The other four include British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Etihad, and Qatar Airways, which was the launch customer for both the A350-900 and A350-1000. By 2021, Virgin Atlantic plans to have 12 A350-1000s in its fleet.

What sets this larger variant apart? The A350-1000 shares the same cutting-edge features as the smaller A350-900, including improved cabin pressurization and humidity for passenger comfort, advanced LED lighting systems to assist with travelers’ circadian rhythms, larger windows that allow more natural light than older jets, and quieter, more fuel-efficient engines compared to traditional aircraft.

The A350-1000 measures approximately 23 feet longer than the A350-900, though both planes share the same width and wingspan. With a range of about 10,000 miles, the A350-1000 surpasses the A350-900’s range of approximately 9,300 miles. While the A350-900 typically accommodates 300-350 passengers in a three-class configuration, the A350-1000 can seat 350-410, depending on the airline's preferences.

New Aircraft, New Experiences

With its A350-1000s, Virgin Atlantic chose a spacious layout featuring just 335 seats. This includes 44 seats in Upper Class, 56 in premium economy, and 235 in economy. The airline also seized the opportunity presented by the introduction of this new aircraft to completely revamp its cabins and interiors.

The first noticeable change for passengers is that instead of Virgin’s famously lively onboard bar, the A350 introduces a new lounge area known as The Loft, which Kerzner proudly describes as “the largest social space in the sky.” Designed in partnership with London-based studio Factorydesign, The Loft aims to be an in-flight extension of the airline’s upscale airport Clubhouses. “This is the area that welcomes every passenger on board, regardless of their seating class,” Kerzner explained, “and we wanted to create a wow factor, right down to the gold-plated chandelier.”

The Loft features booth-style seating for five passengers, alongside a single seat and standing workstations for an extra two to three people. It also includes a 32-inch HD screen where guests can enjoy entertainment using Bluetooth headphones or take in the outside views from the plane’s tail camera.

Travelers can choose to spend much of their flight in The Loft, thanks to seatbelts, and enjoy meals together. This includes the airline’s signature cocktails, new dishes crafted for Virgin Atlantic by celebrity chef Donal Skehan, and the renowned Mile High afternoon tea service by Eric Lanlard.

The Loft offers a serene and calming atmosphere, emphasizing social interaction and relaxation rather than the often boisterous celebrations found in the bars on Virgin's other aircraft.

Update on Upper Class

Located just beyond The Loft, Upper Class features a single cabin with 11 rows of four seats arranged in a 1-2-1 layout, ensuring that every passenger has direct aisle access.

One of the most notable aspects of these new seats is the sliding partition that partially closes for privacy. Instead of a full door, it extends about eight inches—just enough to reduce some disturbances from the aisle.

The airline clarified that rather than providing fully enclosed seats, the choice was made to keep them more open to foster a sociable atmosphere and maintain a connection between passengers and crew.

The layout represents a significant shift from the airline’s previous herringbone-style seating. The new design angles the seats slightly towards the cabin’s outer walls, allowing those by the windows to enjoy views through the large panes, while those in the center face away from each other.

Each seat is 20 inches wide with a pitch of 44 inches, reclining into a lie-flat position of up to 82 inches in length. Unlike Virgin's older models that flip over, these simply recline. The upholstery features a purple-toned claret, complemented by textured pink backsplashes, while the seat shells are a pearlescent cream, enhancing the cabin's light and airy feel.

When it’s time to rest, flight attendants will prepare the beds with new fitted mattress pads, plush duvets, and full-size pillows. Passengers can change into preordered pajamas, choosing between long or short-sleeved tops and either trousers or shorts. Kerzner noted that the new bedding draws inspiration from hotel linens, allowing passengers to prepare their beds for reclining shortly after takeoff to maximize rest on quick transatlantic flights from New York to London.

Before drifting off, passengers can enjoy entertainment on 18.5-inch HD screens—the largest ever provided by the airline—controlled via their personal devices using Bluetooth. The system also allows for on-demand snack and meal ordering, as well as managing the customizable LED lighting of the seat.

Tray tables conveniently fold down from the seatback in front and can swivel to face the entertainment screen, making it easier to get in and out during meal service.

For those wishing to remain productive, the A350 is equipped with the latest high-speed Wi-Fi from Inmarsat and T-Mobile, available for free until October 9. On our flight, we experienced speeds just shy of 1 Mbps, likely due to the complimentary service being heavily utilized by passengers.

Upper Class seats are equipped with personal power outlets and USB ports, ensuring devices stay charged throughout the flight.

Enhancements in Premium Class

Virgin Atlantic pioneered the premium economy concept back in 1992, and it continues to lead the way for this service class positioned between business and economy.

The A350 features 56 of the airline’s newest seats, dressed in striking purple leather, arranged in seven rows of eight seats in a 2-4-2 layout.

Each seat measures 18.5 inches wide, reclines up to seven inches, and provides 38 inches of pitch, complete with ergonomic footrests. They offer more storage than previous models, along with USB and power outlets, six-way adjustable headrests, and foldable tabletops to enhance space. The entertainment screens, which can be managed via smartphone, are 13.3 inches wide.

The 235 economy seats have been enhanced with fresh, breathable fabrics and adjustable headrests. These seats are arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration across two cabins, each measuring 17.4 inches wide with up to 31 inches of pitch and five inches of recline. There are 36 Economy Delight seats available for an additional fee, offering 34 inches of pitch. All seats come with 11.6-inch entertainment screens, USB ports, and foldable tray tables.

Flights and Pricing

Currently, Virgin Atlantic operates one daily flight each way from London to New York using an A350-1000. To experience this service firsthand, you’ll need to book the following flight numbers:

Virgin Atlantic VS137 departs from London Heathrow at 11:50 a.m. and arrives at New York JFK at 2:50 p.m.

Virgin Atlantic VS138 leaves New York JFK at 7 p.m. and arrives at London Heathrow at 7:20 a.m.

By the year's end, Virgin Atlantic plans to operate four daily flights each way with A350s and aims to launch service to Los Angeles next spring.

As of now, round-trip fares start at $349 in economy, $1,133 in premium economy, and $4,881 in Upper Class. There's also some award availability with Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club miles. For trips between London and New York, you'll need 40,000 miles for economy, 70,000 miles for premium economy, or 95,000 miles for Upper Class round-trip. The Flying Club is a transfer partner for American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards, making it easy to boost your miles. Just be cautious of fuel surcharges, which can vary from $400 to $1,400 based on your class of service.

The introduction of Virgin Atlantic’s A350, along with its revamped cabins, marks an exciting advancement in the competitive leisure and business market between New York and London. Together with new business-class suites that British Airways will debut on the same route in October, travelers can now expect more and improved options for transatlantic travel.

Virgin Atlantic has also recently revealed plans to expand to 84 new destinations, including 19 long-haul routes from London Heathrow in the coming years, allowing even more travelers to experience the airline’s new seating offerings.