Top Economy Seats on Virgin Atlantic

Traveling in economy can be pleasant, and you can enhance your experience by securing the best seat available. When flying with Virgin Atlantic, certain seats stand out as top choices.

Complicating matters, Virgin offers three economy fare types. Among these, Economy Delight is the priciest and the only option featuring extra legroom. Therefore, we'll concentrate on the best seating options for Economy Light and Economy Classic, which are the most prevalent.

For details on booking flights using Virgin points via Virgin's Flying Club, check out our guide here.

Which aircraft provide economy seating options?

• Airbus A330-300
• Airbus A330-200
• Airbus A350-1000
• Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Virgin doesn't have any routes that require an all-premium-cabin aircraft like Singapore Airlines' A350-900ULR. All of its planes feature economy cabins with seating ranging from 185 to 375.

Optimal seating strategy for economy on all long-haul Virgin Atlantic planes

If you’re flying with Virgin soon, you’ll likely be on an A350 or a 787 Dreamliner departing from Heathrow Airport (LHR), as these are predominant in their fleet. The economy cabins differ, making it challenging to determine the best aircraft. Many factors come into play, often relying on personal preference. Generally, it's advisable to choose seats in the exit row or towards the front of the cabin.

Rather than suggesting the best aircraft for economy travel, we will highlight the top seat on each of Virgin's long-haul planes. Our recommendations below cater specifically to solo travelers.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Recommended seats: 53A and 53K.

The Dreamliner's economy section features a compact front cabin and a more spacious rear cabin, primarily arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration. While regular seats are available for Economy Light and Economy Classic passengers, these are D, F, and G in the middle section. Row 43 at the front is a bulkhead row, which also accommodates a bassinet.

For maximum legroom, opt for Row 53 in the larger rear cabin (an exit row). The window seats here are located behind the wing, offering less obstructed views compared to the forward economy cabin with Economy Delight seats.

Note that there is no underseat storage in this row, and the inflight entertainment screen folds up from beneath the seat rather than in front of you. Overall, this seat offers more space than the front row of the Economy Delight section.

Instead of paying extra, consider purchasing an Economy Classic ticket (if you need to check a bag) or just an Economy Light fare, and set an alert using ExpertFlyer (operated by TPG's parent company, Red Ventures) to notify you when Row 53 seats become available.

While this isn't a guaranteed method to secure extra legroom affordably, it might save you around $122.52.

Airbus A330-300

Recommended seats: 40A and 40K.

With only 185 economy seats, the A330-300 offers the fewest compared to other Virgin aircraft. Its slightly tighter 2-4-2 layout makes it even more crucial to avoid the middle four-seat section in the cabin.

In contrast to the Dreamliner, the best standard economy seats on the Airbus A330-300 are located in the smaller, front economy cabin, as the Economy Delight seats are positioned further back.

Row 40, the front bulkhead row, offers the most legroom, but the window views are obstructed by the wings. This row also includes bassinets. Nonetheless, compared to other options, I would still choose this as my top pick for economy on the A330-300.

If having clear views from the window is your priority, then a window seat in Row 57 of the main cabin may be a better choice.

Service on this aircraft is likely to commence from both the front and back of the cabin, meaning that if you're seated in the middle section, you might experience longer wait times for your meal.

Airbus A330-200

Recommended seats: 21A, 21K, 36A, and 36K.

The economy seating on this aircraft features a distinctive layout compared to other models in the airline's fleet. It has 212 seats arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration, like the A330-300, but the Economy Delight seats with added pitch are located in the front economy cabin, similar to the Dreamliner.

On the A330-200, the front cabin consists of standard economy seats, allowing passengers with Economy Light or Economy Classic tickets the option to sit at the front of the cabin.

This layout differs slightly from the rest of the fleet since these aircraft were acquired from the now-defunct Air Berlin.

That said, my top recommendations for this cabin are 21A and 21K, as they are located closest to the front, typically resulting in faster service. They also offer the most legroom among standard economy seats. The only drawback is that these seats are situated over the wing, which can hinder the views.

Row 36 provides extra legroom since it is in the exit row at the beginning of the rear economy cabin, making 36A and 36K excellent choices. The views from these seats are superior to those in Row 21. However, a downside is their proximity to the forward and rear galleys, meaning passengers in this row may experience longer wait times for food and drinks.

Airbus A350-1000

Recommended seats: 45A and 45K.

The A350-1000 features the second-most densely arranged economy cabin in Virgin's fleet, with a total of 235 seats—only the jumbo holds more. You can check out our comparison of all three cabins on the Virgin A350 here.

This aircraft adopts a more compact 3-3-3 seating arrangement, resulting in nine seats per row, as opposed to the eight seats per row found on the A330-300 and A330-200. This means you'll have one additional passenger to navigate around if you need to leave your window seat.

The great news is that standard economy seats begin right at the front of the economy cabin, while Economy Delight seats are located further back after the exit row in the middle section. This allows you to select the best seats available—45A and 45K.

The Upper Class and Premium cabins on the A350 extend past the wings, ensuring that all window seats in the economy section will have unobstructed views, regardless of the row.

Final thoughts

No matter where you choose to sit, you can expect a comfortable journey aboard Virgin's aircraft. However, there are ways to enhance your experience. This guide aims to assist you in finding the best seat that aligns with your personal preferences.