Virgin Premium Economy

[vielame]

Hi everybody I'm sort of new here couldn't post for ages but Susan sorted it Thanks :cheers:

We fly out after Xmas so we'll be there for new year, when I flew out a few years ago I seem to remember that the prem eco seats were only in twos, and there are 5 of us going out. Is this right or is my brain playing tricks :laughing:

[Ret400]

It depnds where your Premium Economy seat are.

On the Gatwick 747 fleet the ones upstairs are two, aisle, two configuration. Downstairs they have two rows which are two, aisle, four, aisle, two configuration.

I have put link to seat Guru for you

http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Virgin_Atlantic_Airways/Virgin_Atlantic_Airways_Boeing_747-400_2.php

I have never sat on the downstairs premium ones but the upstairs seems to add a degree of 'away from it all' feeling.

We have often had five people. Just made sure we pre booked a set of 4 and a single at the start of next row.:happy-thumb

[pinkjoolz]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

We flew PE a few months back and yes the seats are in 2's but we were upstairs - we weren't on the new fleet so we still had the red seats.

Just saw your post RET!!

[vielame]

Ahh so my brain does still work! We were upstairs last time. We are flying from Gatwick on the 29th December why I'm thinking is there is me, OH, DS, Mum and Dad going and DS is only 3years. What are the new fleets meant to be like?

[Simon Veness]

We're checking with Virgin Atlantic's press office at the moment as regards any aircraft change, but, to the best of my knowledge, they will continue to operate the tried-and-trusted 747s for the time being.

[Catlady]

We have pre booked our seats for next April for upstairs PE and it would seem to be the old 747's. Got a feeling any upgrade has been put on hold because of the credit crunch.
Have sat in downstairs PE (when we had my Mum with us who couldn't climb stairs) and upstairs and prefer the quieter upstairs "bubble"

[Simon Veness]

Just got a confirmation from VA PR office that the 747s will continue indefinitely for now and there are no immediate plans for anything new.

[vielame]

This could be interesting then. I think we are meant to be upstairs....

[Catlady]

Can you prebook your seats?

[UK Deb]

From what I've read, there were never any plans to introduce new aircraft to the LGW and Manchester routes (at least not in the short term), but they were due to be fitted with the new PE seats in line with the rest of the fleet. The refits have been postponed "until a later date".

Catlady, yes you can pre-book your seats, although there's no guarantee you'll get them. We've always been lucky, but friends of ours seldom seem to get the seats they've booked. :confused:

[Ret400]

Vielame, you may be upstairs or down (if you booked you can check the seat numbers - I think 70s are upstairs), so probably worth trying to pre book up as its often most popular, or you could be lucky. As UK says though they do just change bookings without telling you.

[Tiggers Friend]

From what I've read, there were never any plans to introduce new aircraft to the LGW and Manchester routes (at least not in the short term), but they were due to be fitted with the new PE seats in line with the rest of the fleet. The refits have been postponed "until a later date".

I read somewhere that the plan was to introduce the new Airbus onto the Heathrow routes and shuffle the Heathrow 747s (which are newer) onto the LGW and MAN routes.

Of course that may have been entirely wrong.

[angienik]

Is it worth the money to upgrade to premium economy?

[Mickey Mouse]

Just to add the LGW is the newest fleet. Its just the insides havent been upgraded:happy-thumb I really like flying PE, i really think its worth the money if your upstairs, not so sure on downstairs.:)

[vielame]

Well we are a tall family me being 5'11, my OH 6'4, my dad 6'2 so the extra makes it worth it for us:happy-thumb