Virgin Atlantic unveils three new ways to fly as part of multimillion-pound investment in economy

Virgin Atlantic has announced the launch of three new ways to fly economy as part of a multimillion-pound investment in the cabin for the 21st century traveller.

Recognising that one size doesn’t fit all, from spring 2018 Virgin Atlantic will introduce "economy delight", "economy classic" and "economy light" tickets. The three new ways to fly will allow customers to choose the product that suits their budget and travel style – but never compromise on inclusive food and drink, unrivalled service, and inflight entertainment.

Economy delight will offer the leading economy product of any UK airline - customers will enjoy a seat with 34-inch legroom, priority check-in and boarding as well as advanced seat assignment.

Economy classic will now offer free seat assignment – providing extra reassurance for families and groups that they can sit together. The new economy light ticket will always offer Virgin Atlantic’s lowest fare - making long-haul travel affordable and accessible for millennials, and customers jetting off on city breaks.

What the new fares offer:

Craig Kreeger, Chief Executive of Virgin Atlantic, said: “We’re unveiling the biggest change to our economy cabin in over a decade – launching three new ways to fly, and a host of innovations on the ground and in the air as part of a wider £300-million investment in our customers. We know that one size doesn’t fit all, and from spring our customers can afford to be choosy and still travel in the UK’s leading economy cabin.

“We always want flying with Virgin Atlantic to be more special than other airlines, and we’ll never compromise on excellent service, industry-leading food and drink and cutting-edge inflight entertainment – regardless of which economy ticket our customers are travelling on, they’ll be able to enjoy all this onboard.”

Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Atlantic, said: “When I started Virgin Atlantic I wanted to challenge the status quo and make flying amazing – regardless of which cabin you’re in - and that’s still true today. We’re unveiling a multimillion-pound investment to make Virgin Atlantic’s economy cabin the best of any UK airline and setting the bar for others to follow.”

The three new ways to travel are part of a wider investment in Virgin Atlantic’s economy cabin - delivering innovations on the ground, and in the air:

• Investing in additional economy delight seats: At a time when most airlines are packing seats onto planes, Virgin Atlantic is investing in extra leg room. The airline is retrofitting its fleet to provide up to 36 economy delight seats on every flight – offering customers an even comfier journey with spacious 34-inch legroom.
  
• Serving up the best economy meals in the sky: All customers travelling in economy will continue to enjoy a three-course meal plus complimentary drinks and snacks – with a focus on supporting independent suppliers such as UK-based Fairfield Farm Crisps, and the Grown Up Chocolate Company.
  
• More personalised service at the airport: For the first time Virgin Atlantic is introducing automated bag drop at London airports, freeing up employees to provide a more personalised service where customers need it most. Four kiosks will open at London Gatwick this summer, followed by a further 18 kiosks at London Heathrow from winter 2018.
  
• Keeping our customers connected: Every single seat in economy now offers a personal USB charging point, and every route offers access to high-speed Wi-Fi to help customers work and play on the go.
  
• New aircraft: 12 new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft will join the fleet from spring 2019 – offering unrivalled levels of comfort and reliability for customers, and a brand-new economy cabin designed with Virgin Atlantic’s customers in mind.
  
• Virgin scent: Virgin Atlantic has partnered with leading British candlemaker Rachel Vosper to create a new scent called “Air”. Designed to evoke wellbeing and inspire future travel, it will be available across check-in, the gate and upon boarding the aircraft.

Virgin Atlantic and Delta offer the leading transatlantic partnership, and the new economy products will offer a seamless experience for customers travelling with the airlines. Economy delight, economy classic and economy light will complement Delta’s Comfort +, Main Cabin and Basic Economy products - always offering a three-course meal, Wi-Fi, hundreds of hours of inflight entertainment and excellent service regardless of the ticket type.