Review: Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy (A330-300)

Virgin Atlantic A330-300 premium economy class provided a comfortable experience across the Atlantic for an incredibly low number of miles. Only 10,500 Virgin points! 

I was supposed to be flying on the brand-new A350-1000, but was sadly swapped onto one of Virgin Atlantic’s oldest planes. Even with that disappointment, it was still an enjoyable flight. Read on to see my review of Virgin Atlantic’s Premium Economy class on the A330-300.

Booking Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy

Virgin Atlantic introduced dynamic pricing for flights operated by Virgin in the middle of 2024, and it’s made for some pretty incredible deals! I was able to book this flight for only 10,500 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points, which I transferred during a 40% transfer bonus from American Express Membership Rewards (US). 

This meant I only paid a total of 7,500 Amex Membership Rewards for the flight, but before you get too excited, it also came with an eye-watering 370GBP or ~ $680 CAD in taxes and fees.

I chose to charge the amount to my American Express Platinum Card (US) to maximize the 5x bonus category on spend directly with airlines. That netted me 2,500 Membership Rewards, so all in all, my US Membership Rewards balance was only 5,000 points lower after it was all said and done!

Ground Experience

The Virgin Atlantic check-in area at London Heathrow Airport is massive. There was a separate check-in area for premium economy.

Premium economy passengers who are flying with Virgin Atlantic do not receive complimentary airport lounge access, including no access to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at London Heathrow. Therefore, I enjoyed my time prior to the flight at the Centurion Lounge. Several Priority Pass lounges are also available if you have access to that program.

Cabin Arrangement

The premium economy cabin arrangement is 2-3-2. I was assigned the window seat in 23K.

A better seat option would be the bulkhead row for extra legroom, or the last row for full recline without worrying about a row behind you. But with the last-minute equipment swap, seats were randomly assigned.

Seat

The seats in premium economy are a lovely shade of burgundy that matches the Virgin Atlantic aesthetic well. However, on the A330-300, the seats feel pretty tired.

Waiting for me at my seat was a pillow, blanket, headphones, and a menu. The pillow and blanket were typical economy quality, nothing elevated for premium economy. On a daytime flight, as the westbound flights always are, I think that’s alright.

The seats are generous in terms of the pitch provided and are large enough that you have two windows available to you. It was comparable to the size of Air Canada’s premium economy. The tray table folded out from the armrest, which is never my favorite because it feels flimsy compared to a seatback tray, but this is the standard among premium economy products.

The center armrest, which was shared between two passengers, was relatively small and, as I was travelling solo, was not ideal.

I was pretty happy with the amount of leg room between me and the seat in front. I had no issues when the person in front of me reclined.

The other features of the seat were a footrest, seat recline on the right armrest, a relatively large storage pocket, and USB charging under the entertainment remote.

Dining

For the pre-departure beverage, I was offered prosecco or orange juice. I opted for the prosecco!

First Meal Service

To start the service, they served a small snack and another round of beverages from the cart. I opted for a Coke Zero, which was served in a glass rather than a plastic cup

The main meal choices were chicken, fish, or pasta.

They all sounded great, but I opted for the chicken, which was terrific. One thing that surprised me is that all the food was served at once, but I particularly enjoyed all the courses and loved the classic British theming with a rose eton mess for dessert.

Also, the airplane salt-and-pepper shakers are iconic!

Second Meal Service

The second service, which took place 90 minutes before landing, consisted of the Signature Mile High Tea. This was one of my favorite parts, and something that was missed when I flew British Airways Business Class. It’s odd, even Delta One from London to Seattle that I flew in early 2024 offered tea service with scones and clotted cream!

There were three options for the second service, and I opted for the chicken Caesar finger sandwiches. It was served with a warm scone, clotted cream, and strawberry jam, along with a quiche and a lavender macaron. All the necessities for a British high tea were covered. 

In general, I found the attendants serving the premium cabin to be friendly and helpful. All around a great experience!

Entertainment

Entertainment Console

The most frustrating part of the flight was the awful entertainment console. The touchscreen ability was unusable, and the remote was equally useless. This was disappointing as they had a great movie selection.

It may be harsh, but the entertainment remote honestly felt decorative as it was so laggy. The headphones were basic but got the job done. 

Conclusion

Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy has excellent service and food, but this is their oldest plane, and the age shows in the cabin and entertainment console. Even though the taxes and fees are high, considering the small points cost, it’s a fantastic value. An unfortunate plane swap from their newer A350, but that means we’ll have to fly with Virgin Atlantic again to get a great experience all around!