One of my favorite parts of my job is checking out new planes.
It’s always exciting to see all the innovations airlines add to their latest generation jets, and I especially like when they introduce a completely new or heavily upgraded cabin.
Although I’ve toured more planes than I can count, I’m especially eager to see inside Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330-900neo aircraft, or “new engine option.” The UK-based airline inaugurated the plane last year and it is now flying to New York – its busiest and most important market.
Even though TPG was on board the first flight of the jet, Virgin recently invited several members of the media to view the plane in New York. With four A330-900neo already in service and 12 more due in the next few years, this modern and fuel-efficient jet will become one of the mainstays of Virgin’s fleet.
And after touring the plane, this is what excites me the most about it.
Technological upgrade from nose to tail
In some cases, plane cabins can fly for a decade or more. That is why it is important for designers to equip new jets with the most advanced technology. Otherwise, on-board technology will be obsolete before the cabin is retrofitted.
Fortunately, Virgin Atlantic has thought of all of these details on its A330-900neo.
Perhaps most interestingly, each seat supports Bluetooth connectivity. So travelers can pair AirPods or other wireless headphones directly to the seat back display without the need for a lock.
In addition, each seat has access to a universal power outlet and USB port. Upper class occupants even have access to a fast-charging 60-watt USB-C port.
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Plus, Premium Economy and Premium Economy seats feature a Qi wireless charging pad, giving you unprecedented ways to charge your devices.
Other impressive technological innovations include a sharp touchscreen entertainment screen and the latest generation of Wi-Fi Viasat.
A new kind of business-level experience
As airlines launch cutting-edge business class products, a new class is emerging. It is often referred to as “business class plus.”
These products typically occupy the first row of the cabin and provide additional space, storage, and amenities that take advantage of the bulkhead’s unique configuration.
Virgin’s A330-900neo catches up with this trend with a new class of carrier seats: retreat room.
The two center compartments in the front row in business class on the A330-900neo are larger and more spacious than the rest of the custom Thompson Vantage XL seats. I love the couch that converts into legroom or a seat for friends, and the 27-inch TV screen looks great.
Although there is a large privacy partition that can separate these two seats, I think Retreat Suites will be best suited for couples and families. That’s because you can combine table trays between two chairs to share a meal. If you turn both couches into friend chairs, a family or group of four can dine together simultaneously.
You can choose one of the Suite Retreat for an extra charge of around $250 within 14 days of departure. To know more about Retreat Suite, read the latest TPG . review.
Bar on board refurbished
Every plane in Virgin’s fleet has a social space for business class passengers.
While you’ll find an integrated bar on the older A330-300, the new A330-900neo features what Virgin calls the Loft (where debuted on the A350-1000 . for the first time.)
This space separates business and premium economy and is uniquely designed with accent lighting, dark leather seats and two large TVs.
I’m sure some visitors will miss the traditional bar, but I like that the Loft has more seating than an airplane bar. Plus, this space has been upgraded compared to the space on the A350 — the seats are higher and arguably more comfortable than on the A350.
That said, not everyone is a fan. “The chair is too high and too shallow to be comfortable,” TPG .’s Ben Smithson recently written.
Real Premium Economy
Premium economy is all the rage these days. This midsize cabin offers larger seats, more legroom, and more storage than business class — all without the expense of a flat-bed business class.
As more and more passengers seek this experience, airlines have taken note. They have begun retrofitting existing planes in premium economy class.
However, while “hard products” (seats) are generally quite similar across carriers, service and dining experiences vary greatly. Some airlines think about the high-end economy as an extension of the economic compartment. Others think of it as “business class lighting.”
Virgin certainly fits into the latter camp, at least from a service perspective. Due to the size of the cabin – 46 seats spread across seven rows in a 2-3-2 configuration – the airline has a dedicated cabin crew and dedicated kitchen space for premium economy class.
While the airline’s premium economy cabin is certainly larger than that of many of its US-based competitors, the service at least feels more upscale than you might be used to. with American or United.
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