VIRGIN ATLANTIC BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   AIRBUS A340-600

LHR-NRT, limousine service is horrendous, was meant to pick me up at 9am from my home in Hertfordshire, Limousine did not show up at all - regardless of how many phone calls I made to Virgin it still didn't show up. Virgin's customer service at a cost of £200 let me change my flight for the following day. Finally 24 hours later the limo turned up to pick me up. LHR check-in a free for all - took me 45 minutes to check-in, so much for designated areas for upper class. Didn't get chance to use the lounge as the check-in agent had ran out of fast-track tickets so had to go through the normal line. By the time I had checked in and got through security I had 10 minute before boarding. Eventually after 4 hours delay we boarded, was in seat 7A. Seats are very poor and not good business class seats. Have to strain your neck right round just to get a look out of the window, you cannot do this for longer than 30 seconds. Tried to get to sleep straight away after take off, had to wait 1hr 30 for someone to come and make the bed up, also had to wait 30 minutes for a whiskey! Tried to get to sleep but couldn't - anyone over 6ft, your feet stick off the end of the bed and every 5 minutes you get hit by someone going to the toilet or one of the cabin crew hitting you. Can't get to sleep as the privacy of the seat behind you and in front of you is poor, width of the seat is average and comfort was like sleeping on the pavement. Eventually got to sleep for several hours in the worst position for sleeping, when I woke I tried to get some food but was told that no food was being served until breakfast which was in 5 hours time, but could have a cold sandwich and snacks. I was so disappointed with the service that Virgin offered I decided to change my flight for the way back to ANA.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC BUSINESS CLASS SEAT REVIEW   :   AIRBUS A340-600

HKG-SYD. If you are planning to do any work in business, forget about it. There is no privacy, you stare across at everyone else. Shared cabin with a group of other passengers getting drunk and talking raucously all flight. Seat is very difficult to operate and no help from crew. Have flown Premium Economy with Virgin Atlantic before and that was better. Also flew business on United and Swiss on the same trip. United had an old plane but was pretty good. Cabin crew very friendly. Swiss the best by a long way - helped that it was half empty. Sent a complaint through to Virgin Atlantic and heard nothing back.

Upper Class, just ok for width, leg room not long enough, could not use skybed as my legs stuck out into very narrow corridor which annoyed the cabin staff who could not get past. Strange arrangement in herringbone pattern where you could not look out of window without craning your neck round into a painful position. Service was OK, a very small upper class area with no privacy available. Not enough storage space when you had your hands full, it was a bit of a balancing act. I found that if I folded the TV screen out I could use the recess to place my drink! All in all a better all round seat than the appalling Premium Economy I have used before.

Seat was comfortable and can be reclined whilst taking off. The seat was easy to change into the bed with loads of room and the sleep suits a great idea.

I was in Upper Deck behind the cockpit. Economy was in the rear of the Upper Deck which I found a bit strange. Service, meals and IFE were ok and acceptable - nothing special but fine. I was a bit disappointed with the seat, having never flown Upper before I was not familiar with the seat and it's workings. I had to struggle with the table and getting it flat, comfort wise it was fine and sleeping for a 5"11 man was no problem.

The seat converts into a flat bed for sleeping, albeit tight for space around your arms/shoulders. The As a seat itself it is less comfortable. Also the seat/ cabin materials looked very tired - in need of updating with worn leather and cracked plastic. Entertainment screen and remote were in poor condition. Good privacy, albeit all the seats are positioned at a specific angle, which I found fine but may not suit all tastes.

The seat was comfortable although storage around the seat was a problem (no laptop drawer as in BA business). If you intend to use the table to eat, remember to push the screen all the way out, otherwise it gets interesting trying to lift your tray out of the way. Seat operation was a breeze and the general sitting positions are comfortable, except if you want to look out of the window. Didn't have a problem with fixing the bed as it is straight forward. The sleeping position was reasonably comfortable, but the seat belt on the ottoman was annoying at times. The flat bed did seem wider at the shoulder than BA. If possible get a seat away from the bar if you want to sleep. Inflight entertainment system was OK for choice but some better instructions would have been helpful.

Never again, the cabin held about 45 seats all at an angle of about 45 degrees, very low with no privacy at all. If you have a window seat it's the back of your head that faces the window. Seats were semi upright which converted to flat bed, I couldn't be doing with making my own bed or having it made for me while I stood and waited so I elected to sleep with the seat as reclined as far as possible-my mistake as it doesn't recline very much at all! I had about 1 hours sleep between Cape Town-Heathrow. My wife and I had been allocated seats facing each other but due to the stupid angle of the seats I could only see her feet! Luckily 2 other passengers disliked their seats so we swapped. These seats were next to each other, only snag was the sidescreens are so high we couldn't see or speak to each other without undoing our seatbelts which enabled us to sit on the edge of our seat. The steward suggested my wife could sit on my footstool if we wanted to talk or share a meal - wonderful! The overall look of the cabin was similar to that of a cattle stall! Virgin Upper Class - don't make me laugh!

I was a little disappointed with Upper Class. I could not find a comfortable position with the seats and would prefer direct control over the full recline rather than having to call and attendant for assistance. It was a somewhat cramped feeling and the angled seats don't seem to work for me. The service was pleasant but food quality was average. I will revert to Premium Economy on future trips.

Sat in the quieter section behind the bar row 13 upper class which was anything but quiet. Lots of passing traffic to/from kitchen also passengers in premium economy coming through to use the toilets. Seat narrower than expected. The foot rest is supposed to double up as a chair for friend to sit and chat with you is so small that it's virtually unusable. No overhead storage. Old loop entertainment system. Row 4K on return same A340 , more private as not facing anyone, overhead storage, noted that middle row didn't have storage in this front section either. Old loop entertainment system still. Not possible to charge laptops system as its not available on some routes, where it is available you have to buy special charge leads for £63 GBP from skyshop.

LHR - Nairobi. The lounge at T3 is fantastic - plenty to do, even had my shoes cleaned. The time disappeared quickly. We had our three young kids with us, so slightly nervous of their behaviour, but they fell asleep almost immediately (night flight). I can't make my mind up about the Upper Class seats. It's a clever design but not quite long enough for my 6'1" body! Shoulder space when lying flat is good though. Virgin staff are nearly always nice pretty young girls and often very good, but on this flight they were clearly tired and service was sloppy. The food was unremarkable. The bar can be fun if there are other willing passengers. Overall it is a really good business class service. BA has better trained staff and slightly better food, but given the choice, I'd use Virgin.

Found the seat highly uncomfortable due to the fixed recline position, It becomes a pain when you want to convert to a bed as this requires cabin attendant assistance. Poor design.

I want to sleep, and the mattress is much better than leather seating for that. Having to get up first is a slight pain, but I tend to just go to the bathroom when I'm ready to sleep and ask a FA to make up the bed, then it's done when I return. The pod design is fantastic for privacy, though awkward if you want to talk. The width is good in bed mode, slightly cramped in seat mode, but I love every seat having direct aisle access.

Upper Class seats are good when fully flat - plenty of room to lie fully flat and comes with a nice quilt and pillow. When configured as a seat you can recline for take off and landing - you do have to engage in some contortion however to look out the window. Privacy good and cabin is generally quiet unless you are sitting near the bar. The seat is a bit funny when in seat mode in that you do not really have a right arm rest (seat 7K) and storage of personal items is an issue as the little section designed for this is too small. I stored my passport there and to my dismay discovered that it had been eaten by the seat - had to dismantle the seat to retrieve it.

DEL-LHR Upper Class. The length of seat is good however while sleeping I found the ottoman stool which forms part of the flat bed very uncomfortable.

ORD-LHR in 14K. When flat this bed is as good as any business class I have tried. But the reading light when reclined, not sleeping, is useless. The water tray is oddly placed and there is little to no storage for a book, eyeglasses or such. One needs to get completely up into the aisle when converting it to a bed which is a little inconvenient. You are either flat or at 45 degrees. The ability to have someone dine with you, by them sitting on your footrest, is nice. Privacy good. Don’t bother trying to look out the window; it’s not possible.

Seat is fairly comfortable and reclines fully flat, however, to do this, you have to leave your seat and move all your personal belongings. The seat is great once it is a bed and offers plenty of space. A good IFE available and upper deck was quiet. Privacy was fantastic; however, because of the odd layout of the seats, it was awkward talking to my wife. Service was OK but not brilliant and the some with the food. As a whole, I think British Airways is better as the seat is more comfortable and has better service, food and a good level of privacy.

Seat is fully flat - this is key since I tend to slide down the seat throughout the flight if it's angled. Privacy is great, with each set in an individual pod - very comfortable and cozy. They give you down duvets. Seat width and length are great for me (I am 5'8" and pretty thin). Individual pods are not great if you are traveling with a partner you want to talk to. It is somewhat annoying that the seat has to be physically flipped to go from lounge to bed mode.