Today, Virgin Atlantic unveiled its long-anticipated Airbus A330neo’s cabin. To added surprise, a new class, higher than Upper Class called Retreat Suite is presented for the first time. Let’s go over the details of this gorgeous new aircraft below.
Virgin Atlantic A330-900neo Cabin
Virgin Atlantic’s brand new Airbus A330-900neos will feature 262 seats in a four-class cabin layout: The Retreat Suite, Upper Class, Premium and Economy. Every seat in each class has been upgraded for a better passenger experience and to stay connected ever than before compared to the current Boeing B787s and A350s.
Virgin Atlantic A330-900neo Retreat Suite
Designed by the Virgin Atlantic team, the Retreat Suite or a “business-plus” is a brand new product in Upper Class consisting of two exclusive suites at the first row of the cabin. This spacious seat will feature 6ft7” fully flat bed, a 27” touchscreen with Bluetooth connectivity and wireless charging. In front of the TV, it will have a guest ottoman so you can dine and have fun with your companions. Up to four people can dine which reminds us of Qatar Airways’ “Quad” seats on its Qsuite product.
Virgin Atlantic will sell these seats as an upgrade from the Upper Class fare. It will cost around £200 one-way and be available two weeks prior to departure. Unfortunately, the Retreat Suite is only available in the middle row so it is not an ideal seat for solo travelers.
Virgin Atlantic A330-900neo Brand New Upper Class
Virgin Atlantic’s A330neo will also feature 30 brand-new Upper Class suites in a staggered 1-2-1 layout. The new seats will be similar to the ones on its A350-1000 fleet manufactured by Thompson Vantage XL+ seat but on the A330-900neos, there will be a door for privacy.
The new Upper Class suites will offer more space and storage, passenger-controlled mood lighting, a 17.3” touchscreen TV and wireless charging.
Virgin Atlantic A330-900neo The Loft
The Loft, which is an evolution of Virgin Atlantic’s award-winning social space design from the Airbus A350, will be also installed on its brand new A330-900neo fleet. Upper Class Suite passengers are able to use The Loft which is located between doors R2 and L2. There will be space for eight people and four seats featuring both self-service bar and drinks dispenser.
Passengers will also be able to connect Bluetooth headphones to the dual panoramic 27” touchscreens or utilize the wireless charging facilities.
Virgin Atlantic A330-900neo Premium
While the 46 Collins MiQ recliner Premium seats onboard A330-900neo are similar to the current ones, there are some upgrades for enhanced passenger comfort. In addition to the existing 38” seat pitch, a calf rests in every seat and a 13.3” touchscreen with Bluetooth audio. The airline is also offering Premium customers an in-seat wireless charging pad.
Virgin Atlantic A330-900neo Economy
The 184 new Recaro CL3710 full-featured Economy seats feature the largest ever 13.3″ screen with customers able to use their phone as a controller and more storage space. Customers even have the option to choose between 28 Economy Delight seats, which offer a 34” seat pitch, or 156 Economy Classic seats, providing a 31” pitch.
Summary:
It has been two weeks since we saw an innovation from Air New Zealand’s brand new cabin with a bunk bed. Even before that excitement is gone, Virgin Atlantic has revealed amazing products which are definitely an upgrade from the existing herringbone seats or Vantage XL seats in its fleet. With 16 A330-900neo orders taken, three deliveries will be taken this September with the remaining deliveries will be made between 2023 and 2026. The company announced that as of early October, Boston will be the A330neo’s first route.
