Virgin Atlantic

Overview

Virgin Atlantic is a British airline with its head office in Crawley, West Sussex. According to Wikipedia, it was established in 1984 as British Atlantic Airways and operated its first flight, from London Gatwick to Newark, on 22 June 1984. The airline and Virgin Holidays are controlled by Virgin Atlantic Limited, which is 51% owned by the Virgin Group and 49% by Delta Air Lines. It joined the SkyTeam alliance in March 2023.

Network and hubs

The main hub is London Heathrow, with a secondary hub at Manchester. The airline flies to North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Wikipedia lists 29 destinations. Virgin Atlantic did not resume Gatwick operations after the pandemic, according to the same source.

Fleet

Wikipedia gives a fleet of 43 aircraft (retrieved October 2026). The fleet is made up of widebody Airbus and Boeing aircraft. A seat-map site, Aerolopa, lists Airbus A330-300, A330-900neo, A350-1000 and Boeing 787-9 types. Virgin.com reports seven additional A330-900s, with deliveries from 2027.

On board

Aircraft have three cabins: Economy, Premium and Upper Class. Premium has a separate check-in area, priority boarding and a wider seat with more legroom. Upper Class has a fully flat bed and a private check-in area, called the Upper Class Wing at Heathrow. Virgin Atlantic was the first airline to offer personal entertainment in every class. Meal and Wi-Fi details were not verified for this profile.

Good to know

• Loyalty: the programme is called Flying Club.
• Lounges: the airline runs five Clubhouse lounges, at Heathrow, New York JFK, Washington Dulles, San Francisco and Johannesburg.
• Baggage and change fees: these vary by fare. Check the airline's website before booking.
• Finances: Wikipedia reports 2024 revenue of £3.301 billion.