LOFTY IDEALS

Virgin Atlantic has reinvented its business cabin with a glamorous new loft space. Julie Baxter went behind the scenes at Gatwick Airport for a sneak preview

Virgin Atlantic has taken the wraps off its long-awaited Airbus A3501000 aircraft, which includes an entirely new Upper Class cabin with brand new ‘suites’ and social space. Flying from summer 2019, the goal is to raise the bar and embed innovation.

In anticipation of the launch, the airline hosted travel industry partners and media at The Hub, its Gatwick training base, where a mock-up of the new cabins and key features were installed for crew training.

As with all Virgin-related unveilings, there was no shortage of pizzazz – red carpets, Champagne, plus a host of smiley crew and airline top brass are all obligatory.

Star of the show was the new onboard social space, The Loft. Virgin was the first airline to introduce an onboard bar and this takes that idea to the next level as a place for customers to gather, drink or dine.

Guests got to see how The Loft takes the Clubhouse lounge experience to the skies. The space includes six belted seats (for use during turbulence) and a communal 32-inch screen so passengers can watch a movie using Bluetooth headphones.

There was also the opportunity to put the new Upper Class ‘suites’ through their paces too. Nobody could resist the chance to deploy the privacy screens, check out the 44-inch pitch and stretch out on the fully flat bed.

All seats have direct aisle access and convert from upright to a bed with the touch of a button – a marked difference from the current offering that requires crew assistance. Each space benefits from mood lighting too, with the six settings said to help passengers prevent jetlag.

Daniel Kerzner, Vice President of Customer Experience at the airline, explained: “The investment in the A350 gave us the chance to challenge everything we know, and build something to fall in love with – the dreamiest aircraft possible. It has been designed with love and built for the future.”

Elsewhere, guests had the chance to meet the team obsessing over every element. They’ve worked with fashion houses for new heritage fabrics and taken inspiration from top-end handbags and cars. Mock-ups for the premium and economy cabins showed off creative stitching and leather work.

The Hub also housed an example of the new door for crew to train on, presenting them with multiple scenarios for opening through the use of VR. It will also host crew refresher courses and CAA testing.

Virgin Atlantic will have 12 Airbus A3501000 by 2021 worth an estimated $4.4billion.

We want to provoke emotion in our passengers, effect how they feel about travelling and to create something unmistakeably Virgin”