Is Virgin Atlantic Economy Delight worth it on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner?

Quick take: Virgin's full-fare economy product provides a little extra space and a few ground perks, though an investment in an exit row seat might be a smarter choice on long flights.

Pros

• Economy Delight is a reasonable upcharge over regular economy fares
• Delicious food and friendly service
• Priority check-in and boarding are included

Cons

• The seat still feels tight on a long-haul flight
• Exit rows could provide more personal space for a better price
• Not bookable with any points or miles

Are all economy products the same?

Virgin Atlantic offers three different economy products on each flight: Light, Classic and Delight. While all three are located in the same economy class cabin toward the aircraft's rear, there are subtle differences between the offerings.

So, if your budget doesn't extend to the airline's solid premium economy product, should you keep it simple with the cheapest economy ticket or go for some extras with the full-fare option Virgin brands as “Economy Delight”?

To decide if Economy Delight's perks were worth the cost, I tested it on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner service from London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

Here's what the experience was like.

Related: Virgin Atlantic to fly to Canada for first time in 10 years in broader 3-route expansion

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How much does Economy Delight cost to book on Virgin?

Virgin Atlantic operates a daily 787 service between London and Seattle, departing London at 12:45 p.m. and arriving in Seattle at 2:30 p.m., both times local. The flight time comes in at about nine and a half hours. Flight schedules differ slightly depending on the time of year.

The airline sells three economy fare types with the following inclusions:

Here's a look at round-trip airfares and award prices on this route over the next several months at the time of publication, noting Flying Club recently switched from fixed-rate pricing to dynamic pricing. Every seat between London and Seattle can now be booked with Virgin points.

On Oct. 30, 2024, Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club program moved from fixed-rate to dynamic pricing for all flights Virgin Atlantic operates.

We booked a one-way Economy Classic ticket for 15,000 Virgin points plus 212.29 British pounds (about $275) in fees, taxes and surcharges, including the compulsory U.K. Air Passenger Duty Tax. Oddly, there is no way to book Economy Delight with any points or miles or to upgrade from a Classic redemption using cash or points and miles.

It's easy to boost your Virgin points balance with the right credit card, as Flying Club is a transfer partner of every major program with a transferable currency, including:

• American Express Membership Rewards (1:1)
• Bilt Rewards (1:1)
• Capital One (1:1)
• Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1)
• Citi ThankYou Rewards (1:1)
• Marriott Bonvoy (3:1, with a 5,000-point bonus for transferring 60,000 points and a 48-hour transfer time)
• Wells Fargo Rewards (1:1)

Some of the above programs offer regular transfer bonuses to Flying Club, meaning you might need even fewer points than you first thought.

Many of these programs offer cards that feature terrific welcome bonuses. Here are some of our favorite travel rewards cards that earn transferable points that can be converted to Virgin points:

• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• American Express® Gold Card
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees)

The information for the Ink Business Preferred has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Checking into and boarding Economy Delight on Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic operates from Terminal 3 at London's Heathrow Airport with its SkyTeam partner Delta Air Lines.

An immediate benefit of Economy Delight over the cheaper two economy fare types was the ability to use the premium economy check-in line, and I was helped within a few minutes by the cheerful check-in staff.

Economy Delight does not come with priority security, and I've found Terminal 3 to have the slowest security of the four active terminals at Heathrow, so allow sufficient time to pass through.

Related: The best lounges at London Heathrow — and how to get inside

At the gate area, I found plenty of seating for passengers to wait for the flight to Seattle — as well as excellent views across the tarmac of the Dreamliner that would be taking us there.

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Virgin boarded by group numbers, with Economy Delight passengers invited to board in group 4, along with Delta Silver Medallion members and SkyTeam Elite members. This was ahead of Flying Club Red members in group five and all other economy class passengers in groups 6 to 9.

Boarding was well set up with clearly defined lanes for priority and nonpriority passengers, and boarding order was clearly announced and enforced.

Though the flight was fairly full, boarding for the 12:45 p.m. departure began 30 minutes before departure, and we departed on time.

How comfortable was Economy Delight on Virgin Atlantic?

The aircraft for my nine-hour flight to Seattle was a nine-year-old Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner named "Miss Chief" with the following seat count and layout in economy.

Virgin's economy class is spread across two cabins behind premium economy and Upper Class (business class).

Seats were arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration, with Economy Delight seats in the front cabin.

Economy Delight were the three seats closest to each window (A, B and C and H, J and K) in rows 46 to 51.

While the Delight seats initially appeared the same as other seats in the cabin, the additional three inches of legroom was apparent when I sat down and was roomy enough for my 6-foot frame.

A 3-3-3 layout isn't my favorite, as it's not ideal for couples traveling together or families of four.

If possible, select a Delight seat in row 46, which is at the bulkhead. These seats enjoy additional legroom and the benefit of nobody reclining in front of you.

Each seat had a USB-A charger under the seatback screen, and a (fairly dirty) universal charging plug was shared between each seat.

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You could use a button in the side armrest to recline your seat, and the 7 inches was decent for economy class.

I liked the headrest, which could be adjusted up and down and had fixed side wings that did not droop and provided a stable yet padded place to rest my head for a quick nap during this long daytime flight to Seattle.

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A bifold table folded out from the seatback in front of me.

One of the reasons I sought out Virgin's Economy Delight product was the hope that the extra legroom would allow me to have a productive day working from the sky on my laptop.

While my MacBook is larger than many at 15 inches, it was a very tight squeeze trying to work on it for nine hours, and I wished I had booked an exit row seat in regular economy class instead, which would have given me a lot more space.

Four bathrooms were provided for the 156 economy passengers, a decent ratio. There was rarely a line to use them on this flight, and they were kept clean.

Amenities in Virgin Atlantic Economy Delight

Each economy class seat contained a small blanket, thin pillow and lightweight over-ear headphones.

The fairly crisp entertainment touchscreen on the seatback could be tilted up and down slightly, which was handy when the passenger in front reclined their seat.

An impressive 119 new-release movies were available, including "Saltburn," "Mean Girls" and "Kung Fu Panda 4."

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Wi-Fi was available on my flight to Seattle, and prices ranged from 2.99 British pounds ($3.87) to 29.99 British pounds ($38.86) for a full-flight premium surf package. I purchased the premium surf package, which registered average speeds of just 2.46 Mbps download and 1.67 Mbps upload, which was unacceptably slow for the steep price I paid and resulted in a fairly unproductive workday.

How was the food in Virgin Atlantic Economy Delight?

Around 45 minutes after departure, the crew passed through the cabin to offer a complimentary premeal drink and snack service with beer, wine and spirits.

I asked for a Coke Zero, served with a plastic cup with ice, and the crew proactively handed me a second can, given its small size. This was served with a packet of tasty crunchy corn nibbles.

After the drink and snack service, the crew verbally offered a choice of barbecue chicken or vegetarian cheese pasta — no hard menus were distributed.

I opted for the chicken served in a smoky sweet sauce with potatoes and corn. There was also a chickpea and quinoa salad starter, a chocolate mousse pot dessert, a kaiser roll, cheese and crackers.

The meal was above average for economy class, especially the moist chicken in its tasty sauce, and I liked that Virgin used sustainable bamboo cutlery for the meal.

Given the 9.5-hour flight time across to Seattle, I became hungry midway through the flight, so I was pleased to see the crew distribute a midflight snack of a grilled cheese sandwich to all economy passengers.

While simple and not particularly nutritious, this hit the spot.

Between meal services, soft drinks and corn nibbles were available for passengers to help themselves at the rear galley.

Around 75 minutes before landing, afternoon tea, a quintessentially British tradition, was served in a fun pink box labeled "Mile High Tea," which immediately grabbed the attention of the sluggish cabin as everyone got to unbox their own meal.

Along with a hot scone (choice of plain or fruit) with jam and clotted cream, there were chicken and vegetable and cucumber and cream cheese finger sandwiches, served with tea or coffee and water.

This was an enjoyable way to end a fairly long flight.

The Virgin Atlantic crew was upbeat, approachable and welcoming throughout the flight, with plenty of smiles, laughs and jokes. I've flown Virgin Atlantic in every cabin and found them consistently pleasant on each flight.

Related: 10 things to know about flying Virgin Atlantic's super business class, the Retreat Suite

Was Virgin Atlantic Economy Delight worth it?

Virgin Atlantic offers a solid economy-class product, regardless of whether you book Light, Classic or Delight.

The ground experience at Heathrow was pleasant. The food was excellent for economy class, and the seats held up well on this almost 10-year-old aircraft. The sluggish Wi-Fi wasn't worth the money, but this is a minor quibble for a mostly comfortable flight.

The extra legroom was welcome and noticeable; however, this is still an economy-class seat, and I was very glad to get off after nine-plus hours.

If you plan to work on a laptop on Virgin's 787s, invest in an economy class exit row (which would have only cost around $100 more) rather than an Economy Delight to have more space to work.

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