What are the differences among Virgin Atlantic's Economy Light, Classic and Delight fares?
Virgin Atlantic offers three different cabins on its aircraft: economy, Premium (premium economy) and Upper Class (business class).
But did you know its economy cabin offers three very different fare types? What are the differences, and which should you choose?
Related: Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: How to earn and redeem points for maximum value
Virgin Atlantic economy-class basics
All three Virgin Atlantic economy fare types include the following:
- A seat in the economy cabin of the aircraft
- One 22-pound piece of carry-on luggage
- All meals, snacks and drinks
- Inflight seatback entertainment
- The ability to earn Virgin points for the flight
The three economy-class fare types, called Light, Classic and Delight, then differ as follows:
| Category | Economy Light | Economy Classic | Economy Delight |
|---|---|---|---|
Checked baggage | Not included | One 50-pound bag* | One 50-pound bag* |
Seat selection | Available during the check-in process (can pay extra to select in advance) | Available anytime | Available anytime |
Seat type | Standard-legroom seat up to 31 inches | Standard-legroom seat up to 31 inches | Extra-legroom seat up to 34 inches (including in exit rows) |
Upgradeable to Premium or Upper Class with Virgin points | No | Yes | Yes |
Priority check-in | No | No | Yes |
Priority boarding | No | No | Yes |
*Passengers flying to or from India, Nigeria and South Africa have a different baggage allowance.
So why are there three different options for the same cabin? Virgin says it is about giving passengers more travel choices and not charging them for things they don't want or need.
Don't need checked luggage for a cheeky weekend in New York City? Don't pay for it.
Want seat selection to ensure you sit next to your travel partner? There's that option, too.
Economy Delight comes with some perks that airlines usually reserve for their elite members who are flying economy — now everyone can pay for these benefits.
The three options also help Virgin compete with low-cost carrier Norse Atlantic Airways on many of the same routes to the United States. Norse Atlantic offers very low headline fares similar to the Economy Light option with Virgin Atlantic. When fantastic sale fares are advertised with Virgin Atlantic, they will most likely be Economy Light options.
I would argue that an Economy Light fare with Virgin would be significantly better than the same on Norse Atlantic, as Norse Atlantic does not include a carry-on bag, food or drinks for free on its cheapest fares, whereas Virgin Atlantic does.
Related: This feels familiar: A review of Norse Atlantic Premium on the 787 from London to New York
How much do Virgin Atlantic Economy Light, Classic and Delight cost?
Looking at a round trip on the busy route between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Heathrow Airport (LHR) in May 2025, I can see fares priced as follows:
- Economy Light: $583
- Economy Classic: $743
- Economy Delight: $843
So, Classic is $160 more than Light, or around 27% more. Delight is $100 (around 13%) more than Classic and $260 (around 44%) more expensive than Light.
So which type should you go for?
You could assume that Light is cheap for a transatlantic flight on a full-service airline — Norse Atlantic may have a similar price and not include seat selection or checked bags, but it also won't include a carry-on bag and food and drinks like Virgin.
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Another way to look at it is that the Classic and Delight fares are significantly more expensive than the Light option, so consider if you need all those extras bundled together in Classic and Delight fares if you are trying to decide among them. If you can get away with only carry-on luggage for a long weekend and don't want to upgrade your fare with points, remember that you can pay for seat selection if you wish — even doing that both ways, you'll still save money versus paying the Classic price.
If you do need to check a bag, note that Virgin will charge a steep $150 round-trip for the privilege on an Economy Light fare, which is nearly the same price difference as upgrading to Economy Classic; you would be better off paying for Economy Classic given it also offers free seat selection and no change fees (a fare difference may apply). An additional $50 each way for an extra-legroom seat could also be a wise investment in Economy Delight, especially given that you can select an exit row seat with a Delight fare.
All Virgin Atlantic economy-class award redemptions book into Economy Classic, whether you redeem Virgin points through Flying Club or use a partner currency like Delta Air Lines SkyMiles miles or Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles.
There is no way to book Economy Light or Delight fares with points or miles, and you cannot upgrade an Economy Classic redemption to Economy Delight with cash, points or miles, which is an odd restriction.
Related: Is Virgin Atlantic Economy Delight worth it on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner?
How to earn Virgin points
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:
- American Express Membership Rewards (points transfer at a 1:1 ratio)
- 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 and miles 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 (see rates and fees)
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees)
Bottom line
Virgin Atlantic has split its economy cabin into three different fare options.
You only need to pay for what you use, and you can choose between very cheap fares without bells and whistles and fares with almost everything an economy passenger could want.
Always remember that Virgin Atlantic is a full-service airline, so you can earn points and enjoy food, drinks and entertainment on all flights.
If more space is your top priority on long flights, paying for an extra-legroom seat with an Economy Light fare might be a better investment than paying for Economy Delight.
Related reading:
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