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Virgin Atlantic Begins Flying A330 With New Upper Class 'Suites'

Zach Honig
Zach Honig
Contributor
Dec. 06, 2018
•
2 min read
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Virgin Atlantic Begins Flying A330 With New Upper Class 'Suites'
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Virgin Atlantic operates some of the world's best business-class lounges, with a-la-carte dining, complimentary spa treatments and more, but Virgin's Upper Class seat has been in need of an update, especially on some of the carrier's oldest planes.

Earlier this year, the airline added four Airbus A330-200s to its fleet, with "new" seats in business class. Problem is, while they were new to Virgin Atlantic — and had fun "new" names like "Love Suite" and "Freedom Solo Suite" — they had actually been flying with defunct Air Berlin for years.

Staggered business class on the refreshed A330-200. Photo courtesy of Virgin Atlantic.

Fortunately, these particular A330s are currently undergoing a sub-fleet retrofit project, and the first refreshed plane, G-VMNK, recently returned to service with the new seats. G-VWND will likely be the next retrofitted A330-200 to re-enter service, perhaps by the end of 2018, with G-VLNM and G-VMIK following a few weeks behind.

After the update, each A330-200 will offer 19 brand new staggered 1-2-1 seats in business class, a dedicated 35-seat premium-economy cabin and 212 coach seats arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration.

Virgin Atlantic's new premium-economy cabin. Photo courtesy of Virgin Atlantic.

The rest of the interior is being redesigned as well, from the mood lighting to the lavatories — most passengers won't have any idea they're boarding an almost 20-year-old plane.

Currently, these A330-200s are being used to operate flights from London Gatwick (LGW) to the Caribbean, including Antigua (ANU), Barbados (BGI), Grenada (GND), St. Lucia (UVF) and Tobago (TAB). They're also expected to operate service between Manchester (MAN) and Los Angeles (LAX), once that route launches in May 2019.

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If you're hoping to land this new configuration, keep an eye out for the aircraft's subtype — while Virgin's A330-300s have a mix of two entirely different seating arrangements, all four A330-200s will have these new forward-facing staggered seats by Jan. 2019.

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    Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.