Exclusive pictures of the new Virgin Atlantic A350 tray table!
Links on Head for Points may support the site by paying a commission. See here for all partner links.
News in brief:
Exclusive pictures of the new Virgin Atlantic A350 tray table ….
There is a lot to like about the new Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Suite which launched on the A350 last year. Here is our review of the new Upper Class Suite if you haven’t seen it yet.
Two issues quickly became apparent, however. The first was the lack of at-seat storage, although there is plenty of space in the overhead lockers. The second and (literally) more pressing issue was the tray table.
I have to admit that I sat in the mock-up cabin in Crawley pre-launch and did not spot this, but then I have a 34 inch waist. For anyone who is pregnant or who does not share my svelte figure, the new Upper Class tray table was problematic. It only had two positions – stored or fully out – and when fully out it was a very cosy fit against your stomach.
The first aircraft with the redesigned tray table is now in service and the remainder will be retrofitted. As you can see from the photos below, sent by a reader, the table can now fold out and expand, depending on how you want to use it.
See here:
…. which opens into this. I still haven’t tried the A350 in the air yet but hopefully I can see it in action before too long.
Will the Government take an equity stake in Flybe?
Talks are continuing over the terms of a Government loan to Flybe, soon to be rebranded as Virgin Connect.
The BBC reported yesterday that the Government may ask for equity warrants. This would allow it to receive discounted shares in Connect Airways, the Flybe holding company, as part of the loan. The price of these shares would be set so that it made no sense to buy them at the moment, but the guaranteed price would allow a profit to be made if the value of the company rose.
One problem here, of course, is that Connect Airways is a private company. Exercising a warrant would leave the Government holding shares which could not easily be sold, given that they are not quoted on any stock exchange. There would also be minimal demand from elsewhere for a minority stake with no real power.
I am not saying that the Government should not make a loan, because there are broader economic reasons for keeping niche air routes and regional airports open. Trying to dress it up as a ‘commercial’ loan, however, is never going to wash.
PS. If you are not a regular Head for Points visitor, why not sign up for our FREE weekly or daily newsletters? They are full of the latest Avios, airline, hotel and credit card points news and will help you travel better. To join our 65,000 free subscribers, click the button below or visit this page of the site to find out more. Thank you.
How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (April 2025)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Virgin Points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.
You can choose from two official Virgin Atlantic credit cards (apply here, the Reward+ card has a bonus of 18,000 Virgin Points and the free card has a bonus of 3,000 Virgin Points):
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard
18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review
Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard
3,000 bonus points, no fee and 1 point for every £1 you spend Read our full review
You can also earn Virgin Points from various American Express cards – and these have sign-up bonuses too.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for a year and comes with 20,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 20,000 Virgin Points.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express comes with 50,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 50,000 Virgin Points.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
The Platinum Card from American Express
80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
Small business owners should consider the two American Express Business cards. Points convert at 1:1 into Virgin Points.
American Express Business Platinum
50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Virgin Points.
Heathrow Flyer 
Shoestring 
marcw 
Anna 
Pangolin 
BJ 
Lady London 
TripRep 
ChrisA 
ChrisC 
DTB 
Doug M 
yorkieflyer 
ADS 
Roger* 
Eli 
Russ 
TGLoyalty 
Anouj 
Rob 
Alex Sm 
Comments (95)