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Your guide to the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing at Heathrow Terminal 3

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The nearest that any London airport has to Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal in Frankfurt (old review here) is Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class Wing.

It’s not really a fair comparison, of course. Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal is a totally separate building, allowing you to check in, eat, drink, clear security and be driven (yes, driven) to the steps of your aircraft without having to dirty your feet in the main terminal building.

The Upper Class Wing isn’t like that, but it is still quite cool. There is a page dedicated to it on the Virgin Atlantic website which you can find here.

I thought it was worth a quick primer on how it works.

Review Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing at Heathrow Terminal 3

Getting to Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class Wing

The key thing you need to know, if flying Upper Class or Delta One from Heathrow Terminal 3, is that the entrance is totally separate from the main Terminal 3 drop-off area.

(You can also use the Wing if you have Virgin Flying Club Gold status and are flying in Premium or Economy on Virgin Atlantic or Delta. The detailed list of access rules is below.)

It opens at 5am and closes at 9.30pm. If you are arriving outside these hours, you need to use the main terminal entrance.

If you are arriving by Uber, the app has ‘Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing’ as a known drop-off point. If you are taking a black cab, make sure the driver knows exactly where to drop you.

If you are being dropped off by a friend or relative, remember that the entrance to the Wing is inside the drop off charge zone at Heathrow. Whoever drives you will be liable for a £5 fee.

Note that it is not possible to use the Upper Class Wing check-in if arriving on public transport. The only way in is by car. You can use the Upper Class Wing security line by taking a lift in Zone A of the main terminal.

As you head towards Terminal 3 in your taxi or Uber, you are looking out for this sign:

Review Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing at Heathrow Terminal 3

As you turn towards the Upper Class Wing, you are met by a barrier and an intercom.

This is farcical, frankly. The only person who can speak into it is the driver, because of how it is positioned, but whoever answers it insists on speaking to the flyer. The flyer will never be the driver. Last time I was there I tried shouting from the passenger seat (at least I wasn’t in the back) but I couldn’t be heard. I tried to get the taxi driver to speak on my behalf but the person couldn’t understand anything.

‘He’s flying to Boston’. ‘Atlanta? I can’t see a Burgess flying to Atlanta’. ‘No, Boston’. ‘Is he sure he’s flying Virgin Atlantic to Atlanta?’

In the end the person on the intercom gave up and lifted the barrier anyway.

You then head down this dodgy looking bit of road:

Review Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing at Heathrow Terminal 3

…. until you finally appear in something suitably classy:

Review Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing at Heathrow Terminal 3

There are two things to note here. You cannot park your car anywhere – it is strictly a drop-off area. Because of the turning circle, it cannot accept stretched cars or oversized vehicles.

You enter here. Someone should be waiting at the door to relieve you of your luggage:

Review Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing at Heathrow Terminal 3

Inside it is a fairly sparse space. To your right you have some toilets and some seating, in case the two check-in desks are occupied:

Review Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing at Heathrow Terminal 3

…. and next to that, a model aircraft and a fridge containing soft drinks – you can see it in the top photograph above, which is a PR image.

Once you’ve dropped your bags, if you have any, you walk down this corridor:

Review Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing at Heathrow Terminal 3

…. and turn left at the end. You are immediately at a security belt. Here is a PR shot from the Virgin Atlantic website although this may have changed since new security equipment was installed earlier this year:

Review Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing at Heathrow Terminal 3

At this point, you realise that the Upper Class Wing is, in some ways, a big trick. The security lane is part of the main bank of security lanes inside Terminal 3, albeit dedicated to Upper Class Wing users. You have been inside the main terminal building all the time.

Once you have cleared security, you exit in the same place as everyone else coming into Terminal 3, trapped in the World Duty Free maze. It is a long walk to the Clubhouse lounge (review) but no worse than it is for people checking in via the main terminal.

How does the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing in Terminal 3 compare to the British Airways First Wing in Terminal 5?

Whilst these two ‘exclusive’ areas seem similar, in reality they operate in different ways.

Who can use it?

Virgin Atlantic allows the following to use the Upper Class Wing, according to its website:

Passengers travelling in the following cabins:

  • Upper Class on Virgin Atlantic + a guest travelling with Virgin Atlantic or Delta
  • Delta One on Delta

Passengers with the following loyalty status:

  • Flying Club Gold card members + a guest travelling with Virgin Atlantic or Delta
  • Delta Sky Miles Diamond and Platinum Medallions + a guest travelling on Virgin Atlantic or Delta
  • Flying Blue Platinum Members + a guest travelling on Virgin Atlantic or Delta
  • Virgin Australia Velocity Club Gold, Platinum and The Club card holders travelling on Virgin Atlantic

Intriguingly, Virgin Atlantic has – since we last looked at this topic – removed a line saying that other SkyTeam Elite Plus members with a guest were welcome when travelling with Virgin Atlantic or Delta. Are they still welcome or are they now banned?

The British Airways First Wing is only for Executive Club Gold members or equivalents or First Class passengers

Do you have a dedicated drop-off area and someone to carry your luggage?

  • Virgin UCW – yes
  • BA FW – no

Do you avoid the main terminal?

  • Virgin UCW – yes, until you exit security, then you join the throng on your way to the Clubhouse lounge
  • BA FW – you need to enter Terminal 5 to access the First Wing but once in it, you have a private channel all the way to the Galleries First lounge

Can you use it if arriving by public transport?

  • Virgin UCW – no, only car drop off is allowed, but you can use the private security channel by taking the lift in Zone A of Terminal 3 to the Upper Class Wing
  • BA FW – yes

You can find out more about the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing on its website here.


How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards

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.

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.

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

Comments (30)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:

    “ … trapped in the World Duty Free maze”

    No you’re not.

    After you come out of the security area head for WH Smiths next to the VAT refunds desk and you avoid it completely

    see map page 4 – https://www.heathrow.com/content/dam/heathrow/web/common/documents/transport/Heathrow_T3_Map.pdf

    (And if you use the normal priority security lane you come out into the central seating area)

    Either way it’s hardly the long march to the Club House.

    • MarkMD says:

      Oh, nice tip – I’m going through the UC security channel on Monday, so will give it a try.

  • Magic Mike says:

    Using public transport, you can get to Upper Class Wing security using the lift to the right hand side of the VS check-in desks on T3 ground floor. The lift needs a boarding pass with a barcode so you either need to already have a boarding pass or to check in downstairs.

    • AL says:

      There’s usually a member of staff there. Flash your plastic or Apple Wallet card and they’ll let you up. Useful when the DL hoardes have arrived to check in and you don’t want to wait.

  • Phil says:

    Recently, at some peak times, the queue of cars waiting to be let up the ramp have made it a pointless exercise, it can quicker to go round to the main terminal and up in the lift.

  • David Cohen says:

    Would love to see you guys do a review of Air France La Premiere and stack that up against BA/LH and the rest.

  • mkcol says:

    Can you use the Upper Class Wing check in/security channel from the lift if you’ve used a credit card voucher to gain entry to the Clubhouse?

    • Claphambear says:

      No – you need to be either flying Upper or have Gold FC card (or equivalents as sated in the article) – Clubhouse access voucher is exactly that – access to the Clubhouse only as, at quiet times, those flying PE can sometimes purchase access to CH on the day

  • supergraeme says:

    Used it two months ago and they were happy to speak to the driver.

  • Claphambear says:

    I have used it since it opened when VS used to send you in a “free”Tristar car and not once had to speak into the intercom – driver gives route, says yes Upper and sometimes surname.

    Noe there are 3 checkin desks staffed and sometimes 4 staff so rarely any wait even in morning “rush hour”

    The Clubhouse staff see you have gone through the wing and ready to welcome you by name at the door (and with frequent flyers their favourite drink on a tray for me !)

    • AL says:

      I do love a named welcome back with my drink waiting. It’s one of the nice touches.

  • paul says:

    I always give our Uber driver my surname and destination and it’s never been an issue for him to speak on the intercom.

    I’ve found the porters to be very friendly, but the check in staff can be really quite miserable and seldom engage in any conversation.

    And the walk to the UC Lounge is less than 5 minutes – the difficult part is finding it on your first visit.

    • MarkMD says:

      Quite. Once you know your way there it’s really not a long walk, although zig-zagging through lost people certainly adds to it! I’ve always found the Clubhouse fairly handy for departure gates by Heathrow standards, though not as convenient as at JFK, SFO or the BA lounge on the B gates in T5 (those lounges are of course inferior to the LHR clubhouse).

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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