Virgin Atlantic 787 Upper Class seat – is there anything good about it?

[markymarc2000]

I know it’s a hot topic that seems to get so many people very hot under the collar about so when I booked our first Virgin Upper class flight I chose LAX to LHR on VS24 as this would be using the A350. Or so I thought…
I received an email this morning informing me of the aircraft change to a B787, slight time change too but that’s no big deal and our seats are still both row A. When I Google the seat it’s just endless pages of angry moaning so I’m asking is there anyone out there who has a good word to say about it?

[bthere79]

i mean, it was great in 2005… 🙂

[Travel Strong]

There’s quite a lot of folk who agree that, because it flips over to a matress side in bed mode, the sleeping surface is a comfortable matress compared to many seats.

I’ve certainly had some of my better overnight sleeps on the 787, compared to other seats – and I am 6’2, so it can’t be too terrible.

If you can keep your feet away from being knocked at the end, and you are just there to sleep – it isn’t that bad.

… Don’t have anything positive to say about seat storage, IFE, privacy, etc!

[Froggee]

It’s flat.

I mean – I agree there are many business class seats that are a decent bit better than it but it is all fairly marginal.

If you were to rate comfort out of 10 it would be something like:

1-2 – economy
3-4 – premium economy
5 – old style cradle business class
6-8 – lie flat business class
9 – proper suite
10 – residence

You can argue about the exact ratings but there is not a premium economy product I would prefer to fly overnight rather than a Virgin coffin seat – rating 6. And indeed if you offered me a choice of the best business class product (rated 8) but a too hot cabin vs a coffin seat and an appropriate temperature to sleep I would choose the coffin seat.

So yeah it’s not great but it is so much better than not flying in business class, I can’t get too worked up about it.

I would also choose it vs an aisle seat in old club world but would choose a window in old club world over a coffin seat. I am 6’1” and always get bashed in an aisle seat in old club world but am capable of keeping my feet out of harm’s way in the coffin seat.

But as Mrs Froggee keeps telling me – everyone is different. You may hate it more than flying in economy with a screaming baby next to you and a toddler playing the drums behind you!

[markymarc2000]

Froggee wrote:

It’s flat.

I mean – I agree there are many business class seats that are a decent bit better than it but it is all fairly marginal.

If you were to rate comfort out of 10 it would be something like:

1-2 – economy
3-4 – premium economy
5 – old style cradle business class
6-8 – lie flat business class
9 – proper suite
10 – residence

You can argue about the exact ratings but there is not a premium economy product I would prefer to fly overnight rather than a Virgin coffin seat – rating 6. And indeed if you offered me a choice of the best business class product (rated 8) but a too hot cabin vs a coffin seat and an appropriate temperature to sleep I would choose the coffin seat.

So yeah it’s not great but it is so much better than not flying in business class, I can’t get too worked up about it.

I would also choose it vs an aisle seat in old club world but would choose a window in old club world over a coffin seat. I am 6’1” and always get bashed in an aisle seat in old club world but am capable of keeping my feet out of harm’s way in the coffin seat.

But as Mrs Froggee keeps telling me – everyone is different. You may hate it more than flying in economy with a screaming baby next to you and a toddler playing the drums behind you!

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Thank you Froggee, that’s a more level headed opinion. My sister who is a regular cross Atlantic traveller suggested I chose row A and near the front as there are no toilets up there so really there should be few passers by excepting the crew who usually sound excellent. Thank you.

[Guernsey Globetrotter]

Row A is the top tip here.

Personally I prefer midway down the aisle rather than nearer the front. One of the great things about Virgin’s cabin crew is how gregarious they can be. This can also be a drawback if you are wanting sleep and they are all recounting tales of their partying while on the last lay-over!

Another benefit of the seats not mentioned yet is they enable buddy dining, which can be a novel and pleasant way to enjoy a meal with a travel partner.

Finally, I really think that the excessive hate for these seats at least partially stems from them having acquired this particularly emotive moniker of ‘coffin’ seats. That or from people who didn’t read the row A memo and so ended up spending a 10 hour flight gazing into the eyes of a stranger across the way! As @Froggee says, they’re totally better than all other economy or PE options.