Virgin Atlantic has unveiled stunning new seats which will be found on the airline’s upcoming Airbus A330neos.
The Business Class cabin
Virgin Atlantic’s new Airbus A330neo will feature 30 brand-new Upper Class seats (Virgin Atlantic’s way of calling Business Class seats). The fully forward-facing suite features a sliding door for more privacy, more storage and a ‘do not disturb’ feature. It has passenger-controlled mood lighting, 17.3-inch touchscreen inflight entertainment screen, a mirror, wireless charging and multiple USB ports. Passengers can connect their own headphones to the inflight entertainment system via Bluetooth, something which is becoming common now-a-days.
In addition to new Upper Class seats, the London-based airline has unveiled its most spacious Upper Class seats. The Retreat Suites are the two bulkhead Upper Class seats in the middle. The Retreat Suite comprises a 6-feet 7-inch direct seat to fully flat bed and a 27-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth connectivity and wireless charging. With each suite boasting an ottoman that doubles up as an extra seat, up to four people can comfortably dine, chat or play games in their own private social space.
The Loft
The airline’s famous social space, called “The Loft”, will also be present in its A330neos. In an evolution of design from the Airbus A350, it consists of space for 8 people, with 4 comfortable seats, allowing guests to sit and chat or enjoy refreshments from the new self-service fridge and drinks dispenser. Passengers can also connect Bluetooth headphones to the dual panoramic 27-inch touchscreens or utilise the wireless charging facility for their devices.
The Premium cabin
Virgin Atlantic’s new A330neos will feature 46 Premium seats (Premium Economy seats). The carrier’s trademark burgundy Premium seats, with a 38-inch pitch remain, but they’re accompanied by calf rests in every seat and a 13.3-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth audio. The airline will also offer its Premium passengers an in-seat wireless charging pad.
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The Economy cabin
The Economy cabin on the airline’s A330neos will feature 28 Economy Delight seats, which offer an increased 34-inch seat pitch, and 156 Economy Classic seats, providing a 31-inch seat pitch. The A330neos will feature the airline’s largest ever inflight entertainment screen in Economy Class at 13.3-inches, with an intuitive touchscreen and Bluetooth audio to connect headphones, with passengers able to use their phone as a controller. There’s also plenty of storage, plus AC power and USB ports to keep gadgets energised.
Corneel Koster, Chief Customer and Operating Officer, Virgin Atlantic, said:
When it comes to innovating for our customers, we never stand still. Our desire to create memorable experiences means we’ll continue to imagine with fresh ideas. We care about every detail of the cabin design and every step of our customer’s journey. We’re proud to unveil our state of the art A330neo and show the evolution of our customer experience, with each of our customers receiving a premium experience regardless of the cabin they travel in. They’ll be better connected with their fellow travellers and our amazing crew in the air, and with their friends and family on the ground.
Corneel added:
The A330neo plays a significant role in our multi billion dollar fleet transformation, demonstrating our commitment to the planet. We know the most impactful thing we can do as an airline is to fly the cleanest, greenest, youngest fleet possible and the A330neo is integral to achieving this goal. It’s truly a plane for the future.
Virgin Atlantic’s new Airbus A330neos
Virgin Atlantic placed an order for up to 16 Airbus A330-900neos, becoming the first UK-based airline to select the particular aircraft type. Following a multi-billion-dollar investment in fleet transformation over the last decade, the airline operates a fleet with the average aircraft age of just under 7 years and 68% next generation aircraft. This will increase to 100% next generation by the beginning of 2027. This has so far delivered a 20% reduction in fleet carbon emissions, according to the airline. The airline adds that over the next decade, it save another 10% in carbon emissions. The A330-900neos are designed to be 11% more fuel and carbon efficient than the A330-300 they’re directly replacing and will deliver a 50% reduction in airport noise contour.
The first Virgin Atlantic A330-900neo is expected to take off to Boston on its first passenger flight in early October. Tickets will go on sale later this month. From September 2022, the airline will take delivery of 3 aircraft, with the remaining deliveries following between 2023 and 2026.
Featured image by Virgin Atlantic
All the other images by Virgin Atlantic
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