Is Virgin Atlantic Economy Delight worth it on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner?

How much does Economy Delight cost to book on Virgin?

Virgin Atlantic operates a daily 787 service between London and Seattle, departing London at 12:45 p.m. and arriving in Seattle at 2:30 p.m., both times local. The flight time comes in at about nine and a half hours. Flight schedules differ slightly depending on the time of year.

The airline sells three economy fare types with the following inclusions:

Checking into and boarding Economy Delight on Virgin Atlantic

How comfortable was Economy Delight on Virgin Atlantic?

The aircraft for my nine-hour flight to Seattle was a nine-year-old Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner named “Miss Chief” with the following seat count and layout in economy.

Virgin’s economy class is spread across two cabins behind premium economy and Upper Class (business class).

Seats were arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration, with Economy Delight seats in the front cabin.

Economy Delight were the three seats closest to each window (A, B and C and H, J and K) in rows 46 to 51.

While the Delight seats initially appeared the same as other seats in the cabin, the additional three inches of legroom was apparent when I sat down and was roomy enough for my 6-foot frame.

A 3-3-3 layout isn’t my favorite, as it’s not ideal for couples traveling together or families of four.

If possible, select a Delight seat in row 46, which is at the bulkhead. These seats enjoy additional legroom and the benefit of nobody reclining in front of you.

Each seat had a USB-A charger under the seatback screen, and a (fairly dirty) universal charging plug was shared between each seat.

You could use a button in the side armrest to recline your seat, and the 7 inches was decent for economy class.

I liked the headrest, which could be adjusted up and down and had fixed side wings that did not droop and provided a stable yet padded place to rest my head for a quick nap during this long daytime flight to Seattle.

A bifold table folded out from the seatback in front of me.

One of the reasons I sought out Virgin’s Economy Delight product was the hope that the extra legroom would allow me to have a productive day working from the sky on my laptop.

While my MacBook is larger than many at 15 inches, it was a very tight squeeze trying to work on it for nine hours, and I wished I had booked an exit row seat in regular economy class instead, which would have given me a lot more space.

Four bathrooms were provided for the 156 economy passengers, a decent ratio. There was rarely a line to use them on this flight, and they were kept clean.

Amenities in Virgin Atlantic Economy Delight

Each economy class seat contained a small blanket, thin pillow and lightweight over-ear headphones.

The fairly crisp entertainment touchscreen on the seatback could be tilted up and down slightly, which was handy when the passenger in front reclined their seat.

An impressive 119 new-release movies were available, including “Saltburn,” “Mean Girls” and “Kung Fu Panda 4.”

Wi-Fi was available on my flight to Seattle, and prices ranged from 2.99 British pounds ($3.87) to 29.99 British pounds ($38.86) for a full-flight premium surf package. I purchased the premium surf package, which registered average speeds of just 2.46 Mbps download and 1.67 Mbps upload, which was unacceptably slow for the steep price I paid and resulted in a fairly unproductive workday.

How was the food in Virgin Atlantic Economy Delight?

Around 45 minutes after departure, the crew passed through the cabin to offer a complimentary premeal drink and snack service with beer, wine and spirits.

I asked for a Coke Zero, served with a plastic cup with ice, and the crew proactively handed me a second can, given its small size. This was served with a packet of tasty crunchy corn nibbles.

After the drink and snack service, the crew verbally offered a choice of barbecue chicken or vegetarian cheese pasta — no hard menus were distributed.

I opted for the chicken served in a smoky sweet sauce with potatoes and corn. There was also a chickpea and quinoa salad starter, a chocolate mousse pot dessert, a kaiser roll, cheese and crackers.

The meal was above average for economy class, especially the moist chicken in its tasty sauce, and I liked that Virgin used sustainable bamboo cutlery for the meal.

Given the 9.5-hour flight time across to Seattle, I became hungry midway through the flight, so I was pleased to see the crew distribute a midflight snack of a grilled cheese sandwich to all economy passengers.

While simple and not particularly nutritious, this hit the spot.

Between meal services, soft drinks and corn nibbles were available for passengers to help themselves at the rear galley.

Around 75 minutes before landing, afternoon tea, a quintessentially British tradition, was served in a fun pink box labeled “Mile High Tea,” which immediately grabbed the attention of the sluggish cabin as everyone got to unbox their own meal.

Along with a hot scone (choice of plain or fruit) with jam and clotted cream, there were chicken and vegetable and cucumber and cream cheese finger sandwiches, served with tea or coffee and water.

This was an enjoyable way to end a fairly long flight.

Was Virgin Atlantic Economy Delight worth it?

Virgin Atlantic offers a solid economy-class product, regardless of whether you book Light, Classic or Delight.

The ground experience at Heathrow was pleasant. The food was excellent for economy class, and the seats held up well on this almost 10-year-old aircraft. The sluggish Wi-Fi wasn’t worth the money, but this is a minor quibble for a mostly comfortable flight.

The extra legroom was welcome and noticeable; however, this is still an economy-class seat, and I was very glad to get off after nine-plus hours.

If you plan to work on a laptop on Virgin’s 787s, invest in an economy class exit row (which would have only cost around $100 more) rather than an Economy Delight to have more space to work.

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