Virgin Atlantic completes Fitting Upper Class Suite to Gatwick Fleet

Virgin Atlantic has announced that all of its Gatwick-based aircraft are now fitted with the airline's new Upper Class Suite just over a year after it was launched on the Heathrow fleet.

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Atlantic, commented, “We are very proud to be able to offer the Upper Class Suite to Gatwick passengers. We are sure that this award-winning Suite will be enjoyed by business and leisure passengers alike who are travelling on these routes.

“We are also pleased to announce that following the success and growing popularity of Premium Economy, Virgin Atlantic has expanded the number of seats in this cabin from 38 to 58 to meet demand from leisure passengers. Since we launched Premium Economy in 1992, it has been increasingly popular with passengers who wish to enjoy more space and flexibility along with a range of other services including a separate Check In, priority luggage and pre-flight champagne.”

Virgin Atlantic has completed fitting the Upper Class Suite onto its Heathrow based Boeing 747-400 fleet and its Airbus 340-600 fleet. The completion of the Gatwick fleet brings the total number of aircraft fitted with the Upper Class Suite to 21 out of the airline’s 30 with only nine Airbus A340-300s yet to be fitted.

Virgin Atlantic operates services from Gatwick to Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, Grenada, Tobago, Orlando, Las Vegas and Port Harcourt and will be introducing services to Cuba and the Bahamas in July 2005. Virgin Atlantic plans to introduce self service Check In kiosks at Gatwick Airport in spring 2005.

The Gatwick 747-400’s are configured with 14 Upper Class seats, 58 Premium Economy seats and 379 seats in Economy.

Virgin Atlantic’s new Upper Class Suite, consists of a reclining leather seat for take off, a place to sit and eat a meal opposite your partner, one of the longest fully flat beds in the world with a proper mattress for sleeping on, a private onboard bar to drink at with friends and four limousines per return trip.

See other recent news regarding: Virgin Atlantic