British Airways vs Virgin Atlantic - PREMIUM ECONOMY BATTLE

Is premium economy actually worth it? In our latest airline battle, Nicky Kelvin asked that question and put two of Britain’s most important carriers to the test: British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
Virgin Atlantic “Premium”
Aircraft: Airbus A330-900neo
Route: London Heathrow (LHR) - Tampa (TPA)
We paid: 22,500 Virgin Points + £394 taxes and fees
British Airways “World Traveller Plus”
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200
Route: Newark (EWR) - London Heathrow (LHR)
We paid: 10,400 Avios + £412 taxes and fees
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[@chris_flies_business]

I really liked this video format of immediately switching between both and being able to make a direct comparison immediately

[@robertfordjr.3507]

Excellent comparison! My wife always tells me that we are traveling in "Basic First Class" when she is referring to "Premium Economy".

[@esheodincanal]

Premium Economy is basically how Economy looked 10-15 years ago

[@originalkk882]

Exactly. The BA "amenities bag" contains what you used to get in Economy. You also used to get 2 check bags on US and Caribbean flights in Economy.

[@adrien1320]

It depends on the airline, premium economy is better now on Air France than it was in 2011

[@Tsutsadoggo7549]

Nah

[@explorewithsandy]

True

[@o.c.g.m9426]

And how much did a house "used to" cost 10-15 years ago. A snickers "used to" be $.50 cent. I "used to" make less money". Time change everything is less for more now. It sucks for everyone we get it

[@BenCG]

I feel like this so-called Premium Economy is what Economy should be if you're not flying a budget airline. As business and economies grow and innovate, the public and the customer should see and reap those benefits. Instead the prices stay more or less the same while the interiors might 'look nicer' but the standards go down. I've had more legroom on Ryanair than I had on a BA flight last year.

[@rohnickamiriama1361]

I went on British airways premium economy and it was really nice. Very comfortable in between luxury and a cheap price

[@imsbvs]

I flew premium economy when I last visited New York, upgraded by BA! This was on a 747, it was Christmas 3 months before lockdown. I am tempted to use this seat class for future overnight flight, the extra space really is the biggest selling point for me. The other so called "benefits" eg free 2nd checked bag whilst nice don't warrant the hype.

[@davidlazarus67]

The extra bag is a real plus for those making a shopping trip to the USA. Plus more tier points to gain status.

[@jaymzuk]

Agreed. At 6ft tall with long legs, I really appreciate the extra leg room. I can't get any decent sleep in WT, but for an extra couple hundred pounds I can sleep comfortably, get a good meal, and the extra tier points helps. I'm flying WTP to to Dallas (Back from Austin), and the extra tier points really helps too

[@jesperv.nielsen6090]

Always enjoy these very informative videos on this channel. This I watched for at specific reason and got all the answers I were hoping for. Thank you for a great product.

[@yoshlanmudaly130]

So excited when a new video gets posted. About to travel now and these guys are honestly the most informative!

[@LeanderTravels]

A great comparison! Thanks for the review!

[@RMGuide]

Such a well curated video. Thanks!

[@xChuChux911Chu]

Having flown both in the past, i have to give it to Virgin. Virgin had better food, a better seat and was just a more enjoyable experience than the one i had with BA.

[@coopa2002]

I find BA to be very variable, I've never had a consistent great experience with BA, the service depends massively

[@amymay7032]

So happy to hear this! I was between the two for my next flight and went with virgin. Every BA premium flight Ive been on, there has been an issue. My last flight to St Lucia, there were crumbs on my seat and a pretzel on the floor from the previous flight 🤢.

[@xChuChux911Chu]

@@amymay7032 Crumbs? Wow thats bad! Mine had sooo many things wrong i made a video about it! I might as well have been in economy with the lack of legroom, bad food and such. Would recommend Virgin everytime.

[@daniyalbbd5281]

​@@amymay7032believe it or not we had a dead cockroach on our seat on our BA flight to Barbados. The cabin crew couldn't care less

[@amymay7032]

@@daniyalbbd5281 ok my crumb story (and lack of electricity!) seems very first world problems 😂. Thankfully the virgin flight I took was incredible.

[@Kforaesthetik]

Omg this video was so needed, you have no idea! 😅 thank you!

[@aidengillag]

Good review 👍 People should not forget however, sometimes the upgrade is worth more in other areas such as double luggage allowance, often priority boarding and higher air miles. Ultimately though it's for the extra space over standard economy. Economy being the word. But these 2 reviews shows the added touches both airlines add to the inflight service to give it that little edge.

[@brendonmcmorrow3886]

Thanks Nicky. Really helpful comparison which accords with my own personal experience. The one thing you didn’t mention was cost. Are you able to say something about cost the next time you do one of these comparisons? At the end of the day, cost will be a significant factor in my decision making whenever similar products offered by different carriers are operated to a good standard. Cheers.

[@luxpursuits]

He flies for free so he doesn't know the cost

[@informationoverlord]

A good comparison, World Traveller Plus is now my go to option for BA to Chicago. The Cabin is normally over subscribed in WT+ and we have had a couple of free Club World upgrades on the way back. Also the late flight out of Heathrow to Chicago on our last two occasions was empty (12 people in WT+), on the 7X7 (club suite refit) plane. But again on the A380 Back was full and free upgrades to Ying Yang Club were handed out.

[@chrisohara1177]

Thanks for the excellent review Nicky - concise, informative, objective. Once again, miles ahead of most (if not all) of the other similar reviews available.

[@johnboy5736]

Hiya. Thanks for your time and effort making the video. Both looked good. All down to cost. At the end of the day its a seat. Enjoy your travels. John

[@ladysmum7819]

Excellent review. Loved the side by side. Wish you said which you preferred!!!

[@rajarajput7275]

Great video mate! Amazing content as always. Can you guys try Biman Bangladesh Airlines 787 dreamliner

[@elliotdavies8815]

Definitely interesting seeing the comparrison we've flow the premium cabin in TUI long haul which is very similair to many premium products with upgraded seating, food, service etc and wasn't a massive cost to upgrade. Later this year we are trying Emirates premium which cost a lot more to upgrade but lets see if its worth it,

[@comfytravels]

Great comparison video 😀Premium Economy works very well for airlines. It helps with customer segmentation, which allows airlines to maximise revenue. That's why airlines like Emirates or Swiss keep rolling out this cabin on their planes. I have to say I'm not a big fan - I personally think most people are better off getting an Economy seat and paying extra for an emergency exit row seat.

[@adamwilliams9929]

Thanks for the review Nicky. Flew BA WT+ to Barbados from Gatwick last month, but could only do it one way as return flight was fully booked. Definitely helped having the extra legroom and amenities outbound for the daytime flight and while travelling with a young child. Keen to give Virgin a go though next time as heard great things about their cabin crew's attention to detail.

[@dylansaviationadventures]

Fantastic review! 👍 In my opinion, British Airways Premium Economy is the best. I have flown this product before, the crew were nice and friendly, the catering was on point and the seat itself was really comfortable.

[@hannahdarr7420]

Lovely to see Claire from Virgin, she was the manager of upper class during our return flight in December'22. A real credit to Virgin Atlantic.

[@jdmguy44]

I flew from HND to LHR in Feb 2020 and used BA premium eco. It was good overall. From memory about £200 more over regular economy but I felt it was worth it on a twelve hour flight.

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Thank you for sharing your flights.

[@amymay7032]

Only ever flown Virgin business and trying their premium product to LA in may so super excited. I fly BA premium quite a bit (when virgin business is waaaay too much) so looking forward to comparing the two, especially as a solo traveller.

[@jeremypearson6852]

I’ve been flying VA Premium Economy for about the last twenty years between Miami (my home) and London. I’ve always had a good experience. Having worked for airlines in the 80’s I got spoilt, so I find it hard to fly transatlantic in economy now. Just booked a PE flight on VA for March 2024, so we’ll see how it goes. An expat watching in Florida.

[@PS_Travels]

Would love to try Premium Economy one day just for the leg room alone!

[@jackhodgson8605]

Great video Nicky was great to get a comparison between the 2 airlines . Both are great airlines but I would have to go for British Airways myself. The service, the modern look of their planes, the amenity kits you receive and the overall extra space you have clinches it for me over Virgin. With premium on both you also get higher baggage allowance, more air miles and board soon all of which are a plus over standard economy. The food onboard BA looks great especially that Breakfast. Always love your videos you guys do keep it up love this style of video especially

[@mblack6945]

Space. Virgin's premium seats across their fleet are wider. The VS A350 is their narrowest premium seat.

[@originalkk882]

Flew BA WT+ to and from Australia and also the Caribbean. The biggest issue, with both their old an new seats, is that they are not comfortable on a long flight. As the leg rest does not raise to the horizontal, there is no real support under legs, and the hinge seems to affect the seat comfort. Sleeping was very difficult. I found BA economy more comfortable.

[@mrstar666]

Flew BA premium economy from Gatwick recently and although the plane was 23 years old the cabin felt very fresh the food was great and the staff where fantastic. The one negative for me was paying for a window seats only for them to move our seats less then 24hours before flying however I noticed this at twilight check in and we got moved back. Next time we’re trying virgins premium economy.

[@christinagenevieveike1552]

What an amazing video 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@petearmstrong2778]

Premium Economy (aka World Traveller Plus) varies depending on the route you fly. Transatlantic v Asia v Africa, They are not the same. You compared like-for-like on the same route so no issues. Just don't expect same on all routes.

[@andrew5200]

Agree - SA to Heathrow (return) its an easy win for Virgin - still using the 787 with the much larger and more comfortable premium economy seat. Plus their service is always good, BA very variable in that area.

[@donaldpolson5450]

So true, I found in my experience as a rule of thumb = Heathrow over Gatwick. Heathrow, as the premier airport/status, tends to get the most modern fleets and better routes. Although Gatwick has been trying so hard down the years, I still find it has never shaken off that 'bucket & spade' status. One of main reasons I fly Virgin over BA is not only is Heathrow much closer/convenient for me but the aircraft, routes/schedules and facilities are better imo. I dread the day if Virgin ever decide to return to Gatwick

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Heartbreak > Not getting a window seat. Nicky’s got his priorities right 🔥

[@wendyyiu2781]

Well done Nicky🥳🥳Thanks!👩

[@RonE_UK]

Seats are getting narrower now. Used to be 21” wide and now only 18.5”.

[@mattcampbell755]

Came specifically to say this, thanks for pointing it out. It’s still 21” on the A330 300, it “varies by plane” according to Virgin. I flew PE several times and the wider seat made a huge difference in comfort.

[@Pechico-2799]

New video Yay❤🔥

[@PokhrajRoy.]

1:05 Nicky to Virgin Atlantic Machine: “I’ll be back in First Class SOMEDAY! Just you wait!”

[@tripstracka1643]

Great stuff Nicky

[@ezrapigatt9707]

Love your videos.

[@nickk4010]

Wow at 0:04 she was the FA captain my my flight from London to SFO on Virgin in Business Class in September, very cool

[@carableu]

Nice vid!

[@daveyoung9218]

Great video. I'm flying to Seattle from London Heathrow in Sept and I'm seriously considering upgrading to the premium economy, mainly for let room and comfort

[@guinessbeer]

You should!!

[@daveyoung9218]

@guinessbeer thank you for the reply. yes I'm hoping too, I'm just waiting to hear back from my travel agent to get a price for the upgrade, not sure how much It will be, I can't see anything on ba's site

[@SahirAsadi]

Yesterday I flew TLV - LHR VS premium class. I loved everything in this flight! VS had a lot to offer! I find no reason to spend more money on Upper class for a 5 h flight 🌱

[@lenvdb64]

We last flew VA economy in 2013. Back then it was a great experience. Haven't tried it recently but going BA economy next month to SFO to compare .😢

[@coopa2002]

PE makes sense a lot of the time, the only thing is there is not much of a difference in price sometimes between PE and Business

[@poppyland74]

The 'NO' at 1:42 is classic British Customer Service! Maybe a bit of retraining in how to say it nicely?

[@GregChomko]

Shoutout from Tampa/St. Pete, FL!! 🥰

[@peterlanders3900]

It would be good to know the price difference between PE and economy for these flights. A lot of PE flights that I have looked at are thousands $ more than Economy. I don’t see that value in what was displayed here. Although I am on. Long distance PE flight later in the year. I guess I can make my mind up then

[@jalabi99]

6:56 I'd like to know what your camera gear is. It looks like a Sony EV-10 with a radio mic transmitter and an LED lamp, but I'd like to know for sure.

[@CyclespeedTours]

All your reviews are a bit too glowing and complimentary. You should look a bit closer and be critical of the failures, however small, when they are there. Only then will these airlines seek to improve.

[@michaelp5790]

BA? Virgin?? The real question ... Nicky, where did you buy that blue corduroy varsity jacket??!! Seriously, I want one ....

[@patriciafuchs5970]

Would love to try both!

[@RRWR17]

I always fly Virgin and really enjoy it but in about 2 weeks I will be trying out BAs Premium Economy from LHR to LAX on their A380 service. I thought I would give it a try and I have not flown on the A380 before so would like to scratch that off the list before it disappears entirely haha. At teh moment I am a bit disappointed that you have to pay for seat selection

[@therealisticgooner8267]

Hope you haven’t booked a window seat hoping to sleep with your head against it as you would in ‘ cattle ‘ class .. you might struggle if you have … 😴

[@dennisrettke]

The one thing I don't like about Premium Economy (and often holds me back from booking it) is that almost always the PE cabin is smack bang in the middle of the wing! I almost exclusively pick seats for or aft of the wing, so paying more to sit on the wing is a hard sell for me.

[@mitccoo]

Flying to JFK tomorrow with Virgin in Premium Economy, can't wait to see how it compares to their Basic Economy, which I just love so much. Mind you they even served High tea last time which all tasted great. I love that all their planes are nearly brand new, the media screens are crystal clear and the service is great. It is a bummer there is no amenities kit but not the end of the world. The one you get with BA is very basic anyways. I have to admit the blanket you get with BA is great quality for a plane blanket, much better than Virgin. I don't care about callbell sign, that test is a bit retarted tbh. The crew are working so hard already, you are not the only passenger so whether it is 20 or 120 seconds, it doesn't matter at all, not like you are dying or something 🙂 Otherwise it was an informative review, but each and every time you will get slightly different service. The most important thing is you arrive safely..

[@priyankadesai9059]

Eagerly waiting for Air france premium economy review. Please post it before my flights.

[@avgeek0939]

Any plans for a LOT Polish Airlines, Dreamliner (787) video?

[@Messieditz208]

I love your videos there so good

[@devendrandevaraj]

I flew BA premium economy few months ago and definitely did not experience what you experienced, the seats on my flight were the original seats the plane came with in the early 2000s, we got served economy meals. I am flying them again in June i hope I end up having the same experience that you are having on my next trip.

[@Aviation365]

You will definetely have a better trip. BA completed their Boeing 777 fleet revamp in October of 2022 (these cabins were fitted with some 2000s cabins and some dating back to earlier), so yes you will have the new cabin. I am flying with BA 777 in WTP in March next year so I am excited to see what BA offers as I have never flown long-haul with them before. Have a great time! :D

[@mrfrisky6501]

How did it go on your flight?

[@Aviation365]

@@mrfrisky6501 Haven’t flown on premium economy yet. March 2024.

[@annawho2597]

Are there air vents above each seat? It's a huge factor for me. Overall, which airline would you recommend for a transatlantic flight premium economy? we're considering AF, KLM, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic... maybe even Delta and American Airlines.

[@maggiesanders294]

Couple of queries - What are the seats like when the gus in front of you recline their seat and, how are the seats for tall people? Thanks

[@thevirgintraveller]

I flew with VA to Miami last year on the 787 in Premium, the seat and service was great, the food portion sizes however where small, not quite what I was expecting.

[@JulieWallis1963]

I guess it’s difficult. If they give large portions too much food would be wasted as not everyone eats large portions. I have a tiny appetite and my husband easily eats twice what I eat. You could always pick up something extra from the airport, it’s what I do for long haul flights, just because the meal is *not* always suitable (I’m diabetic, my husband and my adult daughter are both vegetarian) I’m sorry you felt you portions _were_ too small, but they are usually generous with snacks, especially if you ask nicely for some extras. Oh..on VA you don’t even need to ask.

[@thevirgintraveller]

@@JulieWallis1963 that is a viable alternative however, if I'm paying in excess of £1000 for a premium ticket, I expect something in excess of 300g in weight (labels on Virgin's food presented include weight and calorie information). To put that in perspective, a ready meal from a supermarket which is less than £1 has 400-450grams of weight and far more substantial.

[@marclaaq]

Flew Virgin Atlantic's premium economy last week. It's my best flight experience ever. Now curious to see what business class has to offer.

[@JamesG761]

nice viedo. is there any proce difference between these flights=?

[@CambodiaNomadTips]

Both airlines seemed excellent. Food choices looked great. Ever thought about a vegan option? Would be interesting to see 😎

[@anthonyybarra7762]

Did you have your own air con on BA? I've taken a long haul flight where the cabin was controlled and no individual vents. Was by far the most uncomfortable flight I have ever been on, and for that i've stayed away. Stick with my Delta / Virgin from US to LHR.

[@jamesclarkson423]

Didnt mention that BA has a leg rest in world traveler plus that lifts up at a touch of a button.

[@herenow6953]

The upgrade on BA from Economy to premium is 100% worth it. No question - the SPACE is the decider - we can all manage without fancy meals or drinks, but personal space is a real luxury. I have a personal rule - under 4 hours, economy. Over 4 hours, under 8 hours, premium economy, over 8 hours business class.

[@leiarichardson65]

I remember back in 2013 when i travelled to london via VA, we got amenity bags...5 yrs later nope...wonder what year they stopped

[@RichieAustinMagician]

from my experience it really varies flight to flight what is offered to premium economy for both BA and virgin

[@ChrisWoodhead2811]

One thing I have found with virgin Atlantic premium economy is that you’re in a window seat the the person in front of you reclines all the way back you’re pretty much trapped in your seat if the person next to you is asleep. Happened to me on two flights both coming back from LA to LHR

[@jxnathanmark7661]

I see the recline in BA was much deeper. So you can only imagine there is no escape from either seats. I always choose aisle seat every time I fly.

[@paulbaldock8]

Sadly, that’s because those reclining don’t care a sh*t about who’s behind them. I’ve paid my money and I’m doing what I like. That’s the world we live in, sadly.

[@dannydanny9875]

3:32 it's a winner for me if it's got Wireless Charging 😀

[@mikelinehan6246]

Have flown world traveller plus a couple of times to New Delhi. Flying Virgin Premium to New Delhi in November. Be interesting to see the difference s

[@jamesholder1210]

I wonder how good the service would be if they didn't suspect you were filming? I've flown BA a lot and always waited several minutes at most times after the call bell

[@simon1874villain]

Exactly, recognised for a mystery shop that isn’t a mystery..

[@philharry7213]

I never use the call bell, they are busy enough, if I needed water or something I would go to the galley.

[@jasongabb1671]

Nice video Nicky. For me VA all the way vs BA= Best Avoided. VA more modern younger fleet and comfortable seat, especially on the 787 & A350. Staff are head and shoulders above BA and just generally a more of a positive experience..

[@madds6678]

Always fly BA club or premium but I have to say loved the mug of tea offering from virgin being a tea loving Brit I have to say & plea c’mon BA it’s about time you introduced this.

[@gifford4671]

Really like your reviews BUT you never said if BA+ headphones were really noise cancelling! I really wanted to know. Can anyone help?

[@bardslee]

I think under a minute response time is exceptional. The few seconds here was there could be given down to her location in the cabin at the time.

[@ricardosam8050]

Awesome viewing

[@scottboof]

I had mixed feelings when I went Premium Economy on BA in April 2022 - We went on a 777 to JFK from Heathrow and the person in front went full recline for the whole trip, horrible journey. 787 back from San Diego however was great! The 777 meant I would never book BA again.

[@Ynotbehumanfirst]

Why didn’t you tell flight attendant? You know KZbin ain’t gonna 😂do nothing.

[@we-hb4ni]

If Economy has a high load factor then I go for PE, but if it’s not busy save your pennies as three economy seats is way better. if PE is empty the downside is you cannot make use of the empty seat next to you due to the immovable armrests.

[@Safiq-54]

I can’t say I like the Mood lighting on either VA or BA

[@doctorsteve5838]

Tampa!! 😀 😁 That's me baby! 🏖 ☀ I see this plane all the time, beautiful. ✈

[@NorthGeorgia_Aviation]

Virgin Atlantic Premium is absolutely amazing. Tried it in February on their A333 and I loved it.

[@bobgenghiskhan2499]

As I fly LHR to MEX regularly I will never choose to fly Economy/World Traveller if I can. Premium Economy/World Traveller Plus is much more comfortable with 2/3/2 seat config, quieter, and way more legroom on the 787. Worth the extra cash IMHO and the tier points.

[@misskitteecatz]

Hi Nicky, what was the price? I travelled with Virgin on an older airbus 330 about 12 years old. They even ran out of meals! Also the IFE was very unresponsive. Almost 2 hours as the entertainment system not working. The new neo looks great, but my trip wasn’t so good.

[@therealisticgooner8267]

I once flew on Virgin from Detroit to London in PE , it was a new route for them at the time and they actually refused to sell a passenger a check in upgrade because they had under ordered the passenger meals and I was told when onboard they don’t sell the seat if they don’t have the meal ! I was fortunate enough to get the last seat and was just one of eight in the whole PE section ..

[@foridakhatun3692]

Can you pick up the arm rest on the aisle side in premium economy?

[@Chrissyhappy]

Someone told me that when the seat in front reclines you can’t get out of the window seat because of the middle arm rest. Is this right? Puts me off a bit because they said they had to wake the person in front so they could get out 😮. Is it this plane with virgin? Problem is I guess you never know what plane you’ll end up with if they change it.

[@richardmichael1445]

Great review...BA fir me

[@naitcst]

Please do westjet 787 from calgary to london

[@koen1090]

The BA premium economy seats and IFE on their old 777-200 is trash.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

London to Tampa? Could the climate BE any more different?!

[@dougwint]

Premium Economy prices are wild. A little wider seat and a little bit more leg space for hundreds of $$$ more.

[@davidp1918]

I've flown both carriers and BA edges it for me. I don't fly either anymore to the US, American Airlines is a superior Premium Economy product with free seat selection.

[@stevemellor655]

Iam flying out to Dallas in a few, weeks time . I've flown premier plus before to Tokyo and Seoul both on the 777-200 series. But it will be interesting to see how I get on with the BA 380. Just one gripe at the Moment BA want an extra £70 on top of the ticket price for a seat . Personally I don't think that's right . When I booked up I was expecting to be offered the seat I wanted on the price . Not to be charged for it

[@gunvaldsandhaland7757]

I Like The Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy Best Great Work

[@lvthud]

Interesting timing of this video, I am having a little legal issue with BA, I took the family to Europe last year, LAS-LHR-AMS, however BA cancelled the LHR-AMS leg, but being a world class airline they protected the 9 of us, by rebooking us on a flight that left 35 minutes before the trans Atlantic was due to land....The alternative, take a flight the next day or cancel the LHR-AMS leg, get a refund (their words in writing) and book with KLM, which is what we did. The flight from LAS-LHR was nice enough, except for them running out of food options in WT+ by row 22, the 3rd row of WT+, so yep, they loaded a maximum of 16 no veggie options in a cabin with 56 seats, so we got fried rice.... Flight back was nice enough, this time the food options lasted until row 23, shame we were sat in row 24, though this time the crew actually got proactive and raided WT for some options for the 28 passengers who were going to get stuck with Veggie ravioli.... Anyways, get back to LAS, fire off an email inquiring about the refund, wait two months and get a reply letting me know that they are refusing my request for compensation as the flight was cancelled more than 14 days out. This of course has me scratching my head, so this time I call, wait on hold for an hour, explain the situation, get told that that is correct, I am not due any compensation, I explain again I am not asking for compensation, just the refund for the LHR-AMS leg and then the penny drops, ahh yes, I actually owe BA money, because BA charges less for an LAS-LHR-AMS flight than an LAS-LHR flight, I am very lucky that BA is not perusing me for the difference. So yeah, feel free to book BA, I hope it all goes well for you, keep an eye open though, i'm going to have fun with BA and it's legal dept.

[@user-dc8bk9pu7b]

❤love it very much Marcelo from Fortaleza BRASIL ❤❤❤