Virgin Atlantic VS British Airways: Britain's BEST Business Class?

[@DCYote1]

I feel like BA caters to a more "traditional" business class demographic, whereas Virgin is more of embracing the leisure/Millennial traveler. I noticed the same thing on Virgin's cruise line. It seems more geared to younger(ish) folks like myself. The vibe is just different with Virgin, both in the air and sea. After seeing the results. I am not surprised ;)

[@fuzzylon]

I agree. I used to fly this route routinely in business class/upper class in the late 90s and it was like this then. Virgin aimed for quirky, whereas BA aimed for solid and reliable. I used to prefer BA, but Virgin included a car at each end which I really liked. I felt taken care off from my home in London all the way to the hotel in New York.

[@DatamasterCorporation]

@@derektaylor2941 I have sadly not liked Lufthansa every time I have been with them. They have never failed being rude to me. It is too bad since I do like flying the 747. I have never flown Virgin, I could really only describe it as 'ambitious' and slightly tacky. I would take that accompanied with excellent service any day over something 'traditional' with bad service.

[@Ben-xe8ps]

@@derektaylor2941 Apparently VS are now going to permit male cabin crew to wear female uniforms including skirts. Having my meal served by a steward in a skirt would be too much for me I'm afraid.

[@jakehowie442]

At the end of the day, the most important factors are the seat comfort, IFE and the food. You can get away with average service but if the food or IFE are not good, or is going to be a longer flight. I think Virgin and BA business class are very similar in these areas, the only difference is Virgin tries to be more fun and exciting.

[@DogScreenTV]

Don’t know too many people in that age bracket that can afford business class

[@zork999]

You chose to do VA on its "poorer" leg and BA on its better leg, and VA still won. If the NYC Clubhouse is a 5 then the London Clubhouse would be a 7 or 8. Check-in at Heathrow is no comparison with Virgin having a separate "wing" while BA has an area that is overcrowded due to Club Europe passengers (the same reason the Lounge is way too crowded).

[@JonGreen_UK]

​@@derektaylor2941 This late 50s businessman rates Virgin massively over BA. It's not so much the "gimmicks", as you put it, it's the genuine warmth of the crew, and their evident love of their jobs. De-stresses the whole experience. By comparison, BA crews tend to be a bit standoffish and impersonal, in my experience.

[@JonGreen_UK]

@@derektaylor2941 I'm not transphobic, I'm not homophobic, and I despise anyone who is.

[@86wellacre]

Virgin have allowed their crew to be a little more relaxed and be themselves but still professional. BA have still got the boring stuff upper lip and the contracts are not great, hence their somewhat standoffish stance. I used to be crew.

[@stephenfarrell4796]

Definitely agree, if you had done the Virgin to JFK it’s even better

[@MrTwat144]

@@JonGreen_UK BA crew are terrible and so is the airline.

[@jameshaswell2345]

I can appreciate the pilot of Virgin being poetic. When someone enjoys their job, it can show in their demeaner. I do believe that helps to create a better working environment also!

[@pjo765]

same, it'd have me looking forward to the flight for sure.. pilot there manages to take everything i take for granted about flying and put it into words

[@herenow6953]

I disagree - he didn't have any passion in his voice - he was reading from a script. Virgin is just marketing and most of it quite hollow. But that's just my opinion! I don't like BA either - the best airline hands down is Singapore Airlines. Shame they don't do London to New York - but they do Manchester to Houston!

[@flibblesan]

That's the voice of Captain Len Everingham. He has been doing these poetic announcements for a while now.

[@jakehowie442]

Probably because he wasn’t British and South African or Australian

[@barbarahallowell2613]

I absolutely LOVED that!

[@ekuche8335]

Excellent excellent video…. Please do more “versus”!!! Lufthansa vs SWISS… EVA vs. China Southern…. Ethiad vs Emirates… etc.

[@ediwho_]

i think you meant eva vs china airlines. both are actually taiwanese airlines flying pretty much identical routes!

[@mikhail010]

@@ediwho_ China southern is the closest to taiwans😊

[@rare2917]

Air Canada vs westjet

[@deeser]

Lufthansa owns Swiss.Also would be flying from different countries, so that would shape the experience from the off, I guess?

[@ekuche8335]

@@deeser yes of course Lufthansa owns Swiss that’s the entire point.. SWISS is supposed to be Lufthansa luxury brand so again that’s the point to compare them

[@rmknicks]

I knew Virgin would win. Their lounges in both cities are far superior and I always find the cabin crews much more pleasant

[@John-in-Boothbay]

I started flying cross the pond on Virgin and BA in the late 80's and likely would have scored them similarly back then. Virgin had a killer option which was massages in the upper deck of the 747. You'd make an appointment and while having your massage, an attendant would change your chair into a bed with a down comforter - best sleep I ever had on a plane! One benefit of BA at Heathrow T5 is their remote lounges - which offer the same amenities as the main lounges with less congestion. One more benefit I had on BA, I traveled enough to earn gold status and thereafter whenever I flew, if they had an open seat in 1st class, I would get upgraded for free. Last years I flew that turned out to be about 50% of the flights.

[@cwescapexlt4x4]

My recent BA business class flight (Late April 2022) from PHX to LHR - the crew was very good, no real delays and were very personable

[@MsTimelady71]

This. But then I don't care about chummy FA's. Just get me to my destination.

[@m6uso]

it’s so amazing how VA was set for failure (not deliberately) yet it still won with BA’ having home-ground advantage. side note: great videos, i used to love flying and i am glad that i can still fly through your lens. much love from south africa.

[@Restlessmedic]

That speech from the Virgin captain was amazing. He truly enjoys his job.

[@nickieg43]

Jeb, you’re excitement for flying is so awesome man. The smile on your face around 1:15 was so genuine

[@Bad_Karma1968]

Great vlog as always Jeb !

[@Calebs_Aviation]

Haven’t seen anything except the trailer clip yet but I’m so EXCITED TO SEE this! Saw this video now and it was great! I was a bit surprised to see you try Virgin’s flagship A350 vs British Airways Older 777 as I think an A350 side by side cabin comparison might have been a bit better representation of BA. Even though the 777 also carries the Club World Suite retrofit cabin… Loved the concept and it was interesting to see the differences on this heavily trafficked and contested route… Cheers 🥂

[@JamesSymmonds]

That announcement by the VA captain is the type of thing they put at the beginning of an ominous airplane movie.

[@donaldmickunas8552]

LOL…keep in mind that movies are generally fictional. Nothing ominous about the flight Jeb was on.

[@JamesSymmonds]

@@donaldmickunas8552 You must be a real hoot at parties.

[@donaldmickunas8552]

@@JamesSymmonds not! I’m not a party guy.

[@JamesSymmonds]

@@donaldmickunas8552 Obviously

[@donaldmickunas8552]

@@JamesSymmonds 😉

[@TheArmouredArmadillo]

I'd rather fly Virgin doing this, certainly from London to New York given you get the separate terminal area at Heathrow, although the clubhouse at New York is still beautiful. Also, I think their business class is better overall, I just love the feel of it

[@Advancetowardme]

My wife and I love watching your videos because you’re always so positive and upbeat, and your editing is very good!! Sending love from Denver

[@dovfriedman921]

Very well put together video as usual . I think price needs to be taken into consideration for these videos. Value of what you are getting vs what you paid is super important. If the ba flight costs half the virgin that's a big deal as it was close enough and probably not worth the extra money. Can you tell us how much you paid?

[@blessingsoutlaw]

Would love to hear about the economics of each as well. 🤑

[@peterrisbergs7156]

Very good analysis. Features such as the lounge have zero value to me because I would not get to the airport hours before the flight to hang around the lounge. On a seven hour flight I don't want to pay extra for a bed for a few hours sleep. For me price is everything. I don't need to drink champagne and eat caviar on an airplane.

[@nbajammer2]

I agree, on a comparison that’s important. Assuming these were booked at the same time, similar factors should be in play. I get why Jeb doesn’t normally discuss price though.

[@theend9494]

as Virgin goes woke I would prefer a pilot with balls

[@gingernightmare9152]

Booking for a flight over Christmas and New Years and ... Virgin is cheaper than BA.

[@delta_cosmic]

i feel like it would have been more interesting if you compared the Virgin Atlantic A350-1000 to the British Airways A350-1000 considering those cabins and planes debuted roughly at the similar times from eachother . great comparison, I would like to see something like this but for Asian Carriers like Eva Air or All Nippon Airways.

[@VisualApproach]

The seat on the A350 and refurbished B777s is exactly the same. So is the same crap food. So not much to be gained from the comparison.

[@shahimagesyt]

BAW 351s don't even fly to New York.

[@joezegers]

A 777 is very similar, just older.

[@pennybaxter4]

Virgins cabin crew working flights on the A350-10 with 8 crew 🥵 hard work .

[@Cal90208]

Would love to see EVA vs China Airlines

[@ItsaMeMarti]

You should do a Delta hub-hopping, like the one with united.

[@munboy216]

Suzanne would hate it

[@donaldmickunas8552]

@@munboy216 True though she wouldn’t have to go along.

[@scottlyttle5586]

One day, (doing work for Delta), I was to fly from LGA-ATL-SLC. However, snow happened at LGA, and as a result, got delayed, and wound up flying LGA-ATL-DTW-SLC in one day.

[@paulschastlivets1179]

3:21 - that captain’s announcement made my eyes water!! Loved it!!!

[@OndrejVarga_YT]

I'd guess Virgin will come out on-top, although because of how you planned your trip you won't be able to enjoy Virgins lounge at Heathrow which is most likely the biggest selling point of theirs to someone like me.

[@ColoringKaria]

I’m surprised wifi isn’t included in the very expensive business class fare.

[@bajanbelle9152]

Agree..because it's not cheap to fly this class

[@DennisBunnikTravels]

Great video mate - definitely makes we want to try Virgin next time I'm flying across the pond.

[@GreenerGrass]

You’ve got to give them a try! You’d love it!

[@frankrockenback5329]

We appreciate all the work you do for us, the viewer. Great videos!!

[@morrispearl9981]

I have usually taken British Airways. There is another lounge at LHR 5 right near the B gates (so you can take the train thing first, and then relax in the lounge until they announce boarding). I always liked eating dinner in the lounge at JFK before the plane leaves on a night flight, and then getting to sleep the whole time without any interruptions for service.

[@brian402]

That's got to be the best ever onboard Captains announcement i have heard,awesome flight review of both airlines thanks Jeb👍

[@Handburdger]

Wow Jeb with the new Spite! Enjoy it man. Great video as usual

[@pnwlion9337]

Excited to watch this Jeb. Your always part of my treasured coffee time viewing.

[@OllieRamone]

Your voice is always wonderful to listen to in these videos. These videos really help break my boredom on my routes.

[@fanman71]

Well done review as always Jeb.

[@jonus28]

I've done business class with both airlines, and I have to agree with your overall assessment. I'd pick Virgin Atlantic over BA any day of the week.

[@ricoatthebeach]

I was fortunate to fly British Airways Business Class back in the day when it was the best in the sky. I miss those days.

[@Supernova09949]

Congrats on the GMT! Love the colors and left sided crown. Thanks for the great video!

[@maximgastes159]

Do more of these versus videos please! Love the new format! Keep it up, Jeb! Chapeau for the amazing work!

[@Zuuu40]

Please remember to make CC ( closed caption) available to those of us that are hearing impaired. Lately several of your videos have not had it enabled. I am unable to listen to your terrific videos without CC. Thank you in advance for doing so.

[@dezmarinvestmentsllc9964]

I like how you subtly show your watch collection in your videos. And, as always, great insight.

[@schalitz1]

I've flown Virgin America before and I loved them. Flying Virgin Atlantic for the first time in March from Boston to Cape Town, and I can't wait!

[@KeemBeckford]

Would love to see you do more of these in the future . Emirates vs Qatar …. United Vs. American etc

[@steveleid4060]

Ty for all these videos jeb keep them coming.

[@mattr9476]

Love the Sprite! Congrats on that allocation. Great video.

[@edreid7872]

Talk about vicariously living... I don't travel as much anymore, and I love these videos..

[@thewolfethatcould8878]

Awww!!! Classy welcome message from the Pilot. Neat, and thank you so much. Great video!

[@Benstein347]

Am I the only one getting TWA vibes from Virgin? Also you can really tell the difference in the business vs leisure traveler the two airlines had. Great video Jeb!

[@teddymasters1347]

VA’s setup in Heathrow is incredible. They have a private check in, and the Heathrow clubhouse is incredible

[@ryanfrisby7389]

Fantastic video Jeb!😸

[@donaldmickunas8552]

Hey Jeb, I think the Virgin Captain and you share the same love for flying and for travel in general. He does have a way with words.

[@nicholastaylor7075]

Catching up on your videos due to my military deployment! But wow, LOVED that welcome by the Captain onboard Virgin:)

[@steinbeck1805]

You got really lucky with the BA lounge - it’s usually much more crowded than that and the buffet plundered. I love their onboard experience though, easily beats the old Virgin business class but probably on par with the new one.

[@dalegoodell6019]

Yes, another excellent video. I've never flown Business or First Class, however, watching your videos are inspiring me to do so. Keep up the great work, and safe travels!

[@chemepharmd76]

I'm probably one of the few people that prefers the old school British Airways 2-3-2 business class layout on their 787-8 and -9's. As a family of three, our son sits in the middle, rear-facing seat, and my wife and I can both have access to him. As he is getting older, the 1-2-1 layout is becoming more appealing.

[@AA-bl4bs]

I wonder what you would have made of the BA lounge if you had gone to the one in the B gate area? I find that far more calming and it is the better choice especially if departing from the B gates

[@ClarkyAv]

We had that exact pilot on our return from Orlando to Heathrow with Virgin Atlantic last month! Absolute legend - the cabin were wetting themselves!

[@markinboy]

And the pilot was drunk from the night before.

[@ruditobandito4114]

Excellent report. Thank you!

[@MervynPartin]

I have been flying with Virgin Atlantic for years (apart from a lost holiday due to Covid measures) because they have been excellent with their service, both on and off board. Their subsidiary company, Virgin Holidays, have also been excellent with their service from booking and throughout the holidays, dealing rapidly with any problems.

[@RileyTech]

I flew on that same BA product and flight in July 2021, which was a rare month-long ease of COVID restrictions in Europe and the UK. I remember the lounge at Heathrow being absolutely empty, and the app to order table service working fine. I'd also add, for anyone who might be there in the near future, the BA lounge always has the 15-year Singleton scotch and it is really quite good. I found the service of the crew to be absolutely top-notch. My food and drink order was taken while we were taxiing, and my drink was delivered within 10 minutes of takeoff. My meal followed about 20 minutes later, which was a spectacular beef cheek with a red wine reduction.

[@torgeirbrandsnes1916]

Great vlog as always! Did you pay for the tickets or use points? Was one more expencive than the other? Keep up the good work. Be safe!

[@owenklein1917]

That announcement from the captain was truly legendary

[@111Swissair]

Do Delta vs. American JFK-LHR-JFK to do the US carrier comparison next time. I LOVE ❤️ ALL ur videos Jeb.

[@calvinkantwm]

These videos are better than Points Guy! Keep up the good work, Jeb!

[@tammyharper4152]

Your information about different airlines is very helpful

[@mattlantzy5093]

"The miracle of flight" So, so true on many levels

[@nicholaswilbur2113]

Serious watch guy with the new GMT lefty…. Impressive as always Jeb

[@LuvSubbin]

That shot of Cape Cod at 11:27 was spectacular.

[@angus_m]

Being picky here, but I'd rather do this the other way round because the Virgin clubhouse in London is phenomenal and you also get to use the private "Wing", where you only walk 30 metres from your car to the lounge.

[@rustyabramson2663]

Haven't flown BA yet, but I did fly Virgin Atlantic from LHR to ATL on my way back from the Middle East...best economy class flight I've ever been on. And now they offer direct flights to LHR from TPA, sign me up!

[@NigelDeForrest-Pearce-cv6ek]

Excellent and Outstanding !!!

[@kevintunnicliffe2181]

Completely agree. The other factor with BA is that even though you pay the premium for a business class product they still want you to pay extra to choose your seat. BA are the last choice for us when crossing the pond. Virgin first and then Delta or United.

[@bruschi8148]

Great review and a great view of my home cape cod!

[@pitu1902]

Is that the new lefty GMT? Lucky you Jeb! Great video as always.

[@gobbledygook5786]

Amazing video! I’ve always preferred British Airways, as their crew are some of the nicest in the world in my experience.

[@I_like_YT_lots]

You need to fly Emirates, Singapore and even Virgin. I rang the bell and waited 50mins, I even had to go to the galley and 3 of them were eating and gossiping.

[@gobbledygook5786]

You had to wait 50 mins on BA?

[@plusimagestv]

Always enjoy your videos...land or air. Keep them coming.

[@arneb3818]

I flew Virgin Atlantic upper class from TLV to LHR and had a seven hour stopover at the Clubhouse before continuing on VA upper class to SFO. I would gladly fly them again. The food, service, views and amenities in the Clubhouse were magnificent. So we’re the onboard food, IFE, seat, and service. In addition, shortly after the plane pulled back from the jetway at London Heathrow, a passenger had a medical emergency. The crew handled it very professionally and kept us informed. We were towed back to the gate to offload the passenger and their baggage. It took an hour and we were on our way. As the chief flight attendant put it, we were fortunate to have been on the ground close to the gate rather than in the air and having to divert to an airport along the way.

[@iamlivid]

I just started a job with VA (Australia) and I am loving it

[@joyceanthony-huff2914]

Love you Jeb and Suzanne!

[@mindwalk2007]

Ive never flown on British Airways but have flown on Virgin Atlantic twice. The latter is a fantastic airline. My flights were a few years ago and I did LHR - MIA on a 747 - 400 and LHR - LAX on a A340 - 600. Both flights were fabulous.

[@YHDiamond]

I recently flew LOT Polish from JFK to Tel Aviv with a stop in Warsaw, and I didn't have the best experience with check-in. I'd be interested to hear your take!

[@haroldlanni1126]

How competitive was the pricing between both, an important factor that was overlooked.

[@bowdej02]

The Virgin lounge in LHR T3 is way better than the one in JFK. So i would recommend you experience this lounge before concluding your overall opinion.

[@deadgamer21]

Its a pleasure watching your videos and jebsetting with you

[@MichaelG1986]

Your wristwatch content, as much as your travel/aviation content, is always top-notch. The Rolex GMT "Destro" was quite unexpected. Terrific watch.

[@jazzstar145]

Watching this on Thursday, 9/15 and I gotta say this is a great video as always!! I’m working on getting a new passport for overseas travel next year starting with Canada, then London and the rest of Europe! Glad to see you picked up the GMT Master Sprite as well. You wear it well! I’m still warming up to it.

[@Locutus]

You have a great voice for narration! Very distinctive, clear, precise and engaging! What microphone did you use?

[@dylan_van2198]

Great video!

[@helenaclay5107]

There is a second BA business class lounge in the 'B' wing of Terminal 5 at Heathrow. Good if your departing from there. You may have found that quieter and less crowded. The main terminal lounge will have all domestic, European and other world wide passengers so always busy. There is a board that tells you how busy the lounges are when you arrive in departure, another handy wya to avoid the crowds. Great review have only flown BA business class but look forward to trying out Virgin now.

[@sheilawillan6663]

I've just flown Virgin Atlantic Upper Class from Heathrow to San Francisco. I managed to get an amazing deal. There is no way that it can justify its outrageous prices. That is Upper Class. I have no plans to buy a Business Class ticket. I went on a BA business classb4 hour flight and travelled business class. I asked the attendant " where is Business Class ". The reply " You are standing in it". The champagne was nice. Enough said

[@theshellstube]

The registration of the a350 is G-VPOP

[@james7149]

Waited a long time to hear such a poetic announcement from a captain (VA)…well done!

[@georgeberg2106]

My main plus is the length of this post. Really like you doing both legs in a little over 13 minutes. Most would have drawn out for 25 minutes and I lose interest after about 15. Well done.

[@allanpaterson9705]

I’ve flown with both BA & Virgin & I much prefer Virgin. I found myself having a very similar experience to you. There’s a snobbery with BA cabin crew which I think stems back from years ago when they were considered a Premium airline however in todays market they fall short of many other airlines. I find some of their cabin crew to be rude whereas when I flew to Africa with Virgin the cabin crew took the time to stop & have a chat with me & were down to earth & the service was great. On domestic UK routes BA are no better than EasyJet in comparison to their service & offering. However BA are often cheaper than Virgin & for most people cost out weights service…. For me Virgin are the winners in almost every category. They offer something different and bring back some excitement to flying.

[@MsTimelady71]

I don't see it as snobbery I see it as professional. I don't need a crew to be my best friend. Just know the job and be polite.

[@lukezavislak7130]

You probably should have watched the film “Bad Guys”. Great video as always my friend!

[@kenneththebruce]

Ive never flown in Virgin. I will say that my flights from JKF to LHR and to Zagreb were amazing because the British Airways staff are absolutely incredible.

[@TundeEszlari]

You are a very good videographer.👍🏻❤

[@burntfingers2241]

Love your videos jeb 😃

[@upaviation787]

At 6:29 you can see a plane going by! great video!

[@d124dublin]

Jeb, it’s worth noting that an airlines catering will always be better out of its home base

[@Mrbeahz1]

Fantastic view at 11:30 of Cape Cod "upside-down"! And I'll agree with your ratings.

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Thank you for sharing..

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

Thank you for the video!

[@jacobveksler67]

JEBB YOUR THE BEST!!!!!!

[@samisakson7027]

I’m flying my first ever transatlantic flight tomorrow I’m so excited

[@GoalHornGeek]

Bahamasair starting service from Raleigh/Durham to Freeport this November. Perhaps this could be one you bring your loved one on