Review Time
Upgrade to no mediocrity.
Cape Town to London Heathrow
Upper Class seats 6G/7G
7th February 2026
We visited Cape Town in February 2026 and decided to return by Virgin Atlantic as we had read so much about the 'stellar service' we could expect, according to Virgins own publicity.
As we wanted the full 'stellar experience', we bid for two seats to upgrade from Premium economy to Upper Class. To our delight, we were informed that our bid had been successful and the upgrade was secured at a significant cost.
On arrival at Cape Town airport, we checked in and were issued with boarding and lounge passes. There is no fast track lane, so we joined the 50 minute queue to get through security and passport control.
We eagerly looked forward to the third party lounge, Virgin does not have its own dedicated lounge at the airport.
On entering the Bidved lounge, we stopped in our tracks as we surveyed a room with limited space, wo small counters with very unappealing food and a bar that any workman's club could outdo. The choice of drinks was limited to the obvious routine drinks , served by very uninterested staff. We found a seat after 10 minutes standing and sat down. The toilet facilities in this lounge were limited and a queue quickly formed for the two cubicles available. Without doubt, this is one of the worst lounges I have been into. I did not expect a Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse ,but hoped for something of a better quality for Upper Class passengers.
On arrival at the gate, we were greeted by a cheerful but busy ground staff members. After a 15 minute wait, we boarded the flight to be welcomed by a tired looking cabin crew. Alarm bells started to ring!
The usual routine took place, pre take off drinks with 'sparkling' English wine etc. and a welcome, but no advice on how to use the controls for the seat/bed.
Kirsty,the Cabin/flight manager made a public announcement informing passengers that because of operational reasons, the cabin crew were down in numbers,but met the threshold to operate the flight. She stated that her crew would be busy and the usual Virgin service could not be provided, and asked us to be 'Kind' and 'patient' with her 'wonderful' crew.
By coincidence, we had stayed in the same Cape Town hotel used by Virgin for its staff, so knew the background story. This did not increase my sympathy for the crew!
The wine selection was 'New world', disappointing and going with the trend away from classical French wines. I do think at least one French white wine could have been offered. The usual range of spirits found on Easy Jet and Rynair were available. Getting service during the 11 hour flight was hit and miss.
The food choices for mains were limited to three dishes and contained spices, a growing trend, so I could not eat them. I do not have 'special' meal needs,but I do expect to have at least one choice I can rely on. Virgin seem transfixed on presenting 'new' experimental meals. The desert was very good.
The service throughout the flight was poor and attracted a number of adverse comments from passengers, I can only guess what Economy and Premium economy was like.
For the first three hours, no one offered to show me how to use the bed, so I sat upright. The herringbone seating does not afford privacy. Eventually, a member of crew noticed and offered to make my bed up, but by this time, I had got use to sitting up and was in the process of watching a film.
The audio visual entertainment choices were excellent and the sound quality could not be faulted. So, well done to Virgin for this.
Just before landing, we were offered breakfast that had to be selected in advance. Again, limited choices, so I settled for smoked salmon and I enjoyed the meal.
Better breakfast choices should be offered .
During the flight, the Cabin Manager was running up and down trying to help the crew provide a service, but she got in their way and generated a 'frantic' atmosphere. More apologies to passengers followed concerning the level of service, but 'praising' her wonderful crew.
The Cabin manager laid what I can only describe as looking like tea towels on passengers trays. For some reason, she missed me out. I politely appointed this out to her and she made a very sarcastic remark to me. After, she proceeded to ignore me.
On landing at Heathrow, the Captain made a public announcement apologising for the low level of service to all passengers because of the reduced crew numbers. Nice to have an apology, but when you pay extra to 'enjoy' and experience Upper Class, it does not cut the mustard.
I feel cheated and strongly suggest, I did not get the product I had paid for. If I bought a pair of shoes, I would be sending them back at this point, but with airline travel, you cannot do this.
I have complained twice to Virgin by e mail, but only received a mediocre response.
Upper Class is very poor value. They changed the plane on our flight out to Tampa which meant our seats were changed. The replacement plane had a horrible configuration in Upper Class - uncomfortable seats (I couldn't lie flat without my feet protruding across the aisle) and there was zero privacy in that I could directly look into cubicles opposite and vice versa. The vegan options onboard were truly awful! The only saving grace was the clubhouse at London which was exceptionally good. I guess they think that will compensate for otherwise terrible service!
Vile horrendous beasts. This disgusting lot of charlatans put me through hell. I asked simply how much a refund would be as who wants to fly to fascist USA and the monsters just refunded my whole flight plus taxes and fees into THEIR POCKETS???!!!
Even adding a wholly unlawful £25 fee to boot!
ADR came next, more corrupt scum. Fortunately the airlines lies in the secret evidence did come to light and they soon gave me MY effing money back.
I will never forget that 10 months of hell. Not a penny in compensation. I should sue you filth backwards, but I have no fight left.
The monsters that answer emails (whenever they get round to it) answer nothing and ALL is copy paste garbage.
Never in my 50 years have I experienced such an evil airline. Scum, scum, scum.
Our international flight was significantly altered by the airline by over two hours, and despite this being their schedule change, they refused to provide reasonable accommodations. As a family of five traveling internationally, when we requested to reschedule to a more suitable flight, we were informed it would cost an additional $500 plus nearly 500,000 more frequent flyer points. This is completely unreasonable, especially since the change was initiated by the airline—not us. We felt penalized for the service’s own schedule disruption. For an airline that promotes itself as premium and customer-centric, this experience was far from it. There was no flexibility, no empathy for a family traveling together, and no genuine effort to find a fair resolution. Customer service seemed rigid and transactional, lacking support. We chose this airline expecting better treatment and reliability. Instead, we were left feeling stressed, frustrated, and disappointed. This experience has seriously eroded our trust, and we will reconsider booking with this airline in the future.
This was my first time booking with the company, and it has been a total disaster so far. I faced issues with the initial booking, the app, the website, and the recognition of my email address, membership number, booking reference number, ticket numbers, and locator reference number. Because of a problem with the e-tickets, I now have to check in using a printed document. While the customer service representatives on the phone have been friendly, they haven't been able to clarify any of these issues. Not a great first impression.
Our family trip was cancelled without reasonable alternatives or compensation. We planned our holiday nearly a year in advance, but the service cancelled our flight due to a schedule reduction. The only options offered were significantly more expensive indirect flights, with no assistance for the added costs. No price protection or compensation was provided for the inconvenience. After all the planning, being told to just accept a refund felt dismissive and unjust. This experience has completely changed my perception of the service.
The overall experience was a nightmare. As a family traveling for our first long-distance flight, it was truly disappointing. The staff were rude and inconsiderate. The only positive was that my daughter slept through most of the journey. I felt disturbed by the crew, who seemed to deliberately nudge me as they walked by. I would rather swim across the ocean than fly with this airline again. The food was nearly inedible, and I was asked to buckle my sleeping daughter for a supposedly bumpy ride that never happened. I cannot recommend this airline.
I paid $500 for a flight from one major city to another, yet they still charge for internet access. $30 for the duration of the flight? After paying $500? The seats were uncomfortable, making it impossible to sleep. Plus, they charge extra to choose your seat! I will not be flying with this airline again.
Our family holiday was cancelled without reasonable alternatives or compensation. We booked nearly a year in advance, but the service cancelled our flight due to a schedule reduction. The alternatives offered were significantly more expensive, indirect flights, and there was no help with the added costs. No price protection or compensation was provided for the inconvenience. After months of planning, being told to simply accept a refund felt dismissive and unfair. This experience has significantly changed my view of the service.
I’ve flown with numerous airlines, but this one truly stands out as the best. We always fly economy and find it to be the most comfortable with excellent legroom. The cabin crew on our last two flights were outstanding—friendly, professional, and attentive. There were no issues from check-in to baggage claim. I will always choose this airline when it flies to my destination.
Claim your business profile now and gain access to all features and respond to customer reviews.
cheapticketx.com
visacent.com
ashmitatrek.com
airfaresreservation.com
skistar.com
epictravels.co.uk
neosair.com
savvy.com
businessclassfares.com
thejerseyflights.com