Billionaire Richard Branson's first airline venture, Virgin Atlantic flies long-haul routes from the UK to many destinations, world-wide. Virgin, the first airline to introduce seat-back televisions, has all the frills one could imagine. Its hubs are at Heathrow and Gatwick, with a secondary base at Manchester. The airline is part of the vast Virgin group.
www.virgin-atlantic.com
Airport check-in desks close 60 minutes before departure. You can also check in online from 24 hours until two hours before scheduled departure. Self-service check-in kiosks at Heathrow Airport to avoid queues.
Other destinations have even more attractive check-in options. "Twilight check-in" at Gatwick allows you to check-in between midday and 9pm the day before your flight, which saves time if you are departing early the following morning - you'll just need to arrive at the departure gate 50 minutes before the flight is due to leave with your boarding pass. If you're flying from Walt Disney World, Orlando you can check-in at Downtown Disney, next to the Virgin Megastore, between 8am and 1pm. This is free for Upper Class and Flying Gold passengers, but costs $5 for all other passengers. In Hong Kong you can check-in at the airport express train facilities at Hong Kong or Kowloon stations. Perhaps the most attractive Virgin Atlantic check-in option is flying back from the Caribbean, where certain hotels will check you in for your flight, give you your boarding pass, and take your luggage to the airport. This way, all you need to do is get to the gate 50 minutes before departure.
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Carry-on: One piece of carry-on luggage is allowed, with total linear dimensions of 45 in (114 cm) and a maximum weight of 13lbs.
Checked: Varies by destination. Transatlantic, Caribbean, and Nigerian routes: Two items, each weighing no more than 51lbs, with total linear dimensions (length + width + height) of 62 inches. South African, Australian, and Asian routes: Total maximum weight allowed is 44lbs.
Excess: Charges vary by route, so check before you fly. Minimum charge is $100 per piece and maximum is $220. Sporting equipment or oversized fragile items incur an extra charge, and you must call the reservations number for details.
Seats can be pre-booked online when making the flight reservation or using the Update Booking tool or the DIY online check-in. You can also call the Virgin Atlantic reservations up to 336 days before departure.
If after purchasing a flexible ticket online, you wish to request changes to your flight details, you can do this by contacting Virgin Atlantic reservations. No name changes are allowed.
The frequent flyer program Flying Club, lets you collect air miles to redeem on flights, hotels, upgrades, and even a visit to Richard Branson's Necker Island.
There’s nothing like heading up in the skies to work up an appetite. Check out the airline’s menu before you fly so you can decide if you need to bring any extras. See photographs taken by fellow flyers of meals they’ve been served and read reviews at AirlineMeals.net.
Moby Dick, War and Peace, Leaves of Grass… Do you need to pack a weighty tome or will the in-flight magazine keep you happily occupied for the duration of the flight? The airline's in-flight magazine Seatback is published four times a month and is available on every flight. On all flights to Dubai, the airline also provides a monthly magazine with information and listings on the destination called DXB.
Virgin Atlantic is not a member of a specific airline alliance, but has partnerships with many airlines, including Singapore Airlines, America West Airlines, bmi, Continental Airlines, Virgin Nigeria, and Malaysia Airlines. This means you can earn and redeem air miles with Virgin partners and be checked straight through with Virgin if taking a connecting flight with a partner airline.
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