Is Premium Economy worth it with Virgin?

[Debs Hill]

I would love to hear from anyone who has flown PE, in your opinion was it worth it? Has anyone flown 'Club Orlando' from Manchester and sat in Upper Class? Love to hear from you all and help me make up my mind!

 

[pauldents]

Hi,

We got a complimentary upgrade to PE in March( 02 ). We have just booked a 2 week stay at the Hard Rock for October and added PE seating to the reservation.

After having the luxury of PE in march, we felt there was no going back.

Some of the benefits include :-

Dedicated check-in. No queues.

You board after first class.

Big seats with footrests and a nice storage compartment next to your seats.

Cabin crew are more attentive. Meals & drinks come quicker.

Off the plane first(after first class) so you are at immigration and baggage claim first ( your bags come off the plane first)

You are at the car rental desk first.
-------------------------------------------
I wouldn't be to bothered with first class. The prices are ridiculous. Nice to get an upgrade though !

 

[lisag1]

How much is PE?

Lisa

 

[pauldents]

£495.00 return each. BUT i think it has come down in price for 2003.

Paul

 

[lisag1]

You know I would love to go PE but would absolutely hate to pay the upgrade and it would be pretty expensive with us having 3 kids. Plus I doubt any of the other PE passengers would be too happy to see us!!!! But don't you think that it's extra money that could be put to good use on your holiday? The reason I say that is because we added on an extra 5 nights to our holiday last November to stay concierge at WDW Polynesian Resort which is a deluxe hotel and it still cost less than the PE upgrade!!! I suppose I can't really justify the cost in my mind, now if I was offered a free upgrade on the other hand......

Here's hoping one day.....!

Lisa

ps We were upgraded FOC when we went to Boston in February on a United Airlines flight and I was really excited until I got in the cabin. Somehow I don't think it compared to Virgin's Premium Economy!!

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

I've flown in all three of Virgin's cabins, and I don't think that it is worth the extra money for an 8 hour flight plus some nice perks at the airports. The money that you would have to spend on the upgrade would allow you to stay at a more luxurious hotel, buy annual tickets or Unlimited Magic Passes, stay a few extra days, or treat yourself to great meals on most days. Given the choice between a better flight or a better holiday, I would vote for the holiday every time.

Regards

Rob

 

[Claire L]

I would say PE is worth it because:
1. You start your holiday feeling relaxed (not like a couped up chicken set free ater 8 hours).
2. Quieter surroundings in the executive lounge at Gatwick.
3. Priority check-in.
4. More attention on the flight from the flight attendents.
5. No moaning from hubby who's 6ft 4in and needs the extra space for his legs!!!!!!!!
Well thats my reasons.
Claire

 

[UKDEB]

It's very difficult to say whether or not it's 'worth it', because we all put different value on things. Is it better? Yes, definitely.

I'm a nervous flyer and anything which makes the journey less stressful is 'worth' a lot to me. When I consider Lisa's and Rob's arguments, they make perfect sense, but luckily I'm not in the position of having to choose between PE and luxury accommodation and both are important to me. If I did have to choose, then I guess it <i>would</i> be difficult to choose PE over better accommodation.

The benefits have all been mentioned in other posts. I love not having to queue at check-in and being first off the plane (and thus being able to fly through Orlando International airport). The PE cabin is much nicer - like a private function room rather than a vast hanger-like environment. And the cabin crew/passenger ratio is much higher.

Last July we got upgraded to Upper Class - something you could never hope to do if you book Economy.

***Claire***

I don't think the Executive Lounge is automatic with PE, is it? We were given a pass to the Sir Robert Hardingham Lounge last year courtesy of Virgin Holidays because we'd booked a fly-drive. Usually we book flights only and have to pay to use the lounge. I'd love for you to tell me different! How many times have you got the lounge and in what circumstances?

 

[kazzie]

ABSOLUTELY EVERY PENNY!

 

[neilybealy]

for those of you that just happen to be flying virgin from gatwick to orlando on 21 sept 2002 @ 11.15...........

if you see a rather pain striken 6'2" bloke with his legs wrapped up round his ears surrounded by screaming kids and he doesn't wave hello back then i'll apologise now !!



neil

 

[Claire L]

UKDEB,
Rang Virgin and asked them about access to an executive lounge which they said was included although it wasn't their own one which we paid extra for last year (able to do as on honeymoon). May call again just to confirm that I got the right answer!! Thinking about it perhaps as we are Frequent Virgins thats why they said it was included.
Claire

 

[Claire L]

UKDEB,
Just made call to Virgin and on check in for PE everyone is given invitation to business lounge. Unfortunately it isn't the Virgin Clubhouse, but at least its better than the normal departure lounge!!
Claire

 

[neilybealy]

sounds lovely

 

[Boo Boo Too]

Passengers travelling in PE now get access to a Serviceair lounge (this has been introduced during the last 6 months, I believe).

By the way, passengers can get upgraded from economy to Upper Class (that has happened to me on a LHR-LAX flight), but it is very, very rare. We were incredibly late checking in for our flight (some car park mix up - thanks Thomas Cook and BCP! - on Boxing Day), but some really lovely check-in agent found us the last two seats on the plane (which happened to be in Upper Class).... Still UKDEB is correct, you are much more likely to get a an upgrade from PE (apparently this is common on the Gatwick to Orlando route - since very few business travellers use this route...). Beware, though, being upgraded to Upper Class can led to you spending hours searching the internet for bargain UC fares... (is another £400, over PE, for Upper Class worth it??? Depends how spoilt you are...)

As to weather PE is worth it, that is very subjective:
- are you tall?
- is sleep on the return flight fairly important to you?
- do you have a large family (cost can be inhibitive)?
- do you like being treated more like a human being (rather than a piece of cargo)?
- do you have spare money (what would you have to give up to have it - it isn't worth going into debt for!)?

There will probably be less kids in PE than in regular economy (and those kids that are in PE, are in less close proximity to you!), but there will be kids. There were on the LGW-MIA route I flew last year and there will be even more on the Orlando route.

Don't feel peer pressure to book PE. Concentrate on enjoying your holiday.

Boo

 

[neilybealy]

Originally posted by Boo Boo Too
(is another £400, over PE, for Upper Class worth it??? Depends how spoilt you are...)

according to the virgin atlantic website the price for upper class to orlando in sept 2002 is £4,045.00 each !!!

 

[Boo Boo Too]

If you buy a Continental BusinessFirst ticket (they codeshare on Virgin flights into Miami - not Orlando, I am afraid), you get Virgin UC check-in, Virgin Clubhouse entry (including use of the salon) and a Virgin UC seat on a Virgin plane. You do not get limo transfer of FC miles (you get Continental miles).

Continental BusinessFirst tickets (LGW-MIA) can be bought for £1599 + tax (so about £1679 total) per person in July. Its still a lot of money, but less than half of what the Virgin Websiste charge...

So depends how much people are paying for their Virgin flights + upgrades to PE. In july maybe £650 + £500 to upgrade (£1150?)? Excuse me if I am over-estimating. So about £500 difference possibly.

Boo

 

[caroley]

I didn't think I could justify the extra cost of PE but now the prices have come down, and you can do PE one way, I have booked economy going in 2003 but PE for the return journey. It cost us an extra £175 each less my FV 10% discount. The theory is that we'll be able to sleep better on the overnight flight and wake up to morning in the UK and so get less jet lag. Also I find that we feel more confined and cramped on the return journey, which I think is because we've been on our feet all day and our legs are tired.
Whatever, It's booked and I don't regret the extra cost.

 

[neilybealy]

Originally posted by Boo Boo Too
If you buy a Continental BusinessFirst ticket (they codeshare on Virgin flights into Miami - not Orlando, I am afraid), you get Virgin UC check-in, Virgin Clubhouse entry (including use of the salon) and a Virgin UC seat on a Virgin plane. You do not get limo transfer of FC miles (you get Continental miles).

Continental BusinessFirst tickets (LGW-MIA) can be bought for £1599 + tax (so about £1679 total) per person in July. Its still a lot of money, but less than half of what the Virgin Websiste charge...

So depends how much people are paying for their Virgin flights + upgrades to PE. In july maybe £650 + £500 to upgrade (£1150?)? Excuse me if I am over-estimating. So about £500 difference possibly.

Boo

great tip Boo

when i last went to orlando (with parents back in 1990) we flew pan am into miami and had to get another flight upto orlando

 

[Boo Boo Too]

Flying into Miami is particularly handy if you are taking a cruise out of Miami/Fort Lauderdale before going to Orlando.

We are staying in Fort Lauderdale before the cruise, 7 night Western Caribbean cruise, leisurely (long) drive up to WDW, 5 nights YC, leisurely (long) drive back to Miami, 2 nights in Miami before the flight back.

Boo

 

[neilybealy]

very nice too