Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse

I loved the Virgin Atlantic upper class facilities at Heathrow but was disappointed with the seats in Upper Class as though the seats do turn into a smooth bed, they are rather cramped and packed like sardines. One does tend to feel claustrophobic especially as I have had the experience of flying upper class in several airlines such as Ethihad, Singapore, British Airways among others. For a long haul flight from India to the US, Virgin would do better if the upper class seats were not so cramped looking.

Stellar! This is by far the most pleasant of any airport lounge I've ever been in. The restaurant has great food (not even just for an airport, but in general) and the lounge is extremely comfortable. You can even get your hair cut before a flight.

I wish I could fly Virgin Atlantic upper class all the time, but alas, those big bags with dollar signs on them are few and far between.

How can one of the greatest cities in the world host an Upper Class Clubhouse that was not only a huge disappointment, but an embarrassment? We arrived at 6:30 am, to enter into a space that had pink neon lighting, fluorescent lights and oddly shaped furniture that was mismatched in color and style. The décor was cold, uninviting and jarring. It was empty but for 5 or 6 people. It already did not bode well. We sat and it was a while before someone came to serve us. I asked for decaf. They were out. At 6:30 am? Seriously. I asked if the juice was freshly squeezed. The waitress said yes so I ordered juice, tea and the churros. My boyfriend ordered the full English breakfast. Well, my tea, after some time, arrived in a chipped mug. Upper class? Really? The chip was right where I placed my mouth. After two sips, I flagged down the waitress, who did not appear to have noticed the chip but apologized. Our breakfast arrived. The full English breakfast was missing the bacon, and the tiny mound of beans looked as if they had been cooking overnight so that a hard film had developed. We had to ask for butter. The toast not only was not toasted, it wasn't even warm. My churros were okay but I tasted the heavy grease. My boyfriend, displeased, when to hunt down a waitress. We saw them walking around the empty lounge, but they didn't seem to be serving or perhaps they were, just slowly. My boyfriend saw a tray of pastries to the side, asked for a croissant. They were out! I guess the hungry horde that drank the decaf also had laid waste to the croissants. His bacon finally came and my new tea cup finally came. His food, was in general, horrible. My churros were at least edible. By then, my bf had already come to the conclusion that First Class Virgin was in a declining stage. He had flown Virgin Upper Class before and remembered it as a truly luxurious experience. We were ready to flee even before my boarding was called. We learned that the lounge had opened early hours and had been in operations for at least 8 months. The experience was such a letdown that we almost did not visit the Upper Class Club in Heathrow. We were glad we did. JFK is  the shabby cousin to Heathrow. The Brits do it right, superior service with a smile and grace and food that was divine. They were so spot on Virgin should consider having them come over and train the staff at JFK.