seblee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Wendy Buck
203-750-2570

Norwalk, CT (July 16, 2003) At a time when British Airways is threatening to withdraw Concorde and at a time when many airlines are withdrawing from the first class market, Virgin Atlantic is introducing a revolutionary new first class product across its fleet. At a time when other airlines are cutting back on investment Virgin Atlantic is investing �50m ($80 million) in this product.

The product, Virgin's new Upper Class Suite, consists of a reclining leather seat for take off, a place to sit and eat a proper meal opposite your partner, the longest fully flat bed in the world with a proper mattress for sleeping on, a private onboard bar to drink at with your friends, a private massage room and four limousines per round trip - all at a price thousands of dollars less than BA's First Class. By charging the same as other airlines' business class for this first class product, Virgin Atlantic's new Upper Class Suite is not only expecting to attract BA's Concorde passengers (if it carries out its threat to withdraw the aircraft), but its and other airlines' first and business class passengers as well.

The radical new product has been in development for over two years and will cost �50m ($80 million) to fit across Virgin's fleet. It will be introduced on all of Virgin's Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A340-600 aircraft starting from this summer, and will be on all those aircraft based at Heathrow by spring 2004 and all those at Gatwick by autumn 2004.

Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Atlantic, commented:

"We will keep battling to keep Concorde flying right to the bitter end. However, should we fail to do so, Concorde and other first class passengers will need a new super-luxury way of travelling. Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class Suite will give them all they need at a cost thousands of pounds less. Except, sadly, the beauty of supersonic travel.

"I am delighted to be launching this revolutionary product - calling it a "suite" signifies the leap in quality and comfort offered by Virgin over our rivals' "standard" business and first class seats. Our Upper Class Suite will move aviation forward by decades.

"At home you sit on a leather chair and sleep on a mattress yet every airline gives you a chair which doubles up as a bed. We will give you the most comfortable chair in the air which you can recline in for take off and landing and, for the first time, we will give you a separate luxury mattress which gives you the best and longest bed in the sky.

"We will also allow you to sit and eat at your seat with another passenger facing you or have a meal and a drink with friends at our exclusive private bar � the only bar in the sky. If you're feeling stressed we'll give you an inflight massage or manicure in a private treatment area or, if you prefer, at your seat.

"Today's announcement demonstrates our firm commitment to continue to invest in product innovation. Quite simply, our Upper Class Suite gives you everything and more than you get in others' first class - except the bill!"

Comparison with British Airways' First Class product:

VAA's Upper Class Suite BA's First Class
Length 79.5" 76"
Shoulder space/width 33" 19.5"
Lower bed width 22" 19.5"
Limo to/from airport Yes No
Drive thru check in Yes No
Onboard bar Yes No
Inflight beauty therapy Yes No
Round trip New York/London $7644 $11662
Round trip New York/London on Concorde x $12680


Just like in the hotel sector where suites are more luxurious than standard rooms, Virgin's new product is not merely a seat but also provides a bed, space for communal dining and business meetings and inflight beauty therapy treatments at the passenger's seat. Different to anything else flying today, the product has been designed to be separately both the most comfortable bed and the most comfortable seat in the air. Instead of extending from a seat into a bed Virgin Atlantic's seat provides the passenger with a luxury leather armchair to relax on which then flips over into a separate bed with a mattress to sleep on. Virgin Atlantic has applied for a patent for this revolutionary design.

Joe Ferry, Head of Design for Virgin Atlantic, said;

"Traditional designs of business class seats where the seat extends into a bed ultimately result in a compromise in comfort for both products. Our radical new design provides passengers with customized furniture for sitting on and sleeping on so passengers do not have to compromise on the comfort of either."

The suites are configured in a unique herringbone style in a 1-2-1 arrangement, which means that all passengers have access to the aisle and half can have both an aisle and a window seat. This configuration also means that no suite faces backwards. Up to 45 new suites will be fitted to each aircraft.

Every suite has an extra seat which can be used for companions so passengers can eat together, hold meetings or for inflight beauty therapy treatments if the passenger prefers. The new Upper Class cabin also features a newly designed private bar in an area discreet from the cabin.

Upper Class already also offers a unique range of products and services compared with other airlines' first and business classes including four free limousines (to and from the airport at both ends of the journey), inflight beauty therapists offering a range of treatments and access to Virgin's award winning Clubhouses where you can get a suit made, have a haircut or a beauty treatment.

Roger

How wonderful to see such detail about a Virgin Atlantic product - in the BA Forum .

STAM4NICK

I found this site with more info from VS: http://www.upperclasssuite.com although it does not seem to be working right now.

This sounds wonderful, and hopefully it can be completed in a timely manner.

edi-traveller

Well we can't get the information from the special website they've set up because it doesn't work.

BearX220

Holy moly. God bless 'em. Can't wait for pictures. Or my first flight. Or for the first BA apologist to show up here and say it won't be very good at all actually.

Roger

It won't be long! I'm sure the venom and abuse factories are working overtime !

CT-UK

I am just waiting for the website to work so I can see the pics

It sounds good lets hope it raises the bar for others to follow

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

The link works for me.

Regards
TBS

BearX220

It does work now -- the initial rush must be over. The product looks really good -- pod/suites inspired by the BA First config, obviously, in a four-across herringbone layout, but warmer-looking and with more space and amenities.

Globehopper

I wonder if this is just hype?

What ever happened to VS's claim that they were going to introduce completely private cabins with large beds on the A340? That got some folks thinking of the Mile High Club.

Yet nothing seems to have come of it.

BearX220

Wait for the A380.

ScottC

Then what? Images of private rooms, gambling and a cinema? More like 600 economy seats with even less room than nowadays...

I like the look of the VS seats, although it isn't clear if they are fully automatic seats, looks like you need to manually fold them into a bed. BA is in for some pretty tough competition on the JFK route.

danam

I think the new setup looks really good, I only hope they introduce across a high percentage of the fleet.

Not sure if the seats are electronic or not but it certainly looks like you'll need to get up to make it into a bed.....I bet someone will complain about that!

ScottC

If it's anything like BA or CX's retrofits then this might take a few years to see apprear across the fleet.

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

According to the timetable on the site;

Selected flights to JFK/SFO over the summer

LHR fleet by Spring 2004

LGW fleet by Autumn 2004.

Be interesting to see if VS keeps to the plan.

Regards

TBS