Virgin Atlantic has a secret-level business-class seat.
It’s called the Retreat Suite and occupies a chunk of real estate at the front of the airline’s swish new Airbus A330-900neos.
I tried out a static model of the seat when it launched and described it at the time as a ‘glorious mini hotel suite’.
But it’s one thing to sit in a seat in a London studio, and quite another to do so during an actual long-haul journey.
For only then will any potential quibbles emerge.
Putting the suite to the ultimate test, I try it on a busy seven-hour flight from London Heathrow to JFK Airport in New York and come back in premium economy on the A330neo to see how it compares to Virgin Atlantic’s other upgrade option from regular economy.
Read on for the full verdicts, from the lounges to the service and from the legroom to the food (including why you might want to give the chicken pie a miss).
BUSINESS CLASS RETREAT SUITE, HEATHROW TO JFK – FROM £2,140
The lounge – Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse
Ted Thornhill tried out the Retreat Suite on board a JFK-bound Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330neo. At Heathrow, he relaxed before his flight at Virgin’s legendary Clubhouse (above), which has ‘more seating options than you can shake a neck pillow at’
Ted’s ‘top tier’ Clubhouse fish and chips
My ‘upper class’ (that’s Virgin-speak for business class) experience begins in splendid style at Heathrow’s Terminal 3. It’s the perfect start to a plane ride.
After an instant, zero-queue check-in, I hop in the dedicated lift to the Virgin Atlantic security lane, where once more, there’s a total, grin-inducing lack of even the merest hint of a queue and security staff who talk to me with such courtesy I think, momentarily, that I’m dreaming.
Then it’s into the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse which, quite rightly, has attained the status of ‘legendary’. I’m sure people have probably missed flights because this playground of a lounge has cast a spell over them.
There’s a magnificent bar, a meditation area, more seating options than you can shake a neck pillow at and complimentary gourmet food – I enjoy top-tier fish and chips.
Never flown with Virgin Atlantic before? This is where you’ll get a taste of the airline’s renowned service.
I’m shown inside the lounge by a hostess who asks if I’d like a quick tour of its features and a guest manager does the rounds, checking in on me and my fellow travellers as they sip cocktails, coffees and juices.
Contentment prevails.
THE CABIN
The seat – 1D. Cabin configuration – 1-2-1.
The Retreat Suite costs an extra £272 on top of an upper-class fare. Above – the A330neo
Ted explains that there are two Retreat Suites per plane, located adjacent to each other in the middle of the very front of the business-class cabin. Above is Ted’s seat – 1D
The Retreat Suite costs an extra £272 on top of an upper-class fare, which is a not-insignificant sum.
But then, the Retreat Suite is a not-insignificant upgrade.
There are two Retreat Suites per plane, located adjacent to each other in the middle of the very front of the business-class cabin.
The suite can be configured to form a quad socialising area, with up to four people able to dine together thanks to companion seats that fold out at either end of each berth.
One crew member tells me she’s had families on board who have enjoyed this feature immensely.
I haven’t got any friends or family on the flight and the seat next to me is empty, which leaves me feeling like I’m in my own apartment in the sky.
The Retreat Suite is the biggest seat in Virgin Atlantic’s history – and the game-changer vibes it gave off at the launch remain onboard as I settle in.
In lie-flat mode, the chocolate-brown leather seat is 6ft 7.5in (compared to 6ft 4in in standard upper class). I’m 5ft 10in, so there’s wriggle room aplenty.
The suite can be configured to form a quad socialising area, with up to four people able to dine together thanks to companion seats that fold out at either end of each berth
LEFT: Ted settles in and enjoys a welcome Dry January orange juice. RIGHT: The Retreat Suite offers ‘huge amounts of legroom’
LEFT: One of the two panels for seat adjustment. RIGHT: The ‘highly reuseable amenity kit’ made from recyclable paper
Does it pass the numb-bum long-journey test? Yes. The padding and support proves perfectly comfortable for the duration of my transatlantic odyssey and the seat is a breeze to adjust via an elbow-side control panel.
Comfort is further boosted by a small cushion, a luxurious pillow and a bag full of bedding (which remains closed on my flight as I shun slumber on this afternoon flight).
Storage-wise, I’m spoiled, with my wallet looking incredibly lonely in the vast compartment in the divider wall to my right.
There’s also a cubby hole with a mirror on the door by my shoulder, which houses a can of complimentary water in a holder.
Charging points? Present and correct – there are AC, USB-A and USB-C ports, plus a wireless charging pad.
Privacy, meanwhile, is premium and customisable. The double doors to my left can be fully closed or partially opened and raised and lowered, while a button on the central divider raises a privacy panel to take the cocooning level to maximum.
On the free goodies front, there’s a highly reuseable amenity kit made from recyclable paper ‘filled with sustainable treats’.
I wouldn’t have chosen the word ‘filled’. More lightly populated, with a toothbrush with a biodegradable handle; toothpaste with built-in mouthwash; socks; an eye mask; earplugs; and cosmetics by Ren skincare – lip balm, global protection day cream (whatever that is), and ‘energising hand cream’.
I remain sceptical that hand cream is capable of giving me more energy.
But still, a useful bag of swag.
If there’s a downside to the seat, it’s the ergonomics, with the charge points and controls requiring a twist to the right to access.
THE ENTERTAINMENT
The trackpad controller for the entertainment screen
I feel like I’m in a microcinema, thanks to a vast entertainment screen that measures 27 inches – versus the 17.3in screens in the ‘normal’ business-class berths – and decent over-ear headphones.
However, with the touchscreen a bit of a stretch away, I’m forced to manoeuvre a cursor around it using a trackpad on the remote control to make my choices, which is a bit fiddly.
FOOD AND SERVICE
The crew on this plane, named Eliza Dolittle, is joyously top-notch – chatty and attentive and clearly proud to be on the Virgin Atlantic payroll.
It feels like having a crew from a TV advert.
During the flight, they point out my seat’s features and distribute a (mostly) mouthwatering meal.
LEFT: The starter of pickled golden beetroot with whipped goat’s cheese. RIGHT: The chicken and mushroom pie main, which was ‘on the bland, soggy and lukewarm side’
LEFT: The dessert of pear tart tatin with fresh cream ‘isn’t presented very well, with bits of pear splattered around the dish – but it’s delicious’. RIGHT: The business-class cheese and coffee
The meal service ends with afternoon tea, which Ted describes as ‘delicious’
LEFT: The business-class dinner menu. RIGHT: The ‘express lunch’ menu
The starter of pickled golden beetroot with whipped goat’s cheese, black truffle honey and roasted hazelnuts and watercress is marvellous.
Standards then dip, with the chicken and mushroom pie main on the bland, soggy and lukewarm side (though the carrots and mash that come with it are enticing).
The dessert of pear tart tatin with fresh cream isn’t presented very well, with bits of pear splattered around the dish – but it’s delicious.
And so too is the scone-themed pre-landing afternoon tea.
I feel nicely fed and watered by the time we make our descent to JFK, so have no need to top up with the drinks and snacks available from the groovy Loft lounge area between business and premium economy.
This zone is a great concept, with seating for up to four passengers who can watch TV on dual Bluetooth screens as they avail themselves of beverages and frozen treats from the fridge and bites from the countertop ‘wander wall’.
DISEMBARKING
I’m met on the air bridge by a very nice Virgin Atlantic VIP meet-and-greet chap who guides me through border control – through the diplomatic lane – and waits with me in arrivals until my car arrives.
CONCLUSION
The Retreat Suite ‘lives up to the billing – it’s a retreat alright and a ravishing one at that’, says Ted
Swanky: Pictured above is the ‘regular’ business-class seat on the A330neo
The Retreat Suite lives up to the billing – it’s a retreat alright and a ravishing one at that. This is an elite-level, premier cru business-class offering in a plane that’s so quiet and smooth I’m barely aware I’m in the air at times.
PREMIUM ECONOMY, JFK TERMINAL 4 TO HEATHROW – FROM £760
AT THE AIRPORT
Virgin Atlantic showcases its VIP concierge service at JFK Terminal 4, with the charismatic, chatty and unflappable Kunal guiding me through border control and security. He even helps load my luggage into the security trays as tetchy travellers around me snap at each other.
Every plane journey needs a Kunal.
THE CABIN
The seat – 21A. Cabin configuration – 2-3-2
Ted returned from JFK in Virgin’s A330neo premium economy cabin. Pictured above is his berth – 21A
LEFT: Ted is all smiles as he settles in for his premium economy flight. RIGHT: The plentiful premium economy legroom
The recyclable kraft-paper amenity kit bag, which consists of a toothbrush, ear plugs, red socks and ‘White Glo’ toothpaste. The picture also shows the headphones, which Ted describes as offering ‘average’ sound quality
My return berth is seat 21A, located in the top left of the premium economy cabin.
It’s a marked downgrade from the Retreat Suite, but a definite upgrade from economy. And numb-bum proof, I can report, for six-and-a-half-hour flights.
Legroom is pleasingly plentiful – boosted by the fact that it’s a bulkhead spot – and the support and padding is impressive.
Wriggle room? For me, yes, thanks to a seat width of 18.5 inches (up from the 17.9 inches economy-class passengers get).
I’m a big fan of airline headrests with movable ‘wings’ – and these are present and correct on this seat, helping me to doze off mid-Atlantic, with comfort levels further assisted by a fairly luxurious purple blanket and a dinky cushion.
Any freebies? A handful, presented in a smaller version of the recyclable kraft-paper amenity kit bag distributed at the poshest end of the plane.
The booty comprises a toothbrush, ear plugs, red socks – and the ‘White Glo’ toothpaste is back.
To my right, meanwhile, are buttons for reclining and to release the footrest, a wireless charging pad and there are AC and USB-A ports, too.
THE ENTERTAINMENT
One of the most impressive features of the Virgin Atlantic premium-economy berth is the 13.3in touchscreen (see video) – it’s a gem, highly responsive and with a pin-sharp picture.
Just a shame that the over-ear headphones are poor – they keep sliding down the side of my head, the foam is coarse, and the sound quality is average.
The usual advice applies – bring your own headphones for any economy experience.
FOOD AND SERVICE
![Ted writes: 'I'm offered fizz or orange juice within seconds of boarding, and tuck into tasty bubble and squeak, poached egg, sausage and cherry tomatoes an hour or so after take off [above]'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/22/11/94381907-14308255-image-a-97_1737543766261.jpg)
Ted writes: ‘I’m offered fizz or orange juice within seconds of boarding, and tuck into tasty bubble and squeak, poached egg, sausage and cherry tomatoes an hour or so after take off [above]’
Ted’s main meal ‘is a piping hot cavatelli pasta with nut-free pesto cream, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, cremini mushrooms and cheese’. He adds: ‘The mouthwateringly gourmet chocolate mousse cake is the icing on the mains cake
The crew are chipper and cheerful, and the dining is a delight.
I’m offered fizz or orange juice within seconds of boarding, and tuck into tasty bubble and squeak, poached egg, sausage and cherry tomatoes an hour or so after take off.
The other choices are cheese crumpets with baked egg and spinach, or Belgian waffle.
Virgin Atlantic’s premium economy – ‘premium in almost every way’, writes Ted
My main meal, which is served two hours before landing, is a piping hot cavatelli pasta with nut-free pesto cream, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, cremini mushrooms and cheese, which I choose over pork stew or lemon-seared cod.
Satisfying, and there’s a fresh green side salad, too. But the mouthwateringly gourmet chocolate mousse cake is the icing on the mains cake.
What’s more, I have access as a Premium passenger to The Loft and its ‘wander wall’ of snacks.
I grab a banana as we approach the south-west coast of Ireland.
We land 15 minutes early and I disembark feeling pretty fresh.
CONCLUSION
Virgin Atlantic, which codeshares with U.S airline Delta, has dropped the ‘economy’ from the description of its middle-ranking cabin – and the move seems entirely justified, because this is an experience that’s premium in almost every way.
