Story: Virgin vs British Airways: The Smackdown

Ever since Richard Branson launched Virgin Atlantic in 1984, a (not so) silent war has raged between British Airways and Branson’s young upstart. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Business Class cabin, where both airlines fight to win the loyalty of lucrative business travelers. I’ve flown both, so I have some thoughts on how Virgin Atlantic and BA compare.

Cabin

BA’s new Club World cabin features both forward and rear-facing seats, each of which have aisle access. There have been lots of recent upgrades in BA's business cabin, but what’s most apparent is the high level of privacy enjoyed by passengers with window seats.. BA recently introduced a snack bar, called the Club Kitchen, located in the galley, where you can help yourself to drinks and snacks during the flight. it's a nice touch, but it also feels a bit like an afterthought.

Virgin’s cabin is laid out in a distinctive herringbone formation, with seats angled at 45°. Curved partitions make the cabin feel roomy and open — highlighting sense of spaciousness that's an integral part of how Virgin has engineered its Upper Class product. Virgin also pioneered mood lighting, which many have now replicated. It makes relaxing or navigating the cabin in low-light a much more pleasurable experience. The best feature, however, is The Bar — now standard on all Virgin flights. Essentially an open galley, it designed for up to eight passengers to congregate, drink and chat. The Bar is an excellent innovation that's well suited for folks who like to socialize on a long flight. If you’re feeling super-rockstar about the whole thing, ask if you can have dinner at The Bar. It’s a gas.

Verdict: Virgin, hands down.

Seat

BA spent some time re-engineering their flat-bed seat since they introduced the first one a few years back. The result is an excellent experience that suffers only from it’s lack of length. (It's just 6'3” long.) Unlike Virgin, the seat reclines fully into the bed position, making it easy to transition from reclining and watching a movie to lying fully flat and snoozing away.

Virgin’s seat is as ingenious as it is long - a fabulous 6'7″. When it’s time to sleep, a flight attendant comes to turn down your bed, flipping over the seat to reveal a soft mattress on the underside. Soft pillows and a down duvet follow, making for the best night of Business Class sleep I’ve ever had. Beware though: Widths and lengths vary between upper and lower decks on the 747, and again on the A340, so check an insider's website like Seat Guru (seatguru.com) for details before you travel.

Verdict: If you’re tall, fly Virgin. If it's privacy you want, get a window seat on BA

Food

BA really comes into its own when meals are served. Excellent muli-course menus and delicious wines combine to make for an excellent all-round dining experience. Top marks.

Virgin’s food is simply terrible. I've had some that were passable, but most of the meals I’ve eaten in Upper Class were sub-par. Poorly conceived menus and stingy portions are the norm, which is remarkable for an airline that gets so many other things right.

Verdict: No contest. BA’s food wins by a country mile.

Inflight service

This is a tricky category, as each airline clearly has a different set of priorities.

BA has opted for an ultra-professional, older crew. Always attentive and happy to entertain most requests, they’re extremely competent and considerably more experienced than their Virgin counterparts. Overall, however, the BA crew dissapoint because they don't do anything to make the experience feel special in any way.

Virgin's emphasis on stylish luxury carries through to the younger (and typically female) cabin crew. That's great if you’re on holiday, as the tone is more chatty and indulgent - ‘another glass of Scotch Mr Moross?’ But lacks in genuine, attentive service: requests are often forgotten and the overall attitude is more blasé.

Verdict: A draw. High class or high style? Your pick.

The Bottom Line:
Business Class is an extraordinarily expensive way to fly, and if you travel frequently, it can also be an exhausting and lonely experience. Despite this, premium classes rarely manage to distract from the functional elements of travel with anything vaguely fun or memorable. That's exactly where BA falls down and Virgin excels. Air travel was once about adventure and style, and, for my (hard earned) money, I want business class to celebrate the pleasure of travel, rather than just get me from A to B.

Overall Verdict:
I prefer Virgin. What's business without pleasure?