Passengers traveling Virgin Atlantic’s Airbus A330s can look forward to roomier accommodations.
Numerous passengers complained about the tight Dream Suite space on the airline’s A330s. Installing the Dream Suite allowed the airline to add three more seats, which, assuming Upper Class was booked, would provide extra revenue.
The A330’s cabin width is the same as the airline’s A340s, but the carrier decided to opt for a 1-2-1 layout against the roomier 1-1-1 found on the A340s and Boeing 787s. Many passengers found the seating for this aircraft, which operates some of the airline’s most important routes, too tight and too awkward.
“The Dream Suite [on the A330] was a fiasco,” said one of Virgin Atlantic’s ex-staff members. “The retrofit brings the A330 product in line with the rest of the Virgin fleet.”
Virgin Atlantic plans to carry out the A330 retrofit over the new few months. The airline is replacing the suites with an updated version of its 2003 product, the first fully flat business-class bed with direct aisle access. During the refit, some of the A330s will have the new seating installed while others will not. Virgin Atlantic’s intent is to convert all 10 A330s in time for 2017’s summer flying program, effective March 26.
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