How to Make the Most of Upper Class on Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic flies to over 30 destinations around the world, with access to even more with partners like Delta Air Lines, Air France and KLM. Based in the U.K., the airline focuses on international long-haul flying and offers business class passengers a luxurious experience, including access to its popular Clubhouse airport lounges.

In our Virgin Atlantic business class overview, you'll learn what to expect while flying, how to book a ticket and a few ways to earn good value.

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What to expect flying business class with Virgin Atlantic

When flying Virgin Atlantic business class, also known as upper class, you'll experience luxury every step of the way. Your experience includes access to priority check-in and exclusive airport lounges — and that's all before your eventual departure.

• Bag allowance. Business class passengers may check up to two pieces of baggage per person, and these bags may weigh up to 70 pounds each. Additionally, you may bring two pieces of hand baggage on board, with a combined weight of no more than 35 pounds.

• Boarding. As with most airlines, Virgin Atlantic allows business class passengers to board and deplane ahead of other passengers.

• Seats. Business class seats offer 20 to 22 inches of width, which is the largest available on Virgin Atlantic. The seats lie flat when in bed mode, and offer more than 6 1/2 feet of space to stretch out in.

• Onboard social areas. Virgin Atlantic's business class cabins offer exclusive areas for passengers to grab a drink or dine with friends. Older planes have a bar, while the new A350 planes have "the Loft," a relaxing social area.

• Lounges. The Upper Class Wing is the exclusive business class lounge for Virgin Atlantic at London Heathrow. Plus, there are seven additional Clubhouse lounges and numerous partner lounges around the world offering drinks, food and wellness spas.

• Food and drink service. You'll experience five-star dining at 30,000 feet with Virgin Atlantic, starting with a chilled glass of pre-departure Champagne. There is full-service dining in lounges and varying menus on-board based on your departure time.

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How to book a business class ticket with Virgin Atlantic

Searching for business class flight options with Virgin Atlantic is fairly straightforward, regardless if you're paying with cash or points.

Start by selecting your departure and arrival airport, dates of travel, number of passengers and if it is a one-way or round-trip flight. If you want to book with points, toggle on the "Search for Reward Flights" option. (Don't worry if you're not sure how you want to pay just yet; it'll be easy to switch between cash and points prices once you get to the next page. If you do want to see points pricing, you'll need to be signed in to your account.)

The website will return search results for your chosen travel dates. There's also a helpful bar at the top of the results showing you the cheapest prices for similar dates. The website shows you pricing for +/- three days, but you can use the arrows to look at prices for more nearby dates. If you're looking for the cheapest price, look for the date that has the "cheapest" banner above it.

Once you select your preferred dates based on the pricing, you'll choose the specific flight for your departure (and return, if applicable). After filling out your personal information, you'll have an option to select seats. In this example, the plane's business class cabin is in a 1-2-1 configuration, meaning the A and K seats are window seats, while the D and G seats only have aisle access.

If you would like to pay with a combination of points and cash, you can do that on the checkout page. However, you might get a poor redemption value — say less than 1 cent per point — so make sure to do the math before you go through with it.

Ways to get good value

When booking a Virgin Atlantic business class ticket, follow these tips to maximize your experience and receive exceptional value.

Book Virgin Atlantic upper class with points

Flying business class can be very expensive, so that's why booking Virgin Atlantic upper class with points offers such tremendous value. Be aware that fuel surcharges are levied on some flights with Virgin Atlantic, which can significantly reduce the value of this redemption.

Earn a companion ticket with your spending

When you meet $15,000 and $30,000 spending thresholds each cardholder year with the Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard, you'll be able to select a reward voucher for a round-trip companion ticket. Taxes and fees are not included, but the voucher is valid for two years after issue.

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Upgrade paid ticket to upper class

If you don't have enough points to book a business class flight, you can use points to upgrade a cash ticket to business class. The cost to upgrade depends on the type of ticket you initially purchased (economy or premium) and where you're flying to and from. Check your booking to see your upgrade options.

» Learn more: How to get free upgrades on flights

If you fly Virgin Atlantic business class

Travelers looking for a luxurious experience should consider booking a business class flight on Virgin Atlantic. They'll enjoy premium service on the ground and onboard, where they can relax in lie-flat seats and onboard social areas. The airline's credit card not only earns points toward free flights, but it also offers the ability to earn a companion ticket and tier points towards elite status.

Flights can be booked with cash or points, but take note of the potentially high fuel surcharges on award flights. One-way flights from the U.S. to London in business class can be found for as low as 29,000 points.