THE FLIGHT
I flew on VS208, Virgin Atlantic’s new daily services to the South Korean capital which launched in late March 2026. The partnership with SkyTeam partner Korean Air means passengers can connect through Seoul to Northeast Asian destinations, plus Australia and New Zealand. There are also connecting opportunities with other SkyTeam partners operating at Incheon, including Vietnam Airlines, China Eastern, China Airlines, Garuda Indonesia and Xiamen Airlines.
The new flights are operated on Boeing 787-9 aircraft with Upper Class, Premium and Economy cabins. I flew in Upper Class, which meant I was also one of the first to sample Virgin’s newly-refreshed Clubhouse at Heathrow.
THE CHECK-IN
I arrived by National Express coach into Heathrow’s main bus station, which meant I wasn’t able to make use of Virgin Atlantic’s dedicated drive-in check-in wing. I arrived two-and-a-half hours before the 13.25 flight and went to the front of the queue for Upper Class passengers. I checked my bag and was through fast-track security within a few minutes, then following the signs to H lounges. At the Clubhouse, I was escorted to the brasserie area at the far end to meet my travelling companions (other media on the inaugural flight) and greeted with a glass of sparkling wine – part of a new partnership with English wine producer Hambledon. The Clubhouse was fairly busy but service was very attentive. I didn’t fancy any of the à la carte breakfast options, so I headed to the buffet for some Greek yoghurt, fresh fruit and muesli, then went back for some smoked salmon and trout with capers, lemon and horseradish, which I washed down with a lovely mug of tea. I took the opportunity to check out what’s new at the Clubhouse, including a peak into the invitation-only Royal Box, which is reserved for VIPs or those requiring more privacy. Tucked behind a velvet rope, it has a few quirky ‘Virgin’ touches, such as a 1993 note from Princess Diana to Sir Richard Branson, Virgin memorabilia and a large coffee table which slides open to reveal an array of sweets and snacks. It also has two new noise-isolated Studio work pods, named after Virgin Records studios, The Townhouse and The Manor, and the spa is back with a menu of pampering treatments.
THE BOARDING
We made our way to the gate 16, which was close by but allowed us a quick stretch of our legs ready for the 12-hour flight. Again, there were no queues at the gate and we walked straight down the air bridge and on to the aircraft for another warm welcome from the crew and into the warmly lit Upper Class cabin – and another glass of fizz. Without the usual wait at the gate, I’d not yet been able to make my traditional ‘I’m just boarding’ call to the family, so I called from my seat (3K) but the phone signal wasn’t great so it was a quick call. We lifted off the tarmac at 13.40.
THE SEAT
There are 31 flat-bed seats in this Upper Class – 11 on each side of the aircraft, facing diagonally inwards, and nine in the middle facing diagonally to the right. The screens between each seat allow you to chat to neighbours if you wish, or to lower your seat down for privacy. Once into a lie-flat position, you’re not overlooked at all. The overhead lockers are deep and easily reachable, so I was able to lift my heavy trolley bag in and out during the flight. Seats have a large pull-out table which is plenty big enough for even a large laptop. It took me a while to get the hang of opening it (which requires a pushing down technique) but once I’d worked it out, it was easy.
Entertainment screens can be manoeuvred into a number of positions, depending on what suits your eye sight. The headsets were surprisingly comfy. A UK power socket meant I could keep my phone and laptop charged and there are two handy storage spaces for glasses and phones. Larger items, like handbags, shoes or laptops, can be slid underneath a footstall. The only thing I wasn’t so keen on was having to twist round to look out of the window behind me.
THE SERVICE
I missed the first drinks order, so had to wait a while for my Soju Mojito, but it was worth the wait. For lunch I opted for the Chongga moo ssam spring rolls to start. They were really light and spicy, filled with exotic-sounding ingredients, which I had to Google! For main I went for the more familiar chicken two ways – oven baked breast and a cream herb chicken mini pie, with broccoli, carrot purée, baby carrots and a little jug of chicken jus. It was just the right portion to leave room for dessert – a gorgeous sticky toffee pudding, which wasn’t on the menu but I spied my neighbour eating it.
Emily, Marcos and Lorenzo – and occasionally other members of the crew – looked after me well. I wasn’t familiar with the seat-to-bed mechanism, but Emily offered to make up my bed while I went to clean my teeth. The crew later helped me to convert it back to a seat again after a few hours of attempting to sleep.
The lie-flat seat is super comfortable (and on the return flight I slept soundly) but on this outward flight there was a lot of chatter at the bar from excited journalists, which meant I didn’t get as much sleep as I hoped. It was also warm in the cabin, which didn’t help, but I definitely snatched a few short naps.
I woke up as the full breakfast was being served so chose a blueberry compote, Greek yoghurt, granola and fresh blueberries and a lovely flaky croissant, followed by the salmon. The only negative on the F&B side was the tepid tea but a crew member apologised that they weren’t able to get the water to boiling point.
What I found really impressive was the onboard Wi-Fi. About an hour into the flight I was even able to make a Whatsapp video call home. Sadly, it also meant I was able to keep on top of work emails.
We touched down at Incheon at 09.38 local time, 25 minutes early. There was a very short queue at passport control, where we had to look into a screen. We’d all completed pre-arrival forms before the flight, which only took a few minutes. My bag came off just as I arrived at the baggage belt and then we were ushered by our hosts through arrivals and to a press conference in another building at the airport. After this, we took a bus to our city centre hotel, just over an hour’s drive away.
THE VERDICT
Admittedly I was travelling with a group of journalists and Virgin’s new CEO, so we were bound to get tip top treatment, but chatting to some of the airline’s top flyers, the service is consistently good, and the Virgin Atlantic crew make everyone feel like a VIP. However, I think I prefer the newer-style seat on the A330s, which has more storage.
THE COST
London-Seoul Upper Class fares start from £3,239.
