British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are two of the leading UK-based airlines that compete on long-haul routes. However, when it comes to premium economy class, which airline offers the better experience? While the answer may vary based on personal preference, there are several factors to consider when determining which airline has the edge over the other.

At the moment, British Airways has an older interior cabin on most of its aircraft. However, the airline is in the process of introducing new interiors with refreshed premium economy seats, which are already available on its Airbus A380 fleet and will continue to be rolled out on other aircraft until 2026. British Airways markets its premium economy class as “World Traveller Plus,” while Virgin Atlantic refers to it as “Premium.

Space and Comfort

According to Virgin Atlantic, their premium economy passengers can enjoy a seat pitch of up to 38 inches. On their Dreamliner aircraft, the premium economy seats are ThreeSixty Aerospace (now Safran GB) Reverb leather upholstered seats with a seat width of 18. 7 inches and a seat recline of 8 inches. In comparison, economy class has a seat pitch of 31 inches. On their A350 and A330neo aircraft, Virgin Atlantic offers Collins Aerospace MiQ seats, which have similar dimensions.

British Airways’ A350, 787-10, 777-300ER, and A380 aircraft are equipped with Recaro PL3510 seats, which have a row pitch of 38 inches, a seat width of 18. 7 inches, and a seat recline of 8 inches – similar to Virgin Atlantic’s premium economy seats. The 787-9 aircraft have Recaro R5 seats, which also offer the same dimensions and personal space. The only difference is on the Boeing 777-200ER, which has Recaro PL3530 seats with the same pitch and width but a deeper recline of 10 inches.

While there may be some variations between aircraft types within the fleets of both airlines, overall their premium economy offers are quite similar in terms of seat pitch, width, and recline. It’s worth noting that British Airways is in the process of introducing new premium economy seats, so this may change in the future.

Number of Premium Economy Seats Per Aircraft

Virgin Atlantic operates an all-widebody fleet, including previous-generation A330-300s, current-generation A330neos, A350s, and Boeing 787-9s. The A330-300s have 48 premium economy seats, while the A330neos have 46. The A350-1000s have two seating configurations, with both having 56 premium economy seats, and the Dreamliner has 35 premium economy seats.

In comparison, British Airways’ A350s have 56 premium economy seats, the A380s have 55, the Boeing 777-200ERs have 40, 48, or 52 seats (depending on the