Unpacking The Differences Between Light, Classic & Delight Fares

Established in 1984, Randolph Fields and Alan Hellary created British Atlantic Airways, with plans for the airline to connect London and the Falkland Islands. Fast forward to today, and it’s one of the UK’s most well-known airlines, with its unique service offering for its widebody, long-haul network. Its first flight from Gatwick to Newark took off on June 22, 1984.

A Glance at the History of Virgin Atlantic

Fields sold his shares to Richard Branson in the early years on the agreement that he would be entitled to free travel. Today, the airline is controlled by the Virgin Group (51%) and Delta Air Lines (49%), a member of the SkyTeam Alliance.

The carrier has a mixed fleet of both Airbus and Boeing aircraft and focuses its network on destinations in the US, Canada, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Once upon a time, the airline flew to Australia, connecting London Heathrow to Sydney, with a stop in Hong Kong.

In May 2020, the airline noted that 3,000 staff would lose their jobs due to the downturn in travel caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic. The airline would also axe its operations from Gatwick, a long-term tenant of the airport, and retire all of its Boeing 747-400s that were still in service

Having part ownership by Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, the airline joined the Skyteam Alliance in March 2023. It was its newest member until Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) joined the alliance this year.

Virgin Atlantic’s Classes of Service

Onboard, you can expect to travel in three different classes of service: Upper Class (Business), premium economy, and economy class. All class levels can be experienced on the four different variants of aircraft that Virgin Atlantic operates; its modest fleet of 44 aircraft includes:

8 x Airbus A330-300s

7 x Airbus A330-900

12 x Airbus A350-1000

17 x Boeing 787-9

Further specifics for the aircraft are detailed below, as per ch-aviation.

Virgin Atlantic has historically operated the Airbus A320, A321, A330-200, A340-300, A340-600, Boeing 747-100, 747-200B, 747-400, and 767-300ER.

Looking to travel with Virgin Atlantic, several economy class offerings cater to all budget-conscious travelers. The airline understands that ‘not one size fits all,’ so its current approach lets the flexibility be in your hands, with several different fare offerings. Simple Flying will describe these below:

Please note that the fares described below are based on a return London to New York fare for February 2024. Prices, availability, and inclusions are subject to change until the time of booking.

Regardless of what fare type you choose, all passengers can choose from complimentary meals, snacks, beverages, and onboard seatback entertainment. Let’s understand the differences of Virgin Atlantics’ economy class fares:

Economy Light

Virgin Atlantic’s Economy Light offering is the cheapest option for traveling with the airline. This no-frills approach still entitles passengers to free food and drinks onboard. However, the fare only includes:

One hand luggage (maximum weight 22 pounds / ten kilograms)

Standard seat selection at check-in

Seat pitch of 31 inches

Advanced seat selection is available for a fee

No refund on tickets/changes for a fee (refer to your fare rules)

No eligibility to upgrade to Premium Economy or Upper Class

Earn 25% Virgin Points on eligible itineraries

25 Flying Club tier points

It is worth noting that checked baggage is not included. However, you can add up to seven pre-paid bags online or up to ten at the airport. Regardless of where you decide to add them, the cost remains the same. Adding the first and second bags costs 65 GBP / 100 USD per piece, and bags three to ten cost 140 GBP / 200 USD per piece.

For an example itinerary, we looked at return fares from London Heathrow to New York in February 2025. A return Economy Light fare was GBP 494.52 ($632) at the time of searching. The itinerary is as follows:

VS3, departing London Heathrow at 08:55, arriving in New York John F. Kennedy at 11:55. Block time of eight hours.

VS26, departing New York John F. Kennedy at 08:20, arriving at London Heathrow at 20:10. Block time is six hours and 50 minutes.

Other European airlines offering a similar Economy Light fare for long-haul travel include Norse Atlantic, LEVEL, and French bee.

Economy Classic

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For those looking for a little more bang for your buck, Economy Classic is the easiest to compare with other significant European and US legacy carriers. The main difference between Economy Light and Economy Classic is that the latter includes one free 50-pound / 23-kilogram checked bag.

Like Economy Light, you are entitled to free drinks and meals alongside the wide range of entertainment available from your personal seatback entertainment system. Benefits include:

All economy class seats include USB power outlets but do not offer wireless charging (available on select aircraft in Premium and Upper Class). All passengers receive a free pillow and blanket to use inflight and receive standard headphones.

Following the similar itinerary noted above, the cost for an Economy Classic ticket was GBP 605 ($777) return.

Economy Delight

Economy Delight is for those looking for the best economy class without the Premium Economy or Upper-Class price tag. Not only does Economy Delight offer an extra three inches of seat pitch, but it also enables passengers to enjoy premium check-in and priority boarding:

A return journey on our London to New York itinerary next February costs GBP 742 ($950) for Economy Delight. A return trip in premium economy would cost GBP 915 ($1,170) or Upper-Class GBP 3,869 ($4,944).

It’s important to note that depending on your destination or point of origin, some inclusions or baggage allowances may vary. For example, when traveling in the Caribbean on inter-island services, you cannot select your seat in advance. Passengers originating from Dubai, Mumbai, Lagos, and Johannesburg may also be entitled to different baggage allowances.

Extra entertainment and connectivity offerings are also available on flights, including WiFi packages starting from GBP 2.99 ($3.83). The speeds and price depend on the aircraft type in which you are booked, with streaming services not available when traveling on the Virgin Atlantic fleet’s Airbus A330-300 or Airbus A350-1000.

The airline’s WiFi offering has a substantial area that should cover you for most of your trip. However, the map above identifies where the system may temporarily be out of service. As identified on the map, all its destinations have coverage for your next VS flight.

Regardless, when you are onboard, no matter what ticket type you pick, you can choose from over 1,900 hours of movies, television, shows, and music. These include the latest blockbuster movies and popular television shows. Virgin’s in-flight entertainment system even allows you to create your playlist with the ‘save for later’ tool, which means you can pick your entire flight’s ‘much watch’ list before leaving the apron. If you are traveling with young children, there is a parental block system if you need to filter some content from the younger passengers onboard.

As a final note, keep an eye out when booking online for your next trip with Virgin Atlantic. Their website does offer services onboard their codeshare partner, Delta Air Lines, for services between the United States and the United Kingdom, but the offerings onboard their services may differ