V IRGIN A 350
According to Daniel Kerzner, Virgin Atlantic’s VP of
customer experience, the decision to fit a lounge instead
of the usual bar was based on feedback from a number of
the airline’s most frequent Upper Class customers, who
said that they wanted a place to sit together. They also
wanted an option to stand, which is provided by a ‘perch’
for up to three people, on which they can lean or rest
drinks. The two zones are visually separated by a rather
striking ceiling design, complete with gold-plated
‘chandelier’.
A bold CMF scheme adds to the ‘wow factor’ when
boarding, with innovative choices including a wide range
of multi-paint systems, multiple custom-made Isovolta
laminates, hard black anodised bar surfaces, black nickel
and gold plating, all complemented by the a bespoke
RGB-W LED lighting system.
A particularly special feature is the large semitranslucent
privacy panels in the walls separating the
Loft from the Upper Class cabin, which give an alluring
ABOVE: ALL SUITES NOW FACE
TOWARDS WINDOWS TO BENEFIT
FROM NATURAL LIGHT
INSET: THE SLIDING HALF DOOR
CREATES A GREATER FEELING OF
PRIVACY IN THE BED POSITION
Party in the Loft
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
038 NOVEMBER 2019
“We’ve pushed our suppliers
to do something nobody
else has”
silhouetted view of the activity in the Loft, with only
minimal light spill into the cabin. A new material was
specially designed with Boltaron for the project, with a
feature pattern interlayered between transparent material
to create the windows.
Kerzer says the inspiration came from residential
interior design, with the scheme intended to increase
the sense of space. “We’ve really pushed our suppliers
to do things that nobody else has. We’re proud of the
design and I think we’ve nailed it. Based on customer
feedback, this is their favourite social space on any of
our fleet.”
THE UPPER CLASS CABIN
Moving from the Loft into the Upper Class cabin,
another major change is obvious: the change from
herringbone seating facing inwards to a much more
conventional 1-2-1 layout that has every seat facing
towards the windows.
So what drove this major change? “A big piece of
feedback from customers was that people wanted to face
the window and to have as much natural light as possible,
especially in the outboard seats. We heard loud and clear
from our customers that if they could change one thing
about Upper Class, it was to sit facing the windows,”
explains Kerzner. The airline has also had an opportunity
to gain feedback on a more forward-facing layout with its
four ex-Air Berlin A330-200s on fleet, fitted with Stelia
Aerospace’s Solstys seat.
The Loft space features a 32in
touchscreen monitor which can show
anything from news updates, to the
tailcam. It would not be appropriate to
have any audio content coming from
speakers and disturbing the Upper Class
cabin, so eight Bluetooth headphone
connections are available – ideal for
watching a movie together, or even
having a silent disco.
Kerzner thinks that in-seat
Bluetooth headphone connections will
feature in the future. He would also
like to see wireless charging for PEDs,
and while the team is ascertaining
what the wireless charging standard
will be in the future, they hope to
have that feature on the 14 A330-
900s which will begin replacing the
A330ceo fleet from 2021.
See p110 for more
details of the Virgin
Atlantic A350 colour,
materials and finish
schemes
/aircraftinteriorsinternational.com