- I’ve flown on UK rivals British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways in long-haul economy.
- Both airlines provided similar amenities and comparable fares, but I liked Virgin slightly more.
- Virgin stands out with better food compared to the blander dishes on BA.
Thanks to my job, I’ve crisscrossed the Atlantic dozens of times on almost every mainline carrier. My most recent treks were in economy on UK-based rivals British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways.
Both long-haul airlines sport large networks connecting the US to London and beyond, and my home airport in New York City is particularly busy. BA has a bigger presence, but it and Virgin collectively fly at least a dozen nonstops daily on the popular NY-London corridor.
Fares and departure times are comparable from most airports where they compete and both airlines ranked in Skytrax’s top 20 best airlines for 2024.
After comparing the two long-haul experiences, I found that they’re both perfectly fine options with similar mainline amenities. But I’m partial to Virgin.