Your guide to the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing at Heathrow Terminal 3
The nearest that any London airport has to Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal in Frankfurt (old review here) is Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class Wing.
It’s not really a fair comparison, of course. Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal is a totally separate building, allowing you to check in, eat, drink, clear security and be driven (yes, driven) to the steps of your aircraft without having to dirty your feet in the main terminal building.
The Upper Class Wing isn’t like that, but it is still quite cool. There is a page dedicated to it on the Virgin Atlantic website which you can find here.
I thought it was worth a quick primer on how it works.
Getting to Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class Wing
The key thing you need to know, if flying Upper Class or Delta One from Heathrow Terminal 3, is that the entrance is totally separate from the main Terminal 3 drop-off area.
(You can also use the Wing if you have Virgin Flying Club Gold status and are flying in Premium or Economy on Virgin Atlantic or Delta. The detailed list of access rules is below.)
It opens at 5am and closes at 9.30pm. If you are arriving outside these hours, you need to use the main terminal entrance.
If you are arriving by Uber, the app has ‘Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing’ as a known drop-off point. If you are taking a black cab, make sure the driver knows exactly where to drop you.
If you are being dropped off by a friend or relative, remember that the entrance to the Wing is inside the drop off charge zone at Heathrow. Whoever drives you will be liable for a £7 fee.
Note that it is not possible to use the Upper Class Wing check-in if arriving on public transport. The only way in is by car. You can use the Upper Class Wing security line by taking a lift in Zone A of the main terminal.
As you head towards Terminal 3 in your taxi or Uber, you are looking out for this sign:
As you turn towards the Upper Class Wing, you are met by a barrier and an intercom.
This is farcical, frankly. The only person who can speak into it is the driver, because of how it is positioned, but whoever answers it insists on speaking to the flyer. The flyer will never be the driver. Last time I was there I tried shouting from the passenger seat (at least I wasn’t in the back) but I couldn’t be heard. I tried to get the taxi driver to speak on my behalf but the person couldn’t understand anything.
‘He’s flying to Boston’. ‘Atlanta? I can’t see a Burgess flying to Atlanta’. ‘No, Boston’. ‘Is he sure he’s flying Virgin Atlantic to Atlanta?’
In the end the person on the intercom gave up and lifted the barrier anyway.
You then head down this dodgy looking bit of road:
…. until you finally appear in something suitably classy:
There are two things to note here. You cannot park your car anywhere – it is strictly a drop-off area. Because of the turning circle, it cannot accept stretched cars or oversized vehicles.
You enter here. Someone should be waiting at the door to relieve you of your luggage:
Inside it is a fairly sparse space. To your right you have some toilets and some seating, in case the two check-in desks are occupied:
…. and next to that, a model aircraft and a fridge containing soft drinks – you can see it in the top photograph above, which is a PR image.
Once you’ve dropped your bags, if you have any, you walk down this corridor:
…. and turn left at the end. You are immediately at a security belt. Here is a PR shot from the Virgin Atlantic website although this may have changed since the new security equipment was installed:
At this point, you realise that the Upper Class Wing is, in some ways, a big trick. The security lane is part of the main bank of security lanes inside Terminal 3, albeit dedicated to Upper Class Wing users. You have been inside the main terminal building all the time.
Once you have cleared security, you exit in the same place as everyone else coming into Terminal 3, trapped in the World Duty Free maze. It is a long walk to the Clubhouse lounge (review) but no worse than it is for people checking in via the main terminal.
Compare and contrast ….
How does the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing in Terminal 3 compare to the British Airways First Wing in Terminal 5?
Whilst these two ‘exclusive’ areas seem similar, in reality they operate in different ways.
Who can use it?
Virgin Atlantic allows the following to use the Upper Class Wing, according to its website:
Passengers travelling in the following cabins:
- Upper Class on Virgin Atlantic + a guest travelling with Virgin Atlantic or Delta
- Delta One on Delta
Passengers with the following loyalty status:
- Flying Club Gold card members + a guest travelling with Virgin Atlantic or Delta
- Delta Sky Miles Diamond and Platinum Medallions + a guest travelling on Virgin Atlantic or Delta
- Flying Blue Platinum Members + a guest travelling on Virgin Atlantic or Delta
- Virgin Australia Velocity Club Gold, Platinum and The Club card holders travelling on Virgin Atlantic
After Virgin Atlantic joined SkyTeam it did, for a period, allow all Sky Team Elite Plus members and a guest to use the Wing. This benefit appears to have been withdrawn.
The British Airways First Wing is only for The British Airways Club Gold members or oneworld Emerald equivalents or First Class passengers.
Do you have a dedicated drop-off area and someone to carry your luggage?
- Virgin Upper Class Wing – yes
- BA First Wing – no
Do you avoid the main terminal?
- Virgin Upper Class Wing – yes, until you exit security, then you join the throng on your way to the Clubhouse lounge
- BA First Wing – you need to enter Terminal 5 to access the First Wing but once in it, you have a private channel all the way to the Galleries First lounge. Those with Concorde Room access need to walk through and exit Galleries First to reach it.
Can you use it if arriving by public transport?
- Virgin Upper Class Wing – no, only car drop off is allowed, but you can use the private security channel by taking the lift in Zone A of Terminal 3 to the Upper Class Wing
- BA First Wing – yes, but you are at the wrong end of Terminal 5 if arriving by tube or train and if short of time you may prefer to use the standard Fast Track lanes
You can find out more about the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing on its website here.