We are new to VIrgin Atlantic airlines and bought roundtrip tickets from Boston to Berlin via Heathrow in mid Jan.
Questions: Are coach seats crammed together? How's the service? With a couple of hours between flights, can one buy an entrance to their lounge? If not, any advice on where to spend 4+ hours at Heathrow?
Any advice is appreciated!

<i>Are coach seats crammed together?</i>

By all accounts, yes. Not terribly so, but no better than average.

<i>How's the service?</i>

Good enough. The food is notoriously bad.

<i>With a couple of hours between flights, can one buy an entrance to their lounge?</i>

No.

<i>If not, any advice on where to spend 4+ hours at Heathrow?</i>

Who operates your LHR-Berlin segment? The answer depends upon which terminal you are in.

Thanks. In answer to your question, we fly virgin atlantic airbus (operated by bmi) to Berlin Tegel. Not sure what terminal we'll be in.

You'll be arriving at Terminal 3. Follow the signs to "flight connections" where you'll go on a bus to Terminal 1 for your onward BMI flight. ("Operated by" means you check in at the BMI gate.)

You don't need to clear UK border formalities; your bags should be checked through to Berlin. You'll clear ordinary security before being released into the T1 shopping mall, where you can wait for your connecting flight. The T3 > T1 transfer will probably take around an hour, so you'll have 2 1/2 hours or so at T1 before you have to board your Berlin flight.

You <i>might</i> have 2.5 hours at T-1 but a lot depends on if your arriving flight gets a gate immediately and how remote the gate is. You probably will have quite a long walk to flight connections.

Basically you'll have time to get a bite to eat and do a bit of shopping. And that is only if you land on time.

VS (Virgin) coach seats are about as cramped as the sardine cans on most other transatlantic carriers. The service and food IME is better than most.

Check out this link:
http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Vir...nformation.php

Since I don't know what type of plane you are on, you will have to do the rest of the work, however, you should have your own tv monitor in economy and beer, wine and spirits should be free--but don't expect a lot. There are a lot of duty free stores past security. I couldn't believe the size of a knife I saw past security at one of the restaurants. But as for seating, no better or worst than any other airline.

It's an Airbus 340 300.

<<you should have your own tv monitor in economy and beer, wine and spirits should be free--but don't expect a lot>> Are you saying that beer wine and spirits are rationed? - or don't expect alot from the overall VS economy class experience? Entertainment system is better than any of the US carriers, service and food is far better also.

"!With a couple of hours between flights, can one buy an entrance to their lounge?"

The UK policy is that you may access only airside lounges in the departing terminal, if you don't qualify for your transatlantic airline's arrivals lounge (Virgin doesn't sell access to ordinary mortals). At T1, the ONLY lounge available for non-premium class, non-heavy user privilege card holders is the Servisair lounge, though certain categories of Star Alliance cardholders may use the bmi, Lufthansa or United lounges.

The Servisair one is £18 per person: reasonable space, never found it full, quiet, OK booze, a few scraps of fruit, cheese, biscuits and cake, and that's about your lot.
http://secure.baa.com/baa/BAABook.AS...trySubmit&WCU= Absolutely no need to prebook.

Outside the lounges, T1 is, IMHO, too bustly for a quiet read for a couple of hours, but pretty good if you like meandering round gawping at lots of unexceptional shopping. Just about OK airside pub and a dozen or so undistinguished, but harmless, food places.

What I meant by not a lot of boose was on the flight I asked for a second glass of wine. The flight attendant forgot and when I reminded him, he brought me two small glasses. Later when I walked to the galley and asked for a beer, I was told they didn't have any cold beer so I drank a warm one.

If you want more alcohol, they have plenty of duty free stores at the airport past the security check points for the flight home.