Virgin Air Questions
 

Message: We will be traveling from Boston to London in February with my 9&11 yr old boys. Is the food ok on Virgin Airbus 340 or do you think it is safer for me to bring Sub sandwiches, water and snacks for us to eat instead? Are the seats comfortable enough for sleep or have you all had a hard time sleeping? We are in Economy one window one isle. Thanks for any and all info/hints re:Virgin Air :-)

We always fly Virgin to London and I can only say that they are at least as comfortable as Continental, if not more. They feed you all the time, before take off, after take off, sweets, tea, wake up to tea/coffee, breakfast, sweets, the service has always been good.
Sleeping is difficult for me on planes, so the children may fall right to sleep or be too excited.
They will be able to watch the movies or tv on the little screen on the back of the seat in front of them, so that is good.
You probably won't need to buy Subs or water, I don't know how much they eat, but snacks can't hurt to bring along.
You will enjoy it :)

You will probably eat the airline food, but your 9&11 year old boys?? Bring some sandwiches & snacks for them just in case. You can get plenty of water & soft drinks on board, but if you feel the need, bring a couple of pints on board with you. ((b))

Most airlines have special kid meals you can order ahead of time. Call Virgin and find out what they offer. It's a good airline, so the kid meal may be a decent alternative to the regular one - my kids always liked the kids' meal better than the regular one. I WOULD bring water - I always do - because it's important to keep hydrated during the night on the flight. As for snacks, I always brought nuts and carrots and berries and other easy-to-carry things for my kids in case they didn't like the airline food or needed a snack in between meals.

About sleeping - I think in 50+ trips to Europe I've probably racked up about 12 hours of sleep, but that's just me. My kids are out like a light, sometimes before the plane takes off. I wouldn't COUNT on sleeping, but if your kids are good sleepers, they'll probably sleep and be a lot fresher than you are upon arrival. You might want to bring some Dramamine along in case it turns out they get airsick - both my kids had horrible problems with that when they were younger.
Happy flying!

Thanks so much... Thanks for the reminder of Dramamine!! Almost forgot about that! Also, for the info about kids meals. Cj I am so excited I feel 11! :-)

Whenever I've flown Virgin the food has been excellent and abundant. The airline has also provided sleep masks, etc., on overnight flight which did promote rest and sleep. However, economy class seats are pretty much the same as on most airlines. If you have additional questions about meal service or other issues you could call the airline directly. This is always a good place to start.

Check out Virgin's website. They not only have kid meals but they also have backpacks full of games and other stuff to keep kids busy. They may just zone out in front of the mini t.v. watching t.v. or playing games. I would hold off on the Dramamine. My kids were so mezmerized by the t.v.'s that I hardly heard a peep out of them from L.A. to London. Aged 6 & 8 at the time.

Do you remember if they get the backpack on the leg from Boston to London? According to the Virgin site it read like they only gave them out on the UK side. Just wondering...

I think you may be correct. Backpacks are given when leaving London. If you have the time, try to "reserve" one as they do run out. have a great trip!

i LOVE virgin airlines. i order veggie meals on planes (they're always better than those nasty beef patties or sloppy joes you get if you order regular meals) and both times I've flown Virgin it was yummy. but as budman points out, bring sandwiches for your kids. i hated plane food as a kid. the good thing about Virgin for kids is it keeps them entertained--depending on what entertainment system your flight has, you will at least get a selection of movies to watch, and may have video games, a virtual jukebox, and selection of movies and tv shows at each chair.