Virgin Atlantic will install the Starlink inflight internet service, bringing streaming levels of service to its entire fleet, part of a push that also includes interior retrofits and more premium seats on board.
The new service allows our guests to create a home away from home experience, allowing customers to connect seamlessly, from the moment they board the aircraft, enjoying the same quality in the air as they do on the ground.
– Siobhan Fitzpatrick, Chief Experience Officer, Virgin Atlantic
In October 2024 CEO Shai Weiss shared that the company was considering a free option, at least for premium cabin customers and top elites. That shift, however, depended on upgrading the services at least on the 787s, “We have some very good connectivity on the A350s and the A330neos, less so on the 787s which were our first to have Wi-Fi. So we need to do some updates and changes.”
Weiss also suggested that the complimentary access for passengers would likely be tied to monetization opportunities with “cool partners on the content side.” Starlink implementations generally don’t allow much in the way of gating or paywalls, so exactly how that sponsorship idea p(l)ays out remains to be seen.
Installations are expected to begin in Q2 2026 and complete fleet-wide by the end of 2027. This will see the existing Panasonic Avionics (787s), and Viasat (A350-1000s) deinstalled. The company will also ultimately retire its Intelsat 2Ku aircraft as the A330-300s depart the fleet.
The service will be complimentary for Flying Club members on board.
Pushing Premium
Virgin Atlantic will also double down on premium traffic demand, with plans to significantly increase its Upper Class and Premium cabins.
The existing 787 fleet will undergo a full refresh from 2028. This will include 44 Upper Class and 56 Premium seats, up from 31 and 35, respectively). Inspired by the A330neo, the 787s will include eight Retreat Suites as part of the Upper Class section.
The 34 additional premium seats come at the expense of 65 economy class seats being removed from the aircraft (192->127).
Mixed A330neo configs
A second A330neo layout will also fly from Q3 2026. The next ten deliveries from that point will be configured with 48 Upper Class (v 32; six Retreat Suites v 2), 56 Premium (v 46) and 128 economy (v 184). As with the 787-9 retrofit the reduction in the economy cabin outpaces the growth in premium by roughly a 2:1 ratio (-56, +28).
Notably, Virgin’s layout brings a total of 100 premium seats on a 787-9, one more than United’s new “Elevated” layout. United will, however, still fly more Polaris (64) seats than Virgin’s Upper Class (44) by a significant margin. This also follows general industry trends towards larger premium cabins, including part-owner Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and others.
By 2028 the carrier expects to have retired the A330ceo fleet. This also means those aircraft will not see Starlink installed on board.
Other Touchpoints
A new app, combining the airline and holiday programs, is planned for December 2025. Virgin Atlantic also partnered with OpenAI to launch a concierge service providing, “personalised, hands-free assistance when needed, anytime, anywhere and in any language.”
Finally, the carrier will reinvest in its Clubhouse lounges at JFK and Heathrow, building on the success of the LAX retrofit that opened earlier this year.
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how do they retrofit 787 s which are composite bodies
Fair question, and Boeing will 100% have to be involved and approve the effort. Fortunately, the manufacturer is already working on a solution that helps make that happen.