I paid $1,100 to upgrade my flight to upper class. It was great, but a few drawbacks made me hesitant to splurge again.

I enjoyed a glass of sparkling wine and a full English breakfast, with back bacon, scrambled eggs, potatoes, and baked beans.

Then I made the most of the high-speed WiFi and caught up on some emails.

After boarding the plane, I headed to my spacious seat.

I was offered a choice of sparkling wine, orange juice, or Virgin Atlantic’s ruby-slipper cocktail, which consisted of sparkling wine, rhubarb and raspberry tonic waters, and freeze-dried raspberries.

I also received an amenity kit containing socks, Ren skincare products, an eye mask, a bamboo toothbrush, and toothpaste.

On the flight, some seats, including mine, were angled to face another row of passengers.

Though the high walls surrounding the seats made the space feel more private, facing someone almost directly for eight hours felt a little jarring.

My seat also faced away from the window, which I wasn’t sure if I liked at first. But it was still easy enough to turn around and gaze at the clouds.

When it was time to eat, Virgin Atlantic staff members set my table with a tablecloth and silverware.

For my appetizer, I chose butternut-squash-and-sage arancini.

The golf-ball-sized arancini were served with a grilled lemon wedge, sauce, and pea shoots.

The arancini was the perfect mix of sweet and savory, and the breadcrumb exterior was crispy.

My dessert of choice was chocolate-and-salted-caramel mousse.

The rich mousse was served alongside Chantilly cream, crispy caramel flakes that resembled sprinkles, a strawberry slice, and a sprig of mint.

We were also offered a light meal about an hour before landing. The choices included burgers, flatbreads, bao buns, and a traditional British afternoon tea with scones, cream, and jam.

About halfway through the flight, I wanted to take a nap. The cabin crew laid my seat flat and added a fitted sheet, a duvet, and a pillow.

I managed to get about two hours of solid sleep. I felt well rested when we landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Overall, I’m glad I upgraded my economy ticket to upper class for this journey. I was comfortable, I felt taken care of, and I had a memorable flight.

However, I wouldn’t pay more than $1,100 to upgrade my ticket if I were flying on this particular aircraft.

If I had to splurge on an upper-class ticket again, I’d go for a flight with more luxurious suite-style seats.

This story was originally published on February 1, 2024, and most recently updated on October 7, 2024.