Virgin Atlantic

All About the Booth

Sir Richard Branson’s innovative airline designs another first for the sky, this time in the form a cosy booth for jetsetters.

Virgin Atlantic is known for its firsts. It was the first airline to introduce an onboard bar area where passengers could socialise during a flight, and in 1991, its aircraft were the first to feature individual screens for passengers in all classes. More recently, the British airline further elevated its offer with the launch of The Loft, a social space for Upper Class flyers, and now it has revealed its latest innovation: The Booth.

Brought to life by Virgin Atlantic’s inhouse team alongside London-based agency Factorydesign, the cosy retreat is exclusive to the A350 aircraft and features lounge-style seating for two, separated by a single drop-leaf table. The styling and finishes, which include luxurious leather seats and almond gold highlights, have been selected to coordinate with The Loft areas featured across its wider A350 fleet.

Surrounding The Booth are two 27-inch touchscreen monitors along with a set of Bluetooth audio jacks, allowing users to tune into a range of content, from a digital art gallery featuring emerging artists to a tail and belly cam of the plane itself. The content is tailored to the route and time of day, meaning the look and feel of the space will evolve through the flight.

“We’re famous for our on-board social spaces and the introduction of The Booth elevates the customer proposition for our leisure travellers to new heights,” explains Corneel Koster, Chief Customer & Operations Officer at Virgin Atlantic. “We love creating brilliantly different experiences, which is why we’re always evolving our ideas to offer something different and exciting in the air and on the ground.”

Passengers travelling between Heathrow and Orlando will be the first to experience The Booth on board the new A350 leisure aircraft, which is named Fearless Lady after Eve Branson, the late mother of Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson. Lady Emmeline – inspired by Emmeline Pankhurst, the leader of the women’s suffrage movement – will follow in 2022, and the third plane is set to be delivered by June 2023.