GUEST POST: My Flirtation with Virgin Atlantic and Sky Team – a Loyal BA Flyer’s Tale of Temptation

Today’s article is written by a regular reader of TLFL, Simon. He has provided an excellent insight into switching alliances and his experience in moving away from British Airways which I’m sure many of our readers will find as interesting as we did.

After nearly two decades of unwavering loyalty to British Airways, I finally did it. Yes, I strayed. Lured by the persistent charms and come-hither glances of Virgin Atlantic advertising, I embarked on what felt like an illicit affair. How was it? Well, after nine months of flying with the flamboyant Virgin, the monolithic Delta, and even the sultry Air France, I’m left questioning whether this was simply a misguided fling.

The Seduction: Tempted by Virgin’s Status Match

The temptation I finally succumbed to was Virgin’s BA Gold status match in early 2024 when BA announced that all Tier Point (TP) year ends would be set to March 31st. This was before the draconian BA shift to revenue based loyalty tiers in early 2025. After 17 years of flying BA Gold, Gold for Life, and five years of GGL, I thought what the hell? It felt both exhilarating and unsettling. My travels with BA had grown comfortable, maybe too comfortable. I yearned for something new, something thrilling, and Virgin’s playful approach had me seduced.

A Star-Studded Start: My First Rendezvous with Virgin

A few months later, I took my first Virgin flight from Heathrow to Washington DC. It had immediate star quality when the Upper Class Wing drive-in check-in had me dropping off my bags right next to none other than Nicolas Cage. It was just Nic and me, baby! Maybe those twinkling Virgin ads were true after all. The airline even has its own security, just like BA’s First Wing at Terminal 5. It was a thrilling start.

The Virgin lounge at Heathrow was on the crowded side, with too many Delta premium customers, but it felt more like a swanky cocktail party than the staid, corporate experience of BA’s lounges. The energy and vibe was good.

The food and drink were all of a high quality though not necessarily knock your socks off level. But better than BA First Lounges? Definitely. The service was excellent. You could order from your table on the app, and everything arrived promptly. Staff were attentive, checking in regularly with warmth but never overbearing. The walk-up deli was another highlight, offering plenty of healthy options and well worth a visit, or two.

I really love Virgin’s bar in the lounge with great cocktails and warm, friendly staff. The menu boasts at least 15 cocktails, plus house specials and mocktails. Definitely worth lingering an extra hour or two before your flight to sample one or two.

All in all the Virgin Lounge was enticing and engaging. There were surprising and even useful touches such as private yoga and exercise spaces, hanging chairs, and areas to hide away.

On subsequent travels, I noticed the Virgin Lounge at JFK could use a bit of a refresh, but it was still an entertaining experience that I look forward to repeating.

Virgin’s Flair Influences Delta One Mega Lounges

Things got really interesting for me in New York. The Delta One Lounge at JFK is easily the most glamorous of the airline’s three flagship lounges. Calling it big and varied doesn’t quite do it justice – it’s a labyrinth and needs to be explored. It’s clear that much of its flair comes courtesy of Virgin’s influence.

There’s fine table dining if you want to sit back and be served. The Market area is quite a food court feast in itself, with a taco stand, a salad bar, freshly heated pizza slices, a sandwich selection, and a lineup of desserts, plus hot dishes like beef bourguignon and grilled branzino. Yummy. It all speaks “Welcome to America!” I noticed every major room in the lounge had its own drinks cart and server. No guests lacked a drink, alcoholic or otherwise.

The signature bar is great and the staff are only too eager to please. “And which whiskey would you like with your Manhattan, sir?” One “World’s best old fashioned” and Manhattan later I was smitten.

There’s also a spa, quiet rooms with mood lighting, a conservatory with great views of the apron, and even a room with a fireplace to relax by. I really like the phone booths to take private calls. Many US lounges seem to be getting these and the UK needs to follow. It’s all modern, slick, and loaded with charging points.

I really recommend you try to stop by this lounge as it impresses. BA should take note – especially when it comes to their Heathrow Lounges, and in particular the CCR, which are feeling past their prime. While the Delta One Lounge may not quite match the exclusivity or the (no charge) top-tier alcohol selection, especially the champagnes, of OneWorld’s Chelsea Lounge at JFK, I still have to ask what was OneWorld thinking designing a lounge with no natural light? Every time I visit, it feels like a plush basement restaurant with excellent service, food, and drink…but no matter how good it is, it still feels unmistakably subterranean.

I have tried many of Delta’s standard lounges across the U.S., and while the food is consistently decent, the real issue is overcrowding. Delta is starting to tackle this by cutting Amex Platinum cardholder visits from unlimited to 10 per year, but it’s still a challenge.

As for Amex Centurion Lounges, I’ve pretty much given up on them as there’s always a wait to get in, and once inside, it’s packed. Hardly a relaxing experience.

So How Was it For You Once On Board?

Even though we were in premium economy on my virgin Virgin flight, the staff couldn’t have been more welcoming, with multiple attendants acknowledging our Gold status. Nothing seemed too much trouble – they were highly attentive throughout the flight. When the entertainment system had issues, they offered sincere apologies and even gave each of us £100 in duty-free vouchers.

I also hopped onto Air France long-haul last summer for the first time. My flight from Paris to Washington D.C. in their new business class seats, with sliding doors, was very good. Comfortable, sleek, and very French. The food, drink, and service were magnifique. But CDG airport? Let’s just say the fancy facelift for the Olympics didn’t quite erase the usual Parisian chaos.

But the Romance Masked some Flaws On-Board for both Delta and Virgin

And then there’s Delta’s equipment. Their transatlantic fleet is, to put it bluntly, inconsistent. On some routes, the business class seats feel straight out of the early 2000s – a flatbed that still requires stepping over your neighbour? Even Delta 002 from LHR to JFK on an A330 felt dated, lacking a door for privacy and an ancient IFES.

A330 Delta One seat.

This was hardly the luxury Delta One onboard experience I was hoping for, especially given that their marketing team goes to town on the product offering. It felt familiar for BA flyers of yonder years. It made me pine for BA Club Suites. Saying that food was not bad on board Delta though service was inconsistent.

Virgin wasn’t all glamorous red carpets and seamless experiences. Their A330 fleet felt dated, and their premium economy seat selection process was borderline stressful. Securing the best seats felt like a gamble since front-row seats are only released on the day of travel and at the airport. It’s like playing musical chairs at 35,000 feet. Not ideal when you’re trying to relax before a long-haul flight. And their “coffin” business class seats are definitely dated in a strange 45-degree configuration. Their new business seats bring them to par with modern business suites.

I must admit I now really look forward to the BA new Club Suite experience.

At Least they Knew How to Sweet-Talk me on the Phone

Virgin’s customer service was a noticeable step up from BA Gold. Their Gold Line is always answered promptly – a far cry from the exasperating waits we’ve all endured with BA. After emailing customer service about a minor gripe on a transatlantic flight, I even received a personal phone call from Virgin’s complaints team. Imagine that – a human voice addressing a complaint proactively! A rare occurrence indeed.

Virgin Loses its Charm in the Digital Department

When it comes to tech, Virgin simply isn’t very good. Their app? Flimsy at best. Logins fail, the features are limited, and familiar problems with Safari browser compatibility persist. It’s as if the app was designed by a committee of people who had never flown.

On the flip side, Delta’s digital experience is top-notch – sleek, functional, and full of useful notifications. They allow you to scan your passports before flying and it works. Notifications are very reliable along with the bag tracking. I really like that they allow you to rebook flights on the app for missed connections or change existing flights after paying a modest additional fee on ticket purchases to have changeable and fully refundable fares. BA is just starting to catch up here but a ways to go.

BA, unfortunately, still lags US carriers in technology and apps, but they’re a big step up from Virgin. BA’s IT infrastructure feels outdated, crumbling under the weight of years of neglect and underinvestment. We all have experienced that.

The Overlooked Lover: Virgin Left Waiting in Delta’s Grand Affair

One of the more frustrating moments came with Delta’s boarding process. I was relegated to Zone 4 despite my Virgin Gold status on the booking, which didn’t exactly scream ‘Elite.’ When I board American or other OneWorld carriers, at least I’m in Group 2 out of at least nine groups. With Delta, I felt like I’d been demoted to the economy class no-status proletariat. Talk about an ego check 🙂

Similarly, you won’t feel the love when it comes to lounge access. Travelling on Delta flights credited to Virgin Gold status does not grant lounge access within the U.S. This differs from OneWorld, where passengers with a ticket showing BA Emerald status can access American Airlines and Alaska Airlines lounges on domestic flights.

Love Unreturned: The Struggle for Credit Where It’s Due

One of the most frustrating experiences was trying to get mileage and tier points credited to my Virgin account for a code-share flight booked on Delta but flown on Air France metal. Despite entering my Virgin membership number into Delta’s system, Air France only credited the points to Delta, not Virgin. After hours of navigating customer service via chatbot and phone, both with Delta and Virgin, I had to ask Delta to cancel the points they credited and send an email confirming it. I then forwarded that to Virgin, who finally credited my account. It was an unnecessarily long and frustrating process, one that I’ve never had to deal with in the OneWorld system.

Virgin – The Red-Headed Step-Love Child

The challenge with Virgin Atlantic and its premium customers flying Delta is simple. In the grand scheme of airline empires, Virgin is tiny. Delta operates a fleet of nearly 1,000 aircraft worldwide. Virgin? Not even 50 – though, admittedly they’re all wide-bodies.

And while Delta owns nearly half of Virgin, its care feels more like an afterthought. They care – just enough. Delta’s real focus is on keeping its own small nation’s worth of premium customers happy. Meanwhile, Virgin, though part of the family, always feels like the red-headed stepchild – acknowledged, occasionally indulged, but never truly a priority. It gets just enough attention to keep things running, but never enough to feel like the favoured heir.

On a recent trip, this came spectacularly true. Three hours of mechanical delays on Delta One out of London to JFK meant we missed our afternoon connection to Washington DC resulting in a five hour (admittedly boozy) layover. We finally left the gate at 9:30 PM, only to return at midnight as heavy snow shut everything down at JFK.

And here’s where the Delta-Virgin premium customer experience became painfully clear. As a “lowly” Virgin Gold, I had no automatic rebooking or next-day flight protection, even on a business ticket. There were no dedicated business class agents to assist because the premium lounges closed at 11 PM, something even many of Delta’s own staff didn’t seem to know. One agent suggested I call Gold Medallion, but when I clarified that I was flying on partner status, they shrugged and told me to try Virgin Gold instead.

It was now 1 AM. My only option? Join the back of a very long line of stranded passengers, across all fare classes, scrambling to rebook, find hotels, and claim baggage.

Thankfully, the agent who finally helped us was efficient, calm, and empowered to sort things out. She rebooked our flights, arranged a hotel with a taxi, and, in a grand gesture…handed over $12 meal vouchers for New York (WTF?).

It all made me long for the service at Qatar Airways in Doha, where I was once met off the plane with a name board after a missed connection. Or the OneWorld JFK experience with GGL, where I’d receive a personal call from a supervisor to help. In the Delta-Virgin relationship, prepare to be humbled. You are hereby warned that Virgin Gold won’t get you more than the odd glance from Delta and then you may well be ignored.

The Affair Continues and Suddenly is Looking More Attractive

In the end, I’m still with Virgin, but I have mixed emotions. There are still moments of frisson including Virgin’s Heathrow drive-up Upper Class check-in and their lounges, but much of that initial allure has worn off. Like many flings, the anticipation was much of the thrill, but the reality? Not always better.

As frustrating as BA can be at times, it’s the devil I know. Yes, they have that annoying familiarity and are quick to irritate as is common in any long term relationship, but they have stood by me. And for all my gripes, I feel comforted when I get back on a BA plane. BA even extended my GGL status when I missed my target due to my father’s illness, something that meant a lot to me.

I first penned this article back in 2024, before British Airways dropped their new year’s love bomb with a rapid shift to a revenue-based loyalty programme. For many of us, it feels like being jilted by a lover we’ve stood by for years with our loyalty and devotion met with little more than a shrug. Actually, to be fair, it was more a case of BA saying “it was’t me, it was your desire to make these changes.”

With the “old” BA Gold, you just don’t feel particularly special compared to Virgin – there are just too many of us. It hasn’t felt like an exclusive club for the past few years since double tier point holidays swelled the ranks. And now they are certainly trying to make amends on that front and time will tell if they have overcorrected. Virgin, on the other hand, operates on a much smaller scale, and they make you feel like a premium customer in a way BA Gold used to somewhere in the distant past.

Until the changes, I would have said that OneWorld and BA suit my needs better, especially given how much I travel transatlantic and within the US. But I’ll have no chance to meet the GGL requirements of £40,000 pre-tax spend of which 80% has to be on BA metal after April 2026. Will I miss the Concorde Room? A little bit but not that much especially if I get to use Delta One lounges. Will I miss Group 0 boarding? It was a nice ego boost, but not much more. And I felt very fortunate to be able to gift status to my wife and mother. That I will miss. I am very fortunate that I still have Gold for Life, so I will not be giving up on BA.

But now where shall I put my spend? BA: if you want to keep me from straying now and ending up in the arms of Sky Team and Virgin, who is still offering distance based loyalty, how about offering a few more perks for Gold for Life members, especially when I no longer am GGL? Temptation might be harder to resist otherwise.

The more I reflect on whether this little fling was worth it, the answer is a resounding yes. It has been helped by getting jilted by BA. But instead of carrying on with Virgin, I’ve come to a realisation – it makes far more sense to settle into the steady, reliable embrace of Delta as so much of my travel is to North America. I will still get the perks of Virgin on the side but without the baggage. Hmmm…I think I have a plan.

And yes, if you can believe it, I’ve flown EasyJet, and even Frontier Airlines over the past few months! Shockingly, they were both fine. No frills, but with fast-track, speedy boarding, and seats near the front, it was surprisingly smooth. Add in Priority Pass lounge access, and maybe I could stop chasing miles and status to live a more simple life.