1. There’s more space.
The Dreamliner was built with more space in mind. Everything looks and feels bigger. The cabin height is several feet higher than it is on other planes, due to an impressive vaulted ceiling. The aisles are wider. The overhead bins are larger, but placed higher up to avoid those awkward head-banging incidents that anyone over 5’ 5” will have certainly experienced. The seats are designed to be thinner, meaning they take up less room, providing several inches more leg room. Plus, the seats pitch back further for a much more comfortable experience. Even the toilets feel bigger. I swear, there’s enough room to swing a cat in there, which is a serious rarity in the usually-coffin-like airplane bathrooms. Virgin has managed to provide passengers with an innovative Economy cabin that feels spacious and airy, resulting in a much more comfortable journey.
2. There’s great wireless.
People are very attached to their mobile technology, and Virgin has taken note. The plane is fully wired for wireless services that even work when you are flying over the middle of the Atlantic. For around $20, you can stay connected to the outside world for the duration of the flight, meaning you can update your Facebook status and check your email from 38,000 feet.
To coincide with the Dreamliner launch, Virgin even announced the #SkyhighSelfie, offering passengers the opportunity to update their Facebooks from the air, free of charge.
3. There’s mood lighting. Yes, mood lighting.
The new Dreamliner has been outfitted with a revolutionary new ambient mood lighting system throughout the main cabin, designed to help passengers adjust to the changing timezones—and that’s because it changes color throughout the flight. The light begins at a soft “rose champagne” color as people board, to help them de-stress and relax. It then changes into “purple haze” to make people feel comfortable and cozy, before transitioning to “amber warmth,” which is designed to feel like candlelight for when people are dining. Lastly, it morphs into “silver moonlight” to help people fall asleep.
There is then an eight-minute “sunrise” sequence, too, designed to gradually wake people up in the new time zone. Not only does it work, but it looks beautiful and completely changes the aesthetic inside the cabin.
