Virgin Atlantic T3

It is a shame that T3 handles soo much traffic but it is rubbish, the restaurants are bad especially TGI (who seat you then ignore you for as long as possible), the shops have slightly improved but HMV is as expensive as the regular high street branches.

Maybe it is time they facelifted it into comparison with newer airports i recently flew from T3 to Dubai and the Dubai airport is massive and is great for killing hours in unlike T3.

curlyboy

In the main airside departure lounge area there are two sets of toilets, and more spread through the gate areas.

Thou can pay for an upgrade, or thou can pay for an exit row.

And also, when I last flew from T3 back in October to YYZ on Air Canada, there was only one lot of toilets, so make sure you leave enough time as when I went there was quite a long queue…even for the Mens, which would mean the womens will probably be even longer!

And the toilets are well hidden too, right at the very far end of the Terminal!

That said I found the lack of decent places to eat (unless you want to re-mortgage) in T3 to be irritating.

And also, when I last flew from T3 back in October to YYZ on Air Canada, there was only one lot of toilets, so make sure you leave enough time as when I went there was quite a long queue…even for the Mens, which would mean the womens will probably be even longer!

I flew from T3 to Chicago this summer with Virgin, was my first time long haul and was fine!

A340 was comfortable, in flight meal was ok, entertainment was good.

That said I found the lack of decent places to eat (unless you want to re-mortgage) in T3 to be irritating.

Virgin seems pretty good to me, though I have only ever used them once.

Its a Virgin flight, when i booked it gave options for continental or virgin, went for Virgin, not flown virgin before.

i am flying Virgin Atlantic to ERW in December

I assume you mean EWR…?

What time are you flying; be sure it is not a Continental flight with a VS flight no. as we have had a lot of passengers making that mistake recently?:confused:

Working in T3, I can only recommend the food at Chez Gerard as being the edible option for a meal. TGI Friday is also bearable. The other ‘sit down and eat’ places (Cafe Italia, The Bridge) are very poor. Microwaved, reheated and processed, perhaps in that order!

I haven’t tried the new place ‘Rhubarb’, but the menu seems incredibly expensive for what it is.

Can vouch for the quality at Chez Gerard, a nice place to chill out!

Working in T3, I can only recommend the food at Chez Gerard as being the edible option for a meal. TGI Friday is also bearable. The other ‘sit down and eat’ places (Cafe Italia, The Bridge) are very poor. Microwaved, reheated and processed, perhaps in that order!

I haven’t tried the new place ‘Rhubarb’, but the menu seems incredibly expensive for what it is.

Evening,

i am flying Virgin Atlantic to ERW in December, i was on the BAA website looking at shops and it seems T3 doesn’t have many restaurants, can anybody clarify this?

Also im flying premium economy, any hints on getting upgraded upto Upper class?

The Virgin check-in is the best of a bad bunch in T3 and has its own, dedicated area. I use Cathay alot on my travels and although their desks are OK, Virgins is palatial in comparison. The Terminal has low ceilings and is always busy and just the right side of chaos.

Security is often slow too, it took me 10 minutes to get through a few weeks back but took a colleague 1 hour on the same day. Airside theres the usual shops, a large duty free, WH Smiths, Dixons etc, plus, if you go deeper into the terminal, some higher class shops if thats your thing.

Seating wise the central area is cramped but if you go further in youll find some quieter places to chill out. There is one bar (good selection of beers etc) plus the usual food outlets. Note theres no Burger King, Maccy D’s airside.

As for upgrades I would guess you have two choices, pay or fly on Virgin alot and get on their frequent flyer programme.

Good luck and enjoy! 🙂

It does, but the shopping concourse is in an odd circular layout, making it appear much smaller than it actually is. There is at least one restaurant there.
That said, T3 is a rehashed 1960’s terminal and looks it. It doesn’t hold a candle to T4 or T5.