Virgin Atlantic follows Delta, United, American with new economy class

Virgin Atlantic will offer a new basic-economy-like seating class starting this spring, along with two other sections in the main cabin, mimicking efforts by partner Delta Air Lines as well as US rivals like American Airlines and United Airlines. The move comes as competition on flights over the Atlantic to and from Europe escalated last year, as more low-cost, long-haul carriers like Norwegian Air Shuttle and WOW air chipped away at territory long dominated by legacy airlines. Virgin Atlantic's economy class will now be split up into Economy Light, Economy Delight and Economy Classic, and the carrier is overhauling its fleet to install up to 36 Economy Delight seats on every flight. The remake of the carrier's flight cabin, which it said is the biggest change to its economy seating in more than a decade, is part of a US$419m investment. <br/>