Virgin Atlantic

The Challenge

Virgin Atlantic wanted to sharpen its understanding of how passengers experienced customer service across every interaction point — from digital and ground-based touchpoints through to on-board experiences with crew. The goal was to identify how to deliver not just the ‘brilliant basics’ (consistency, efficiency, professionalism), but also the ‘magic touches’ that set Virgin Atlantic apart in a competitive market. A key challenge was to define a framework of service parameters that respected cultural differences and operational constraints, while still allowing crew the flexibility to deliver service in a way that felt authentic and personal.

The Solution

The research was designed as a multi-stage, mixed-method programme:

Qualitative interviewing across key international markets captured perspectives from both passengers and Virgin Atlantic crew.
Creative techniques such as role play, projective exercises, and video stimulus brought to life service interactions and enabled deeper exploration of emotional responses.
Insights were then validated through a large-scale quantitative study, testing different service style options and measuring their suitability and appeal within varying cultural contexts.

This combination ensured Virgin Atlantic could not only map the service experience as it was, but also test alternative service models against customer and crew expectations worldwide.

The Outcome

The findings provided Virgin Atlantic with:

A clear definition of the optimal style of passenger–crew interaction across all major service touchpoints.
A service template and supporting materials to guide training, communication, and cultural embedding of the new approach.
A framework that balanced operational feasibility with passenger delight, giving crew the freedom to personalise interactions while maintaining consistency.

As a result, Virgin Atlantic was able to codify its service philosophy — ensuring that its promise of combining reliable delivery with distinctive Virgin flair was brought to life consistently across all markets.

Virgin Atlantic

The Challenge

The Solution

The Outcome

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