I toured Virgin Atlantic's invite-only 'Royal Box' in London. It felt closer to a private club than an airport lounge.

• I toured Virgin Atlantic's invite-only "Royal Box" at London Heathrow Airport.
• Airline lounges are becoming more exclusive as carriers compete for lucrative premium travelers.
• Virgin's new space is partly designed for celebrities, but you don't have to be famous to get in.

Binoculars aren't something I expected to find in an airport lounge.

But they're part of the experience inside Virgin Atlantic's new invite-only "Royal Box" — an exclusive lounge-within-a-lounge where I spent an afternoon on a plush red sofa sipping a "Drama Queen" cocktail and watching red-tailed jets taxi across London Heathrow Airport.

Hidden behind frosted glass and a velvet rope barrier in the corner of Virgin's Clubhouse lounge, the Royal Box opened at Terminal 3 in March 2026. This is the second location; the first opened in Los Angeles last year.

Ahead of a tour of the new space, Virgin Atlantic's vice president of brand and marketing, Sophie Woodford, told me that the Royal Box wasn't created to address overcrowding — a challenge some airlines have faced as more travelers gain access through credit cards and loyalty programs.

Instead, she said, it was designed to meet growing demand for more personalized experiences.

"It's all about creating elevated touch points and making the end-to-end experience more personalized," Woodford said. "Invite-only spaces are just one way of doing that."

While the concept is new to Virgin, it reflects a broader industry trend: Airlines are increasingly using innovative lounges to court deep-pocketed customers amid booming premium travel demand.

Delta has its bougie Delta One Lounge — complete with a sit-down, multi-course restaurant — and Finnair has a "Platinum Corner" within its business-class lounge for top-status flyers. Qantas' invite-only Chairman's Lounge is reserved for high-profile figures, including politicians, CEOs, and celebrities.

Woodford said that although the Royal Box is invite-only, that doesn't mean only VIPs: "Part of the design was for celebrities, but we also use it for other occasions: a birthday, anniversary, or people traveling with Virgin for the first time."

That means anyone with access to the Clubhouse — including Upper Class passengers and top-tier loyalty members of Virgin and its partners — could find themselves inside.

Here's what the Royal Box is like and how to get in.

It felt more like a private club than an airport lounge

The Royal Box, dressed in the brand's bold red color scheme, is quintessential Virgin.

A plush red velvet sofa is wrapped around a custom-made table that opens to reveal coupe glasses, artisan chocolate bars, sweets, and the airline's famous Wilbur and Orville salt-and-pepper shakers.

Known as the "Cabinet of Curiosities," it was designed "to feel like a James Bond table" with secret compartments revealing different treats depending on the customer and occasion, according to Woodford.

"If we know something about you, then we may amp that up and have special touches," she said.

The cocoon-like room makes the most of its limited space by using every windowsill. On one surface, you'll find a Crosley record player with the "Pretty Vacant" vinyl from the Sex Pistols, nodding to the brand's Virgin Records heritage.

If you're more plane-spotter than punk rocker, gilded binoculars with red detailing and a mini telescope allow you to take in the runway views and identify each of Virgin's "Flying Icons" on the aircraft noses.

Shelves in the corner celebrate various forms of royalty.

Front and center is a handwritten note, dated 1993, from Princess Diana to Richard Branson, the cofounder of the Virgin Group.

Framed photos of David Bowie and English fashion designer Vivienne Westwood sit alongside.

Much like the rest of the Clubhouse, the dining service is à la carte, served in your own private space by a waiter. There's also the option to order via a QR code.

The menu is the same, with the exception of the exclusive Drama Queen cocktail — a pink-hued concoction of tequila, strawberry, lemon, and Champagne — topped with glittering edible flowers.

Guests can also order top-shelf alcohol from the Clubhouse, such as Laurent-Perrier Champagne and Grey Goose vodka, as well as non-alcoholic drinks like soda and tea.

You don't have to be famous to earn an invite

The question on everyone's lips is: How can you secure an invite? Woodford said you have as much chance as the next passenger.

While many other lounges reserve such spaces for top-tier members, the Royal Box is designed for a single group of passengers, with no fixed criteria: "We try not to set too hard-and-fast rules," she said.

Woodford said Virgin intentionally avoids strict rules for the Royal Box because it wants as many people as possible to experience it.

Staff is encouraged to fill the space rather than leave it empty, whether that's to celebrate a special occasion or, in one recent case, give an overwhelmed neurodivergent passenger a quiet place to decompress.

"Obviously, people phone up and request access, but we can't always guarantee it, and nor do we want to," Woodford said. "We don't want it to be an expectation. It's about using it to provide surprise and delight."

As airlines continue launching VIP spaces within their larger lounges to elevate their premium standing, they're also restoring the exclusivity that's been lost in overcrowded areas.

When it comes to Virgin, the Royal Box is likely to become a fixture in its Clubhouses, with Woodford hinting that it could join New York's JFK lounge and beyond.

"It's taken on a whole new lease of life and feels like a signature part of the experience now," she said. "It feels like something that should become an ownable and distinct element of what we offer."

The post I toured Virgin Atlantic's invite-only 'Royal Box' in London. It felt closer to a private club than an airport lounge. appeared first on Business Insider