Afternoon tea is making a come back – at 35,000 feet. Virgin Atlantic says that overseas visitors influenced by TV period dramas such as "Downton Abbey" asked ... and so they will deliver.

Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class passengers can now choose between a full tea service featuring 'English' Breakfast or Earl Grey tea plus finger sandwiches, scones and cakes served in their own purpose-made dainty cake stand.

"Introducing Afternoon Tea onboard our aircraft is also part of our drive to put style back into flying," said Simon Bradley, Vice President of Marketing, North America, Virgin Atlantic Airways. "We want our Upper Class passengers to be able to have the same civilized experience as the Queen or indeed to be able to imagine that they are a character in 'Downton Abbey.'"

The re-emergence of Afternoon Tea was confirmed earlier this month when The Queen, The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duchess of Cambridge all went to afternoon tea at Fortnum and Masons. And so popular is the trend with smart London hotels that The Ritz and The Savoy now regularly have queues to attend their traditional afternoon teas.

Sadly, this service isn't available in economy. We guess some 'class' divides still stand.

Filed under: Food and Drink, Airlines, Luxury Travel