When I booked a student ticket with Virgin Atlantic, it turned out to be a pretty solid choice, especially for someone trying to balance the student budget with a digital nomad lifestyle. They definitely had different discount structures for students, which made my ticket a bit cheaper than the usual economy fare.
One of the big bonuses was the extra baggage allowance, which was ideal since I was juggling both study materials and my work setup as a digital nomad. As for flexibility, I noticed there was some room for changes, but it’s definitely something you'd want to double-check with their customer service for each fare class, just to be sure.
What worked for me was booking directly with Virgin Atlantic. It felt more straightforward, and in case of any issues, having direct support was reassuring. However, I've heard that booking through third-party student travel sites sometimes brings additional perks, like bundled insurance or accommodation deals. It might be worth comparing to see what's the most valuable for your specific needs. Balancing those pros and cons could help stretch your travel budget further.