They say “at Virgin, we like to do things differently” and from allowing early boarding to those not using overhead compartments to the tongue-in-cheek safety video, Virgin certainly are a breath of fresh air[line].
Details
A320
Seat 19F
Economy Class
Check in
Online check in was easy to navigate, enabling me to bypass unnecessary polite interactions – a true blessing considering my lack of sleep (seriously reconsidering those early morning flights).
I still got patted down at security – I really have to remember that to the TSA, my dresses are a potential security threat.
Cabin/Seat conditions
Virgin neophytes oohed and aahed upon entry into the clean, modern cabin, basking in the pink and purple mood lighting, while I waddled to my seat on a near-empty plane. Had the flight been longer, I could have stretched out across three seats and got some shut eye, but I was too busy playing with Virgin’s entertainment system, Red, to even recline my leather seat it’s full 32 degrees.
Customer service
Virgin America flight attendants were professional, attentive and very friendly to all passengers in my little A320 neighborhood – though again, due to the shortness of the flight, I personally had little interaction with crew beyond ‘cranberry juice’ and ‘thank you’.
Entertainment
Virgin America’s entertainment system had me wishing for a longer flight. Top audio options with selections from TV on the Radio, The Clash, Interpol and the Twilight Singers, I was happily bopping away for the majority of the flight.
On demand movies and television shows were surprisingly cheap (USD5), but satellite television and ‘best of the web’ were complimentary.
On time performance
Departure and landing were spot on.
Meals
Who would have thought it would be cheaper to eat on the plane than at the airport? With free water, juice and soft drinks and affordable snacks and packages, I was this close to actually paying for food were it not for the (prodded) reminder from my seatmate that despite its ad line, what happens in Vegas…stays on the hips.
Least favorite thing
The cabin, as cool (as in ‘way hip’ cool) as it was, was freezing! Dressed for Vegas conferences (also renowned for their heavy-handed air conditioning), I was still shivering.
Most favorite thing
I couldn’t choose between the fantastic landscape beneath me and the safety video.
It seems the trend for a lot of airlines is to (on the guise of getting people to watch) do some sort of gimmicky safety video (see Cebu Pacific or Air New Zealand), but I think the sarcastic, cheeky Virgin America version worked.
An example: “For the point zero zero one percent of you who have never operated a seatbelt before, it works like this:”
Watch the video here. What do you think?
Image appears courtesy of Virgin America and Mr Branson, I guess.
Author: Gaya Avery
