Virgin America Flight VX903 – LAS to SFO

The Wyld Stallyns travel Virgin

When attempting to get from your hotel to the airport turns into a traveler’s nightmare and navigating airport security takes up more time than your flight, the promise of an easy, comfortable journey home can take that bad taste in your mouth and replace it with something sweet.

Details
A320
Seat 13F
Economy Class

Check in
It was as I was leaving Las Vegas after a conference highlighting the importance of business travel, that my early morning transfer failed to show up and I was given traveling tips from a condescending TSA officer (after being very thoroughly patted down). Both events had me questioning how business travelers survive the rigmarole of…business travel. Thank goodness for an airline that understands that travel is sometimes a necessary evil and as such should be as seamless as possible.

Want to travel first class for a little bit extra? Check in online at Virgin America six hours before your flight and, if there’s availability you can upgrade to first class for a fraction of the cost. Seeing as how six hours before my flight was 3.00am and my flight was only a bit over an hour, I didn’t see the point of the upgrade, but it was nice to know it was there if I needed it.

Lines at the Virgin America counter at McCarran International Airport were long for those poor sods who hadn’t checked in online, so it was great to be able to bypass them all and just print out my boarding pass at one of the purpose-built terminals.

Cabin/Seat conditions
Entering a Virgin aircraft is a little like entering that cool, new nightclub/store/bar. The music and lighting is better, the seats are cooler and the drinks are free.

Customer service
Like my arrival flight, the Virgin America flight attendants were great. And coup of coups, the captain came out of the cockpit to address us before take off. V. cool.

Entertainment
Five words: Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

Virgin America’s entertainment system, Red, allows you to watch satellite TV and, yes, Bill and Ted was on! And because Red allows you to watch from gate to gate, you can plug in your own headphones or buy a set (in some top colors) for US$2.

On time performance
After the hassle to get to the airport (not to mention through the airport) it was great that our flight took off and arrived on time.

Meals
In the words of Cosmo Kramer: these pretzels are making me thirsty. Full on a soft pretzel (about the only palatable ‘breakfast’ offering at the airport), an ice-cold cranberry juice certainly quenched my thirst.

Least favorite thing
The flight was perfect – it was trying to get to it that was the problem (enough now).

Most favorite thing

What compares to:

“Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.”

Author: Gaya Avery