VX1914 SFO-LAS 26 Feb 2010 (F)
Posted: 03 Mar 2010, 17:01After clearing immigration, collecting bags and completing customs, we tried to find where to go for Virgin America. There were lots of signs telling you where to go for lots of airlines, just none with Virgin America. There also was nowhere to recheck bags with VA airside directly after customs (there was such a facility for United). We were told by an airside official to go off in some random direction after asking us what airline. Their seemingly assured answer turned out to be bullsh!t. After a fifteen minute wild goose chase, we retraced our steps going past the same fella.
We asked an off duty TSA guy. He pointed to some signs saying it's on there. Er, no. So, in lieu of no information we headed for the exit, and the first thing I see is a sign to the VS Clubhouse. Now I had intended to pay for entry here anyway, so I wondered if, by some wild fluke, we might get some help there. No. A rather snotty repsonse by the lounge dragon made us feel very unwelcome when we asked for help. I was not expecting that from the SFO CH, which is normally a very welcome place.
Finally we made our way out to the departures area and found the VA check in, which turned out to be very obvious when you're there.
There was no waiting, and we checked in immediately. I asked about paid VS Clubhouse lounge access. I was told that they shut the lounge at 4pm (it was now 3:40pm). I told the check in agent that I doubted that they'd shut at 4pm on the basis that they'd have had to turn around our a/c in well under an hour to achieve that, and also bearing in mind the outbound delays due to the weather. The agent was insistent about the 4pm closure, saying she'd just phoned them. Yeah, right, of course you did. But I wasn't up for an argument despite knowing I was almost certainly being fobbed off.
So, we headed for the gate. Our own flight was showing a half hour delay. While we waited, at 4:30pm, the first boarding announcement came for the VS20 back to LHR. So, sure enough, I was fobbed off as expected. They must think we're completely stupid.
[img]http://www.howardlong.com/images/picture_021a.jpg[/img]
Sax art at the gate, I was very tempted to pull my own out for an impromtu singalong
Down at the VX1914 gate, it was busy, but there were plenty of announcements about the delay. Priority boarding worked absolutely perfectly. We were first on. Baggage is at a premium at row 1, with no space in front of you and also crew bags and the various ocygen thingies they have there. However we managed well. The crew were definitely on the ball, they were stopping pax from the back of the plane putting their bags at the front. Oooh that makes my blood boil!
As we pushed back, there was the VS20 still on the ground, just to rub salt in the wounds.
The FA doing the life vest demo was doing it for the first time so we gave him a round of applause.
Entertaining the passengers and crew with some excellent shadow puppetry
We then settled down for the ~90 minute flight to LAS. I had a bit of pinot noir that was really rather good. The video system is stunningly good. The picture is crystal clear on wide screen format.
I logged onto the in air WiFi from my iPhone ($5.99), which begs the question 'when do we get this on VS?'
On landing at LAS our bags were already on the carousel.
In conclusion, transfer signage at SFO is non-existant for VX, the check in agent was as irritating and obnoxious as you could possibly hope for, the gate agents were great with keeping is informed about the delay and maintianing perfection in priority boarding, and the cabin crew were as good as you could possibly hope for.
Cheers, H