After a fantastic 3 nights in Brisbane catching up with friends and reminiscing about the year I spent living there, it was time to head to the airport. I took the Airtrain from the city and arrived at the international terminal in about 20 minutes.
Check in was not yet open so I found a seat nearby to wait. A short time later the desks were transformed from an Emirates check in area to V Australia. A friendly lady greeted guests as they arrived and directed them to the correct queue for either International Business Class, International Premium Economy or International Economy. I joined the International Economy line which moved quickly and very soon I was at the check in counter. The whole process was completed very efficiently and in a few minutes I was on my way with a boarding pass for 34K.
After clearing security and immigration I proceeded straight to gate 75 as I was hoping to get some decent photos. Sadly, 75 seems to be one of the only gates which does not provide a very good view so I took the best shots I could and headed back to the food court.
An injection of caffeine was in order as I was feeling the affects of passing through a multitude of time zones (I had flown JFK-LHR before boarding the VS200 to SYD later the same day). To pass some time I decided to use one of the internet kiosks but after inserting the money, my attempts to get onto any website were unsuccessful so that mission was aborted.
Boarding began at about 10:30am and was completed in an orderly manner, without everyone crowding around the entrance in a scrum like fashion as is sometimes seen. I was greeted at the boarding door by the Flight Manager who I recognised from my time at Virgin Blue.[:D]
I proceeded to my seat which was located by the window just behind the wing. On the seat was a blanket, amenity pack and headphones. The pillows were a funky light blue colour. The seats pitch was generous - my knees didnt touch the seat in front even when it was fully reclined and the width was equally good. The seat cushion was rather firm, I would have preferred a bit more give.
A quick flight time of 11hrs 51mins was announced however we incurred a delay pushing back due to late passengers and a glitch with the computers at the gate. Plenty of announcements were forthcoming from both the pilots and the cabin crew so we were kept well informed.
When the last door was closed for departure it became apparent that the 2 seats next to me were free which was an unexpected bonus. It appeared that the flight was about 70% full which I felt was good considering this route had only started around 2 weeks earlier.
Scheduled departure time was 11:00am and we pushed back at 11:35am. By 11:45am we were in the air on our way to Los Angeles. I had already started to acquaint myself with the IFE known as Red (those of you who have flown on Virgin America will know all about it). It is available gate to gate and can be operated either by touch screen or remote control. There was a good choice of movies, tv shows, games and music. Having already tried to watch a few movies on the way to Sydney and subsequently fallen asleep, I decided instead to set up my own playlist on the CD jukebox and watch a few short programmes.
The service got underway with the crew distributing small bottles of water. The aircraft was equipped with water fountains and in addition there was a self service area for refreshments at the side of the galley.
A message appeared on the screen advising that dinner would be served soon and the menu was available on Red. The choice was country chicken and leek casserole, beef in a red wine sauce with mixed vegetables or vegetable lasagne. Dinner & drinks were served together. The first alcoholic drink was free, with the option to purchase more using a credit card. I chose the vegetable lasagne which was tasty but seemed to mainly consist of layers of pasta and cheese without much evidence of vegetables. Perhaps in my jetlagged state I misread the menu!
Once dinner was cleared away the lights were dimmed and the crew handed out landing documentation. Portable reading lights which could be plugged into the in seat power supply were available on request so as not to disturb your seat neighbour with the lights installed overhead.[y]
The crew were visible throughout the flight offering water at regular intervals.
Two hours before arrival, a hot breakfast was served. The choice was either spinach & ricotta omelette or waffles. I chose the waffles which along with a nice hot cup of tea were most enjoyable. Judging by the length of this report waffle was definitely the right choice.[;)]
We landed in LAX on time at 7:00am. This was my first experience of crossing the international dateline and therefore arriving before I had departed. In my confused mind it made perfect sense.[:p]
Disembarkation was slightly delayed due to problems connecting the jetbridge to the aircraft. The queue at immigration was the shortest I had seen although the Tom Bradley terminal seems to be in urgent need of a makeover. I then proceeded next door to terminal 3 to check in for my Virgin America flight to Boston.
All in all I had a great flight with V Australia. A combination of comfortable seats, excellent IFE and a wonderful crew made the 11hrs 51mins pass by very quickly indeed.
I welcome your comments and questions.
