In praise of Virgin America

I've just taken three VX flights in four days, with another to come tomorrow (touch wood), and they have been consistently excellent. Ground staff are polite and enthusiastic. Cabin crew seem to be enjoying their work. The onboard product is excellent -- great IFE, nice system for ordering food to your seat. The vegetable wrap that I had the other day was one of the best things I've ever eaten on a plane.

I flew them in First a couple of years ago and was hugely impressed but hadn't had a chance to sample them again (foolishly opting for AA and Avios v( ). This time I've tried Main Cabin and Main Cabin Select and I'd quite happily fly any distance in the US in either seat. The whole experience is relaxed and enjoyable: it makes you look forward to flying again.

Apart from giving praise where praise is due, I am posting to ask the question -- is the pupil becoming the master? I think VS could learn a bit from VX at the moment...

I fly VX fairly often and I always find them consistently good. They benefit from a crisp, clear standard offering, which makes it simple for the complete crew to deliver on every flight.

<begin mild rant>
I think this is sometimes VS's downfall. They change the service so regularly that the 4,000 flight crew are not always on the same page. I refer to: ice-cream carry boxes, welcome cocktail, amenity kits yes-no, seperate meal courses in EC, blankets in-out, cheese trolley in-out, leather wine carriers, table runners, Orville out-in UC, cocktail shaker S&P in-out, Wilbur out-in PE......

For those of us who have experienced many of these changes, we know that many are ill-conceived and not tested well on real flights.

I'm all for innovation and change to improve the product, but IMHO they should involve the flight crew in these designs instead of dreaming up hopeless concepts in a "blue sky ideas room".

I was on VS19 recently, chatting to the crew at the bar and one of them told me when they had been for training on some new product - I think this was the cardboard doily - and the trainer from Crawley kept saying "magical, magical.." and the crew were thinking "useless, pointless and the customers won't get it".

The doily was meant to represent an engine!
<end mild rant>

I have to say I have used VX on several short hops between SFO, LAX and LAS and always thoroughly enjoyed the service provided, I even got a First from SFO-LAS for $69 a couple of years ago.
The extra tier points through them last year helped get my AU too.

We have taken 2 VX flights from LAX to MCO, managed to upgrade both times to First at the 6 hour checkin point and really loved both flights. Staff were excellent, food great, comfortable seats, good entertainment system everything spot on. We would use them again for sure.

S

I love Virgin America too.....I have a couple of flights with them in the next month. They really are fun, funky and consistently good.

They do put the fun back into flying

Jon

Have to agree with all the posts

Love VX

Love VX