My Virgin America Review!
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I recently took my first flight on Virgin America, from San Francisco to New York City.
I had low expectations for the flight. Virgin America is known for its chic atmosphere, and I expected a lot of smoke and mirrors instead of quality service and overall performance. But I was pleasantly surprised!
I’ll share my thoughts on the flight and my full Virgin America review!
Virgin America Review – Exceeded My Expectations
When I think of hip, I think of design over substance.
I had never flown Virgin America until recently. I expected a visually appealing experience that was inefficient in other aspects. Kinda like going to a “hip” restaurant and being disappointed with the food.
I found Virgin America quite wonderful! It had a stunning cabin AND efficient service. For example, flight attendants offered to help passengers put items in the overhead bin! You don’t see that very often anymore.
My flight departed from Terminal 2, Gate 51B. I always appreciate being able to use a mobile boarding pass. That said, it was a bit confusing because there is no app. I had to log-in on the Virgin America website and was then able to view the boarding pass.
Enroute to the gate, I was impressed by the fact that a Yoga Room was available for passengers to use. Then again, this was San Francisco.
There were plenty of staff working the gate, and the boarding process was orderly and hassle-free.
Even the waiting chairs were hip and modern.
If you want to use the in-flight entertainment but forgot to bring your own headphones, you can purchase a colorful set for just $3.
I made my way to 9F, a window seat. Every seat has a touch screen.
Another thing I loved is that it was only an extra $49 for the exit row on a trans-continental flight! I’ll gladly pay that for a comfortable seat on a flight lasting 5 hours.
I really liked the color scheme, and Virgin’s distinctive branding. The seats were really comfortable, too. It almost didn’t feel like I was on a regular plane!
I wasn’t a fan of the rap safety video, though. I didn’t get it, and I honestly wouldn’t have known what to do in an emergency if I hadn’t seen safety briefings on other airlines. What do y’all think??
Waiting to push-back, I caught a glimpse of my favorite plane – a Boeing 747-400, operated by Qantas.
We departed San Francisco behind another Virgin America Airbus A320.
The onboard service was polite and efficient. Another great feature on Virgin America is the ability to order drinks any time from the display on the seat in front of you.
You can also order snacks, like veggie chips, nuts, and jerky sausage…
I was happy to get work done on this flight. But if you’re bored (or like making new friends), there’s an option to chat with other passengers on the flight in real-time. I could see how this might be creepy if you prefer privacy, but there’s a way to block messaging if you’re not interested.
The time flew (ha!) by! Most passengers kept themselves busy with the in-flight entertainment.
And when we landed in New York, I was thrilled to get a peek at Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A380, which operates the JFK – Frankfurt – Singapore route. Another one for my bucket list!
I won’t judge the book by its cover next time. Virgin America’s planes, staff, and customer-friendly experience was a very pleasant surprise.
Bottom Line – Virgin America Review
Virgin America impressed me with their gorgeous cabin and friendly, efficient service. It didn’t feel like any airplane I’ve been in before! I’ll definitely fly with them again when I have the chance.If you’ve flown Virgin America, what did you think? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments!
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
Intro APR on purchases
N/A
Regular APR
20.49% – 27.49% Variable
Annual Fee
$95
Balance Transfer Fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Rates & Fees
Other
MORE INFO
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