Virgin America  Passenger Reviews and Virgin America< Passenger Trip Reports

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VIRGIN AMERICA review :  6 April 2009 : by D Samonte   (USA)

VA on SFO-LAX route, nice plane A320, cool entertainment system although no free headphones instead you can buy One before boarding for $2, friendly crews, a better alternative to Southwest, would definitely fly them again.

VIRGIN AMERICA review :  5 March 2009 : by L Whitmore   (UK)

Virgin America return SFO-LAS 1st class in seats 1AC on both outbound and return. Both times we did personal check in and staff very friendly and helpful. Our prebooked seats were retained. Boarding was in priority order, 1st, main cabin select and small children which was adhered to well. The pilot on both flights was standing at the door greeting everyone as they boarded. Pre boarding drinks were offered in 1st and headphones, pillows and blankets were already on the seats. The seats are great, very wide with a good recline and no need to worry about the person behind when reclined as there is sufficient seat pitch not to encroach too much into their space. Once in the air, drinks were offered and a snack box consisting of a shot glass sized salad, lentil type dish and chocolate mousse which for a 1 hour flight is adequate but very poor compared to what you get for a 1 hour flight on Singapore Airlines (a 3 course hot meal). On the outbound trip, there was a new FA who read every announcement out very robotically and chatting to her she said it was her first time doing this particular role as she had only worked the back of the aircraft before. On the return leg, the pilot came out and shook everyone in 1st class' hand and had a little chat with each person which was rather unusual but a nice touch. This journey ran smoothly as the FA knew what she was doing and things ran a little more quickly. IFE system was good too and managed to what a couple of sitcoms on the short flight. Overall, a very good service and extremely friendly staff which makes a change from some of the aloof long haul flights we're used to.

VIRGIN AMERICA review :  27 February 2009 : by Phillip Brander   (Australia)

First flight with Virgin America from New York JFK to San Francisco. Was very impressed with the fresh and modern interior of the airplane. Staff were friendly and actually keen to do their job which makes a nice change from many other domestic carriers. Seat pitch seamed a little more generous than others and the leather seats were comfortable and supportive. I had a couple of issues with the in-flight entertainment system but these were sorted out and once going, the system makes a 6 hour flight seem so much shorter. Especially with the 1 bag free allowance and excellent service, I would not hesitate to fly Virgin America again.

VIRGIN AMERICA review :  12 February 2009 : by S McMillan   (USA)

SFO–LAS return First Class. We have flown on Virgin America quite a bit now in both first class and economy and have nothing but good things to say about it. Our most recent trip was to Las Vegas and we were in first class. The seats were exceptionally comfortable and spacious. Service was exceptionally attentive. The meal, though small, was adequate for such a short flight. The only place where they could improve on things is with the controls for the massage in the chairs. The markings on the buttons have worn off and the flight attendants can only tell you that one side turns it on and one side turns it off - they really don’t know what the pictograms mean. Even in economy the seats are comfortable and cabins are always clean. The IFE (Red) is excellent.

VIRGIN AMERICA review :  2 February 2009 : by C Norris   (USA)

All the Virgin staff with whom I have dealt are nice and accommodating. In response to J. Kenner's post, I would like to point out that it is possible to order free soda and water at any time using the Red entertainment system, and then the flight attendant simply brings whatever you ordered to you, so it actually means that on longer flights you don't have to wait for them to bring the cart around. Also, I also thought that there wasn't a plug at all the seats, but then I realized that it was just kind of difficult to find. Of course, the price is unbeatable for travel along the west coast, and they still let you check one bag for free.

VIRGIN AMERICA review :  2 February 2009 : by Brent Burney   (New Zealand)

LAX-JFK-LAX in First Class. On the return leg, I paid for Main Cabin Select and upgraded on the day; this was a very good deal. I would not have considered a First Class option on a short-haul flight, but transcontinental it was certainly worth it, not, though, for the food which, while free, was of diabolical quality! The cabin staff were outstanding on both trips - attentive, competent, friendly. The seats were very comfortable. I wished I'd followed advice on this website and booked row 2 rather than row 1. Bags off the carousel quickly at both airports (well, relatively quickly!). IFE system worked well (some minor fading in and out at times, but Virgin America can hardly be blamed for satellites circling the earth!). Overall, a very positive experience.

VIRGIN AMERICA review :  25 January 2009 : by Jeremy Denton   (USA)

Overall a good experience from online booking to online check in and beyond. Aircraft were new clean and took off on time. Crew very pleasant and IFE above the standards many. Although the satellite TV can get annoying as it loses connection quite often. Nice option to order food on the screen and delivered to you. A good airline that some of the legacy airlines could learn from. Finally the price if this trip $300.00 return was great value.

VIRGIN AMERICA review :  24 January 2009 : by J Rusnak   (USA)

I travel between SEA and LAX quite often, primarily on Alaska since I have frequent flier benefits there. I needed a last minute fare and Virgin's fare was half of Alaskas so I decided to give them a try. What a difference. Having live TV on inauguration day was amazing and both of my flights had been upgraded to support their new in-flight internet service. Speed was very fast and you just use your wireless connection on your laptop. I was about to turn my 2.5 hours of travel time into productive work. I was seated next to a woman and her younger son and he loved the games and shows for kids. I'm sure the experience would be even more worth it on a longer flight, but I recommend them even on the short run. My only negative observations were that it appears the shorter haul planes don't have power outlets at all seats as described online, but this was not an issue for me since my laptop lasts four hours. The other issue was that they only passed through the cabin once offering beverages where Alaska comes through twice on flights of this length.

VIRGIN AMERICA review :  21 January 2009 : by J Kenner   (USA)

I flew Virgin America on a recent trip between LAX and Seattle. I make this trip several times a year and have almost always used Alaska, but Alaska's service has gotten so bad over the last several years that I now refuse to fly them. I booked first class on VA for $480, which is a bargain given the service you get. A319 aircraft are new and clean, the first class seats have a 50" pitch - more than other domestic first class on any US airline. The food was better than any other US airline and the in-seat massage function is a nice touch. All staff were courteous and cheerful and flights were on time. My only gripe is that Virgin America's much touted "Red" inflight entertainment system still has a lot of bugs to work out and doesn't deliver what is promised. The satellite TV malfunctions often and there are always a handful of the 24 channels that are unavailable for the duration of the flight. The flight tracker sponsored by Google Maps causes the system to crash often, and opening a window only partway creates a huge glare on the screen. Also, their much advertised food-on- demand system through "Red" is only available on transcontinental flights, contrary to what VA tells its passengers during its pre-departure PA address. In sum, however, VA's domestic first class is superior to all other US airlines, with the exception of American's LAX/SFO-JFK premium service.

VIRGIN AMERICA review :  9 January 2009 : by L Reinstein   (USA)

LAX-JFK-LAX, A fun alternative to the legacy carriers. Check-in a breeze, though no lounges for First class pax. Ground personnel a bit sour, but FA's personable. Food quality high by current domestic standards. Portions are small, but they offer snacks throughout flight. Seat size and pitch are top-notch for domestic First class service. Entertainment options excellent, though my seatmate complained that live TV was not working on the return flight. A very good product that could maybe be a bit more luxurious for the money.

VIRGIN AMERICA review :  31 December 2008 : by N Akhavan   (USA)

I've flown Virgin America long distance and short distance. I have to say I prefer the long distance flights (like SFO-IAD) much more than short distance (SFO-LAX/LAS). Their cancellation and change policies are ridiculous, at $75 dollars per person for a flight that cost $100 round trip. Though I understand that you're essentially signing an agreement when you buy a flight, other airlines, like Southwest, offer MUCH better policies for the same price. Though the planes aren't as new and you don't have tv, etc., it's only an hour or so flight, so it doesn't matter. For a trip across the country where a lot of planning is involved and there's little chance of plans changing after you buy your flight, I would say Virgin's the way to go. But for shorter flights where driving could do just as well, or dates/times are likely to change, I will never fly Virgin America again. The hassle isn't worth the perks.

VIRGIN AMERICA review :  15 December 2008 : by Dave Robbins   (Australia)

SFO to LAS. By far the best experience I have had on a US domestic carrier. Comfortable seats and pleasant, modern cabin. Friendly staff both on the ground and in the air. IFE was excellent for short-haul however a few of the functions were a little buggy. Note that they are in the International terminal in SFO.

VIRGIN AMERICA review :  23 November 2008 : by C Richardson   (USA)

First Class LAS-SFO and back. Somewhat disappointed. Food portions for flight are adequate - if you are a small hamster. Snack from LAS-SFO was three shotglass-sized hors d'oeuvres, of prosciutto, mushrooms, etc which children will not eat. Flight attendant tried to get food from economy for the kids, but were out; gave them Pringles and a vending machine type pastry instead. No martinis (no Vermouth) but offered shaken Vodka as a substitute; wines were very dry (for food only apparently. if there had been any food). Seats were fine but in-flight entertainment must be well on its way to becoming an industry joke - on both flights two of our four headsets were inop and volume would not come on for some channels. SFO-LAS snacks consisted of weak coffee with two of those mini-muffins you can buy 18 of at supermarkets for $3.99. Flight attendant also stingy with sugar for coffee (??). First Class bathrooms used by most of the front end of economy class despite announcements not to - flight attendant sat idly by and watched (when not nodding off). In sum, Virgin America's seats may be worth a $50 upgrade if you need the extra room, otherwise forget it. If you spend full fare for First Class on VA you are criminally cheating yourself.

VIRGIN AMERICA review :  23 November 2008 : by Kenneth Fong   (USA)

I am a loyal customer of Virgin America and have flown them 6 times since their launch: SFO-JFK, SFO-IAD, SFO-LAS, SFO-LAX in both first class and economy, red-eye & morning departures. In general, I have found the overall customer experience to be excellent. To start with, I find their website to be easy to use and navigate; flight planning is very easy (unlike United's!). Check-in has always been speedy and I have never had to wait for more than 5 minutes at every airport. Departures have been timely, for the most part; and when they have not been, the staff takes great efforts to inform passengers to set expectations. Flight attendents have always been courteous, professional, and fun. The in-flight services (ability to order meals, TV, customization of music playlist, and especially, electrical plugs in every seat) are excellent. I like the ambient lighting (very calming), and the fact that the planes are consistently clean. I experienced some problems with the TV reception on a couple of flights, but it didn't upset me. I am looking forward to their internet service (I hope they expedite getting that service established). I would agree with others that compared to Southwest, the space between rows is shorter (I don't fly JetBlue). I can see how that could be noticeable for taller (or larger) persons, but since I'm only a 5'5" man, it's ok for me (one of the few advantages in life of being a short male!). Finally, the pricing is very competitive. I have signed up with their frequent flyer program, but have not cashed in on any free flights yet, so I don't know how easy or difficult that experience would be. They have a different rewards system / points collection process than legacy airlines (like United), and points collection is correlated with ticket price you paid (not distance). For instance, I've taken 2 SFO- JFK flights, but the points I got for each trip was very different because I paid different prices for each flight. Also, I believe that they do not yet allow point sharing with other airlines (like other Virgin carriers) hey should. All in all, I would highly recommend Virgin America. I have found it to be a great customer experience from end-to-end.