Smiles all around. And I mean smiles. Everyone was super friendly.
So it is here, it happened, stop press, we have a new airline. A new and potentially interesting airline, more importantly.
Of course, we speak of Virgin America, serving San Francisco daily from JFK, with Los Angeles-JFK to launch on the 29th. While the airline is West Coast-based, it is certainly a great new option to California. I predict it won’t take long for more markets to open up. They say they’re growing slowly, though. No published plans for any more routes from JFK. Still, this might well have an impact on JetBlue fares to both cities, eventually. (Let’s hope so – I paid nearly $400 for a one-way ticket on JetBlue, vs. $150 to come home on Virgin America. Both were booked at the same time. Harrumph.)
There are just four first class seats at the head of each cabin (Airbus, btw.), but they’re quite spacious. Also, as I sat in the bulkhead (Row 3, highly recommended), I had a great view to the service they were getting. Nonstop hors d’ouvres, bonbons, booze in glass, real food.
My, are these seats attractive, but don’t be fooled – the moment you sit in them, you remember this is typical economy. Small, narrow, a bit flimsy, to be honest. The headrest is nice and the hard white plastic casing a breath of fresh air – down with the usual ugly textured gray! – but still, not my favorite seat. I felt cramped. JetBlue is better on this point – more room in coach, just more breathing room in general. They do not, however, have a leg to stand on when it comes to cabin atmos – Virgin’s is almost too elegant for a transcon economy flight. The mood lighting really works. Super-restful. The guy across the aisle blurted out “Wow! I might not need a Xanax!”
The view from 3C: I like these colored plexi cages that separate the galleys from the cabins (and, in this case, the cabins from the cabins). Very nifty. Also, here you can see that the bulkhead people don’t get shafted with a weeny fold-out screen and tray table. Both are in front of you (the tray comes out of the wall below the TV. Both are bigger than big. Screen’s 9″ across, tray standard fold-down size, but also hard plastic, white. Pleasing.
Ladies and germs: I give you blankets! And pillows! Such a rare treat. And those blankets are soft. A lady who sat near me stole hers. I would have done the same, but my carry-on was overstuffed as it was.
“Diane, I’m watching Twin Peaks and drinking Glenlivet. I paid $1.99 for the episode and $6 for the Glenlivet, but you know what? I haven’t been this happy in economy in ages.”
Want to see how it ends? More, after the jump. That about sums it up for me – it’s the little things that make the flight fun. The fact that it takes you an hour to run through everything there is to watch and do on the entertainment system. (Yes, it’s very much in testing mode, but there’s lots to do right now.) The fact that there’s food for purchase that doesn’t bite – the attendant told us they’re using Archer Farms for snacks and Dean & DeLuca for food, hopefully. For now, it’s generic, but I didn’t hate my cucumber feta salad, that’s for sure.
Three things worry me about this airline.
1) the staff all but begs you to use your screen to order whatever you want at any time. It’s fun, but potentially dangerous. One, they should be clearer that they’ll do an initial drink service, then afterwards, you use your screen to place any additional orders. They don’t.
Right now, they fill orders AND do the initial drink service, using a computer screen mounted to the top of the cart to find out what you ordered.
Because they are a “cashless” airline, you have to order and swipe at your personal TV screen. They should be able to take orders and swipe cards during the initial drink service. A lot of trying to sort out who ordered/paid for what, if the computer’s acting wonky, which it did.
Also, I don’t like that you can just punch however many bottles of water you want whenever you want. I mean, I like it, but this sort of thing will get taken advantage of. By me, and I’m sure many others.
The attendants are very nice. I can seem them souring on this at-your-beck-and-call thing very quickly, though. Even on my flight, some passengers were being their usual demanding selves. I’m not sure why flight attendants get treated like this, and then everyone moans that flight attendants are mean.
2) The onboard prices. We’re seeing the future here. I spent loads, and the shopping isn’t even up and running yet. Two movies ($8 apiece, that’s gouging). Four Glenlivets ($6 apiece, again, high.) One sandwich, salad and mini-toblerone ($8). An episode of Twin Peaks ($1.99). Do I like having all this stuff at my disposal? Sure, but people will be amazed to see how fast it all adds up. I know I was. I heard grumbling. “$8 for a movie, and nothing I want to see!” Okay, in all fairness, there were more than twenty titles, but still. Eight is a bit rich.
3) The seats. Overall environment, distractions, service, experience, way more pleasant than I’m used to domestically. Way more. But I don’t like the seats. Fancy upholstery and finishes aside, they’re so typically economy. The plane is too cramped. I’m sad about that. But I’ll get over it.
Bottom line – will I fly again, absolutely. But I am paying the extra $25 for bulkhead or exit row. Do not ask me to squeeze into those tiny little Virgin rows. As a couple getting on board this afternoon said, “It’s Virgin America! Wider rows!” Agreed.