I was hoping my answer to this question would resoundingly be yes, but they face the same challenges as most US domestic carriers. We arrived at the airport 2 hours early for our trip from San Francisco to New York on December 23rd. Luckily, the Virgin America desk is located in the SFO International terminal and we were able to bypass the long security lines already reaching outside the domestic terminal.
Check-In: Normally I use online check-in, but as this was my first time on Virgin America, I wanted to see them in action. We used the kiosk for check-in which was smooth and then waited in line to drop off our checked luggage. After we were in line for about 10 minutes waiting to drop off the luggage, we noticed that there was no line for an agent. (I guess the airlines just have us trained already!) Each passenger is only allowed 1 bag up to 70 pounds and an additional bag up to 50 pounds is another $10. Even though I planned to do a lot of holiday shopping in New York I decided to forgo the extra bag. This practice is typical of European low-cost carriers, but is now making it’s way to the US.
- Score: 4 stars out of 5 due to the extra charge for a second bag
Comfort: The seats in coach class were the most comfortable seats I have experienced . The A320 planes are all brand new with black leather seats and glossy white plastic casings. The headrests are similar to those on international flights, which fold up on each side and move up for us taller individuals. Each seat has it’s own LCD monitor with entertainment system and headphones are handed out for free when you board (choice of earbuds or over-the-ear).
The only downside to the comfort was that when the seat in front of you reclines (approximately 5 inches according to the Virgin America website) you feel like a sardine. Even if you recline as well, the screen feels like it’s about 5 inches in front of your face. And, I am tall and slender, but trying to get out from the middle seat to the isle to use the restroom was quite challenging. Realizing this dilemma we tried to “upgrade” to premium seats (bulkhead or emergency exit row) for an additional $25 per person per leg, but they were sold out for our return flight.
- Score: 3.5 out of 5 due to the lack of pitch in coach seats
Entertainment and Food: Now this was the best part of the flight. The entertainment center features satellite television, popular shows on demand, movie rentals (although $8 per pop), a full selection of music, and video games. Each seat also has standard electrical plugs (ours didn’t work), USB (for charging cell phones and iPods), and ethernet (not yet available). And, instead of the attendants crowding the isles with large drink carts and waking everyone up on long-haul flights, you can order your drinks and food (for an additional charge) right from your screen. They’ll bring it to you at any time during the flight.
- Score: 5 out of 5 for the tech gadgets and on demand drinks
Final Thoughts: Virgin America is on par with JetBlue and is great for business professionals and tech-savy dependent travelers. I’ll continue to book with them, but will definitely pay the extra fee for the premium economy seats with extra legroom.
