14 Nov Virgin America, You Complete Me…

Ah, after three relaxing days in L.A. I’m feeling pretty good. I slept better in the past few days than I have in a long time. But I’ll save those details for a post later this week.

For now, I’m just going to tell you about my flight.  I’m in love with Virgin America. A little background: Virgin was named Conde Nast Traveler’s best domestic airline, I nabbed a great deal from NYC and I normally hate flying. Yes, I know there’s a better chance of getting into a car accident than being in a plane crash but I’d rather have an accident happen on ground.

However, this flight was painless. I was distracted left and right so I had no time to think bad thoughts. Mood lighting, pleasant flight attendants and movies on demand made 36,000 feet more bearable.

Pretty Little Things
Call me a silly girly girl but I don’t want to step on to a plane that looks like it’s had a rough life. The plane was sleek, clean, gentle mood lighting overhead and no weird smell. The seats were leather (or maybe the coach seats were “pleather”) and easily wipeable so there weren’t any questionable stains on the seats. I heard one big guy complain about the leg room but everyone else looked mighty comfy.

Sh*ts and Giggles
I appreciate a sense of humor in a man and I feel the same way about my airline. I normally hate those cheesy safety videos before every flight but these were actually cute and funny. I even let out a chuckle or two. My return flight was called the “Superfly.” How cute is that? And the attendants were young, friendly (not in that annoying way though) and even attempted to make mundane procedures comical. “Today’s flight is brought to you by the letter “S” for safety.”

Technology for Dummies
I like tapping screens (ATMs, iPods, etc), so imagine the squeal I let out when I realized every Virgin flight has a small touch screen in front of all seats. With a slight extension of your arm (or use of the built-in remote on the armrest) you can order snacks or a meal ($3-$10), watch TV or request a movie ($8). There’s also a cool chat function. Notice a cutie in the row ahead of you? You can initiate a seat-t0-seat IM-like chat or there’s a general chat room you can join. You can also access basic info like how many more miles are left in your flight, how fast you’re traveling or look at a map of exactly where your flight is! Oh, there’s also music if you don’t want to drain the battery of your iPod. You can choose everything from Bach to Beyonce to Billie Holiday. They noticeably didn’t offer any hip hop artists but I quickly got over that after listening to Jill Scott and Janet’s “Pleasure Principal.” But the feature most people seem to like is the wifi. Though it normally costs ($6-$13, depending on flight length), it’s free until January 15.

Feed Me Seymour
In addition to the entertainment features on the nifty touch screen, you can also feed your belly. The attendants offered everyone a round of beverages at the beginning of the flight but if you want a drink or bite to eat after that, just a few taps (and a swipe of your credit card) and you’re taken care of. Though the food selections looked good, I grabbed a bite before boarding. I did order beverages though. Water, coffee, tea, juice and soft drinks are gratis and unlimited.

Virgin America officially gets two snaps and a twist. And there just so happens to be another sale going on…