Virgin America Elevate - AA convert to VX

I am an AA Lifetime Platinum flyer who has not flown another airline for a long time. Due to AA's reduction of service to BOS, I have looked at other airlines and Virgin has a workable schedule for me. I'm a seasoned flyer on AA but have no idea of what to expect on VX. Any tips and suggestions from VX travellers would be welcome.

Thanks!

You should read the FAQ at the top of this forum, if you haven't already. What other sort of info are you interested in? I'm sure we can help.

I have read the FAQs and got lots of the info I need. I mostly would like tips about whether some regular Main Cabin seats are better than others, whether it's better to checkin at the earliest opportunity to possibly upgrade to a Main Cabin Select seat, whether the price of a MS seat changes the closer it gets to departure, how often MS seats tend to be available, etc.

Thanks!

I have read the FAQs and got lots of the info I need. I mostly would like tips about whether some regular Main Cabin seats are better than others, whether it's better to checkin at the earliest opportunity to possibly upgrade to a Main Cabin Select seat, whether the price of a MS seat changes the closer it gets to departure, how often MS seats tend to be available, etc.

Thanks!

Good questions.

The Main Cabin seats are generally all the same, except for the usual loss in width for the last couple of rows of the plane.

When you check-in does not matter, in terms of upgrading. As mentioned in the FAQ, the most successful at upgrades do it *without* checking-in. You must do it using the "change seats" button before the check-in begins. Do it right at T-24. If you're interested in later upgrading from MCS to F, make sure that you do not check-in.

Prices do fluctuate very fluidly, and often get lower as it gets closer to departure, so that they can increase revenue.

I am an AA Lifetime Platinum flyer who has not flown another airline for a long time. Due to AA's reduction of service to BOS, I have looked at other airlines and Virgin has a workable schedule for me. I'm a seasoned flyer on AA but have no idea of what to expect on VX. Any tips and suggestions from VX travellers would be welcome.

Thanks!

I made the same switch from UA to VX when VX launched. I am out of SFO so VX flies to a lot of cities from here regularly, ymmv from BOS, where they only serve SFO/LAX, don't know if that is going to change.

- No status - you are no more important than Ma & Pa Kettle no matter how much you fly
- Nice people, nice planes
- Power & internet & tv at every seat - this is the clincher for me
- Paid upgrades only <24h, usually at 6h, transcons are expensive to upgrade almost $300 each way
- F is way nicer than UA,AA,DL domestic F, though service is unpredictable
- Y Leg room is just average, JetBlue is better
- Main cabin select price is exorbitant when compared to UA E+ and not worth it to me even on at upgrade prices
- Decent food you can buy
- When there are irrops it takes them days to recover as all of their transcon flights are packed, so be careful if you are not flying on business and have to pay for your own alternative arrangements
- Haven't been able to get into ATL, ORD, DEN yet, hopefully soon
- They are not a "discount" carrier, their prices are generally about the same as UA, but the VX mileage program is pretty much pointless

All in all I am very pleased with VX, they provide a consistent, predictable, good service, and are a breath of fresh air when compared to the legacy carriers.

Peter

Peter,

Thanks for your comment regarding irrpos. Luckily I have homes in both the Bay Area and Rhode Island so it would usually not be an issue about when I left one place to go home to the other. There have been occasions (like the post Christmas bad weather in the BOS area) where I might have to be in one place or another at a certain time. I will keep in mind that VX doesn't have the large fleet AA or UA has, and the delay at getting home might be longer than I'm used to.

Thanks,

REB

FYI: F upgrades are expensive from MC, $260 each way BOS-LAX and back. On the return red-eye the entire F cabin had no power, so no seat recline, no lighting, no AVOD. I got the upgrade fee refunded and got a $100 voucher for the pain. Bolt-upright on a red-eye is NO fun even in F.

I made the same switch from UA to VX when VX launched. I am out of SFO so VX flies to a lot of cities from here regularly, ymmv from BOS, where they only serve SFO/LAX, don't know if that is going to change.

- No status - you are no more important than Ma & Pa Kettle no matter how much you fly
- Nice people, nice planes
- Power & internet & tv at every seat - this is the clincher for me
- Paid upgrades only <24h, usually at 6h, transcons are expensive to upgrade almost $300 each way
- F is way nicer than UA,AA,DL domestic F, though service is unpredictable
- Y Leg room is just average, JetBlue is better
- Main cabin select price is exorbitant when compared to UA E+ and not worth it to me even on at upgrade prices
- Decent food you can buy
- When there are irrops it takes them days to recover as all of their transcon flights are packed, so be careful if you are not flying on business and have to pay for your own alternative arrangements
- Haven't been able to get into ATL, ORD, DEN yet, hopefully soon
- They are not a "discount" carrier, their prices are generally about the same as UA, but the VX mileage program is pretty much pointless

All in all I am very pleased with VX, they provide a consistent, predictable, good service, and are a breath of fresh air when compared to the legacy carriers.

Peter

AA PLAT here that took first flight on VX, mainly because it's either VX or UA direct on my routing of IAD/SFO.

To add to the list above:

- Seat mobility is limited, ie. because VX does not have a ton of routing and business travelers, once seats are taken, for the most part they are taken. Lack of upgrading participates in this as well.
- Careful of interuptions if you are on business - see above, lack of routing can really hurt chances of getting somewhere you need to be through some bizarre routing feature that the legacy carriers can pull off.
- Food is better than legacy.
- MCS seats are very good for productivity.
- Tall, adjustable head rests for those taller folks to keep the bobble in place and comfy.
- Pre-board process quickly turned into herding of everyone else.