EIPremier

VX 1864 SFO-SAN A319 N525VA

Check-in:
Arrived at the International Terminal at 6:00 for the 7:00 departure (traffic was very light). The VX ticket counter had long lines for both agent check-in/rebooking and the kiosk check-in, although there was no line for F check-in. The worst part: VX had those doing kiosk check-in and web bag drop queue up in the same line. This caused unnecessary delay for those of us who had checked in online and were simply trying to check bags, as most of the people in line were waiting for a kiosk to open so they could check-in. VX needs to follow the example of other airlines and have separate lines for web bag drop and kiosk check-in. Also, installing more check-in kiosks at SFO would also be a good idea as VX continues to expand. But, at least VX still offers one checked bag free of charge.

Boarding/Departure: The gate agents were convivial. Boarding began about 30 minutes prior to departure. The flight was only about 2/3 full, which perhaps explains why the agents simply boarded First Class, and then called for groups A through E to board all at once. We left the gate about five minutes early.

Aircraft: The cabin was clean, and the mood lighting was on. The black leather seats on the new A319s are nice---possibly a little softer and more comfortable than on the older A320s, even though the seat design is the same. The 32" pitch was adequate. I find that the TV is at an uncomfortably close viewing distance when the seat in front of me is fully reclined.

Red: Main problem today was that most of the satellite TV channels were not working throughout the entire flight. The four channels that did work seemed reliable. The program guide was also unavailable, and the "shop," "read," and web functionalities are still not availability. One improvement is that there were about 35 English language films for $5-$7 (new releases all seem to be $7), plus five feature-length foreign language movies, which I think is a new feature. There are also the foreign language TV shows. And, as before, there are still a number of short five-minute films, mostly made by students, which are free. I watched a couple of these short flicks during the 70 minute flight today, and then perused the excellent music selection.

Snacks/Drinks: Just the basic selection of granola bars, chips, snack mix, cookies, fruit leather were available for $1-2 per item. No meal options were listed. The price for beer/wine/liquor was $6, except for sparkling wine at $10. But, soft drinks continue to be complimentary. And, at least they offer real half and half, unlike WN.

Cabin crew: Pretty standard--not especially friendly, but no complaints either. All three flight attendants appeared to be quite young. One flight attendant appeared to be trying some kung fu in the aisle during the safety demo. No greeting at the door upon boarding, nor any expression of thanks upon deplaning.

Arrival/baggage: About 10 minutes early into SAN. My bag came off within 15 minutes of arriving at the gate (baggage is usually fairly fast at SAN).

Another good VX trip. I just hope they can get the satellite TV issues fixed, and improve the organization of the SFO check-in.