SFO777

Virgin America 235
SFO-JFK First Class
7:10A-3:45P

I'm off today to JFK for my first of four SQ RTW flights.

Always like departing from SFO's relaxed and clean International Terminal.

And I even had a chance to help a traveller in need. Just after a friendly gate agent introduced herself and her colleague to those gathered at the gate area, a young woman took the seat beside me and immediately started looking thru her pockets and purse mumbling "where is my license?". Since I had noticed an elderly couple pick up a drivers license as we were all walking to the gate, we walked back towards the terminal and I found the couple, and her license.

Priority boarding with usual personable FAs greeting us. Water, blankets and pillows were waiting at our seats, followed by offers of additional drinks, all before the Y cabin boarded. On time push-back short taxi and wheels up by 7:15A.



Pre-breakfast drink, following by breakfast appetizers choices of cheese, watermelon cubes and the most yummy yogurt smoothie (cereal-coconut-strawberry-apricot-grape-raisin-apple) I have ever tasted.



Banana bread or blueberry muffin, although heated would have been nice. The frittata with artichoke and peppers was quite tasty... although I did a double take at the artichoke that looked like it might have been alive at one time.



As with every VX flight I've ever been on, FA service throughout was excellent, with multiple stops to inquire if I needed a refill or anything. Sat back, relaxed, turned on VX's terrific IFE Red, programmed my own playlist and enjoyed the rest of the flight.







The only annoying aspect of the flight was the constant stream of Y pax to the F lav and the non-enforcement of the "F lav for F pax" directive announced prior to departure.

On time arrival and a short five minute walk to the VS Clubhouse.

lucky9876coins

Great report, looks like a nice product!^ You're doing FOUR SQ RTW's?

chanp

im gonna have to give them a go. sfo -sea in the next few weeks i think

SFO777

Now that would be a treat!
My bad.. one SQ RTW, 4 flights.

BTW, just arrived in FRA on SQ25 in F.

After all the hype and anticipation, I was wondering whether it could possibly be that good. And it was indeed. Even with the dated seats, still probably the best single in flight experience and in flight crew I've ever experienced. ^^

Hope to post that leg later today, with lots of pics.

BiziBB

Thanks, SFO777.

Will you do the next logical 'red' longhaul sometime, LAX-SYD?
I hope the F experience is as good as yours, though I have yet to find a compelling offer for F on this route.

QF A380 will take a lot of beating - so hopefully V Australia will offer some special promotional F fares to snare the wavering or curious premium traveller - especially existing VX pax. ^

nermaljcat

VX is great, but I'm unsure how V Australia (VA) will be in comparison. They are run by Virgin Blue (DJ) in Australia which is not as nice as VX (but still pretty good). Either way I enjoy flying Virgin and will give them a try as soon as I get the chance.

BiziBB

Though VA is owned by Virgin Blue, the product (as a 3-class service rather than a LCC->New World Carrier) should be closer to the VX product than the DJ LCC + PE seats model on DJ.

There is plenty of discussion of VA on the Qantas forum and AFF.

nermaljcat

That is good to know ^. I'm looking forward to their launch even more now. I'll go check out the Qantas forum.

aviators99

Strange, on my trip from SEA-SFO this morning, the breakfast appetizer included those two things, plus another container with cheese cubes :-)

colmc

VA will be very much like Virgin Atlantic - business/first, premium economy and economy with full service, AVOD etc.

Should be interesting to see how it all pans out!

Genius1

VX look to have a very solid North American First Class product - certainly a step above the relatively dated cabins of UA/AA.

Non-enforcement of the forward lavatory on narrow-body aircraft is always a challenge, I find. It happens on BA all the time. Why Y pax think it's acceptably to walk through the curtain is beyond me, but cabin crew really should turn them away - I've seen this several times, but not consistently enough.