Forgive me for posting on this emotional subject. I flew Virgin America yesterday for the first time. My experience with them instilled much anger into me, although the flight attendants were gracious.
I paid for a First Class flight but received notification that I would be moved down to Main Cabin Select for reasons they said they were not allowed to state but with a refund of the fare difference (which in reality was $0 - in other words, it was bait and switch), although they placed money in my newly established "bank". After an exchange of emails asking for specific explanation for why my First Class booking was not being honored, and to which they refused to explain, I cancelled the booking I originally had (I refuse to pay for First Class and only receive Main Cabin Select) and used the "bank" money to rebook in Main Cabin Select. As it turned out, yesterday on my flight 3 people were upgraded (at a cost of $99 according to the flight attendant) into First Class, including the gentleman sitting in my row who was upgraded immediately before the door was closed. All I can say is I'm glad this company is being bought out. I'm very angry regarding how they treated me (I showed the flight attendants all the e-mails between me and the company and they were at a loss for why my First Class booking was downgraded to Main Cabin Select).
I understand my situation is (hopefully) unique but any company that treats a new first-class paying customer in this way deserves to disappear. Alaska has never treated me so poorly as Virgin America. (Not even United has treated me this way).