No F upgrades available on the 3/19 return, IAD-SFO 7 am departure. No wifi, but a nice, uneventful flight.

One observation for VX: $100 for "main cabin select" is way overpriced. We're talking a little more leg room, food & drinks. I'd pay $50 for that, tops. The $250 to F, though, is a good deal.

No in-flight entertainment = no power
 

Just a quick note that when the in-flight entertainment system is out of service, the power outlets under the seats are also off.

I was on VX 363 on 3/21 (BOS to LAX, 7 a.m. departure) and was told when I checked my bag that the system was out of service. Unprompted, they promised me a $25 credit for future travel (the one-way coach ticket itself cost $109.60).

They repeated the $25 credit promise onboard, and later I got an e-mail:
I guess the lesson is, if they tell you the TV is broken, be sure to charge your laptop battery before you board.

The flight itself was fine.

First trip SFO-SNA RT
 

I needed to make a quick trip to the Southland this past weekend. and while I'm a UA 1K, VX was $100 RT at the last minute, so decided to give it a go.

Booking was easy and quick online. I also did online check-in. Of course, no gate was specified the night before. I showed up at SFO and went to the International concourse, forgetting there are TWO sides (United uses the G gates, VX uses BOTH) @:-), so had to sprint over to the A side and clear security again. I was taken aback that TSA is using body scan (which displays near-naked images to the screener) technology and I find it very disconcerting. It was the first time in all my years of flying (guess I don't frequent the airports/airlines that have them). I will avoid VX/A concourse for this alone.

The flight itself was, of course, short. Cabin was pretty full, but the seats were relatively comfortable and the FAs did a decent job getting drinks to everyone. RED worked pretty well (though the touch screen isn't sensitive enough), but the map display seems to have a serious lag (not real time). At one point it showed airspeed at 160 mph...and we were on the ground. Lots of programming, but nothing I really was interested in. Didn't check any bags (but was concerned since the VX website has unrealistic rules for carry-ons, which they don't enforce, luckily).

On the return, SNA-SFO, I was running a little late, but arrived a good 40 minutes before departure. Decided to try Economy Select for $25 more (with free drinks and snacks, figured it was my lunch). But TSA at the VX gates is INCREDIBLY UNDERSTAFFED. There were two lines feeding to one woman checking IDs. And they fed into one screening line. She was so slow, my (Premium) line barely moved. There were, perhaps 15 people ahead of me and IT TOOK 30 MINUTES to get through. :mad: I barely made it to the gate as they announced last call for passengers. I was the last to board and the VX agent admitted, yeah, the TSA is a problem.

The flight was nearly empty, so very pleasant once I caught my breath. Ordered some wine and snacks on RED and it took the FAs a bit to figure it out, as they were still passing down the aisle. The FA in First didn't have much to do for just 3-4 passengers, so I flagged him down as he passed by and he helped out. ^

All in all, I guess I find VX a nice product. Not sure it's enough to entice me from UA and free upgrades, despite the inconsistencies and shortcomings of UA's soft/hard product.

Potreroflyr,

Sounds good overall. Showing your naked body to the TSA is optional (for now). They have one of them, and 4-5 regular metal detectors. This should not deter you. Just don't use them, and continue to spread the word about how evil they are. TSA is trying to make them mandatory.

See the Travel Safety/Security forum on this message board for more info.

One comment re: whole body scanning - for people with medical implants, these devices are a godsend. Those of us who would otherwise set off the detector and require a manual pat down simply step in, get scanned and get cleared in a few seconds. Easily saves 5-10 minutes at security for every flight. As long as there's at least an option for every checkpoint the needs of all of us can be met.

FlyingPenguin and I were going on a cruise out of LA and, for our dates (at decent times, not 6am), UA was cheapest SEA-LAX (via SFO) and VX LAX-SEA. I had just enough 500-milers left to upgrade the former to F and wanted to try VX F too. The UA flights were fine and service at all stages was good.

Tried OLCI (from on board the cruise ship) 23 hours prior to departure, but it wouldn't let us upgrade to F, despite showing 5 seats on the seatmap. Once at the airport, F upgrades were available, so we paid and went on our way. TSA was well-staffed and had zero wait time. Amenities and service on the ground was pathetic. No lounge (unless you pay $30 pp to AS), no Wifi, gate agent referred to FP's wheelchair as a "stroller" and talked to me about FP rather than addressing her directly, plus nobody was summoned to assist us and/or collect FP's wheelchair. (One of the pilots had to go down to the tarmac and arrange it, while we waited in the jetway!)

Once finally on board, service was excellent, RED was all working (except chat), food was yummy. Paper-thin pillows (you need 4 to make a real pillow thickness!) and no liqueurs were the only negatives.

After landing, FP's wheelchair was brought to the gate, out of sight of the door, so the FAs didn't know it was there until one went out to look.

In short, service and facilities onboard were impressively good, but not quite as good as I expected (I can have a Bailey's on UA, but not on VX), while ground (esp. gate) service was impressively poor.

Are you sure there wasn't any liquor onboard? There is always plenty of liquor, including Baileys, served on VX flights in both Main Cabin and First Class. Free if your in First and MCS.

There was plenty of plain liquor (spirits, such as gin and vodka), but I was told there were no liqueurs when I asked if they had Bailey's or Kahlua or anything like that. What is their usual selection?

(I've looked online and can't find a drink list anywhere for VX. Their own help page says there is "a selection of alcohol beverages" but gives no details. Some reports online say VX carries Absinthe, but that was definitely not mentioned when I asked.)

Sorry, misread the post. Anyways, I think Bailey's Irish Cream is the only liqueur on the plane. The current list of drinks can be found in the inflight menu / service guide which can be downloaded at http://hungry.virginamerica.com
(Same page as the snacks)

The drink menu for First Class is the exact same plus an additional selection of red and white wine that is only served in First Class.

SFO-SNA (in F) and LAX-SFO (in Y *E-*)
 

SFO-SNA (in F) and LAX-SFO (in Y) - comparison from UA 1K perspective

THOSE FARE SALE EMAILS DO WORK!

Mr Lainys and I originally planned to drive south last weekend to join some friends in Anaheim on Friday evening. Spotted the last minute fare deals and decided to fly instead. SFO-LAX-SFO on UA dropped to $78. Quick search on Travelocity revealed that UA was matching VX fares ($29 each way plus fees and taxes) By the time we got around to buying tickets UA price had already jumped to $264pp (we snoozed and lost). Time of departure is my first consideration followed closely by price. I was thrilled to be able to book the $29 fare to Orange County (SNA) instead of LAX. Personally I've never gotten cheap last minute fares for SFO/SJC-SNA on UA. By flying into SNA we got to meet up with our friends 10 minutes after picking up a rental car at SNA instead of driving 1+ hr from LAX. Great relaxing way to start to a fun weekend.

VX 802 SFO-SNA on 9/25/09 leaving 9:15am

ONLINE CHECK IN + upgrade to F for SFO-SNA

At T-20 went online to "change seat". 6 out of 8 F seats still available. When you "hover" your mouse pointer the fare difference shows $50 pp and warns you that everyone in your booking gets upgraded. Went ahead and paid with CC. Once the transaction was completed then went to the "check in/travel manager" to checkin and print boarding passes.

UA - always gotten upgraded for free with e500 using 1K status
VX - have to remember to check in at T-24 and do the "change seat" before checking in. It's an extra step that I would only do for a cheap $$ ticket and for personal travel. On business, the upgrade fee to F would be out of my own pocket.

Went to park at international terminal, caught the airtrain and almost got off at T3 (for UA flights). Hard habit to break when you're flying out of SFO (on UA) every other week. Got off at International A instead. Walked by the Virgin America check in area. Pretty quiet on a Friday morning. Separate areas for cabin select and first class check in. Didn't use the counter as we only had carry on.

Didn't see an elite line (for those in F) however the normal line was less than 20 people. Was thru within 10 min which is about the same (or less) than using the UA Premium Security Line.

Getting on the plane itself felt weird with the neon lighted cabin. Sat in 2nd row. Noticed that Row 1 bulkhead F seats had the neon colored see thru plastic separating them from the crew area. It may bother someone who would prefer a little more privacy.

RED in F is one of those individual screens (like UA's older business seat) that fold up and down between the seats. RED let me scroll and watch anything for free including recent movie releases, Sat TV (about 20 channels) and some foreign flicks. Games also available but didn't get to play as the flight was short. I could see that being a benefit for longer bi-coastal flights.

VX949 LAX-SFO on 9/27/09 leaving 8:15pm in Y (lowest fare)

Got a middle seat. Surprising felt roomy for Y. I'm 5'3 and on the occasional standby flight in UA when I get Y (E-) middle seat it felt more sardine-line. Also on UA the seat in front would touch my knees. On this VX trip it felt like there was a "little" more knee room.

RED screen is in the back of the seat in front of you. Movies are $8, foreign flicks were $5 and there's a swipe thing built in to take your credit card. Also a food/drink menu but I didn't have time to try it out. With nothing interesting on Sat TV, I tried some of the games. Fun and definitely a quick way to pass an hr. Reminded me of Singapore Airlines Y (about 10 years ago *sigh* the good ol days) RED is definitely something to consider if you don't bring your own PC or entertainment on board.

MY CHOICE
For this particular trip, VX wins hands down based on price and the ability to fly cheaply into SNA. Southwest seems to price out same or sometimes higher than UA. UA never prices cheap to SNA so I've usually flown into LAX for the cheaper weekend fares. The neon cabin is distracting at first but you don't notice it once you start focusing on RED or something else.

VX FAs seemed attentive on both flights, younger and more casual than most UA FAs I've encountered. VX gets my attention especially if upgrades and standbys on UA get harder next year due to the increased number of newly minted 1K members. Mileage accrural isn't a big draw anymore since it's harder to get UA saver seats.

Thanks, lainys. Would love to hear your perspective about the differences between UA F and VX F in terms of comfort and service, and if you've flown much UA PS, how they compare. Of course, you can't compare the food on such a short flight, but how about the rest?

Update: VX F compared to UA PS F/C
 

Food comparison (thanks for the reminder!) VX F beats UA shorthauls!
UA F on SFO-LAX or SJC-SNA - a drink and bag of pretzels (if you're lucky). On a longer flight (such as SFO-YYC) you'll get a snack box. Personally I prefer the yummy mini loaf on VX F!
VX F on SFO-SNA - forgot to mention the little banana nut mini loaf served with some butter and a plastic knife. Nice tasty treat for a late morning breakkie.

Seat Comfort: UA PS C = VX F
UA PS F - only flown twice (double op up) - only difference I noticed was that the seat went 180 degree flat for a comfy bed if you were on a red eye. Maybe felt a touch roomier than VX F but then again no difference for my 5'3" frame.

US PS C to VX F - my seat on VX F was in the 2nd row and did not recline 180 degrees so I think it would be a fairer comparison to UA PS C seat (which also does not recline flat). Legroom is more than adequate on VX F, UA PS F and C. Super legroom if I score an exit row on US PS C. I think it would only make a difference if I suddenly sprouted 10 feet overnight.

VX F had little buttons to plump up or let our air at various parts of the seat. I don't recall UA PS having those features. Also VX seats were leather (looking a little worn out).

The one thing that gave UA PS an advantage was those fluffy white westin comforters. I MISS THEM!!! Felt like I had a cloud wrapped around me (appropriate on a flight yes?) Without them I rate VX F about equal to UA PS C. Note that this may not be a true comparison since I've never flown bicoastal on VX so I don't know what amenities they hand out.

Floor Storage: UA PS beats VX F
UA PS - can store my rollaboard laptop bag on the floor under the seat in front of me
VX F - can't store anything on the floor. Everything has to go overhead. Limited room if all 8 F PAX needed storage. FA has VERY small storage space upfront. Overflow would need to go to Y overhead or offloaded.

Service:UA PS F/C = VX F
My one experience in VX F was very nice. VX FA was very attentive and kept refilling my OJ until I said "enough" (nicely :)) All my UA PS flights have had equally attentive FAs - kept my water or OJ filled.

Individual IFE: VX F beats UA PS
RED rocks!! Can't compare the headsets as I generally use my own. The headsets on UA PS look nicer - they seem better padded.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...n-america.html

Trip report -- LAX-SFO-LAX (October 23 & 26, 2009)

FLL - LAX - new loop for groovy music in the lavs; snarky FA on board
 

[QUOTE=BiziBB;9505362]Does FT have a collection of trip reports, food reviews, lounge reports, photos and anything else yet?

Feb 10 - on 3/4 full Virgin America from FLL to LAX. Finally they changed the loop on the groovy tunes in the steerage lavs! My first encounter with a snarky FA on VA...she must have been hired from a legacy carrier and wasn't screened out properly. Love it, clean planes, better food, even if I have to buy it, my very own power port/regular plug jack works just fine thank you. Legacy US carriers - please try a flight and find out why your customers are defecting.

Yes, I love how the nude-o-scope is positioned so that the priority security line funnels into it. After the ID check, I saw a line that doesn't go to the nude-o-scope that was also pretty short, so I just went to that one.

MIA has a nude-o-scope at one of the AA premium security checkpoints. I opted out once when I was picked to go into it. They didn't like that.