Virgin America First Class - A320 LAS to SFO.

[PaulST]

Hi all, I'm currently flying around the US and as well as visiting amazing sites (Hoover Dam yesterday), I'm checking out a few of their airlines.
Today I flew with Virgin America in their First Class cabin of an A320. The flight was a short one between Las Vegas and San Francisco.
Over-all, it was far more impressive than the American Airlines I flew to 'Vegas in.

[video=youtube;oB0BipQuz8I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB0BipQuz8I[/video]

I've got two more AA First Class flights coming up so we'll see how they go there. Hopefully I'll get a newer 737. I've got Alaskan First Class coming up in a few days so it'll be interesting to see how that goes!

 

[UpInTheAir:)]

Thanks again PaulST! I agree.. Virgin America First is the best domestic US experience.. Unfortunately they don't go everywhere I need to go though
Great video

 

[BriarFlyer]

Thanks for the review and video, Paul. We're doing a Virgin America First flight out of LAS next month; loved the preview!

 

[kermatu]

Another nice video. Thanks PaulST.

I have flown AA First quite a bit. Can be hit and miss but on a new bird and with good crew, they can be very good. Be interesting how you compare them.

Cheers.

 

[PaulST]

Another nice video. Thanks PaulST.

I have flown AA First quite a bit. Can be hit and miss but on a new bird and with good crew, they can be very good. Be interesting how you compare them.

Cheers.

I hope you're right kermatu. I'm flying with AA again in F from Seattle to Chicago (which is 4hrs so should give me a better taste) and Chicago to Washington DC later this month so hopefully I get a better crew/aircraft. Both are meant to be 738s so hopefully I'll get a newer one. Unfortunately my next flight (Alaskan F is in a 734 so I fear that'll be quite old!).

 

[kermatu]

I had over a dozen AA F flights last year. Pretty much every one was very good. You need to reset expectations to an Oz Domestic J level, but once done:

- AA F can be far cheaper but earn more SCs
- Service is predictable and pretty good - good quality nuts and drinks pre-meal (more that a couple of hours and time-of-day dependent).
- Food variety and taste is average, but quantities decent and the starters, salads, and deserts usually top notch (better than Oz domestic J). Mains are inferior though.
- Very quick service (too quick for me, but in F it was never a problem for the crew if I was last and getting my cookie or desert 20minutes after everyone else was trays up!).
- They get priority boarding and priority baggage right.

Hope you get a good result!

 

[PaulST]

Yep they certainly get priority boarding and baggage right! I recalled waiting for my bags from QF93 (in J) and there were a lot of non-J/F bags coming out ahead of mine bag. There were bags with the yellow F tag also arriving after Y/PE bags. As I said in the video, my VX bag was literally the first bag out.
You're right - I'm earning heaps of OW SCs with AA. Almost as many as my MEL-LAX and JFK-LAX-SYD flight (booked in PE). Should hit Gold for the first time early next year.

My one positive thing to say about AA was that one of their check-in staff members was very helpful. I was booked on a 10pm flight, but I arrived at the airport thinking it was 10am and they booked me on an earlier flight (took 5 minutes and didn't cost me anything). My ticket was in First, although it wasn't a flexible one. I recall changing a PE ticket with QF (3 months in advance) and they charged a $200 change fee...