CHECK-IN I arrived at LAX’s Terminal 3 at 1530 for the 1710 departure of flight VX797 and headed to Virgin America’s check-in zone, a short distance from where my taxi dropped me off. It was a chilled out area with floor speakers playing funky music and about a dozen people filtering in and out.
There were eight self-service check-in kiosks where you could print your boarding pass before dropping your luggage off, as well as three staffed desks, including one for First class passengers. I was promptly processed at one of the desks, paying US$25 to check in my bag (the flight had been booked for me and my luggage had not been included). All cases must be checked in if exceeding 61cm x 40cm x 25cm.
I then went up to the first floor to security. There were renovations in progress so a convoluted and crowded queuing system was in place, which took me 15 minutes to clear (shoes off, liquids and laptops out). The departure lounge had floor-to-ceiling windows, plenty of seating, two Starbucks and a Burger King.
BOARDING Passengers were called on time at 1640 from Gate 37B, a few steps from where I was sitting in the central waiting area, with those in First class given priority. Access was via an airbridge and I was in window seat 21F by 1655.
THE SEAT The A320 aircraft has 24 rows of economy in a 3-3 layout (A-B-C, D-E-F), and two rows of First configured 2-2 (see the seatplan here). The economy seat has a pitch of 32in/81cm and the First seat 55in/140cm. Superior economy Main Cabin Select seats are in rows three and ten and offer an extra six inches (15cm) of legroom. As in First, these seats also come with free food, alcoholic drinks and in-flight entertainment (IFE).
The interior of the cabin was sleek and new looking with smart black leather seats, individual nine-inch audio-video on-demand screens, armrest remotes, good-sized seat-back nets for books and other personal items, and large tray tables (mine could have been a bit cleaner). Headphones were available to buy for US$2.
The A320 is equipped with wifi costing from US$4.95 for flights of less than 1.5 hours, or US$7.95 for flights longer than 1.5 hours. Every seat had a power outlet, which made it easy to work.
I was impressed by the pay-to-use IFE system, which pulled forward for better viewing and offered multiple functions – from playing movies (from US$5), free music and satellite TV, to displaying flight information and allowing you to order snacks and drinks. Bombay Sapphire gin was US$6 and included a free mixer, Heineken was US$7, and a 375ml bottle of Wente Sauvignon Blanc was US$12. Soft drinks, tea and coffee were free. You can open a tab so you don’t have to swipe your card every time you select something, and use the “chat” option to communicate with other passengers.
WHICH SEAT TO CHOOSE? Avoid middle seats B and E and aisle seats in the back rows as this is where people queue for the washrooms. For window seats with unobscured views, avoid rows over the wing. Sit near the front if you want to disembark first.
THE FLIGHT The flight time to Seattle was estimated to be two hours, six minutes. At 1700 the glamorous-looking crew members were introduced and a safety demonstration was presented shortly afterwards via the IFE. Take-off was five minutes behind schedule at 1715. Once we were cruising I ordered a drink, but when I tried to type in my email address to have a receipt sent to me, I found that the “@” sign didn’t work so I wasn’t able to get one. I spent some time exploring the IFE system and watched some TV – the picture quality was excellent.
ARRIVAL The plane landed ahead of schedule at 1915. Disembarkation was quick and efficient. I had only a few minutes’ wait for my case at baggage reclaim and was in arrivals by about 1940.
VERDICT An outstanding, punctual flight with helpful and friendly crew, comfy, stylish seats and cutting-edge in-flight entertainment. Even though alcohol and food had to be paid for, they were reasonably priced. Having the option to watch TV, pay for a film or use the internet was welcome, even on a short sector.
Fact file
- PLANE TYPE A320
- SEAT CONFIGURATION 3-3
- SEAT PITCH 32in/81cm
- SEAT WIDTH 18in/46cm
- PRICE Internet rates for a return economy class flight from Los Angeles to Seattle in April ranged between US$230 and US$678 depending on flexibility.
- CONTACT virginamerica.com
Jenny Southan
