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Home » virgin america » Review: My Final Trip in Virgin America First Class
Flight Reviewsvirgin america

Review: My Final Trip in Virgin America First Class

Matthew Klint Posted onApril 25, 2018November 14, 2023 5 Comments

a row of white leather seats in an airplane

Today Virgin America ceases to exist. The Richard Branson-inspired carrier has merged with Alaska Airlines and will be filed away in the history books like Continental, Northwest, and US Airways before it. Here’s a review of my final trip with Virgin America in May of 2015.

Virgin America had just started service from Washington National to Dallas Love and offered $169 introductory fares in first class. That itself was enticing, but the Virgin booking system also allowed departures from Washington Dulles. Since there were no non-stop flights from Dulles to Dallas, a connection in Los Angeles was required…at no extra cost.

So my flight scheduled ending up being:

a close up of a card

Not bad for $169!

I live in LA and could have easily just hopped off in LA and still come out way ahead, but decided to continue on to Dallas…just so I had two flights to compare.

Boarding began 45 minutes before departure at IAD and a handful of employees were cleared into first class at the gate.

a sign with a blue and white sign with a blue sky and clouds in the background

an airplane on a runway

Flight 1: Washington Dulles to Los Angeles (A320)

The Virgin America planes have eight seats in first class in a 2-2 configuration. The white leather recliner seats have 55 inches of seat pitch, excellent recline and a footrest. It reminded me of an old international business class product.

a row of white seats in an airplane

the seats in an airplane

a seat in an airplane

a close up of a control panel

A bottle of water was waiting at each first class seat.

a bottle of water on a table

FAs performed a manual safety demonstration and we departed on-time for LA.

a man talking on a cell phone in an airplane

After takeoff, a menu was distributed along with a hot towel.

a white towel on a black surface

Breakfast included a small quiche with green peppers and a side salad with sundried tomatoes. Also included: a small bread roll and fruit dish.

a plate of food on a tray

a plate of food on a table

a bowl of fruit on a tray

a plate of food on a tray

Delicious.

After breakfast I checked out the “Red” IFE, which contained an excellent selection of moves, Live TV, games, and a great library of music.

a screen with text on it

a screen with text on it

a screen shot of a video game

a screen shot of a television

a screen shot of a device

a pair of remote controls in a leather case

The headsets provides were flimsy: I was glad I brought my own.

a blue headphones in a plastic bag

I dozed for a while (no wi-fi), and woke up hungry.

Snacks were available in the galley:

a group of water bottles and snacks on a table

a glass of water and a bag of chips

But I was a bit hungrier and asked if I could buy the “gyro sandwich” from economy class. The FA immediately told me there would be no charge and told me he would prepare it for me in a few moments. It arrived plated:

a sandwich on a plate next to a drink

a plate of food on a tray

And this sandwich has to be one of the best “BOB” meals I’ve ever had.

We landed on time in LA.

an airplane at an airport

Layover in LA: Virgin Loft

During the layover in LA, I checked out the Virgin Loft in Terminal 3. Virgin/Alaska now operate out of Terminal 6 and the lounge is closed. Back then, it was available to first class passengers and Priority Pass members. It was a nice place to wait out for my connecting flight to Dallas.

a group of people in an airport

two red chairs next to a table

a room with a television and chairs

a display case with food and drinks

Flight 2: Los Angeles to Dallas (A319)

The seat next to me, 2B, remained opened so I had both seats to myself.

a pair of seats with pockets in them

a group of people sitting in an airplane

a group of people sitting in an airplane

people on an airplane with a purple light

Once again, a hot towel and bottle of water were provided.

a white towel on a black surface

Lunch was served after takeoff and was absolutely amazing. A nice salad with feta cheese and olives to start, followed by an amazingly spiced beef dish brimming with coriander.

a plate of food on a table

a plate of salad and bread

a plate of food on a plane

a plate of food on a table

a plate of food on a table

Dessert, which had marshmallows, was something I should have passed on.

a bowl of fruit and cheese on a napkin

Overall, Virgin America certainly gave JetBlue MINT a run for the money in terms of best domestic food.

CONCLUSION

When Flight 1182 touched down in Newark this morning, Virgin America ceased to exist…in name at least. I was never a loyal Virgin America flyer or even fan, but I did have a number of pleasant trips with them over the years and will miss the innovative onboard cuisine and industry-leading “shorthaul” seat in first class.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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5 Comments

  1. Mowogo Reply
    April 25, 2018 at 1:53 pm

    Virgin America was a great airline with one of the best domestic products in all classes. Actually flew them into SFO last night and there was a mix of celebration and sadness from all the employees I interacted with last night, including the unofficial party going on in SFO as the crews converged, and the signs were being changed (Actually was able to get pictures of the signs being changed at the baggage office)

  2. MeanMeosh Reply
    April 25, 2018 at 1:53 pm

    I flew that same LAX-DAL flight in reverse about a year later, then flew back home from SFO. Ironically, the food was terrible heading to LAX (an awful, watery attempt at butter chicken). The only option coming back from SFO didn’t look any better, but the FA let me have whatever I wanted from the coach BOB menu. FYI, not that it’s relevant anymore, but I think F passengers could always request coach meals, and they’d bring them to you at no charge.

    I sure am going to miss VX, especially now that it looks like AS is competing in the race to the bottom…

  3. Arthur Reply
    April 25, 2018 at 2:31 pm

    I’ll miss VX, too. I always tried to fly it in F when it was an option, as it was the best domestic F out there. Not only is Alaska not as good, they are also ceasing some of the more useful VX routes like DAL-DCA. I have a hunch that the VX flyers are not so much going to move to Alaska, but to UA/AA/DL It sort of makes me wonder what the point of Alaska acquiring them was.

    • Mowogo Reply
      April 25, 2018 at 2:33 pm

      VX was acquired for get space at SFO and LAX. Any customers that remain are just a bonus

  4. Garrett Reply
    April 25, 2018 at 3:39 pm

    It’s such a shame. That was hands down the best premium product to get you from LAX to SFO/SEA/LAS/DAL/FLL and as I am a Delta flyer ORD, as well. You had miles of leg room, good meals, on demand snacks (Chex mix!!!), a decent IFE, and usually a sassy/fun FA. Now it’s being converted into Alaska, an airline for which I have not even the slightest bit of fondness.

    For my 30th birthday last year, myself and three of my friends had dinner at the French Laundry, and since we knew Virgin would be going away we flew to SFO in first. Silly, yes, but glad I got to fly that one last time.

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