...when the average pilot could expect a call from a real airline and didn’t have to kiss Gary Kelly’s ass, may he rot in hell.
I'm probably in the minority, but my impression of the VX product was that it was a normal airline with pink lights.
..Don't forget hot flight attendants that are allowed to show cleavage and practically their ass cheeks if they so choose(the silent victim of the merger), and employees from check in to arrival that actually like their jobs, have fun at work, and treat you well and have a sense of humor.
They were also very passenger friendly, the cancellation protections were ridiculous, they would often provide hotels for ATC and Weather cancellations. Other airlines only do that for international flights cancelled beyond the airlines control, if even. Of course this didn't help profits, but it did help them build a very loyal flyer base(remember almost all their flights started or ended in SFO/LAX/NYC, so that was the target market).
A coach product is a coach product. You sit there for a few hours and get off. But personally, I liked the interior with bright white and sharp black and the food they have to offer on longer flights is real food, not some random vending machine crap like we've become accustomed to with buy on board, the service is more consistently friendly than most other airlines, and they had a fantastic in-seat entertainment selection which I appreciate because I don't own a tablet and I don't like airlines to assume I have one at all times when I travel.
Virgin didn't upgrade employees or crew members so I'm guessing most of you haven't tried it from what I read here, but man, their first class was AWESOME! Blew anything but premium transcon services out of the water when it came to domestic flights. Big ass(you can totally say ass in here) white leather almost-flat recliners that bend and shape in several ways and can help massage you to an under-blanket happy ending, great original specialty entrees that were real meals(not generic omelettes and chicken breast), and great fun service. Time really flew by, I think only Sun Country had better first class service in my experience, but Virgin had a better interior and better food/IFE. With Sun Country eliminating first class and legroom in favor of becoming the next Frontier, it is sad we will lose both those premium cabins.
I'll agree with the safety video, that actually pisses me off. So does United's and some of the older Delta ones. Safety is no joke, not everyone speaks English or can clearly hear the video/read the subtitles. The video should be conservative and make sense, it isn't entertainment, it's what to do in the minutes or seconds you have to prepare for or egress from a crash. The FAA should step in and regulate safety briefings a little more strictly, IMO. People think flying is so safe that those briefings are white noise, until they're choking on smoke crawling up the dark aisle and don't know how many rows to the exit, anyway.