1. I started looking for tickets two days before travel and as such, most flights I found were very expensive, some even twice the usual cost. I had never heard about Virgin America before but it was the cheapest ticket on priceline. So, I searched their website and found out about their Priced to Fly scheme which offered exceptionally low rates, much to my glee.

2. At the airport, my flight from SFO to SeaTac was delayed by ten minutes. During this short period of time, the ground staff kept us continuously updated about the flight status and apologized for the inconvenience. It felt almost unnecessary given the functioning of the rest of the industry. Five minutes into waiting, one of the staff members announced, “Let’s make the wait easier by playing a game and winning prizes.” The game was 20 questions and even though I do not know what the prize coupons were, they did seem to make the winners smile.

3. Boarding the plane was like entering a savvy lounge. There was music playing in the background; the division between the first and the economy-class was a snazzy blue screen instead of the regular curtains. There were headphones (with a choice of two different kinds) for everyone to pick up at the entrance. Every passenger had personal in-flight entertainment with options ranging from TV to Food. Most features were free but some like Premium TV and Food were charged. I spent the remaining time switching between watching Greece vs Spain Live and enjoying TED talks.

Overall, I was truly impressed. I joined their eleVAte program immediately to earn some precious miles!