Texting Fabio
September 01, 2007 Filed in: The real
world
Actually, I didn't, because I didn't know where he
was sitting. But Fabio was on my Virgin America flight from
LAX to JFK, and had I known his seat number, I
could have asked to chat with him via the
seat-to-seat chat facility available through the
entertainment console in front of me. Of course,
he was sitting in first class and I wasn't, but
that doesn't mean the flight wasn't a whole lot
of fun and really very comfortable. I'm not sure
how I feel about such seat-to-seat chatting
anyway: as someone wrote in his blog, the
possibilities are a bit creepy.
The styling of the cabin interior is unlike anything you've seen before. (I was in an Airbus 319, but I believe they also have 320s.) It has the same look and feel as an iPod - shiny white plastic - which one wouldn't necessarily think to be a good thing, but it's got a clean, sleek look. Muted purple mood lighting changes according to external lighting and time of day and for people like me who just die under fluorescent lighting, what a blessing.
The fun part is the entertainment center dubbed Red: the 9" "TV" in front of you doesn't just show a movie, it's actually a touch-screen control where you can access a large library of music, radio, music videos, TV, premium movies (this costs money) and foreign TV programs. It also offers you the ability to play games (like Doom - they provide a remote control - that you can play with others on board), do the text chat thing and connect your iPod. The usual display screen showing a terrible map of the country and where your plane currently is is instead from Google maps. And if you need to work instead, no worries about laptop batteries, as there are two power outlets for every three seats - regular 110v outlets, not the inconvenient special power jacks for which you have to purchase special converters that used by some other airlines. Ethernet jacks are already installed, just waiting for FAA approval to be activated (maybe that will mitigate people being allowed to talk on the cell phones during flight?). And wireless, too, apparently - see how.
You can also order drinks and food from the console. Like a touch-screen web page with a shopping cart, you add beverages (usual ones are free) and/or various snacks, swipe your credit card and a couple minutes later a flight attendant comes by to deliver what you ordered. I kept doing this (my credit card statement was pleasantly small, however). It was fun!
But the best part is that VA let me book an exit row for an extra $25: 7.5" of extra legroom for this flight; a no brainer. (They actually have three different types of premium seats available in coach - the two exit rows and the bulkhead seats - which all have different characteristics. Overall, the exit row I was in - 10 - I think was the best. Not as much legroom as the bulkheads, but full recline unlike row 9 and of course space under the seat in front of you. I think the additional charge is $15 for the short-haul flights.) Here's more info on these premium seats.
Wish I could fly VA everywhere. Currently, though, they only fly SFO, LAX, LAS, JFK and IAD. (And to think I'll be flying to Washington later this year - wish I'd known what I know now instead of having to fly United).
The only bad thing is having to fly into JFK, which is just a nightmare.
Well, an update: Virgin America's recent spate of ads include one showcasing the availability of power outlets on their aircraft using a model blow-drying her hair on board. I suspect I'd even take cell phone use on a flight over hair dryers! :-)
The styling of the cabin interior is unlike anything you've seen before. (I was in an Airbus 319, but I believe they also have 320s.) It has the same look and feel as an iPod - shiny white plastic - which one wouldn't necessarily think to be a good thing, but it's got a clean, sleek look. Muted purple mood lighting changes according to external lighting and time of day and for people like me who just die under fluorescent lighting, what a blessing.
The fun part is the entertainment center dubbed Red: the 9" "TV" in front of you doesn't just show a movie, it's actually a touch-screen control where you can access a large library of music, radio, music videos, TV, premium movies (this costs money) and foreign TV programs. It also offers you the ability to play games (like Doom - they provide a remote control - that you can play with others on board), do the text chat thing and connect your iPod. The usual display screen showing a terrible map of the country and where your plane currently is is instead from Google maps. And if you need to work instead, no worries about laptop batteries, as there are two power outlets for every three seats - regular 110v outlets, not the inconvenient special power jacks for which you have to purchase special converters that used by some other airlines. Ethernet jacks are already installed, just waiting for FAA approval to be activated (maybe that will mitigate people being allowed to talk on the cell phones during flight?). And wireless, too, apparently - see how.
You can also order drinks and food from the console. Like a touch-screen web page with a shopping cart, you add beverages (usual ones are free) and/or various snacks, swipe your credit card and a couple minutes later a flight attendant comes by to deliver what you ordered. I kept doing this (my credit card statement was pleasantly small, however). It was fun!
But the best part is that VA let me book an exit row for an extra $25: 7.5" of extra legroom for this flight; a no brainer. (They actually have three different types of premium seats available in coach - the two exit rows and the bulkhead seats - which all have different characteristics. Overall, the exit row I was in - 10 - I think was the best. Not as much legroom as the bulkheads, but full recline unlike row 9 and of course space under the seat in front of you. I think the additional charge is $15 for the short-haul flights.) Here's more info on these premium seats.
Wish I could fly VA everywhere. Currently, though, they only fly SFO, LAX, LAS, JFK and IAD. (And to think I'll be flying to Washington later this year - wish I'd known what I know now instead of having to fly United).
The only bad thing is having to fly into JFK, which is just a nightmare.
Well, an update: Virgin America's recent spate of ads include one showcasing the availability of power outlets on their aircraft using a model blow-drying her hair on board. I suspect I'd even take cell phone use on a flight over hair dryers! :-)
