Journeying on Virgin America

(MoneyWatch)  If you all remember my last posting, I was less than happy with the possibility of Virgin America ridding itself of its redeye flight meal in first class. (Some said the goal of the redeye is to gain a much shuteye as possible -- am I the only one who can't sleep on a moving vehicle?)

On Flight 25 from John F. Kennedy International Airport to San Francisco, we spent about 40 minutes taxiing around two runways ("We're No. 45 in line!" "OK, now we're No. 30!" "Apparently, we're going back to our original runway and we should be No. 6 there.") Still, it was probably one of the more entertaining flight crews I've had ("Are you sure you don't want more wine? I have six more bottles to get rid of!") I also liked the dry ice fog and purple lighting, which gave it a very disco feel. The meal was OK, it was comfortable and pleasant. However, the newness for Virgin America is showing -- the delays, still no in-flight magazine, a kind of playing-it-by-ear first-class service -- so I naturally wonder if they will be able to iron out its kinks in the next year.

Photo courtesy of Virgin America