I'm Happy to have Lost My Virginity

I'm a Continental Airlines guy. I live within 40 miles of their Newark hub, rack up lots of miles over the course of a year and enjoy regular first class upgrades as a result.

And, truth be told, Continental's not half bad. They still serve food, make a half-hearted effort to show they care and every now and then will actually arrive on time.

But, let me tell you, Virgin Airlines is a whole different experience. I took my virgin Virgin flight last night and, truth be told, it shook my world.

First-class passengers sit in pods, not seats. The flight attendants swarm over you and, if asked, will hit a button that turns the seat upside down and converts it into a flat, comfortable bed. Virgin even provides a chic, black sleep outfit for passengers. It was amazing.

I'll still fly Continental on domestic flights (because I have few alternatives). But, if Virgin ever starts providing flights to places like, say, Grand Rapids or Charleston, watch out.

Customer loyalty has almost become an oxymoron in this era of social media, multiple options and horrific service. So, when I have a breakthrough experience, I take notice.

I'm glad I lost my "Virginity" and, although some may think ill of me for saying so, I want more, baby! More!

Comments

[Amy Laughlin]

I'm so glad you wrote about this. I love reading about companies that try something different or really value incorporating unique and creative stunts (whether big or small). Back in February, they launched a unique stunt running one of their planes partly on biofuel. ( http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/BusinessTravel/story?id=4336692&page=1 ) Although the environmental groups turned their backs on the event(I think they unrealistically think flying should be eliminated), I thought it was a creative stunt displaying how much they value being unique and standing out amongst the other airlines. Thanks for pointing out a good company that takes pride in their customer base.

[TennisAnyone]

Just wondering if the comforts of Coach class were any better than those of the other airlines as it seems only CEO's and COO's have the luxery of First Class. I mean most people don't even let their families travel together with them in First Class, they choose to fly in seperate seats? I think it would be a great way to really experience being a Virgin, by having whole families sit together on transatlantic flights, and then mauybe they would have to change the name from Virgin..........