-This week’s addition to the PB Blog is provided by an author who wishes to remain anonymous.
Traveling between LAX and the Bay Area was always easy. Whether flying into Oakland or SFO, the flight is only an hour and with Southwest there are numerous flights. When Richard Branson opened the new Virgin America terminal at SFO I did not think the airline would be able to compete for my dollar with Southwest simply because they do not have as many flights and they do not allow you to change your flight time without incurring a $75 fee. Still, my friend flew from SFO to Las Vegas on Virign and insisted I try the airline for my regular flights to the Bay. After flying with them once, I have yet to book a flight on Southwest.
First, and I cannot emphasize this enough, the Southwest terminal is apparently the ghetto of the airport. In both LAX and SFO the Southwest terminal has limited shopping and dining options and is jam packed with Bluetooth displaying business commuters. (Really? You have so many phone calls you have to wear that while sipping clam chowder at the bar?) I love McDonalds and Starbucks as much as the next person, and I am sure Hollywood sign teeshirts are very popular, but themore health conscious traveler has limited options in the Southwest terminal, especially at LAX.
In contrast to the Southwest terminal, the first time I stepped into the Virgin terminal at SFO I had a very “Dorothy wakes up in OZ” moment. The terminal has an entire section of designer makeup and accessory stores, including Coach, Burberry, Gucci, and Prada. If spending a lot of money is not your thing, there are plenty of less expensive shopping options. Ther terminal is pristine clean and contains a section used to display cultural art. At this time, they have a collection of ancient sculptures of Buddha. Best of all, the bathroom has a Dyson hand dryer that dries your hands in seconds, or at least it would if you did not play with it for ten minutes like I did. The Virgin section of LAX also beats southwest by having an amazing candy and toy shop and cleaner restrooms. Hands down, the Virgin terminal wins.
Now for service: Southwest just cannot compete with Virgin’s service or amenities. Virgin has hired sweet, friendly and hip employees who are well aware that their planes are cleaner and their prices lower than their competition at Southwest. Virgin’s planes are brand new and have a lighting system that bathes its customers in warm neon light for night flights. They play soft, ambient lounge music while the plane is loading and unloading, which reduces my general level of obsessive compulsive discomfort as I wait for the plane to fill. The seats are comfortable and best of all, equipped with a media system Virgin calls “Red.” Red is a touchscreen entertainment system that can be used to watch movies, television shows, play games, or communicate with other passengers in the plane. I have sometimes had technical issues with Red, especially with sound, but even so it is vastly more entertaining the the back of Southwest’s tired old seats. Even the safety film played on Red is more entertaining than the canned speeches given by Southwest’s personnel. (Watch out for the matador and the bull–so cute!) You can use Red to order food and drinks, and it obviates the need to embarass yourself by buying People magazine to entertain yourself during the flight, although you can always cover People with the Economist, like I do. Southwest does give you peanuts, which Virgin does not, but I will gladly take Red over peanuts any day.
The only advantage Southwest has over Virgin is the number of flights and their flexibility. For the business traveler just trying to get back home for dinner, Southwest has far more flights than Virgin and does not usually charge you a fee to change your flight. Virgin, on the other hand, charges you $75. That is ridiculous, but it has forced me to choose my flight times more carefully. Still, flexibility comes at a cost, because right now Virgin flights are significantly cheaper than Southwest’s due to a flight sale.
So the question is, would you rather have peanuts and less money in your pocket but be able to fly home earlier if you want to do so, or would you rather fly in style, have a more cerebral and entertaining experience, and save a few dollars. Hands down, fly with Branson, as long as he is not piloting the flight.
Tags: LA, Richard Branson, San Francisco, Southwest, Virgin
