The Virgin Experience

I cannot recall when I last flew Virgin Atlantic, if at all. My most recent trip with them however, was fantastic, to say the least.

I was a tad bit weary as searching for reviews online did not give a positive image about the airline. The more I searched, the more disappointed I became. However, I still gave the airline the benefit of my doubt since much of the bickering from other passengers (no offense) seemed to be focused on one main issue expounded to create an entire episode of dramatic contexts. Considering that I have travelled extensively over the years, it would not befit my judgement to drown out the possibility of flying with Virgin, especially since verbal assurances from previous travellers proved better than the written ones.

And so I flew with VS on May 24th between JFK and LHR, a massive Boeing 747-400.

The boarding was a hassle free and pleasant experience - considering the ground staff were extremely helpful and courteous. As we settled into the aircraft ready for departure, the cabin crew were even more pleasant and friendly, ensuring all passengers were taken care of in every way possible. Shortly after 1940 hrs, we took off for the 6 hour journey across the Atlantic. I watched out the window as the beautiful sunset threw out majestic colors of red, orange and yellow, all as a backdrop behind the silhouetted buildings of the Manhattan skyline. In its most dramatic and metaphorical analogy, the sun also set on a part of my life that is now over.

Service
A few minutes after take off, a choice of soft drinks or fresh juice and a small snack was served - which is pretty much expected on every airline (even Royal Jordanian). Dinner followed and I must say that the food was quite good. Grilled chicken, vegetable fried rice with steamed broccoli and green beans was the main course, with a side of salad and fresh fruits. Not bad at all.

Inflight Entertainment
The inflight system was much better than most airlines, except Emirates of course.

Here is the best part of it all: The interactive map display (which admittedly is not provided by even Emirates), was quite interesting to say the least, but considering that at any given moment you could select from the drop down menu, the qiblah (direction) of Makkah (Mecca) was astounding on a Western Carrier no less. Usually I would rely on the standard flight maps and figure out the direction of Makkah based on the flight path, but hats off to Virgin for incorporating this on their screen menu none the less!

The system had the most recent movies. Some passengers either started selecting their choice of entertainment, or stretched out on some seats for a short nap (the flight was not full) for the remainder of the flight. I had the three seats to myself, which turned out to be even more pleasant. The only disappointing aspect (ah, yes; here we go) on this flight was the breakfast.

Prior to arrival, they offered either coffee, tea, or fresh juice, and a muffin. They were not even served on trays, mind you! Again, if I did compare this to say, British Airways or Emirates, Virgin certainly fell short on it. Despite this short fall, I would recommend Virgin to anyone choosing to fly internationally.

Next
My next trip: Emirates Airlines. Considering my spontaneous lifestyle (my unce who picked me up was even confused what city I was coming from!), it could be another airline before the anticipated trip in July. I hope the summer goes well for everyone - I know mine should be great in London.

12 cents a day!

The most talked about commodity consistent with the rate of hike seems to be gas. Or petrol - depending on where you are.

Yesterday (5/13) I was driving down Boulevard Taschareau in Longueuil, Montreal. This road, a busy one at that, has several gas stations strewn along its path. Surprisingly, Ultramar gas stations showed a dramatic difference in prices compared to Shell or even PetroCanada. For 1.28 a litre, as opposed to 1.39 at the latter ones, it was a drastic difference in price, and so cars lined up at a particular Ultramar that had just dropped by a penny to 1.27.

Today, 5/14, was a different story. While the Shells and PetroCanadas remained at 1.39, I was shocked to see that the Ultramars had followed suit bumping their prices in one day from a eye catching 1.27 to a ridiculous price of 1.39! That's 12 cents in less than 24 hours!

I remain concerned at the trend over the past year, with prices almost a dollar higher than what it was last year (as reported in Hicksville, Long Island). No wonder it has become extremely excruciating to drive! And those stops at the local grocery? Not anymore! Just one trip a week would be ideal, but that is only if you don't forget the eggs that you so badly need.

Virgin Atlantic

My anticipated trip to the United Kingdom (yes, again) in just a few days will be on Virgin Atlantic. The last Atlantic crossing wasn't very pleasant, so I chose an airline known for quality.

I'd rather be on one that would help my Emirates Skywards mileage accrual, however, my FFP status on Singapore is rather low; and so it fits in perfectly as Virgin shares mileage accrual with the former.

This trip highlights a significant milestone in my life; for I would be leaving the America's for a considerably long period of time. A tremendous amount of experience has followed the years I spent in the U.S., but more importantly, the arrogance and reality check of the political atmosphere over the past few years has played a role in the decision. Don't get me wrong - there are benefits living a life in the West (the blessing of winter isn't one of them), but the sheer pride and lack of knowledge of certainty is a mind spinning occurrence in itself.

The travels will undoubtedly come to an end in September as I settle down towards educating myself further, and so with that, while the summer will highlight the experiences of both land and air travel, it will include various topics that would set the tone for what the future holds.

It's no longer 'just for keeps'.

Stay tuned. :)