This morning I booked a flight for mid-June on Virgin America.
It kind of kills me since H and I both strive to fly United as often as we can to earn miles and claim a free trip here and there. The one credit card we use is linked to Mileage Plus as well.
Why United?
I know their service is average at best, with old planes and it seems like they are always two seconds away from going belly up again. However, Chicago (ORD) is a hub and so is Los Angeles (LAX). In theory we should be able to grab some decent priced flights, and it also helps that United is a Star Alliance member. Air Canada is a member of that group so I was able to use my United miles for a flight back to Canada this weekend which is great because it means the flight is direct.
As disappointed as I am that I will not earn 4,500+ miles for this short trip I am somewhat excited about flying Virgin America. Aside from the fact my flight from the west coast to the east coast was $217, Virgin has a great reputation for their service and in-flight amenities.
Call me a geek but I think it’s great that the cabin lighting changes with the time of day. Apparently their onboard entertainment system is really nice but I missed the boat with WiFi since both of my planes are not yet equipped with this service.
Of course they charge a baggage fee ($15), something I am not subject to this weekend with Air Canada who allows you to check two (2) bags each without charge.
All of this brings me back around to United. We are currently getting into a slight obsession with earning miles for free flights. We do face a quandary since we both have American Airline miles that expire this fall but combined we do not have quite enough to redeem a flight. I’m searching hard to find out what we can do with those miles …
