Virgin America vs JetBlue - Which Airline is Better?

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Jodie is an avid traveler who loves camping and hiking. With over 10 years experience tackling some of the best mountain ranges in Europe and North America, she has now got her sight set on conquering Asia. Over the years, Jodie has worn and used her fair share of travel gear, giving her valuable insights as to what is worth taking when backpacking.

The Main Differences Between The Virgin America and JetBlue

Both airlines have some clear similarities, but there are also plenty of differences too. This sets both airlines apart from each other to give their passengers a unique flight experience, from when they reach the airport until they get into the air. We’ve put these differences side by side so you can get a super clear idea of what to expect if you travel with either one.

You get free snacks and soft drinks with JetBlue flights, whereas these all incur an additional cost on Virgin America flights.
Entertainment is free with JetBlue and use standard TV screens. On Virgin America flights, you’ll need to pay to watch TV and films, and also download the Gogo Entertainment App before you fly. Virgin America does have a larger entertainment package, however.
JetBlue flights have more legroom than Virgin America.
JetBlue flights typically charge a $75-$150 cancellation fee, while Virgin America offers a no-show policy, where you can receive the value of your ticket as a credit to use later on.

Virgin America and JetBlue – Which airline should you use?

Perhaps you’ve heard of either Virgin America or JetBlue, or perhaps this guide is introducing you to a brand new airline. Whichever category you fall under, we’ve pulled together an extensive list of facts and figures about each one, as well as the various pros and cons each airline has to give you an in-depth and unbiased review. Hopefully by the end you’ll have a much clearer idea of which one will work for you.

Virgin America

Specializing in low-cost travel between cities on the West Coast, Virgin America operated between 2007 and 2018, but was recently incorporated into Alaska Airlines. The two airlines were granted a single operating certificate by the FAA in January 2018. Virgin America flies to destinations all over the United States, including Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland and San Diego, as well as longer haul flights to Costa Rica and Mexico.

Seats

Standard seats measure 31-32 inches and recline 3 inches as standard. You can also choose to upgrade to seats with more legroom, with seats measuring between 36-40 inches – giving you at least 4 inches extra seat room. And with premium class, you’ll get a seat measuring 35 inches. All seats on selected flights are now made from genuine leather, and there’s now more room in the seatback pocket to allow you to store your books, magazines and devices to give you a more relaxing flight.

Charges

When it comes to luggage, you’re allowed 1 carry-on bag plus 1 personal item like a purse, briefcase or laptop, for example. For checked baggage, it’s $30 for the first bag, $40 for the second and $100 for the third and additional bags. Always double check the amount of bags you’re allowed to take with you as during busy periods, they might restrict the amount of luggage you’re able to take.

If your bag is overweight and weighs between 51-100lbs, you’ll be charged an additional $100. Bags with a linear dimension of 63-115″ will also be charged $100. Both of these prices are pretty expensive, but they aim to try and keep passengers sticking to the baggage limits and dimensions.

Food and snacks aren’t free on Virgin America flights. Breakfast starts from $8.50 and include their signature fruit and cheese platter, as well as their breakfast sandwich and protein platter. Lunch and dinner are served on flights between 10am and 8pm. You can choose salads and sandwiches from $9.50. Snacks include popcorn, potato chips, trail mix and beef jerky, which you can purchase from $2.50. All are delicious options and not too expensive, but if you’ve forgotten to bring food with you or haven’t stocked up at the airport, this is your only option.

For pets travelling with you, it’s $100 whether they’re in the cabin or in baggage.

In-flight entertainment

Virgin America offers Gogo ATG4 basic inflight internet on most of their flights over North America, excluding flights to Mexico, Hawaii, and Costa Rica. This allows you to do all the things you’d normally do, like answering your emails, online shopping or browsing social media. Unfortunately Virgin America’s Q400 planes don’t provide a Wifi service.

Virgin America flights also offer free texting if you connect to one of their networks. It only works with iMessage, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, but you can download one of these apps before you fly so you have access to the service.

When it comes to in-flight entertainment, there are over 400 films and 200 TV shows to choose from. With their bespoke streaming system, Alaska Beyond™, you can also get these shows and films to your own device on most planes. You’ll have to pay for these on a pay-per-view basis though. On coast-to-coast and Hawaii flights, you can rent tablets that are pre-loaded with entertainment to make the time go quicker.

Features:

Carry-on bag dimensions are allowed to be up to 22” x 14” x 9”, including the wheels and handles.
The Gogo® Entertainment App allows you to stream Virgin America’s content to your own device if you download it before flying.
Free texting is available on flights with in-flight internet, and it’s completely free.
Baggage cannot exceed 100lbs or 115” linear dimensions.
You can join the Alaska mileage plan to earn bonus miles.
You can take pets in either the cabin or baggage, both of which cost $100.
Selected flights feature USB ports and power outlets so you can power your electrical devices or do work as you fly.

Pros:

Their in-flight entertainment packages include some of the newest releases in film and TV.
If you don’t collect your baggage within 20 minutes once you arrive, Virgin America will give you a $25 discount voucher, guaranteed.
There are self tag kiosks available at Virgin America airports to make tagging your luggage easy.
Their no-show-policy sets industry standards for flight cancellations.
Technology is a big feature in Virgin America planes and makes life much easier for those using electrical items.

Cons:

Wifi isn’t available on flights to Mexico, Hawaii, and Costa Rica.
In-flight Wifi isn’t available on Q400 flights, either.
Entertainment is charged using a pay-per-view system.
You need the Gogo Entertainment app to watch movies – remember to download it before you fly.
You’ll have to pay for food, drinks and snacks separately.

Travelers’ popular opinion on Virgin America

When it comes to traveling, passengers tend to have incredibly strong views depending on whether their experience with the airline was good or bad. We’ve taken a look at some real-life reviews to try and get an indication on what Virgin America’s passengers made of the flight and service.

One passenger enjoyed that there was plenty of space to stretch and move about. They found the in-flight entertainment and food ordering easy using the touchscreen.
Another traveler loved the friendly staff and fun yet professional crew.
Someone else loved the choice of high-quality movies during their flight.
Other passengers noted that their flights were cancelled with little reason, causing problems with their travel plans.

JetBlue

Beginning life at JFK in 1999, JetBlue is now an award-winning travel company that flies its passengers all over the world. They have over 230 aircrafts, including 57 A321s, 130 A320s and 60 E190s. Their A321s are their primary transcontinental planes, and are used for 13.5 hours a day. Similarly, the A320s are used for 12.8 hours a day. Unlike many of their competitor American airlines, JetBlue doesn’t run a Boeing fleet.