I may be the last person in Australia to say so, and I've certainly been taken to task for my support of the opposition, but Virgin rocks. They made the hellish Melbourne - Sydney day commute bearable this week, on time both ways and chirpy to a fault, without the bad comedy routines I remember from flights when they first started up.
Hard as it may be to believe, Richard Branson once stopped to give me a lift when I was hitchhiking home from uni one day as a student. He was driving a gleaming vintage car and had a blonde bombshell as a passenger. His smile was nuclear. Unfortunately, he wasn't going in my direction but I was too dim to change my plans and get in anyway. What life might have been... Virgin also nearly bought the London publishing house I was working for before I emigrated. So, Richard, if you're reading, here's my scorecard on your little Aussie offshoot (current share registry notwithstanding).
9 Things I Loved
1. The way the stewards waved when their names were read out during the safety presentation 2. The opt-in carbon offset when you book online - a no-brainer 3. Consistently cheaper fares than the other mob 4. The briskness of everything - from runway taxiing to cabin service. It all bowls along. 5. The 'soundtrack' - very Entourage. It made me want to buy new sunglasses. 6. TV right to the gate - what's so hard about that? 7. Being encouraged to take home my earphones, so I could use them again on another flight. 8. Brookfarm toasted muesli for breakfast, with really cold milk. 9. Being called 'darls' when I boarded.
3 Things I Didn't Love
1. Being called 'darls' when I asked for the headphones, when I got my muesli, when I had to put my seat in an upright position and stowaway my table... 2. The opt-out travel insurance when you book online - A BIG SCAM 3. The attempt to charge a fare surplus for arriving at the airport ahead of time and wanting to get on an earlier flight. Surely it's just sensible to get us home while you can, whatever the ticket type, if there's room?
Of course, Virgin and Branson have made a lifetime's work from being iconoclasts and innovators. I even read recently that they've teamed up with fashion label Worn Again, to launch a limited edition courier and toilet bag line made from recycled aircraft seat covers, not a material I've seen in much demand on Project Runway. But it struck me afresh yesterday - a middle-aged fart with a sentimental attachment to the Australian jingoism of Qantas - how much further ahead of the curve of consumer behaviour and trends Virgin really are. A good value, efficient, pay-as-you-use and friendly airline: who could ask for more?
Who are your favourite airlines, in Australia or internationally? Tell us your highs and lows courtesy of the airline industry.
Want to see me tackle a particular travel topic - or just want to talk direct? E-mail me on [email protected].
More thoughts on travel, the arts and life in the bush on www.prospecthouse.com.au.
Simon Westcott, a former Lonely Planet publisher, is also a contributing editor to Travel + Leisure Australia magazine.
VBA Price at posting:
27.9¢ Sentiment: None Disclosure: Held
