Until last Thursday, I was one of Virgin America’s biggest fans. TVs in the head rests! Wifi and power outlets on board! Yummy food to be ordered whenever I want! Comfortable and spacious seating! I have had some great experiences flying Virgin America, which is all the more reason why I was so disgruntled last week when my flight from San Francisco to New York (JFK) was suddenly canceled.

Upon arriving at the airport (close to three hours in advance, might I add) I quickly made my way to the electronic kiosk to print my boarding pass and pay for my checked bag. Strangely, the machine was neither accepting my credit card nor my confirmation code for identification. So, I asked a Virgin representative for assistance. He told me the machines are sensitive and to join the full-service line and an agent will take care of me. After about twenty minutes in that line, I heard some utterances of “Flight 22 to JFK…” Knowing that was my flight, I spoke up to inquire what the deal was. The same rep as before came over and told me something like this:

Flight 22 to JFK has been canceled. The plane coming in to SFO was damaged by birds. It will take more than 8 hours to repair. Please come stand in this other line to learn about your options.

::Deep Breath:: (Un)fortunately, I have had my fair share of flight cancellations, so I didn’t panic. I knew I’d get out of San Francisco eventually, and luckily I had nothing pressing in New York to attend to that night or the next day. Once I made my way over the next line –where might I add, only two of the eight agents were attending a line of 10+ people– the woman behind the counter told us that yes, the flight had been canceled and because of the Oracle conference that week, all other flights, both Virgin and other domestic carriers, are booked solid until Friday. The earliest flight out was early morning Friday. Then she added something to the extent of, “Good luck finding a hotel room… those are booked, too.”

Realizing that she might be right about the hotel situation, I quickly dialed my hotel in Nob Hill to inquire about staying an extra night. Yes, they would be more than happy to accommodate me another night, the concierge said. I was expecting hoping that Virgin would put us up in a hotel for the night close to the airport, but I wanted something to fall back on. Another 30 minutes later, I got to the counter. The agent said the best option would be to put me on the 9 a.m flight the following morning. Fine, I said, then asked about compensation for the cancellation. “A $50 voucher has been credited to your account,” she said. Hotel? Nope.

I left the airport, worn out from carrying my bags, but mostly disgruntled at the inconvenience and rigidity I experienced moments earlier. Fifty dollars was barely enough to cover my cab rides, not to mention my hotel stay and the price of meals for my unexpected extra day in San Francisco. I have always held Virgin to a high degree, and I must say, I expected better. I Twittered my experience, mentioning @VirginAmerica — no reply. I then emailed the customer feedback address my thoughts. I’ve yet to get a response.

To make matters a little worse, the following morning, while waiting to board my flight home, Virgin reps were offering a $250 voucher for those willing to take a flight later in the day. That seemed off to me. They offer that large sum for passengers willing to fly a few hours later, but for passengers whose travel was delayed by a whole day, they give 1/5 of that amount? It just doesn’t seem right.

Virgin America has left a bad taste in my mouth –It’s not bad enough that I won’t fly them again, but I’m definitely not going to evangelize the brand as I once had. It’s safe to say that as of last Thursday, my positive association with Virgin America flew out the window.

Stay tuned for Jessica’s story about another hellish California travel experience….