A mariachi band welcomed passengers in SFO for Virgin America’s inaugural flight to Puerto Vallarta. | Kristen Haney
Even my alarm blaring at 5:45 a.m. couldn’t quell my excitement for my first-ever trip to Puerto Vallarta. Courtesy of Virgin America Airlines, I was embarking on a press trip to experience the airline’s inaugural flight to Puerto Vallarta, explore the Mexican town, and hopefully return with as much of a tan as my pale Irish skin could muster.
Virgin America flies out of SFO’s Terminal 2, a fairly new addition to the airport, which also acts as Virgin’s home base. I rushed past art installations, Pinkberry, and a wine bar to arrive at my gate, where a fiesta awaited me. I was greeted with a Mexican buffet, a four-piece mariachi band, and an eager man who plied passengers waiting to board with margaritas, despite the fact that it was still only eight in the morning. After the VP of Virgin was handed comically oversized scissors for the ribbon cutting, we shuffled onto the plane (some of us with margaritas still in hand), sank into our seats, and gleefully said goodbye to San Francisco’s fog.
Although I was lucky enough to be treated to my choice of snack (the child in me jumped at the half PB&J), Red also has an area below the screen for swiping credit cards for purchases such as entire meals, entertainment selections, and alcoholic mixed drinks. I enjoyed a special treat specifically prepared for this inaugural journey: Sauza Hornitos Reposado tequila poured into drinking chocolate from SF-based Tcho. I rationalized that the two-hour time difference between San Francisco and Puerto Vallarta made it a more acceptable time for a second adult beverage.
Eventually, I succumbed to my inability to stay awake inside any form of moving transportation, stretched my legs, and attempted not to drool on my neighbors as I comfortably slept through the rest of the flight. Even the mariachi band’s in-flight rendition of Happy Birthday for one of Virgin’s employees failed to rouse me from my catnap. It wasn’t until we landed in Puerto Vallarta that I realized in just three short hours I could travel from fog to sunshine, watch a newly-released movie, and enjoy my fair share of early morning drinks aboard Virgin America. With morning temperatures in the Bay Area dipping below freezing, I’m already plotting my return to Puerto Vallarta’s welcoming rays.
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