For being one of the biggest conveniences of our time, air travel is usually unpleasant at some point in its hectic process. But there’s little about the Virgin brand one might describe as “usual.” It follows then that its domestic airline bucks the status quo. It’s not that Virgin America doesn’t face the same tension as its competitors between efficiency and exceeding expectations. The difference at Virgin, says Jim Davis, vice president of airports and guest services, is that an exceptional guest experience is the imperative, not the goal.
To see exactly what he means by that, consider this: Typically, if you file a complaint with an airline, you can expect a reply e-mail within 30 days. In the operations control center, the nerve center of Davis’s team, they are working to cut that time down. They did so with a guest on one of their flights who ordered a drink with Virgin’s on-demand, in-flight amenity system, but forgot to submit it. After half an hour, he posted a complaint via Twitter using Virgin’s in-flight Wi-Fi capability. As soon as the social media guest care and operations team saw it, they notified the flight crew of the guest’s seat number and authorized a free drink. “He couldn’t believe a Tweet that went into the ether made it to the ground and back to the cockpit,” says Davis. “We want to change people’s opinions about the flight experience.” After it was resolved, the guest tweeted about how happy he was with Virgin America.