I was worried because I was a virgin

I have to confess that I was a virgin up until today. Well, not that kind of virgin --- I have never flown on a budget airline before.

Imagine my shock at the travel agent when she told me only budget airlines fly to the Gold Coast. What choice did I have? The horror stories I have heard of have come rushing like a near-death experience.

But so far, it has been great and here are the surprises for me:

1. Flight was right on schedule

As advised by friends and travel agents, Virgin Blue have the least likelihood of delays or cancellations compared to JetStar.

On our flight, boarding gates were opened 20mins prior to departure. Take off was about 4mins after advertised time which I think is pretty spot on.

2. Virgin flight attendants were very pleasant

They reminded me of the old Qantas crew and the key was they came across as liking their job.

Being a budget airline, I was concerned about being treated like cattle as you are prodded into your seat. This was certainly not the case here.

3. Baggage allowance was included in our fare

We had 23kg allowed each! That's almost 100kg between us. If you are expecting to take a fair amount with you, sometimes the discounted fares end up costing more.

4. We got upgraded

Not sure how or why but while waiting to board, we were paged by Virgin staff and when I turned up at the counter, I was told that we were being issued a new boarding pass as we got upgraded --- awesome!

5. Virgin's in-flight menu was reasonably priced

I wasn't expecting to be fed for what we paid and the prices on the menu were pleasantly surprising --- water $2.50, chicken noodle meal $6.50, ham-cheese-tomato sandwich $7.50.

All in all, I am a satisfied customer and will fly Virgin Blue airline again to see if they are consistent. Let me know what your experience has been.

DISCLOSURE: My comments are unsolicited. I am not sponsored or associated with either JetStar, Virgin Blue or Qantas airlines.