Virgin America is the best airline I've every flown in! Yes, luggage is expensive ($25) but on my flight to New York, the passengers were offered to have our carry-ons (most of them small luggage) transported to the baggage pit for FREE. Virgin America provided a comforting flying experience because of the television screen in front of each seat— it has games, chat, and more! What's even better are the power outlets so I could charge my computer. Also, staff was VERY friendly as they answered all my questions. Complementary drinks were served and the safety video was very entertaining. The only downside to Virgin America are the destinations because it only flies to about 15 locations. Other than that, you should fly Virgin America. Prices are moderate (about $129 on weekdays to $239 on weekends), but sales can make the price drop to about $49 per flight.

Our initial flight was cancelled from JFK to JNB the night before we were due to leave the US, but we weathered that, our next leg was delayed by an hour or so from JNB to HDS, we weathered that too, but from JNB to Livingstone, out of 15 people traveling, the airline personnel broke into 10 pieces of our luggage, and not once in all the 10 legs we took, in all the airports we complained in, all the personnel we complained to, did a SAA employee treat this with any kind of a serious issue, including when we came home and tried to deal with it here. They made us feel bad for putting anything of value in our suitcases. They told us that employees scan the luggage and then know exactly which pieces to break into. If they know this, why don't they stop it right there and put either more security there, or more cameras? For them to have rifled through 10 pieces of luggage, this took time, which tells me it was not an individual person, but an entire ring of thieves. Only if you wish to spend the time, go back to the airport, file an immediate report, waste several hours of your VERY precious vacation time, will they do anything about compensating you for damaged luggage. But you can kiss goodbye anything that may have been stolen. In very fine print, they mention not packing any electronics, cameras, computers or cell phones, but if you didn't read the VERY fine print, they will crucify you that you packed anything of value in your luggage to begin with, and let you know that clearly this is your fault. Make sure to take anything you value or cherish in your carry-on, and don't bother locking your luggage, they'll just snip the lock In every other way, they were a great airline, movies, flight attendants, food, seating space, cleanliness, but it definitely ruined the mood that they had so much theft.