Mumbai30 Nov 23 1 Traveller Economy
Showing International Flight from San Jose
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About San Jose
San Jose is the capital of Silicon Valley, prominently recognised as the technology hub of the world, nestled perfectly in California. The city is surrounded by hills and Silicon Valley and is known to be a prominent and expensive city. Owing to the rich high-tech industry that it inhabits, the city's cultural, economic and political stance is quite high.
Best time to visit San Jose
San Jose is more of a dry city which has favourable winters as opposed to much of the cities in the US. You will notice that the city's best and most pleasant weather is in the months from December through April. The temperatures during the months of December to February are decently ranged between 16 degree Celsius to 25 degree Celsius. This is a good time to visit the city as the air is calm and perfect. However, you should ensure to carry a light jacket along with you to avoid the cold breeze. It can get pretty cold, and you wouldn't want to be in a position where you don't have the right clothes. You should know that San Jose also witnesses rain, in fact, heavy rainfall. The months from July through August are rather risky for you to travel to the city due to the excess rain. It might be a little inconvenient for you as excess rains in the city bring roadblocks and other such travel conundrums. It might not even be favourable for you to venture out to explore the city during the rains. Overall, it would be a sad trip if you opt for those months.
The dry winter season though is pleasant. With bare chances of snow and favourable cold weather, you will be able to soak in the city's beauty and its calm air. Summers might be perfect if you want to take in the sunlight and lit vibe of the city. However, the heat can get a little too much, since it is clubbed with humidity. The air is humid in San Jose most of the years. This makes their summers extremely hot. Spring surely makes the city pleasant and ideal for a tourist excursion. Plus, the city does not experience an excess crowd during the winter and spring months, adding to your benefit. You can make hotel reservations in San Jose without having to worry about the expensive hotel costs or anything. In fact, these seasons see fewer travellers which bring down the accommodation prices. You can actually make your hotel bookings in San Jose for a cheap and considerable cost. It would totally be worth the trip as you will get to save money and you might even be able to visit San Francisco, which is quite close to San Jose.
Places to visit in San Jose
San Jose is often crowded by business travellers who take a pit stop, especially to discuss business with potential clients. However, there are a few tourist attractions in the city that would captivate you. With proximity to Silicon Valley, there are only a handful of places to visit. Visit the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph and marvel at the beautiful architecture of the white structure. You can also check out the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, which holds the largest collection of ancient Egyptian relics that can be found on the West Coast. The city also has a museum dedicated to technology and innovation as the home to Silicon Valley. The Tech Museum of Innovation would be quite an experience to undertake as the air is quite thriving. San Jose also has the Children's Discovery Museum, something to engage your minds if you're travelling with family. San Jose's very own theme park, California's Great America is a brilliant place to enjoy with water parks, adrenaline-charged rides and entertaining acts. The city also has the Winchester Mystery House, a tourist trap.
Things to do in San Jose
You can start by Santana Row, which is a lovely shopping spot with an array of shops to excite your shopaholic soul. The street also has fascinating eateries and food joints to elevate your experience. You can travel a little away from San Jose to make a day trip to Calypso Tortuga Island. You can make the most of it here by engaging in some cruise activities and beach fun. Further, you can check out the Arenal Volcano and take up zip lining as one of the activities to engage in. There is a Japanese Friendship Garden too that is calm and tranquil. It will be a good way to relax and step away from all the noise of the city.
Food and Restaurants in San Jose
San Jose faces tough competition with San Francisco when it comes to the dining experience. More like, San Francisco is acing the game. A majority of the crowd often head to San Francisco to explore the culinary delights of the city. However, that doesn't mean San Jose doesn't have a food scene. In fact, the city reflects the cuisines of its rich and diverse population. The crowd is majorly Hispanic and Asian, and much of the food culture is also inspired by the same. You can find some amazing food joints that glorify the food curated by many cuisines. San Jose witnesses a lovely melange of food culture, which you can find at the San Pedro Square Market. Located in downtown San Jose, the market has an abundance of local food vendors preparing snacks and dishes that can be purchased to go. Interestingly, you will find a vast diversity of food ranging from pizzas to coffee. There are over 20 vendors who are indulged in varied businesses which give a tourist enough options top peruse through before deciding which food to buy. It is the ideal place for you to visit if you're travelling with a group.
The city also has a slew of steakhouses. A majority of the crowd that visits San Jose are mostly from the business background. Hence, the crowd often expects steakhouses as the best place to dine and unwind. You will find many steakhouses in the city such as LB Steak, Morton's and The Grill on the Alley. The juicy meat and sides are a big hit among tourists who have raved about these places. However, if you want more than steak on your menu, you can visit Santana Row. It is a restaurant that caters to all kinds of moods that you might have in terms of trying out cuisines. They have Mexican, Asian, French and Italian. You can also check out Le Papillon, which is San Jose's famous French food establishment. It is also one of the best and is an upscale from the usual restaurants in the city. You might need to make reservations before visiting the restaurant.
How to reach San Jose (Transportation)
Flight connectivity to San Jose from India is quite poor. There are not many flights that directly fly to San Jose, even from the US. Most of the flights to San Jose are directed towards San Francisco as it is the closest international airport. There are extremely few options to fly to San Jose and only airlines such as Alaska Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, American Airlines and United Airlines have provisions of flights to San Jose. In fact, flights to San Jose often require far too many connecting flights to reach from India. There are options from Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi but they are very few. The most popular international route to San Jose is from San Francisco. Travellers often opt to fly to San Francisco from India as the availability of flights is high and the connectivity is also good. Dedicated airlines such as Cathay Pacific travel from India to San Francisco and from here, provisions of rentals, taxi cabs are available to reach San Jose. Flying to San Jose can be quite tedious as there are far too many layovers and connectivity errs to deal with.
Aside from San Francisco, there are connecting flights to San Jose from Los Angeles too, which many prefer. United Airlines has flights flying to San Jose from Los Angeles on a regular basis. The flight tickets to San Jose are quite steep. Owing to the bare minimum connectivity and many layovers, the flight tickets to San Jose automatically become expensive. Another reason why many opt to take a flight to San Francisco and drive down from there. Some even opt to fly to Oakland and drive down to San Jose. The airports surrounding San Jose have better flight connectivity. The living expenses in San Jose are quite decent and can be maintained. However, it is advised that you make prior hotel bookings in San Jose to avoid a surge in the prices of rooms. The city witnesses a lot of travellers and hence, accommodation can get a little expensive. As long as you're able to save up on the flight ticket cost to San Jose, you wouldn't have to worry about the accommodation. There are always some great online flight and accommodation deals running online that you can avail.
About Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic which follows a trading name of Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited and Virgin Atlantic International Limited, is a British-owned airline that has its headquarters in Crawley, England. The airline was founded in 1984 under the name British Atlantic Airways, by Randolph Fields and Alan Hellary with flight connectivity between London and the Falkland Islands. However, the name was changed to Virgin Atlantic Airways as Fields sold his shares in the company. A disagreement between Fields and Sir Richard Branson regarding the management of the company resulted in Fields walking out of the airline. In the same year since its establishment, the airline had its first flight from Gatwick Airport in London to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Virgin Atlantic is owned and operated under the holding company Virgin Atlantic Limited. The same holding company also controls Virgin Holidays. The holding company has 51 percent ownership of the Virgin Group while the remaining 49 per cent is owned by Delta Air Lines, a major airline of the United States of America.
Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited and Virgin Atlantic International Limited have both received the Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licenses. The said licence permits both the airlines to accommodate passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft that comprises 20 seats or more. Virgin Atlantic's fleet is mixed with wide-body aircraft of Airbus and Boeing. The airline majorly has its operations in North American, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Middle East. Its main base is at London-Heathrow Airport while its secondary hub is at Manchester in the United Kingdom. Virgin Atlantic also has seasonal flight operations from Glasgow and Belfast. The airline consists of three types of cabin, namely Economy, Premium (premium economy) and Upper Class (business class). In 2017, Virgin Atlantic expressed its intention to form a joint venture with Europe's Air France - KLM. However, in 2019, it was announced that the venture would not involve a stake in the British airline. Virgin Atlantic has witnessed tremendous losses over the years and has had to cut down operations to various international destinations, owing to the growing debts and losses.
In 2019, as part of its expansion plans, Virgin Atlantic announced that it had plans to go all out and hopefully create a second flag carrier in the United Kingdom, provided slot reforms were being considered in the airline's favour at the Heathrow Airport. With this, the airline planned to serve about 103 destinations in total with many domestic routes and international routes. They wished to add about 84 new destinations to their list of services, of which 12 catered to the domestic route while 37 are European and the remaining 35 being international routes. The 35 international destinations in Virgin Atlantic's list include Austin, Buenos Aires, Addis Ababa, Karachi, Tokyo, Cape Town, Beijing, Singapore, Bogota, Mexico City and Sydney. While the airline has already functioned in international routes catering to Cape Town, Vancouver, Sydney, Karachi and Tokyo, the remaining long-haul destinations that the airline plans to add would be completely new for them. It was reported that Flybe, UK's largest low-cost carrier regional airline, was supposed to join hands with Virgin Atlantic. However, the plans fell through as Flybe ceased operations in 2020.
Fleet size of Virgin Atlantic
As of 2020, Virgin Atlantic's fleet size stands at 35 aircraft. 22 aircraft are expected to join the fleet. The fleet comprises 17 Boeing 787-9s, 10 Airbus A330-300s and four Airbus A330-200 and Airbus A350-1000s respectively. All the aircraft operated by Virgin Atlantic are wide-body type. The airline accommodates a mixed fleet that comprises Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft. The Airbus A330-200s of the airline operate from London's Gatwick International Airport as well as Manchester Airport and connect to international routes of the United States and the Caribbean. There are seasonal routes connecting to Orlando International Airport in Florida, which is offered from Glasgow and Belfast International Airport. Much recently, the airline retired its Boeing 747s which catered to the seasonal flight operations to Florida. Virgin Atlantic's aircraft Airbus A330-300s, A350-1000s and Boeing 787-9s are used interchangeably on routes that fly from London's Heathrow Airport. In 2002, the airline became the first in the world to operate the Airbus A340-600.
Virgin Atlantic was supposed to add six Airbus A380-800s to its fleet, which they had ordered for in 2001. However, the order had to be cancelled for good. Instead, in 2019, at the Paris Air Show, the airline signed a deal to accommodate 20 Airbus A330-900neos to its fleet. With this move, the airline became the first United Kingdom customer for the aircraft. The airline does plan to replace its older Airbus A330-200s and -300s from the fleet with deliveries of newer models that will be joining the fleet between 2021 to 2024. Much recently, the airline retired its long-running A340-600 with its last service taking place between Lagos to London Heathrow. Simultaneously, the airline has also retired seven of its Boeing 747-400 aircraft from the fleet.
Baggage Allowance
Baggage allowance on Virgin Atlantic depends on the destination the passenger is travelling to and from as well as the ticket type. Economy class tickets allow one checked bag which should not weigh more than 23 kg and should be within the dimension of 90 x 75 x 43cm. Premium cabin class tickets' baggage allowance on Virgin Atlantic enables two pieces of baggage which cannot exceed 23 kg and should be within the dimension as mentioned in the economy class. The Upper class or business class tickets have a baggage allowance of up to three pieces of bags that should not weigh more than 32 kg. The dimensions of all the baggage should be 90 x 75 x 43cm and not more than the stated measurement. Interestingly, the airline recently made some changes to its baggage allowance policy for passengers travelling to and from Indian cities such as Mumbai and Delhi. They have allowed a free bag allowance which means passengers can carry two bags weighing 32 kg each for Upper Class. However, two pieces of bags are allowed for passengers travelling from premium class with a weight allocation of 23 kg. As for the economy class tickets, the airline has enabled two pieces of bags allowed with a weight permit of not more than 23 kg. These new rules are as opposed to the earlier ones which allowed more baggage allocation by Virgin Atlantic.
In-flight services
In-flight services experienced on Virgin Atlantic are quite exceptional. The airline brings forth some of the best seating accommodation. They have enhanced the seats with better leather and equipment such as a personal lamp, entertainment system, better overhead bin space and seats that recline with better legroom too. Depending on the cabin class chosen by the passenger, the facilities do change. However, the comfort measure remains constant in all the cabins. Virgin Atlantic's in-flight services also include in-flight meals which are inspired by global cuisine.
Popular routes and top cities for Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic caters to a handful of domestic routes and international routes. In fact, in terms of domestic routes, the airline doesn't have a strong game as it only caters to London and Manchester. Barring these two hubs, the airline doesn't have any destination flying within the United Kingdom. As for international routes, it is well-connected with North America and parts of Asian destinations. The airline doesn't have a magnanimous presence in a lot of destinations internationally. They have also terminated services with a slew of cities owing to the loss-making management structure. As of 2020, the airline caters to cities such as Antigua, Shanghai, Havana, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Delhi, Tel Aviv, Lagos, Johannesburg, Tobago, London, Belfast, Manchester, Atlanta, Boston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Orlando, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC. While the airline did have hopes to acquire more recognition and presence in the domestic market by tying up with Flybe, the deal didn't take off, and neither did Virgin Atlantic's plans to make a bigger UK reach.
Why travel by Virgin Atlantic?
Virgin Atlantic has been facing significant losses and important issues over the years. However, the airline is known and recognised for offering quality service and hospitality. Virgin Atlantic has grown into a favourable airline for passengers who wish to travel to destinations in the United States of America from London and the United Kingdom. The airline has also worked on improving much of its in-flight services and facilities that further enhance the experience of travellers. On the airline's official website, they have enabled booking a Virgin Atlantic flight without any conundrums. Following the same, the airline has also made web check-ins possible with up to date details concerning the flight status of the passengers. Virgin Atlantic's flight schedules are also added on the website along with constant updates. These facilities actually help passengers make the airline a viable option. Virgin Atlantic's flyer clubs also have some of the best amenities in the airport lounge as well as while booking the flight tickets.
