5/13/2008 at 10:30 AM
Tags: Virgin America, LCCs, Low Cost Carriers, New Routes, ORD, David Cush, Jaunted Interviews (all tags)
A Jaunted Exclusive
Virgin America will ask the FAA for a share of the Chicago market this week, and if all goes well, VA will be flying to O'Hare by November.
After Virgin confirmed the expansion plans, we were excited to talk with CEO David Cush, posing here with Cisco Adler, about the future of the airline, how the FAA allocates landing rights and what it's like to compete with a former employer.
Jaunted: We've been hearing rumors about Chicago for months. Why make the move into that new market now?
DC: You're not an airline until you fly to Chicago. We want to fly four flights a day from LAX and SFO to ORD because this is third largest travel market in the US and we think Chicagoans are going to love our product.
Currently, Chicago/O'Hare has virtually no low-fare competition to the West Coast and none from SFO or LAX. We think we can compete with the big guys and inject a little healthy competition into a market that desperately needs it.
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by pbb
4/10/2008 at 1:02 PM
Tags: Celeb Travel, Music Travel, Virgin America, David Cush, Cisco Adler (all tags)
Yesterday Virgin America kicked off its new LAX-SEA service with some live music in LA followed by an in-flight concert. The standout had to be our Sundance buddy Cisco Adler who serenaded VA's David Cush on the way to Seattle.
Also rocking the flight were Shwayze, Michael Tolcher and Bamboo Shoots. Pre-flight in LA, The Donnas played Gate 67B, and on arrival in Seattle the party continued at The Showbox at the Market with a performance by Thurston Moore.
Related Stories:
· Jaunted at Sundance: Virgin America Flirts with Paris Hilton [Jaunted]
· Sex Sells Travel: Virgin America's In-Flight PJ Party [Jaunted]
· Seattle Music Venues: The Showbox at the Market [Jaunted]
[Photos: AP Photo/Virgin America, Bob Riha, Jr.]
by pbb
2/18/2008 at 4:21 PM
Tags: Virgin America, David Cush, Richard Branson, LCCs, Low Cost Carriers (all tags)
Do you love Virgin America so much, you want to marry it? Well you can! Nah, just kidding. But you can work there!
Sir Richard Branson's low cost carrier is doing so well stateside that Virgin America plans to double its workforce and the number of cities that it serves.
CEO C. David Cush said the young business expects to hire 1,000 people, most of whom will work out of the Burlingame headquarters or as flight staff based at San Francisco International Airport. That would bring the company's head count to 2,000 employees by the end of 2008.
Meanwhile, the carrier, which flies to six cities now, could fly to as many as 12 cities by 2009.
While the new cities aren't confirmed, Cush did hint at opening service in Chicago and Boston.
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by juliana
11/27/2007 at 10:05 AM
Tags: Virgin America, Fred Reid, David Cush (all tags)
Virgin America, which the Department of Transportation says must replace Fred Reid, has tapped C. David Cush for the top job, starting December 10. Cush is a long-time American Airlines exec currently working in sales, but he brings operations experience to the table, too. Sounds like just the guy you need for an expanding route network.
While we don't expect to see any major shake-ups right away because of the change, Cush is coming on at a contentious time. Virgin continues to expand, but is trying to avoid the congestion that's plaguing US airports.
The airline's gone so far as to preemptively ask for an exemption if caps are put on flights in and out of JFK--something that's possible if not likely. VA says that its start-up status affords some special protections. An industry trade group says no airline deserves special treatment, least of all one that hasn't helped build JFK into the hub it is today.
While we wait to see how that plays out, we'll be holding our breath to see if Fred Reid slams through his game-changing dining options before taking off in two weeks.
Related Stories:
· American Airlines Exec to Head Virgin America [Dallas Morning News]
· Virgin America coverage [Jaunted]
by pbb
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