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Tags: Airline Rumors / New Routes / Virgin America / Chicago Travel / Surveys / → All Tags
Will Virgin America Fly to Chicago Next?
What up Chi-town? Could there be a Virgin America launch party hosted by Branson and Kanye West in your near future? It's possible if we are to judge anything from the results of a recent VA survey.
The Virgin America questionnaire asked travelers which new route they would most like to see next from the airline. And the winner of the popularity contest was—drumroll please—SFO to Chicago. This we totally understand since, with the exception of Las Vegas, VA has pretty much ignored the "fly-over states."
The next most-wanted route is SFO to Honolulu, followed by SFO to Miami. Honestly, we're surprised that JFK to Miami is not #1 right now instead of #8. Remember the days when we thought that VA would put Miami before Seattle service? But considering that VA has been trying to break into the Chicago market for a while now, this might actually happen first. Sorry Miami! You will have to wait to carry your naked party back to the plane.
Related Stories:
· Virgin America coverage [Jaunted]
· Airlines Play Hopscotch at Chicago O'Hare Airport [Jaunted]
Tags: Richard Branson / Virgin America / Darfur / Mia Farrow / → All Tags
Branson Takes Time Out from Partying To Raise Awareness for Darfur
Sir Richard Branson, head of all things Virgin, has decided to step in on a three-week hunger strike for Darfur, after activist Mia Farrow had to drop out. Farrow did however complete 12 days of the liquids-only fast before a doctor told her to stop due to health concerns.
Branson will do a hunger fast for three days.
"Over a year-and-a-half ago, I traveled to Darfur and was horrified by the stories that people of all ages shared with us," he said. "Now, with 13 aid organizations expelled from the country, over one million people are at grave risk. We cannot stand and watch as one million people suffer. We all need to stand up and demand that international aid is restored and that the people of Darfur are protected and given the chance to live in peace."
It's nice to see that Branson's life is not always all about launching new airline routes and posing with naked models.
Related Stories:
· Mia Farrow Ends Hunger Strike After 12 Days [US Weekly]
· Fast for Life [Official Site]
· Richard Branson Kisses Jaunted [Jaunted]
Tags: Airline Fees / Virgin America / → All Tags
Last Day Before Virgin American Carry-On Fee Kicks In
Jaunted has been giving Virgin America and our new BFF Richard Branson a lot of love lately, but fair is fair, and we gotta remind you of the bad Virgin news as well.
Back in March, we told you about how Virgin was jumping on the first-checked-bag-fee bandwagon. If you've been wondering why you haven't been charged yet, the free ride ends tomorrow. Starting May 5, that first check bag will set you back $15 on VA, and every bag thereafter will be another $15. If you're sitting up in first class with the hammer, you still get two checked bags free.
What with the WiFi and ever-expanding route list, we're still pretty enamored, but come on, stop with the fees! Grr….
Related Stories:
· Virgin America Breaks Down, Starts Charging $15 Checked Baggage Fee [Jaunted]
· Richard Branson Kisses Jaunted [Jaunted]
· Photographic Evidence that In-flight WiFi is 2 Legit 2 Quit [Jaunted]
Tags: Travel Contests / Virgin America / Absinthe / Green Fairy / Cocktails / → All Tags
Chase the Green Fairy Onboard Virgin America
In the wake of this alleged swine flu pandemic, is it such a good idea to drink something historically associated with hallucinations and ear cutting while at 40,000 feet?
Virgin America thinks so! They're serving Le Tourment Vert Absinthe Francaise "the first absinthe in the sky."
The Mile High Absinthe Cocktails will be listed on all Virgin American flight menus. The airline is even hosting a contest with Flavorpill to celebrate the Green Fairy in the Sky. Cheers to the lucky passengers who win two tickets on the airline.
To win, tweet @Flavorpill plus your chosen city within the Virgin America network and a reason you'd love to travel there. Remember to tag your tweet #LTVabsinthe. Winners are notified on May 15, 2009.
Isn't it comforting to know that the pilot and crew feel they can confidently fly the friendly skies while passengers potentially see the Green Fairy aboard their flights? Buckle up!
Related Stories:
· Virgin America Coverage [Jaunted]
Tags: New Routes / Jaunted Interviews / Richard Branson / Virgin America / Shira Lazar / New Airline Routes / → All Tags
Richard Branson Kisses Jaunted
Yesterday, we attend yet another Virgin America new route launch party. Keep going VA! This time Sir Richard Branson and Co. have begun offering five-times-daily flights flights out of The Real Orange County (John Wayne Airport) to San Francisco.
The inaugural event began yesterday after take off in San Francisco with Branson twittering in-flight using the fleet-wide WiFi at 35,000 feet. Upon landing in the OC, Branson was greeted by the cast of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Orange County” and Red Bull athletes. And for those guests lucky enough to be on the inaugural flight? They received Bare Escentuals makeovers and Sunset Tan spray.
The party continued over to the Pacific Edge Hotel in Laguna Beach but before all that, we managed to chase Sir Richard Branson down for an interview, in his car.
Related Stories:
· Virgin America Coverage [Jaunted]
· Jen Leo Twitters With Sir Richard [LA Times]
· Video Montage of the Event @ SFO [B.A.T.]
Tags: Green Travel / Virgin America / Airline News / → All Tags
Virgin America Will Reveal How Greenhouse Gassy They Are
Is it possible for an airline to go green? Maybe not yet completely, but airlines can adopt green-friendly practices to help them take a step toward a future of eco-aviation. Not surprisingly, it's California-based Virgin America who is leading the pack by being the first airline to join The Climate Registry, which requires all members to track, report on and then improve their greenhouse gas emissions.
Fans of VA will know that they've been environmentally-aware from the get-go, first by choosing to fly newer Airbus A320s, making their fleet 25% more fuel efficient than older fleets, and then by instituting a whole gaggle of energy-saving practices which are unnoticeable to passengers, but make a difference to the bottom line. It's 2008 partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) only served to up their rigorous eco-standards.
Joining the Climate Registry will make VA's carbon emissions public, and luckily we won't have to wait a while to dork out over the numbers; reports are annual, but "later this spring, the carrier will publish a comprehensive 2008 emissions report for all six internationally-recognized GHGs." Happy Earth Day, indeed!
Related Stories:
· Virgin America Becomes First US Airline to Report Its Greenhouse Gas Emissions [Treehugger]
· Virgin America First U.S. Airline to Join Climate Registry [Virgin America]
· Green Travel Coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Virgin America]
Tags: Virgin America / WiFi / In-Flight WiFi / Gogo / Airline News / → All Tags
Virgin America Promises Fleetwide WiFi By June
We’re still tingling from American Airlines' recent announcement regarding their expansion of in-flight WiFi, and now we have another big one. Virgin America is looking to have every single plane they fly WiFi enabled by June. All flights from Boston and Orange County are already beaming magical internet waves through the cabin, but we really can’t wait to have it from all of their destinations.
Tags: Snapshot / In-Flight WiFi / Virgin America / MC Hammer / Southwest / Celeb Travel / → All Tags
Photographic Evidence that In-flight WiFi is 2 Legit 2 Quit
We already knew that MC Hammer was digging on the in-flight WiFi provided by Virgin America on his flight last month. But now, VA has put up a TwitPic on their own Twitter feed giving us photographic evidence of Hammer doing his thang in-flight today, in first-class of course. Hmmm...no Mac, Hammer? What's up with that?
Meanwhile, Southwest has put up their own update on in-flight WiFi saying that WiFi is testing great (obvs) and that provider Row 44 is in the final stage of securing permanent licenses for the service.
Southwest has operated the service on more than 500 flights and more than 9,000 Customers have logged on. Folks are utilizing Wi-Fi for anything from e-mail to surfing the net to Facebook and the feedback so far has been great. Comments we are hearing from Customers are that the service is fast and they’re pleased with the quality of streaming media.
WiFi service will be available on Southwest through the spring. Remember to look for tail numbers N901WN, N902WN, N906WN, and N907WN--those are the planes equipped with WiFi.
Have you joined the Mile High In-Flight WiFi Club? Let us know how it went.
Related Stories:
· In-Flight WiFi Coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Virgin America]
Tags: Airline Fees / Virgin America / Travel News / Luggage / → All Tags
Virgin America Breaks Down, Starts Charging $15 Checked Baggage Fee
We're shocked. Shocked we tell ya. But we guess we should have seen it coming. Virgin America will now be charging $15 to check a bag. *Sigh.*
We pride ourselves on being firm one carry-on bag travelers (see our tips here) so we've yet to pay a $15 checked bag fee on any airline. But this news is distressing. Even more so, Virgin America says they are just keeping up with the "trends."
"Because we fly to primary airports, we mainly compete with the large network carriers — all of whom already charge this fee," Diana Walke, Virgin America's vice president of planning and sales, said in a statement. "We're following the trend in domestic travel both here and abroad."
On the bright (?) side, the airline points out that they have lowered their cancellation fee from $75 to $50 if you do it through there website.
Previously, VA charged nothing for the first bag, $25 for a second bag and $50 for a third. Now all checked bags will cost $15. Those in first class are exempt for their first two bags. The others will cost...you guessed it...$15 to check.
Related Stories:
· Virgin America Info Desk [Official Site]
· Virgin America coverage [Jaunted]
· Virgin America to charge to check a single bag [Reuters]
Tags: In-Flight Entertainment / Virgin America / Airline News / In-Flight WiFi / → All Tags
Virgin America Promises Oscar Movies and More WiFi
Virgin America, having won our best domestic airline award for 2008, has been having a pretty good 2009 or at least that's what they want us to believe.
With the celebration of their Boston gate behind them, Virgin America announced yesterday they are uploading some new movies to their RED entertainment system just to help us catch some of those Oscar winners. Slumdog Millionaire, Doubt, and Jaunted fav—Flight of the Conchords—will all soon be added to the glowing beauty that is your seatback screen.
Tags: Travel News Briefs / Virgin America / LAS / Airports / Gate Changes / → All Tags
Virgin America Makes Vegas Gate Easier to Drunkenly Stumble Towards
With so much travel news raining down on us, we don't always have time to give every story its own forecast. Here's more of the day's news, in brief.
· Gate Change!: For frequent visitors in and out of Sin City on Virgin America, your travels will be much easier.
From Facebook:
Virgin America will begin flying into and out of our new gate, B20, in Concourse B at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS). This move means you will no longer have to ride the tram to get to your gate. Winner!
· Diaper Fetish Senator Pulls a "Cathay Pacific Lady": Remember that lady who went crazy over missing her flight in Hong Kong only to have it broadcast on YouTube with "helpful" subtitles? Can someone please do that to Senator David Vitter? Also of note: pointing at your senatorial pin does not hold an entire plan for you. [Gawker]
· American Airlines Makes Emergency JFK Landing: Another close one near JFK. An engine failed on an AA plane "sending shards of metal into housing below" in Queens. The plan was able to safely land at JFK. [AFP]
· More Depressing Airline News: As seemingly every airline will be deep in the red in 2009, airlines are moving to make major capacity cuts. However, it's not quite clear if fares will drop. Airlines would rather ground a few birds and stop routes rather than drop ticket prices. [Peter Greenberg]
Tags: Celebs Who Twitter / MCHammer / Celeb Travel / Virgin America / Airline Safety / Twitter / → All Tags
McHammer Uses TwitterTime To Talk About Airline Safety
Celebs have invaded Twitter! Celebrities Twittering is a social media perfect storm. This elite sect of Twitterati is extremely thumbnail photogenic, well-trained in innovative ways of seeking attention/letting it all hang out, and most importantly for us travel geeks, constantly traveling the world. This week we're looking at who's Tweeting what from where. Any Celeb Twitterers we should follow? Let us know.
MC Hammer won over our geeky hearts during Barack Obama's Presidential Inauguration last month when he was Twittering on the ground during the festivities. (Mad thanks to Ellen for telling us about it.) This month he's won us over again by tweeting in-flight from his Virgin America flight from Boston.
35,000 ft in the sky.... over Toronto ...-60 degrees... but um... I'm cool ! Virgin America...oh boy ! This is how we do it !!!!
Hammer even gave a shout-out to Virgin America a few minutes later, proving that he has mastered the @ reply. Something, we can't say for many people on Twitter.
