Tag: Virgin america View All Tags
Tags: Airfare Wars / FLL / Virgin America / JetBlue / Inaugural Flights / New Routes / Fort Lauderdale Travel / Florida Travel / → All Tags
Fort Lauderdale Airport Is The New Bunker Hill
When the Colonials learned that British forces were planning to send troops out of the city to the surrounding unoccupied hills, they acted. The colonials set up shop at the top of Bunker & Breed's Hill and picked off the redcoats sending them retreating towards Cambridge. Seems to us that FLL is the new Bunker Hill, though we will leave it to you to determine which airline wears what uniform.
By now we all know how Virgin America launched their 10th destination earlier this week at FLL and we have the photo gallery to prove it. However, what really struck us about our jaunt to meet them in FLL was the obvious jockeying for position that was going on there between JetBlue and Virgin America.
The feud deepens, after the jump.
Tags: Reality TV Shows / Virgin America / Airline News / Television Travel / Flight Attendants / Fly Girls / → All Tags
A First Look At 'Fly Girls,' Bringing Juicy Flight Attendant Drama To The CW
Let the buzz begin over the newest reality show-drama to hit the boob tube: "Fly Girls," a "docu-series" that will follow the day-to-night, sky-to-ground lives of five flight attendants for Virgin America. The teaser commercial just leaked last night on YouTube (we've posted it above), and already we're salivating for the start.
Now we know that Virgin America is bringing the sexy back to air travel, but this is the stuff of pure vice. For those of you familiar with the MTV shows "The Hills" and "The City," "Fly Girls" might feel familiar since the show is from the same executive producer, and we can already see the similarities through this brief spot alone. Still, it won't be all clubbin' and kissin' for the girls, as the CW is saying that the show is to be a "360-degree look at the charismatic jet-setting flight attendants on America’s hippest new airline." Does this mean we'll get to watch them explaining to cranky passengers how to connect to the in-flight WiFi?
The goodies on the show, after the jump.
Tags: Jaunted Giveaways / Virgin America / Airline News / → All Tags
Want 20 Percent Off A Virgin America Flight? Jaunted Can Hook You Up
Update: All ten offers have now been redeeemed. Keep your eyes open for the ticket giveaway on Jaunted soon!
Alright, who wants to board that plane right now and just take off? Everybody? Yep—we thought so. Here at Jaunted, we're absolutely into fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants travel, and on this lovely Friday, we going to help you get where you wanna go.
Here's the deal: Virgin America sent out an offer to all of their "founding eleVAte members" (and you know we are) to have ten of their friends or contacts receive 20% off flights booked before November 6 for Main Cabin travel before February 10. And you're our friend, right? So click here now to score one of those ten 20% discounts while they last.
Now for the good stuff: when you guys use all ten discount offers from that link, we'll receive a code for a free roundtrip flight, which we'll then pass on to you via a Jaunted contest to come. So get booking so we can devise an exciting contest! Remember that Virgin America begins flying direct between LAX and SFO to Fort Lauderdale in November, so you could always use the discount to sweeten a trip to Florida. Book away!
Related Stories:
· Stay Golden [Virgin America]
· Virgin America coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Limaindia / Wiki Commons]
Tags: SFO / Airport News / Virgin America / Airports / San Francisco Travel / → All Tags
Construction Under Way At Virgin America's Future Home: Terminal 2 At SFO
Late last year, work began on renovating Terminal 2 at San Francisco International Airport. The terminal used to be the gateway to foreign lands, but after all the new paint and fancy lighting it will be primarily used for domestic adventures. The airport is shelling out nearly $400 million to revamp things, and when complete, it will probably make all the other terminals jealous. Virgin America is especially excited over all this construction, because this will be their official home when all the dust settles.
There will be 14 gates at the new terminal, which should leave a little extra room if another carrier or two wants to sneak into Virgin America’s home turf. The gates will be designed for narrow body aircraft, but they will have the capability for some bigger jets—just in case. Some of the cool new stuff that travelers will experience while waiting for flights includes a wine bar, spa, and over ten restaurants. The airport is even looking to recruit some slow food vendors to ensure travelers are eating healthy, locally grown food—does this include Cinnabon? There will be lots of public art, and for fans of green, the facility expects to get silver LEED certification.
Tags: Airline News / Virgin America / Airports / Baggage / Carry-On Luggage / → All Tags
Virgin America Tests Allowing Baggage-Free Passengers To Board First
Ever the innovators, Virgin America is testing a new boarding scheme for speed and efficiency. They've ordered agents at targeted airports to let people without bags board the airplane first, the idea being to seat them and then let everyone else slow down the line while fighting for overhead space. It's the kind of thing that, if you run it through your mind, seems just crazy enough to work. So naturally everyone, us included, is trying to come up with reasons why the new policy is doomed to failure.
Travel blogger Cranky Flier is worried that overly ambitious, roll-a-board toting business consultants will try to sneak onto the plane along with legitimately carryon-free travelers. That would put gate agents in the awkward situation of either having to contradict a customer or letting them cheat. It's not that these passengers would be jumping the line in the strict sense—they have more of an incentive to do that in the status quo, where they're not assured that the people ahead of them will leave overhead space—as much as a "what do you mean my 'backpack' counts as a carryon?" kind of scenario.
Tags: In-Flight WiFi / Virgin America / Holiday Travel / Airlines / Airline News / Travel Deals / → All Tags
Virgin America To Offer Free WiFi Over Two Months For Holiday Travel
Hurrah! Big news that could be game-changing for holiday travel plans, if you aren't already put off by the extra fees being levied on holiday flights by some airlines. Just announced today, Virgin America is making their in-flight WiFi—which they have on all of their airplanes and routes—free during the holidays.
Actually the deal extends a bit beyond the holidays to somewhat reward passengers for even choosing VA at all during this season: "From Nov. 10, 2009-Jan. 15, 2010, guests on all Virgin America flights will be able to check email, gift shop online, stay in touch with family and friends via social media, or just go wherever the web takes them – all for free." Virgin's WiFi provider is Gogo, who usually charges between $5.95-$12.95 for access during a flight. Whether this added tech bonus plus the lack of extra "holiday fees" on Virgin America tickets persuades the leagues of winter flyers to change to Virgin from their usual Christmas carrier remains to be seen. Still—free in-flight WiFi all around!
Related Stories:
· Virgin America coverage [Jaunted]
· In-Flight WiFi coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Virgin America]
Tags: Virgin America / Baggage Fees / Airlines / Airline News / Tickets / Airfares / → All Tags
Virgin America Launches Refundable Main Cabin Tickets With 'Hangover Clause'
Virgin America, the California-based airline that paid too much for their ubiquitously-plastered slogan "on a mission to make flying good again," is launching a new class of fully-refundable, fully-transferable flight options. The "Main Cabin Refundable" fares will obviously cost a little bit more but, in addition to allowing you a wide range of ticket changes, they come with perks like checking in a bag for free (no small perk these days). This is basically a travel insurance-plus fare.
Main Cabin Refundable tickets are fully refundable up to the literal minute of departure. Ditto for transferring the tickets to a different name. There are no blackout dates, no minimum or maximum stay requirements, and no advanced purchases required. They really seem to be going out of their way to make these fares usable and attractive, even refunding the differences between old and new tickets to your credit card.
Tags: Airline News / Virgin America / Airlines / South African Airways / → All Tags
South Africa Now Just A Hop, Skip, And Virgin America Jump Away
Hopping a Virgin America flight between LA and Vegas might be easy and affordable enough, but what about the hassle of getting from LA to Johannesburg, switching between airlines, and hoping for in-flight internet for at least one leg? Well, now thanks to an interline agreement between Virgin America and South African Airways, getting from one coast to a whole other continent in this manner can be easily done.
What this means is that the one-third of transatlantic air traffic bound for South Africa that originates from the West Coast will have a much easier time of it. Fly Virgin America to JFK to connect with Johannesburg direct flight, or fly Virgin to Washington-Dulles to connect to the Johannesburg route with a quick stop in Dakar, Senegal. Don't forget that you can use the in-flight internet during the Virgin leg to make last minute arrangement in South Africa or just plain email home that "OMG! I'm using internet 35,000 in the air!"
Tags: Virgin America / Reality TV Travel / Flight Attendants / → All Tags
Virgin America's 'Fly Girls' Sign Up for a Reality Show
Farrah was a flight attendant on Virgin America's first-ever flight. No word on whether she will be the next LC, Heidi or Lo.
Will an upcoming reality show be a sexy look at the lives of flight attendants in the air and on the ground, taking us back to the golden days of flying when pilots and their stewardesses were invited to all the hotspots upon landing on the runway?
Or will it just be a disastrous trainwreck with mostly fictional storylines that does a huge disservice to flight attendants in America? We sincerely hope its the former but there's always a risk when reality shows profiling a profession get slapped together.
Nonetheless, Virgin America announced yesterday that a new reality show from the CW (home of Gossip Girl) will feature five "beautiful Virgin America flight attendants" as they jet around America.
Tags: Airplane Food / Virgin America / In-Flight Meals / First Class Travel / → All Tags
It Sure Beats a Turkey and Cheese Sandwich: Virgin America Unveils New Menu
We've always dug the snacks, meals and libations on the flights of Virgin America but did you know the menu options were seasonal? Yup, just like a real restaurant changes its menu based on seasonal ingredients that are available, Virgin America has announced their new fall menu for both the main cabin and First Class.
While a reader recently wondered if VA was skimping on snacks in First Class, the menu's meals (created by Chef Luke Morgan) have been given a boost with herb omelets on grilled challah bread, filet of beef with mushrooms, naan Tandoori chicken and a roast turkey breast with sage stuffing. Of course, the options vary from route to route and we're gonna go ahead and say you won't get Tandoori chicken on a an-hour long flight from SFO to LAX.
Additionally, folks flying First Class in the morning will have freshly baked croissants to snack on. The folks immediately behind them in coach will probably want to kill them for flaunting such buttery goodness in their face, but the Main Cabin is getting some new additions as well.
Tags: Virgin America / Airline News / David Cush / Party Reports / Sunset Strip / → All Tags
Virgin Invades The Old Riot Hyatt for the Sunset Strip Music Festival
Where there's a party, there's usually a Virgin America logo.
We're used to attending all sorts of parties for Virgin America whenever they launch a new route or service but on Friday night, we were able to catch Virgin America and its sister airline, V Australia celebrate something different--the kickoff of The Sunset Strip Music Festival at the old Riot Hyatt aka The Andaz West Hollywood.
Celebs that showed up and worked the red carpet for the start of the three-day rock event on the Strip included Chris Cornell; legendary music producer Lou Adler (yes, father to Cisco); The Donnas; Caridee English; Taryn Manning;the Swedish "sleaze rock" band Vains of Jenna and Kristen Bauer from True Blood.
Tags: Airport Photo Shoots / Celeb Travel / Bradley Cooper / Virgin America / No Fly List / First Class Travel / → All Tags
Bradley Cooper is Obviously Not on The No-Fly List
Hmm...perhaps we should start traveling with hunky Hangover star, Bradley Cooper? The so-hot-right-now actor and possibly Renee Zellweger romance was spotted checking himself into first class on Virgin America over the weekend, bound for NYC.
Unlike our recent travel partner, Bradley was able to actually check-in at one of the airport kiosks, something that the folks innocently listed on the No-Fly list no can do.
Another perk for Bradley? Flying first class ensures that he doesn't have to pay any extra checked baggage fees. The folks in coach however, now have to cough up a $20 fee. Main Cabin Select passengers--those who pay a little bit more for legroom, free movies and food--also skip paying the checked baggage fee.
Related Stories:
· No-Fly List Drama And Baggage Fee Trauma At United's 'Easy Check-in' [Jaunted]
[Photo: JustJared]
