BURLINGAME, Calif., July 19, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Virgin America, the new U.S. start-up airline based in San Francisco, will begin selling tickets from its website at www.virginamerica.com and new toll-free phone number, 1-877 FLY-VIRGIN (877 359-8474) from 3:00 a.m. (PST) today. The airline will sell more than one million seats for travel from August 8 through February 12, 2008.
Virgin America will inaugurate service on August 8 with two daily flights between San Francisco International Airport and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and five daily flights between San Francisco and Los Angeles International. A third San Francisco-New York flight will be added on August 19 and a fourth on September 9.
On August 29, Virgin America will commence service between New York and Los Angeles with two daily roundtrip flights, adding a third on September 16.
Twice daily service between San Francisco and Washington Dulles International Airport will commence on September 26; between San Francisco and Las Vegas on October 10 with three daily flights; and between Los Angeles and Washington, DC on October 24 with two daily flights. All flights are nonstop, however connections are available beginning October 10 between Las Vegas and both New York and Washington, DC.
"Today is a great day for our team members, for the State of California and for consumers everywhere," said Fred Reid, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin America. "As the only California-based airline, our goal is to provide topnotch service at low fares. We can't wait to welcome guests on August 8th."
Virgin America will offer last-minute Main Cabin fares for business travelers that are up to 60 percent off existing last-minute coach fares and First Class fares up to 50 percent below what most legacy carriers charge for coach. A simplified fare structure promises transparency with one-way fares, and no Saturday night stay requirements. Fares between San Francisco and both Los Angeles and Las Vegas start at $44* in the Main Cabin and $149 in First Class, each way. For service between Washington, DC and both Los Angeles and San Francisco, fares start from $129 and $389 each way in the Main Cabin and First Class, respectively. For service between New York and both Los Angeles and San Francisco, fares start from $139 and $389 each way in the Main Cabin and First Class, respectively.
The inaugural flights will include live entertainment at 35,000 feet and a host of celebrities, friends and supporters, hosted by Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson and Virgin America Chief Executive Officer Fred Reid. The airline will auction tickets for the star-studded inaugural flights to support KIPP - the Knowledge Is Power Program, a network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools that serve underserved communities throughout the United States. Details of this initiative will be announced shortly.
Virgin America is a 'next generation' carrier, with airplanes that include innovative guest features such as custom-designed leather seats, mood-lighting throughout the cabin and the most advanced personal in-flight entertainment system in the domestic airline market -- with on-demand movies and TV, games, music and online chat rooms cabins. In First Class, massage chairs offer 55 inches of seat pitch and 165-degree recline.
Guests can start earning points on eleVAte, the airline's loyalty program, from their very first flight and will be able to start redeeming points in the near future.
Virgin America expects to serve as many as 10 cities within a year of operation and up to 30 cities within five years of service. The airline has previously confirmed service to San Diego which will be announced at a later date.
Additional cities under Virgin America's consideration include: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Hartford, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, Newark, New Orleans, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Providence, Portland, Ore., Raleigh-Durham, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Jose, Calif., Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa and West Palm Beach.
The airline currently has more than 400 team members, and aims to create more than 1,000 new U.S. jobs in its first year and up to 5,000 within five years. In addition to this direct job creation, by its fifth year Virgin America will be responsible for indirectly supporting approximately 50,000 new U.S. jobs in total.
* Main cabin fares must be purchased by August 8, 2007. Travel
must commence on or after August 9, 2007 and before November
14, 2007. First Class fares must be purchased by August 8,
2007. Travel must commence on or after August 9, 2007 and
before November 14, 2007. Seats are limited, subject to
availability, and may not be available on all flights. Tickets
are non-refundable and non-transferable. Fares do not include
Passenger Facility Charges of up to $9 each way, September
11th Security Fees of up to $5 each way and a Federal Segment
Tax of $3.40 per domestic segment. A segment is a takeoff and
landing. Tickets purchased from Virgin America through our
reservation call centers will be charged a $5 fee per itinerary.
Changes or cancellations can be made without a fee in First
Class and for $40 in the Main Cabin, as well as any increase
in fare.
Virgin America does not currently have authority from the
Department of Transportation to operate the services for
which your ticket is being issued. You may, upon request,
cancel your ticket and obtain a full refund at any time
before we start operations. If we have not started operations
by the date of your ticketed travel, we will make reasonable
efforts to arrange substitute air transportation for you,
at a cost of up to 200% of your Virgin America ticket. If
we cannot arrange substitute transportation for you, we
will refund to you 200% of the price paid for your Virgin
America ticket.
About Virgin America:
As San Francisco's hometown airline, Virgin America will serve as many as 10 cities within a year of operation, and up to 30 cities within five years. Virgin America's brand-new planes will offer guests interactive in-flight entertainment systems, plugs for laptops and other portable electronic devices, the ability to order food or chat with other guests from their own video-screen and a host of other features aimed at bringing a little fun back to flying. To learn more about Virgin America visit: www.virginamerica.com.
The Virgin America logo is available at http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2371