On August 8th, Virgin America will bring in new competition to the US airline market. So what will this airline bring to passengers?
Great Fares.
For example, initial fares between San Francisco and Los Angeles will start at $44 one-way, and between San Francisco and New York starting at $139 one-way. Of course, these fares do not include taxes and fees. Those of us who have flown Southwest know that $44 is still a bit higher than what we are used to paying, but read on to find out more about services on board and decide for yourself.
The initial rollout of routes are as follows, according to Virgin America’s own website:
San Francisco (SFO) and Los Angeles (LAX): begins August 8.
San Francisco (SFO) and New York (JFK): begins August 8.
New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX): begins August 29.
San Francisco (SFO) and Washington D.C. (IAD): begins September 26.
San Francisco (SFO) and Las Vegas (LAS): begins October 10.
Los Angeles (LAX) and Washington D.C. (IAD): October 24.
Cabin Entertainment, Amenities and Service.
In the Main Cabin, you will find black leather seats with in-seat power supply and USB plugs for those on the go. Directly in front you will find RED, Virgin America’s entertainment system with a 9″ touch-screen display. Entertainment choices include live satellite television from the DISH Network, pay-per-view movies, or music from a list of 3,000 MP3s that can be customized for playback. Still bored? You can even set up seat-to-seat chats with fellow passengers! Other options seem to be available as well, such as email, SMS and games, but that’s not clear whether they will be offered initially at this time. What we do know from the website is that high-speed Internet is coming soon as a part of the services offered. That I am looking forward to.
For those who are hungry or thirsty, there is a self-service mini-bar in the cabin stocked with food and drinks. It is not clear as to the types of food or drinks that will be available at the moment, but I am still quite confident that the airline will provide an acceptable level of drinks — just not too sure whether we would have to buy our own food. However, judging from my flights with other Virgin low-cost carriers such as Virgin Blue in Australia and Virgin Express in Europe, it is very likely that we will have to buy our own food on flights.
Virgin America will also be introducing “phased mood lighting,” which will adjust itself according to the time of day, so that passengers will feel relaxed when its time to sleep, or awake when its daytime. Even its cabin windows will be color-tinted to reduce glare. How’s that for consideration?
First Class.
Virgin America’s First Class cabin features an international first class setup. In addition to everything available in the Main Cabin, First Class seats also offer a 55-inch seat pitch with electronic controls, footrests and even a massage function at your seat. Now that is comfort.
