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Virgin America

Types of Travelers

Business Travlers

4/5

Good business class service and fares

Family Traveler

3/5

Relatively user-friendly airline

Backpacker
Adventure Traveler

4/5

Limited service to adventure destinations

Student
Budget Traveler

5/5

One of America’s top low-cost-carriers

Elderly
Disabled Traveler

3/5

Standard accessibility

Long Term Traveler

4/5

Good fares and parent company Virgin has good international reach

Novice Traveler

4/5

User-friendly airline

Introduction

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Virgin America is an extremely young airline.  It was conceived of by famous entrepreneur Richard Branson as a low-cost airline that would connect the East and West coasts of the United States.  After much buzz in the media and a delay in getting clearance to fly in the US and funding, the airline began to offer service in late 2007.

Virgin is known for its youthful, hip approach to air travel and the extras it offers to fliers (wireless internet, modern entertainment options).  VA has expanded slightly over the past few years.  It now offers service to Toronto and Mexico and to Dallas, Texas (its only non-coastal-region destination in the US).  The airline is also known for its very low coast-to-coast fares.


Ratings

Important Factors 4/5

Average Delay

7.2 minutes

Cancelled Flights
(average per month)

2 (0.09%)

Customer Satisfaction Rating

Best Airline in Conde Nast’s Readers Choice Awards

Types of Aircraft

Airbus A319, A320

General 4/5

Number of Domestic Flights (Daily)

11

Number of International Flights (Daily)

3 (by January 2011)

Size of Fleet

30 (plus more than 40 Airbus A320s on order)

Major Airports and Destinations Served

LAX, SFO, Boston Logan, Washington Dulles, Toronto Pearson, Dallas Fort Worth, JFK.

Location of Hub

San Francisco (SFO)

Countries Served

USA and limited service in Canada and Mexico

Number of Routes

14

Most Popular Routes

LAX to SFO, LAX to New York, SFO to New York, SFO to Las Vegas

In-Flight 5/5

Which Routes offer Meal Service?

Food available (Snacks from $3, meals $7), Free non-alcoholic drinks

Food Quality

3/5

In-flight Menu

Standard bistro-style sandwiches and pastas

Average Leg Room

32 inches in economy, 55 inches in premium class

Types of In-flight Entertainment

Wireless internet, personal entertainment options

Baggage 4/5

Baggage Fees

$25 per bag

Number of Bags Allowed

2

Weight Limits and Restrictions

70 lbs

Web Site 5/5

Online Check-in

excellent

Web Site Usability

excellent

Special Needs 4/5

Handicap Accessibility

Standard accessibility

Pets

$100 one-way

Special Offers /Partners 3/5

Airline Alliance Membership

none

Hotel Partners

Hotel plus airfares packages are available on the airline’s web site

Competing Airlines

JetBlue, AirTran, Southwest, WestJet

Strengths
  • Young airline with exciting buzz
  • Cheap fares
  • Great in-flight entertainment
  • Great web site

Weaknesses
  • Limited reach
  • Baggage fees
  • A la carte food pricing

Frequent Flier Program and Airport Lounges

Virgin America’s Elevate program lets frequent fliers earn miles when they fly on the airline. Fliers can also earn miles on other airlines operated by the Virgin group. There is a credit card that earns miles with every purchase. However, Virgin America is not part of any airline alliance. Virgin’s “Clubhouse” lounges can be entered by any Virgin America flier (admission price is $35). There are currently only three lounges: at JFK, SFO and Dulles.

Conclusion

Virgin America has a unique business model. It is built around offering cheap, cross-country flights. Its hip image has earned it a lot of media attention, but the airline is of little use to fliers who are not located on the West Coast or in New England and the Mid-Atlantic region. For this reason, carriers like JetBlue and Southwest are more popular. However, for cross-country fliers, Virgin America is the best option in terms of both in-flight experience and cost.