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Virgin America’s CEO on the airline’s shrewd move into Alaska market
TransportThere’s a new airline in town: Virgin America now offers nonstop service between Anchorage and San Francisco six days a week… Virgin America cooperates with both Virgin Australia and Virgin Atlantic Airlines as part of the licensing agreement with Sir Richard’s group. But for Alaska travelers, the most important development is the single flight between Anchorage [...]
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Virgin America is the most popular airline in U.S., says consumer survey
TransportIn an era where fliers complain air travel can feel like riding a city bus in the sky, Virgin America soared above the competition in Consumer Reports’ airline rankings released Wednesday. “Virgin America is a cut above the rest,” Consumer Reports senior editor Amanda Walker told NBC News. “People were very happy with their flights [...]
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United CFO defends competitive response to Virgin America at Newark
TransportUnited Airlines CFO John Rainey said today allegations that the airline engaged in anticompetitive behavior last month when Virgin America debuted San Francisco and Los Angeles service from Newark Airport were “absolutely false.” Answering questions after making a presentation at the 2013 Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Transportation Conference in Boston, Rainey said United lowered [...]
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Virgin America IPO on agenda in a year or two, CEO says
TransportVirgin America said it’s close to turning around its financial losses and could be ready for an initial public offering as early as next year. The airline reported another annual loss on Monday, but it’s aiming for a profit in the second half of the year after reworking debt it owes to Sir Richard Branson’s [...]
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Virgin America’s losses finally begin to narrow as it eyes profitability
TransportVirgin America Inc., the low-fare airline partly owned by U.K. billionaire Richard Branson, narrowed its first-quarter net loss by 39 percent and restructured debt to lower interest expenses. Virgin America also modified terms with some creditors, which eliminated $290 million of debt and will trim interest expense in the second half of the year by [...]
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United responds to new Virgin America routes by slashing fares, adding flights
TransportDoes United Airlines‘ response to Virgin America’s entry into Newark Airport this week pass the sniff test? Virgin America this week introduced three daily nonstop flights from both Los Angeles and San Francisco to Newark. United’s response was to cut its fares by about a third in order to match Virgin America’s fares, and then United [...]
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CEO Interview: Virgin America solves identity crisis and vows profitability for 2013
TransportWhen asked if Virgin America loves business or leisure travelers more, CEO David Cush decidedly comes down on the side of road warriors as the more targeted passenger group. “We love everyone who gets on the airline,” Cush told Skift today at Newark Airport. But, if you look at Virgin America’s route network and product, [...]
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U.S. airlines on-time performance rankings: Virgin tops, United worst
TransportU.S. airlines scored their second best performance last year in the more than two decades that researchers have been measuring airline quality, with Virgin America the leader, says an annual report released Monday (full report embedded below). The report ranked the 14 largest U.S. airlines based on on-time arrivals, mishandled bags, consumer complaints and passengers [...]
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Airline brand identities: The grown-up, the hipster and the meanie
TransportQuirky, even wacky identities are the hallmark of several carriers that pay good money for this branding. Let’s look at three airline images then answer this question: When it comes to choosing whom to fly with, do passengers really give a [rabid badger, per Virgin America] about image? You have to wonder whether JetBlue’s catchphrase, [...]
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Virgin America starting daily “nerdbird” flights from LAX to Silicon Valley
TransportUpstart carrier Virgin America will offer daily service to Los Angeles from Mineta San Jose International Airport, starting May 1, with tickets on sale February 5. The fast-growing domestic carrier, which has earned a reputation for low fares and innovative amenities such as in-flight Wi-Fi service, plans to offer four daily non-stop flights to Los [...]
