INTERNATIONAL AIR TRAVEL | Ay Chihuahua! Virgin America serves up a Spicy Fare Sale across its Route Network and Spreads its Wing with New International Non Stop Service to Los Cabos and more!
Virgin America today announces it will serve San Jose del Cabo International Airport (SJD) and Cancun International Airport (CUN) with nonstop flights from California starting this winter. Nonstop flights launch from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to SJD as of December 16, 2010, from Los Angeles International 
Airport (LAX) to CUN as of January 19, 2011, and from SFO-CUN as of January 20, 2011. To celebrate the new routes, the airline today launches a spicy three-day fare sale – with fares from $109** coast-to-coast and $129**to Mexico. On top of these hot fares, tech-forward flyers in need of a Mexican getaway can score a two-for-one ticket offer*** by checking in on Loopt Star, the location-based social mapping network, at SFO, LAX or select taco trucks in San Francisco and Los Angeles from 11:00am-3:00pm PT today. Proceeds from every taco purchased will benefit the City of San Francisco’s Animal Care and Control Chihuahua rescue efforts.
“We’re pleased to bring our service to these world-class Mexican destinations and to offer travelers a better value and a unique flight experience,” said Virgin America President and CEO David Cush. “We think flyers deserve to start their Mexican getaways as soon as they board their flight. And with low fares, touch-screen entertainment, beautiful cabins and a host of other features aimed at bringing the fun back to flying, we think travelers will agree that Virgin America is the perfect way to start their Mexican vacation
a few hours early.” In June 2010, the airline announced its intent to launch flights to Mexico by seeking authority from the U.S. Department of Transportation to begin flying the routes as of this winter. DOT granted the airline authority to begin operations on the routes earlier this month. The airline has announced the start of Mexico service pending the necessary Mexican government approvals. With the launch of the Mexico routes, Virgin America will serve three international destinations in its growing network.
“We are pleased to welcome Virgin America to Los Cabos. The decision to serve San Jose del Cabo is a testament to our destination’s strong tourism economy and commitment to provide each visitor with an unmatched vacation experience,” said Gonzalo Franyutti De La Parra, President of the Los Cabos Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Virgin America’s fares to Mexico start from $129**in Main Cabin for SFO-SJD, SFO-CUN and LAX-CUN. Other spicy hot fares start from $39** on LAX-SFO, SFO-Las Vegas (LAS) and SFO-San Diego (SAN) flights – and from $109** for LAX-Washington Dulles (IAD) and SFO-Fort Lauderdale (FLL). Tickets are on sale today on Virgin America’s Web site (www.virginamerica.com) and at 1.877.FLY.VIRGIN (1.877.359.8474).****
In addition, the airline is celebrating the new routes by giving a special offer to those who check-in on Loopt Star today. By checking in at SFO, LAX or one of Virgin America’s mobile taco truck locations between 11:00am and 3:00pm PT today with the free Loopt Star App on their iPhone, members of the public can score a $1 two-for-one taco deal along with a two-for-one ticket offer*** on Virgin America’s new flights to Mexico.
In Los Angeles, the public can look for Virgin America’s in-flight teammates in uniform at the Border Grill taco truck at 7060 Hollywood Boulevard. In San Francisco, the airline’s in-flight teammates and some SF ACC Chihuahua friends will be posted at hometown taco truck favorite, Los Compadres, at 100 Folsom Street. Guests checking in on Loopt Star at SFO and LAX will also receive the special ticket offer. To be eligible, one must check-in using the Loopt Star iPhone app, which is available at the Apple iTunes store or at loopt.com/looptstar.
Proceeds from every taco sold today, will support the San Francisco Animal Care and Control’s (SF ACC) animal rescue programs – including its Chihuahua rescue efforts. In January, Virgin America teamed up with SF ACC to fly Chihuahuas to New York so the dogs could be adopted into new homes. The overpopulation of Chihuahuas in California continues to force animal shelters on the West Coast to look to shelters on the East Coast for help.
“With Loopt Star, consumers get to tap interactive rewards wherever they may be,” said Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of Loopt. “Teaming up with an innovative travel brand like Virgin America on one of its new city launches, is a fun way to deliver instant rewards to its loyal and increasingly mobile customer base. Virgin America flyers tend to be more likely to be using a mobile device and tapping social networks – even at 35,000 feet.”
The airline’s Mexico flight schedule is as follows:
FROM TO DEPARTURE TIME ARRIVAL TIME FLIGHT NUMBER FREQUENCY OF FLIGHTS
SFO SJD 12:10pm 4:20pm 706 Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
SJD SFO 5:20pm 7:35pm 709 Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
SFO CUN 8:00am 3:45pm 284 Monday, Thursday, Saturday
CUN SFO 4:45pm 9:05pm 283 Monday, Thursday, Saturday
LAX CUN 11:55am 7:20pm 290 Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
CUN LAX 8:20pm 12:01am 295 Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Known for its design-driven and fun flight experience, Virgin America has been growing and winning over travelers since its August 2007 launch. The airline offers mood-lit cabins, the most advanced touch-screen in-flight entertainment platform in the North American skies and custom-designed leather seats. Virgin America has swept the major travel awards, including “Best Airline” in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2008 and 2009 Readers’ Choice Awards and for the past three consecutive years in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards. Virgin America’s live satellite television and WiFi are not available on the aircraft after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Virgin America also announced today that it has been named the Official Airline of the 35th annual Toronto International Film Festival®, which takes place from September 9-19, 2010. This year’s festival features over 300 films from across the globe and will also celebrate the opening of TIFF Bell Lightbox, a highly anticipated theatre and event space which will enable TIFF to provide programming year-round. In addition to being the airline of choice for artists, filmmakers and stars headed from California’s West Coast to Toronto for this year’s Festival, Virgin America and the Toronto International Film Festival have teamed up to offer cinephiles the chance to win the ultimate date in Toronto: flight, hotel, dinner for two, and tickets to the world-renowned Film Festival.* This summer, Virgin America kicked off new nonstop service from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Toronto, with a series of splashy launch events. The airline’s upscale amenities have quickly made it a favorite among the tech-forward and media savvy flyers along the routes.
“With unrivalled in-flight entertainment, Virgin America is truly the airline of choice for film lovers across North America. We’re thrilled to partner with the Toronto International Film Festival to support filmmakers around the world – and to help this year’s festival goers arrive entertained and in style,” said Porter Gale, Vice President of Marketing at Virgin America.
Virgin America offers beautifully designed mood-lit cabins, standard power outlets near every seat and Red ™ — the largest and most advanced personal touch-screen entertainment platform in the skies. The Red platform offers 700+ hours of entertainment content: twice the amount of its nearest Canadian competitor. Red offers 30 on-demand films (from latest release Hollywood blockbusters to Oscar favorites, indie and foreign language films), live and premium TV, Google Maps, music videos, videogames, seat-to-seat chat, a 3000 MP3 library, a first-of-its-kind digital Shop section and an on-demand menu — so guests can order a cocktail or meal from their seatback any time during a flight. In 2009, Virgin America’s menu was named best-in-class inTravel + LeisureWorld’s Best Awards. In September, Virgin America is also launching a new DocTV channel on the Red in-flight entertainment system, where three films produced by emerging or established documentary filmmakers will be featured every two months. The first series of documentaries will feature three separate works from producers Pam Bell and James Ellison Wills.
The eleven-day Festival is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, drawing an audience of over 250,000 annually to Toronto for the high-profile event. The Toronto International Film Festival is often considered a launching pad for both Hollywood and independent films.
“We’re delighted to partner with Virgin America for this year’s Festival,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO, TIFF. “We’re pleased to have them serve Toronto as our newest airline – and to partner with them to help bring in some of the thousands of visitors who will arrive for this year’s Festival.”
Virgin America and the 2010 Festival have also teamed up for a unique digital promotion. California and Toronto residents may visit the airline’s Web site or social media sites through September 2, 2010 and submit their best pickup line, with the hopes of “smooth talking” their way into the Festival. Three lucky winners will score tickets to attend the prestigious opening night gala as well as a hotel stay and dinner for two. Winning California residents will receive a complimentary flight to Toronto for the festival on Virgin America and winning Toronto residents will receive a flight to anywhere Virgin America flies.* For more, visit: www.virginamerica.com or www.facebook.com/virginamerica.
Since its 2007 launch, Virgin America has experienced record-setting growth, won over millions of flyers with its innovative service and has made a consecutive sweep of the major reader-based travel awards including being voted “Best Domestic Airline” in the 2008 and 2009Condé Nast Traveler’sReaders’ Choice Awards and in the 2008, 2009 and 2010Travel + Leisure’sWorld’s Best Awards. In addition to a Main Cabin that offers custom-designed leather seats with a deeper, more comfortable pitch, the airline’s First Class offers plush white leather seats with 55 inches of pitch, 165 degrees of recline and lumbar massagers. The carrier’s Main Cabin Select option offers 38-inches of pitch, free food and cocktails, an all-access pass to the Red in-flight entertainment system’s countless entertainment options, dedicated overhead bins and priority check-in/boarding. Virgin America was the first airline in North America to offer WiFi on every flight as of May 2009 – and first announced its expansion to Toronto via Twitter – without the support of traditional advertising.
Virgin America flies to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Las Vegas, San Diego, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Toronto, Orlando (starting October 6, 2010), Dallas-Fort Worth (starting December 2010), Los Cabos (starting December 16, 2010) and Cancun (starting January 19, 2011).
