Virgin America is Sir Richard Branson and the Virgin Group’s second attempt to enter the US domestic airline market, and as a devoted Virgin Atlantic traveler I have been eagerly following their progress to approval. Every time I fly a domestic US carrier I feel miserable. How come I can go from San Francisco to London with food and and a private entertainment system for $400 while San Francisco to Seattle costs me $300 and has no amenities at all? Hopefully that is about to change.
The entertainment system aboard is the highlight. Every seat is equipped with an in-flight entertainment device (IFE). Developed internally at Virgin America, the system is named Red and provides live satellite tv, movies, mp3s, games and plane-wide chatting. Yes, chatting. There is a general chatroom, a private invite channel for your friends, and direct user-to-user messaging. When watching television, you have the option to chat with everyone who is watching the same event. Talk about a brand new way to find someone to enter the mile high club with.
Every seat includes 110v power, ethernet jack and USB ports. The USB ports are handy for charging your iPod or Blackberry, but you can also plug in a keyboard to use with the IFE…For example, you order food and drinks from the IFE, and the crew will bring it to you…Finally, the IFE has Doom on it, I don’t know if it is multiplayer or not.
Since Homeland Insecurity was made Waffenfuehrer of domestic air travel, I have only traveled in my 13-year-old pickup truck. These guys could tempt me.
I’m liking the sound of this too, except the part about a virgin America. That sounds boring.
Nice features… wish all airlines had that. 🙂
I’m flying with them for the first time next week. I’ll let you know how it works out.
As long as they are not breaking any laws, let them fly. More competition is a good thing.
If there is one entire industry that needs to press the reset button on their business model and definition of “service” – it’s the Airline industry. I welcome and support all new competitors that are thinking outside the box about how to make the trip more enjoyable for me.
You can be sure that the U.S. airlines and their bought-and-paid-for Congresspuppets will somehow put the kibosh on this upstart airline before it truly goes anywhere.
HOLY CATS! Can you imagine the amount of added wiring to support all of this?! And if any of it should short out, another firey explosion in the air. But try to get the airline industry to install unseen safety devices, like smoke detectors and ceiling cams, and they refuse. Rather than making the flights more entertaining and high tech, which is the shortest part of the flying experience. Make the waiting time to get aloft almost zilch, like it is for rail travel. Otherwise, High Speed Rail will one day replace Jets, if our “play favorites” congress will stop bailing out the airline industry to keep them going.
It’s not that big of a deal to make flying more comfortable and entertaining. I don’t understand why the airlines don’t compete in that category. Maybe Virgin America will point that out. As far as I’m concerned, flying has become more and more of a giant pain in the ass. I don’t care if I ever fly again.
flying is like Public transportation…
NOT enough where/when its needed, and to much when/where its NOT.
Those on top Make to much money, and those Upfront in the public make Little or NOTHING.
Most dont know this,, that 70% of the aircraft is for SHIPPING, and 25% is for passengers… and the passengers pay MORE then the shippers do for the same size packages. MOST TIMES.
Passengers are only considered extra baggage. And the LESS they can give you, the MORE they make.
10, and you are paying 2-3 times as much as the cargo, to be shipped to within 200 miles or MORe of your location…And its worse If you dont live on the EAST COAST…
Virgin America is not owned or ran by Virgin group its its own seperat company…and it just got final approval from FAA and DOT..so they will be up in the air today and forever i have met some crew members they are awesome so everyone should fly Virgin it is fun and taking eveyone back to the service aspect as well as still having saftey but the crew are a fun bunch and you should all be pleased when you fly with them…