Despite headwinds, Virgin America turns one-year old

It's been an extraordinarily tough year for the airline industry. Rising fuel prices have caused carriers to ground airplanes, cut seats and charge for legions of amenities once considered free. Despite that, a new entrant emerged last August, just as headwinds were beginning to build. Discount airline Virgin America (www.virginamerica.com) is still flying, and still expanding its operations.

The end of VX's (that's the discount airline's code) first year of flight finds 1.7 million passengers having flown its two-class, lavishly-equipped Airbusess. And the new-entrant now boasts a route structure of seven cities.

Seems flyers like the product. Travel + Leisure tabbed Virgin America the country's Best Domestic Airline, and Zagat's 2007 Global Airlines Survey rated VX's first class best in quality among U.S. first and business class offerings.

Right now, the discount airline offers service from San Francisco (SFO) to Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco to New York Kennedy (JFK), San Francisco to San Diego (SAN), San Francisco to Washington Dulles (IAD), San Francisco to Las Vegas (LAS), San Francisco to Seattle/Tacoma (SEA), Los Angeles to New York Kennedy, Los Angeles to Washington Dulles, and Los Angeles to Seattle/Tacoma. Plans are to launch nonstop New York Kennedy - Las Vegas service September 4.

The latter route will be particularly welcome. Las Vegas has been losing critical lift as a result of still-high jet fuel prices - especially as a result of a major retrenchment at McCarran International Airport by US Airways.

©Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler