From 35,000-feet: Virgin America's CEO Talks with Cheapflights from the Flight

Virgin America launched its California to Fort Lauderdale flights today, and in true Virgin style, it was nothing short of a party in the sky. We couldn't make the event, but we wanted to be a part of it, so our Senior Editor struck up a conversation with Virgin America's President and CEO David Cush in-flight. The result? Surprisingly great response time from the sky, and we learned a thing a two about what's ahead for Virgin America.

Melanie: [email sent: 12:52 p.m.] Hi, David, How’s the party at 35,000-feet? Can you describe some of the events that are taking place in-flight?

David: [email received: 1:01 p.m.] Lots of great stuff.  Blogging, [tweeting], tequila shooting, surfing, TV watching, a "Journey" sing-along with the cabin, makeovers.  Patron is a new partner and they managed to load a bit of their product on board and people are enjoying it.

Melanie: [email sent: 1:04 p.m.] Oh, that’s great news! I’ll be on board Virgin America in a few months so I’ll keep an eye out for my Patron… Well, congratulations are in order -- VA was named Best Domestic Airline by Conde Nast - how's it feel?  What new and exciting in-flight additions can travelers expect to see in 2010?

JetBlue, Virgin America Launch San Francisco-Florida Flights

You could consider this a competition in the sky, or you could just choose which flight deal is better for your travel times. Either way, you've got options when it comes to flying from California to Florida.

JetBlue and Virgin America today announced the launch of their new San Francisco flights to Fort Lauderdale, and as you would expect, both airlines are getting fliers excited with cheap flights.

JetBlue Airways is offering a special $79 one-way fare for travel Dec. 1, 2009 through Feb. 28, 2010, blackout dates not included. Travel must be booked by November 18, 2009. Virgin America is offering the same route for as low as $99, but they've one-upped JetBlue by offering fliers two times to choose from.

Virgin America is launching the coast-to-coast flights twice a day, while JetBlue's San Francisco to Florida flight departs once a day at 7:15 p.m. from Fort Lauderdale and 11:15 p.m. from San Francisco.

Virgin Atlantic Launches "Flying Without Fear" Application for iPhones

Those who have a fear of flying suffer from anxiety that can sometimes inhibit them from seeing the world. Panic about booking travel, and even an inability to board an aircraft are just a few issues for the fearsome flier. Virgin Atlantic announced yesterday that it has, in conjunction with a company called Mental Workout, created an iPhone application designed to help scared travelers board the plane and relax.

The application, called “Flying Without Fear” begins with a personal introduction from Richard Branson. Complete with video explanations of frequently asked questions, examples of relaxation exercises, breathing routines, and fast tips for battling anxiety, the quick tips are meant to calm travelers on flights.

Virgin America's "Stay Golden America" Contest

Listen up, California residents. We know it’s a hard life for you, surfing, rubbing elbows with the celebrities and soaking up the sun all day long, but Virgin America wants to offer you the chance to do the same thing in Fort Lauderdale. But, for free.

We know, it sounds painful.

In honor of Virgin America’s new route to Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 18, the carrier has opened a Stay Golden America contest to California residents to show them “how you roll golden fabulous.” Basically, you need to register and write a quick, compelling post about how golden you are, and get people to vote for you and your “goldenness.” (What are Facebook friends for, anyway?)

Virgin Atlantic Offers Cheap Flights to London

Virgin Atlantic is offering a round of discounted fares to London, so take your pick from travel dates this autumn, winter and next spring.

For the cheapest flights from many cities, hop the pond between Oct. 22 and Dec. 20. However, pay attention to travel dates for your departure city since they can vary slightly.

Virgin Atlantic runs fare sales to London on a regular basis, but to secure these rates, you’ll need to book a flight by Oct. 22. The best fares can be found Monday through Wednesday and a Saturday night stay is required. In a search for a flight between New York City and London in early November, we found a round-trip flight with taxes for $658.

Virgin America and Google Team Up to Offer Free WiFi on Flights

 
This holiday season, there’s one thing you won’t have to worry about buying – in-flight WiFi. At least when you fly with Virgin America.

The California-based carrier is the only airline in the country teaming up with Google to provide free wireless internet during the busy travel season. The special lass from Nov. 10-Jan. 15, so the three major travel  periods (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years) are completely covered.

Virgin America is also the first airline to provide service from Gogo®, an in-flight internet service, and its customers seem to appreciate it. In a recent survey conducted by VA, most passengers said that they brought laptops on flight, and liked being able to work remotely, or to keep up with social media. 

Virgin America: Double Points, In-flight Entertainment, and Constant Connection

We love it when airlines work hard to keep us comfortable in the skies, and that seems to be exactly what Virgin America is doing this week. Not only is it helping frequent fliers earn double points, but they’re also celebrating an award for best in-flight entertainment and partnering with BlogWorld to give travelers more of a voice.

As of yesterday, VA’s Elevate Members are able to earn double points with a new promotion. If you’re not an Elevate member yet, you can register online before Oct. 18 to reap the benefits. You must travel before Dec. 15. Now is a great time to earn points on especially long flights, since your points will multiply. If you’re interested in going from East Coast to West Coast, consider a cross-country flight to make the most of your purchase.

Once you’re on board, the fun starts. Don’t worry about seeing “Failure to Launch” for the twelfth time -- you can pick your own movies, TV shows and games on your personal touch screen. Passengers voted for 38 commercial airlines around the world, and Virgin America was chosen as the winner for Best In-flight Entertainment.

Black Eyed Peas Join 'Mile High Club' in Melbourne

When the Black Eyed Peas say "let's get it started", they mean business... serious business at 41,000-feet. Passengers are Virgin Blue's karaoke flight will get up close and personal with the Grammy-winning band on a flight from Melbourne to Perth this Friday.

The Black Eyed Peas and 140 guests will test their pipes on-board Virgin's first “Mile High Karaoke Plane”.

“Getting the chance to work on such a unique project with The Black Eyed Peas was an opportunity we just couldn’t pass up,” Virgin Blue Chief Executive Brett Godfrey said to the Australian news service.  "It most definitely is an Australian first and who knows, we may even end up breaking a world-record somewhere along the way.”

Or, maybe a new band will be formed from the flight?

Virgin America: 24-hour Business Class Sale Flights from $29

When Virgin America does a sale, they mean business. In this case, the Virgin America "Let's Get Down to Business" sale is just that: cheap flights for $29.

You've got 24 hours to book these flights, but as an on-the-go business person you're probably used to these last-minute decisions. Book by Sept. 22, 7:00AM (Pacific Time) and fly through Sept. 30, 2009.

Choose from $29 flights in the Main Cabin to $89 instant upgrades in the Main Cabin Select section. What's more, Virgin put all its cities on sale. You can fly to San Francisco, Boston, Las Vegas, New York and Washington on this sale, but you have to act fast.

Discount Airfare: Boston to West Coast on Virgin America $109

If you're in Boston (or nearby) and you're looking to trade in the cold winter months for some beach time, this deal is for you. Virgin America just slashed their West Coast fares from Boston to $109 each way.

The flight sale is available for travel on the following dates:

Aug. 28 - Nov. 18
Dec. 2-16
Jan. 6 - Feb. 10

Tickets must be purchased by Sept. 8. Travel Monday-Thursday and Saturday to grab the $109 fares. Fares go up $25 for Friday and Sunday flights. Cheapflights tip: Don't delay - these seats are limited and once they're gone, they're gone.

Sample fares from Boston (each way):