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Tuesday, August 14th: Virgin America Connects The Bay To The Beltway With New Non-Stop SFO-DCA Flights
First Low-Fare Carrier Flight Launches from San Francisco to Airport Closest to Capitol - Washington National (DCA)
Prior to 2012, the Bay Area Had No Nonstop Flight Service to DCA
New Airline to Offer First California-DCA Guests a New Choice and the "Presidential" Treatment En Route
Voter Registration through Rock the Vote Offered In-Flight via Airline's Touch-screen Entertainment Platform and FleetWide WiFi
WHAT: Virgin America, the award-winning domestic airline, is celebrating the launch of its new low-fare, upscale nonstop service to Washington, DC's Reagan National Airport (DCA) with a red, white and blue sendoff for its first commercial flight guests from San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The airline is hosting an irreverent election-themed celebration for its first guests, with a red carpet "campaign rally"-style sendoff at SFO T2. Known for its inventive design and amenities like hip moodlighting, fleetwide WiFi and a touch-screen entertainment platform at every seat, the airline has teamed up with Rock the Vote to help launch the new service with a unique promotion to encourage First Flight guests to register to vote via Virgin America's Red(TM) in-flight entertainment system. As of Tuesday, guests on Virgin America flights will be able to use their smartphones* to scan a QR code on the airline's Red seatback entertainment platform to register to vote. The mobile application is powered by PromoJam Social Marketing Platform and Rock the Vote - the largest non-partisan voter registration organization in the country, engaging and building political power for young people in the U.S. Some "presidential" impersonators will be joining the flight and talking to flyers on both sides of the aisle. For high resolution photos of Virgin America's interior cabin amenities and exterior see: http://www.virginamerica.com/vx/photos.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090123/VIRGINAMERICALOGO)
Even with the size of the travel market and the region's vibrant innovation-based economy, until this year, the San Francisco Bay Area did not have nonstop flights to DCA. The new SFO-DCA route became available following the enactment of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, which authorized the DOT to award a limited number of new flights to U.S. domestic airports located beyond DCA's 1,250-mile "perimeter limit." Virgin America, which will launch its new DCA service as it celebrates its fifth anniversary of operations, received an outpouring of community support for its application for DCA access from local elected officials and business organizations. The airline's new SFO-DCA schedule is focused on convenient morning and late afternoon/evening departures and arrivals for Bay Area travelers and Washington, DC area travelers respectively. The airline's new flight will depart San Francisco daily at 8:00am PT and arrive at DCA at 4:05pm ET. The westbound flight will depart DCA daily at 5:00pm ET and arrive in San Francisco at 7:40pm PT. The new DCA service will complement Virgin America's existing service between SFO and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) - the airline currently has four daily nonstop flights between SFO and IAD.
When: August 14 at 7:05 am (Media should arrive at 6:30 am to allow for check-in
and set-up.)
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Where: Terminal 2, San Francisco International Airport (Media must RSVP in advance
for access)
Who: Among the dignitaries scheduled to speak:
Charles Schuler, San Francisco International Airport David Cush, Virgin
America President and CEO Special appearances by Jim Gossett as "Mitt" and
Reggie Brown as "Barack"
RSVP: Patricia Condon 650-906-8147or patricia.condon@virginamerica.com or Angela
Galvez 650-315-3635 or angela.galvez@virginamerica.com
KEY VISUALS:
-- First Flight guests enjoying a rally at the gate to celebrate Virgin
America's inaugural service into DCA
-- Virgin America CEO, David Cush and SFO Airport leadership addressing
inaugural guests
-- "Mitt" and "Barack" cutting the ribbon for Virgin America's first flight
to DCA
-- Heather Smith, President of Rock the Vote explaining to Virgin America
commercial flight guests how they will register to vote once onboard
Virgin America's all new fleet offers beautifully-designed, moodlit cabins and a host of amenities. The Red(TM) entertainment platform offers guests access to 25 on-demand films, live TV, videogames, music videos, seat-to-seat chat as well as an on-demand menu so flyers can order cocktails or snacks from their seat any time during their flight.
EDITORS NOTE: Virgin America is a U.S.-controlled, owned and operated airline. It is an entirely separate company from Virgin Atlantic. Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group is a minority share investor in Virgin America.
About Virgin America: Headquartered in California, Virgin America is a new domestic airline that offers guests attractive fares and a host of innovative features aimed at reinventing air travel. As the only airline headquartered in the Bay Area, Virgin America's principle base of operations is San Francisco International Airport's (SFO) sleek and sustainable new Terminal Two (T2) - the first LEED® Gold-certified airport terminal in the U.S. As one of the few expanding U.S. airlines, Virgin America has grown from a few hundred teammates in 2007 to 2,600 today. Known for beautifully-designed planes with WiFi, power outlets and touch-screen entertainment at every seat, Virgin America has swept the travel awards since its 2007 launch, including being named "Best U.S. Airline" in Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards and Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards. The airline's new aircraft offer interactive in-flight entertainment systems and power outlets near every seat. For more: http://www.virginamerica.com
* Electronic device usage only permitted during certain phases of flight.
/PRNewswire -- Aug. 13, 2012/
SOURCE Virgin America
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090123/VIRGINAMERICALOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Virgin America
Web Site: http://www.virginamerica.com
Tuesday, August 14th: Virgin America Connects The Bay To The Beltway With New Non-Stop SFO-DCA Flights
First Low-Fare Carrier Flight Launches from San Francisco to Airport Closest to Capitol - Washington National (DCA)
Prior to 2012, the Bay Area Had No Nonstop Flight Service to DCA
New Airline to Offer First California-DCA Guests a New Choice and the "Presidential" Treatment En Route
Voter Registration through Rock the Vote Offered In-Flight via Airline's Touch-screen Entertainment Platform and FleetWide WiFi
WHAT: Virgin America, the award-winning domestic airline, is celebrating the launch of its new low-fare, upscale nonstop service to Washington, DC's Reagan National Airport (DCA) with a red, white and blue sendoff for its first commercial flight guests from San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The airline is hosting an irreverent election-themed celebration for its first guests, with a red carpet "campaign rally"-style sendoff at SFO T2. Known for its inventive design and amenities like hip moodlighting, fleetwide WiFi and a touch-screen entertainment platform at every seat, the airline has teamed up with Rock the Vote to help launch the new service with a unique promotion to encourage First Flight guests to register to vote via Virgin America's Red(TM) in-flight entertainment system. As of Tuesday, guests on Virgin America flights will be able to use their smartphones* to scan a QR code on the airline's Red seatback entertainment platform to register to vote. The mobile application is powered by PromoJam Social Marketing Platform and Rock the Vote - the largest non-partisan voter registration organization in the country, engaging and building political power for young people in the U.S. Some "presidential" impersonators will be joining the flight and talking to flyers on both sides of the aisle. For high resolution photos of Virgin America's interior cabin amenities and exterior see: http://www.virginamerica.com/vx/photos.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090123/VIRGINAMERICALOGO)
Even with the size of the travel market and the region's vibrant innovation-based economy, until this year, the San Francisco Bay Area did not have nonstop flights to DCA. The new SFO-DCA route became available following the enactment of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, which authorized the DOT to award a limited number of new flights to U.S. domestic airports located beyond DCA's 1,250-mile "perimeter limit." Virgin America, which will launch its new DCA service as it celebrates its fifth anniversary of operations, received an outpouring of community support for its application for DCA access from local elected officials and business organizations. The airline's new SFO-DCA schedule is focused on convenient morning and late afternoon/evening departures and arrivals for Bay Area travelers and Washington, DC area travelers respectively. The airline's new flight will depart San Francisco daily at 8:00am PT and arrive at DCA at 4:05pm ET. The westbound flight will depart DCA daily at 5:00pm ET and arrive in San Francisco at 7:40pm PT. The new DCA service will complement Virgin America's existing service between SFO and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) - the airline currently has four daily nonstop flights between SFO and IAD.
When: August 14 at 7:05 am (Media should arrive at 6:30 am to allow for check-in
and set-up.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where: Terminal 2, San Francisco International Airport (Media must RSVP in advance
for access)
Who: Among the dignitaries scheduled to speak:
Charles Schuler, San Francisco International Airport David Cush, Virgin
America President and CEO Special appearances by Jim Gossett as "Mitt" and
Reggie Brown as "Barack"
RSVP: Patricia Condon 650-906-8147or patricia.condon@virginamerica.com or Angela
Galvez 650-315-3635 or angela.galvez@virginamerica.com
KEY VISUALS:
-- First Flight guests enjoying a rally at the gate to celebrate Virgin
America's inaugural service into DCA
-- Virgin America CEO, David Cush and SFO Airport leadership addressing
inaugural guests
-- "Mitt" and "Barack" cutting the ribbon for Virgin America's first flight
to DCA
-- Heather Smith, President of Rock the Vote explaining to Virgin America
commercial flight guests how they will register to vote once onboard
Virgin America's all new fleet offers beautifully-designed, moodlit cabins and a host of amenities. The Red(TM) entertainment platform offers guests access to 25 on-demand films, live TV, videogames, music videos, seat-to-seat chat as well as an on-demand menu so flyers can order cocktails or snacks from their seat any time during their flight.
EDITORS NOTE: Virgin America is a U.S.-controlled, owned and operated airline. It is an entirely separate company from Virgin Atlantic. Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group is a minority share investor in Virgin America.
About Virgin America: Headquartered in California, Virgin America is a new domestic airline that offers guests attractive fares and a host of innovative features aimed at reinventing air travel. As the only airline headquartered in the Bay Area, Virgin America's principle base of operations is San Francisco International Airport's (SFO) sleek and sustainable new Terminal Two (T2) - the first LEED® Gold-certified airport terminal in the U.S. As one of the few expanding U.S. airlines, Virgin America has grown from a few hundred teammates in 2007 to 2,600 today. Known for beautifully-designed planes with WiFi, power outlets and touch-screen entertainment at every seat, Virgin America has swept the travel awards since its 2007 launch, including being named "Best U.S. Airline" in Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards and Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards. The airline's new aircraft offer interactive in-flight entertainment systems and power outlets near every seat. For more: http://www.virginamerica.com
* Electronic device usage only permitted during certain phases of flight.
/PRNewswire -- Aug. 13, 2012/
SOURCE Virgin America
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090123/VIRGINAMERICALOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Virgin America
Web Site: http://www.virginamerica.com