Virgin America Wins Best Domestic Airline from Travel + Leisure
 

San Francisco-- July 9, 2008 -- Virgin America, the California-based airline that is reinventing domestic air travel, today took the top honors as “Best Domestic Airline” in the prestigious Travel + Leisure Annual World’s Best Awards readers’ survey.

“We're delighted to welcome so many new winners this year, said Nancy Novogrod, Editor-in-Chief of Travel + Leisure. “Virgin America came on strong in its very first year of service, winning the prize for Best Domestic Airline.”


“Virgin America was launched just last year with the goal of creating a different kind of airline: one built around providing an upscale, innovative, high-value customer experience for smart travelers in the urban destinations we serve,” said Virgin America Chief Executive Officer David Cush. “So, we couldn’t be more honored to take the top award as Best Domestic Airline from Travel + Leisure’s readers -- those who fly the most and expect the very best in design, comfort and service in all their travel choices.”

The complete 2008 results, including the Top 100 Hotels Worldwide, Top 100 Hotels in the Continental U.S. + Canada, and Top 10 Cities in the World, are featured on www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest now and in Travel + Leisure’s August issue, available on newsstands July 22, 2008.

“These awards are certainly not a finish line,” Cush said. “It shows that we are moving in the right direction, but our goal from the start was to design an airline by listening to what travelers actually want. We’ve already implemented customer suggestions taken from our seatback video-screens from some of our very first August 2007 flights. We may not be the biggest, but we aim to be the most innovative, customer-facing and best in the domestic airline market.”

The Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards winners for 2008, including Virgin America’s Cush, will be honored in New York City on July 24, 2008, at an awards luncheon at the Four Seasons Restaurant, followed by a gala event at Hudson Terrace that evening.

Oh Please Dude! Did you see the rest of the list? #2 Midwest,
#3 SunCountry, ...Both are at the top of the list for next Chapter 7 BK or at a minimum have announced huge furloughs while they park 1/3 of their fleets. All that fancy service on VA costs A LOT more than what the current ticket prices can cover, despite the dismal pilot pay. I am glad you have a good product, but that does not change the fact that VA's survival is less than a 50/50 proposition.

I think 50/50 is optimistic. If not for Sir Richard's ego, VA would have already followed in Skybus' footsteps.

The ax may be falling over there as we type.

PlaneBuzz

Cheers
Wino

The AXE not ax is going to fall on lot of other carriers including the high and mighty airlines here in U.S. before it comes down on Virgin America.I can feel there is plenty of jealousy because Virgin America took this honour.

Virgin America deserved it and they took it.

Capt.Doom n Gloom,Virgin America is in a whole different league so kindly stop comparing it to Skybus,VA is based on a very different model.

Virgin America is here to stay and its going to be the next Legacy carrier.

Wow you actually believe all of that B.S. that they feed you from headquarters don't you. Don't worry if (and when) VA goes under, I'm sure sir Richard will have a special place for you under his desk.

Relax man I'm just having some fun!

:D

Funny how this site controls flamers...as long as you're hammering VX that's OK. Jealousy runs deeper than just posters here.

The cool aide from hq is pretty sweet (Gordon Bierch) so that ain't so bad. I know this place could be a longshot, but sometimes those pay out the best. How many JetBluers got this kinda flak when they first started up? I was too busy trying to figure out the noisy Fokker when they fired up, so I don't remember but I'm sure it was similar.
__________________________________________________ ___________
I was like a one-man army, like Charlton Heston in "Omega Man." You ever see it? Beauty.

Spin and 320, Are you two customers or pilots? Like I said, I am happy you have a nice product, but that alone won't keep you working or making a decent wage. This is a pilot forum, and to a pilot there are three (Big 3) measures of how good an airline is: Job security, Pay, and quality of life. Big pax seats, lots of leg room, good food, and nice TVs are just splendid; but they don't mean a thing to a pilot if the airline can't come close to charging enough to pay for it all. Southwest is by most standards the most successful airline ever...and the only frill they offer is a big smile (because those are free). Again #2 and 3 on that glorious list of the "best domestic airlines" are at the bottom when it comes to the big 3. Midwest has their famous cookies, big ole seats and all kinds of room...they are parking 30% of their fleet with the associated furloughs. Sun Country same. For a good pilot career it is the bottom line that counts, and the bottom line is very precarious at "the best domestic airline right now". If you boys just step back and look at the business for a second, your rose colored glasses won't work anymore.
- Started up an airline based in the most saturated and expensive markets in the world.
- Trying to grow in an enviroment that has never been this hostile to the industry.
- Competing against much larger, firmly established carriers.
- Lost 20% of their start up capital in the first 1/2 quarter. And that in what is usually a strong quarter for airlines.
- Vigorously fighting to keep their losses a secret...presumably to prevent investor panic and competitors from exploiting their weaknesses.
- 10 months after start they are already scaling back growth plans.

So lets recap: Am I jealous VA guys don't really know if they will have a job in 6 months...NO
Am, I jealous VA guys get paid RJ wages to fly 150+ pax jets...NO...just mad people will fly for that!
Quality of life...don't know, but mine is fine...so not jealous there either.

The point of my first post was that the award is meaningless to pilots...When VA is profitable and paying pilots what they should be paid, I will be back here as fast as possible to say YOU WERE RIGHT!!!! Until then, VA pilots have absolutely nothing to brag about, and I do not personally know any pilots who are in the least bit envious.

Sorry Flyin...you should have been in the first line as well. Didn't mean to leave you out.

Well I know a discontent when I hear one. Your condesending retoric explains why legacys continue to make the same mistakes over and over. It's really none of your business how much I get paid for flying whatever,however ,whenever.

Please continue with your assessment in how pilots should treat this. No doubt someone will agree and maybe set a date certain when your lives will improve.

By the way it's not bragging when you deliver! something in which you seem to have lost sight. Have a good day sky king!:rolleyes:

Hey check it out, they are even starting to look like Skybus on the outside!

Image of Virgin Shows her true colors - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

You seem to have Master in Finance and Airline industry,so if you think that VA is keepin its finances a secret because it does not want investors to panic you must be dreamin as those investors are aware of everything thats going on.And as far as VA first year FO wages are concerned they are way better than what a first year FO makes @ CAL flying 777s and CAL is considered to be a well established legacy carrier.You might want to go and take a look at the VA pay chart as you will be surprised that they are way better than any Legacy carrier pays you for the first few years of your employment.

Capt.Genious that is one of the A/Cs that was on lease to Skybus and as you are intelligent enough :pI am sure you can figure out that since Skybus no longer exists those planes have been returned back to VA and they are being repainted in VA colours:D

Yeah also a few coming our way that were going to be Blue tails...you just never know!

Wow, you are pretty sensitive aren't you. I don't remember you being so uptight in your posts back during your OH days. If you get some blue tails then great. Better that we control our growth during the tough times by selling airplanes than by growing like crazy into unprofitable oversaturated markets wouldn't you say?

Passengers are not interested in finances... but the product they are purchasing. With that being said, V/A's product appears to be superior to that of it's current competitors serving the same markets.

Good luck with a successful future to the MGT, and crewmembers of V/A.

sure it its. just look at where the legacy carriers fell to. it was the LCC rates. if you continue to grow with subpar pay do you think it puts downward pressure on the rest of the industry or helps them out?

the wages at VA are dog dodo. If you weren't undercutting everyone then I would say good luck but until then...well I'm sure you know.

If your product is so much better than everyone else, why can't you charge more and pay at least industry wages?

Why change if the business model and operations are working and acceptable to MGT, Pilots, F/A's, and customers?

You know the old saying... "If it ain't broke... then don't fix it."

so no pay raises because it's acceptable to them...

for some reason I think the entire airline system is currently broke.

No worries ITSALLGOOD, It's all good. Just happy to have a job and a cool new start trek outfit to boot:D. Cheers!
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I was like a one-man army, like Charlton Heston in "Omega Man." You ever see it? Beauty.

...I'm sensitive? :rolleyes: I believe that applies to most that respond here!

What happens when an employee does not perform to the expectations of the employee? They are terminated by the company.

What happens when a company no longer meets that satisfaction of the employee? They fire the company and move on.

There are many opportunities out their for pilots in the corporate sector and overseas that contain good T & Cs.

The pay and benefits of the old legacy carriers are a thing of the past, and there's no sight of restoration of pay or benefits in sight.

1. Very few pilots don't meet the expectations of the employer. (yes I do believe that some pilots should be fired for their actions)

2. That's all nice and fluffy but we both know that isn't the real world of an airline pilot.

3. I'm sure there are good jobs in other countries but I like my country and would like to stay here along with 95% of the other pilots here. As for corporate I've seen some of their lives and didn't care for it.

4. You are correct on that because airlines like Virgin America, jetblue and airtran will continue to pop up and lower the bar while their pilots continue to say it's not my fault, management won't pay me more.

Well actually we should have been pressing for pay raises by now, but with the rest of the industry furloughing it would be a really tough sell to the investors. What's first year pay at CAL UAL et all after the furloughs? Zero?

Good point, you guys should go to management and tell them that you are willing to take a paycut as long as the company doesn't furlough. Cmon guys times are tough, you don't want to end up furloughing like those other airlines you just mentioned do you.

No mention of furloughs over here, but we have taken a few months off on hiring. I would never ask for a pay cut, unless it's for you :-)

Congrats VA on your award.
Best of luck .

I love how you only point out first year pay.

what are the other years like?

when you eventually have people upgrading in three years what year do they start captain pay at?

I point out first year because if someone is on the street looking, that's where they will start no matter where they go. We could have the discussion about why pilots have to start over on pay, unlike other skilled labor jobs, but there are plenty of threads covering that already.

It is what it is. It's still better than a non flying job.

Why do you keep misspelling "color"? You're no longer in POME land.
Cheers,
fbh

and why do you have to use english alphabets,maybe you should invent your own.

Yes it is...and what it is is, VA helping bring down the rest of the industry.

3rd year FO pay used to be better than your 3rd year CA at VA. It's sad because if you do lose your job these days you have to get to a CA slot to even make old FO pay.:(

Cool! England invented the alphabet:rolleyes: Have fun on first year pay (again) after you up-grade. I'm done with ya.
fbh

LOL..I hope you are joking!

Unless you want to argue that Egypt was occupied by the English in 2000 BC - 1700 BC.

Go back and count boxes. ;)

It probably was. They occupied everywhere else!!!!!

IFlyEm, I sure was,...just yankin' A320's chain:D It's good to see others here that have a subtle sense of humor. (that's "humour" for ol' A320)
Cheers,
fbh

and I was trying to yank yours:D

Good one. Did you think of that all by yourself?