Flight Prospector

The Virgin America Difference - but I don't want any of it.

2007-08-01T23:55:00.000-07:00

The shiny new Virgin America planes look fantastic. They include all the features you could imagine. Leather seats, mood lighting, entertainment system with hundreds of MP3's and you can even order food from it. The list goes on. But I don't want any of it.

I would gladly give up all of the Virgin America features if they would just add some extra leg room instead. All those features will distract me for a little while but ultimately my comfort will only be permanently improved with a little more leg room. However I guess that is nowhere as sexy to market. American Airlines kind of tried it. For a while they took some rows of seats out of their planes for the Miles More Room in Coach promotion. At the time I was making frequent trips between England and the US and was loyal to Virgin Atlantic. I enjoyed the service on Virgin Atlantic, the entertainment system (when it worked and wasn't just taking up leg room), the wine with dinner, the ice cream during the movie and the fun amenity kit. However I switched to American Airlines just for the extra leg room. The AA service was not as good and it did not have the extras but it was a worthwhile trade off. Unfortunately AA ended the Miles More Room in Coach promotion.
I did read that AA felt passengers were not willing to pay the few bucks more for the extra room. But even as a loyal convert to the service I don't remember seeing anything indicating this at the time. So I don't think customers were really aware.

If an airline would like to add more room but clearly inform customers that it means an extra $20 or so I'm sure it will be popular.

Virgin America opens it doors

2007-07-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

Virgin America has opened its doors with some great deals.

$44 San Francisco (SFO) to Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) - Las Vegas (LAS).
$129 San Francisco (SFO) - Washington D.C. (IAD) and Washington D.C. (IAD) - Los Angeles (LAX).
$139 San Francisco - New York (JFK) and New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX).

First Class (with massage chairs)

$149 San Francisco (SFO) to Los Angeles (LAX).
$389 New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX) and New York (JFK) to San Francisco (SFO).

Great deals. Hopefully there will be many more and many more cities soon.

Southwest raises fares, adds PayPal to its website

2007-07-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

Southwest Airlines Co. has raised most of its fares by $1 to $10 each way.

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A to Z Guide to Travel Secrets You Need to Know

2007-06-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

From airline ticket booking loopholes to zipping precious travel documents, we.ve uncovered a wealth of money-saving shortcuts and insiders. insights to help you travel like a pro.

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Virgin Charter: Branson's Air Taxi Play

2007-06-12T14:54:00.000-07:00

Richard Branson wants to make chartering a small jet or plane as easy as booking a flight on Expedia. Today, he launched his latest startup: Virgin Charter.

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Travel Disney on a budget

2007-05-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

ORLANDO, FLA. . The most important part of budget travel to Disney World is advance planning. Research and book your transportation, accommodations, meal plans, character dining, and theme park tickets as far in advance as possible for maximum savings - and to make your visit more pleasant!

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Your Worst Travel Nightmare: Medical Need

2007-05-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

You've got your tickets, you've planned your itinerary, you've read up on the history of the remote area you are about to visit, but have you planned for a medical emergency? An air ambulance can cost as much as $100,000, but advanced planning can allow you access to this service for a fraction of the cost.

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Virgin America has been approved!

2007-05-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

The Department of Transportation (DOT) today granted final approval for Virgin America, a new low fare U.S. airline, to begin operations.

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Southwest Airlines and Galileo have signed a 10-year, content distribution agreement

2007-05-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

Through the agreement, all of Southwest.s published fares and inventory, with the exception of Southwest exclusive web fares, will be available late this year to Galileo-connected travel agencies in North America.

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