All stories about "Virgin America"

Our friends at Virgin America reneged on the promise to let me take video and photos of the cross-country model pajama party. So I shan't be doing that. However, their new inflight instruction video is pretty cute, I must say. I like the smoking woman who desperately salivates over her sadly unlit cigarette before finally complying with the rules.

Taking a cue from the inflight lingerie shows in Ecuador, Virgin America has partnered with Victoria's Secret to host a "Supermodel PJ Party & PJ Fashion Show" on a JFK-LAX flight on November 28. Enter here through November 7 for a chance at tickets on the PJ plane, including a round trip back. Full disclosure: Virgin America has sponsored this site in the past, and they've also asked me to serve as a chaperone on the PJ plane. I will of course report back once I return, with photos and video. If you win tickets, you'll see me right there in Miranda Kerr's lap, doing journalism.

Victoria's Secret Supermodel PJ Party [Virgin America]

Bowing down before the mighty power of Blog, sometime local sponsor Virgin America dragooned a cadre of popular tech bloggers to staff up its latest cartoon advertising initiative. The "Virgin Americans" -- please, withhold your guffaws, churlish types -- feature appearances by Boing Boing's Xeni Jardin, Cory Doctrow, David Pescovitz, and Mark Frauenfelder; Engadget's Pete Rojas; and Diggnation's Alex Albrecht and Kevin Rose. No travel bloggers in sight, since they're such a surly and unattractive lot. At least Rojas gets a line in the latest spot.

Virgin America's Virgin Americans [via Newlaunches]

Aiming for a 2008 rollout, Virgin America will be the first airline to have standard wifi Internet access available for passengers on all flights. VA will be using AirCell for the service, the same provider who's building similar wifi capability into American Airlines' planes -- but the AA version will only be for select flights. On Virgin, passengers can access the wifi either via their own laptops or devices, or via Virgin's "Red" inflight entertainment system. (Incidentally, Red will supposedly provide some kind of inflight social chat network application for passengers -- ZOMG RBRANSON IS TEH HAWT!) No word yet on how much the wifi connection will cost; I'm going to prognosticate something like $10 for an hour, with maybe a $0.25 per minute. Unlikely that you'll be able to watch net porn or play Flight Simulator.

Virgin America and AirCell Partner to Launch Inflight Broadband Connectivity Service Over U.S. [via Boing Boing Gadgets]

As recently reported here and by our friends at Consumerist, Virgin America won't be getting any action soon. Rejected by the FAA, Branson et al took to YouTube, in an effort to ignite a people's revolution. Sadly for him, no great leap forward seems to be in the making. But Branson isn't one to put all his eggs in one basket, obviously. So, on Thursday he plans to launch a stem-cell cold storage facility. The venture, in which blood is stored from the umbilical cord and placenta of newborns, all but ensures future generations of customers for Virgin America, if it ever gets off the ground, and Virgin Galactic, now that Shatner backed out and Lance Bass is too gay to space walk. But by far the best part is that if Virgin is having a hard time filling seats, all they need do is clone a couple hundred new souls. There's no word on the name but keeping in line with Branson's naming scheme, we're guessing Virgin Placenta.

Branson Goes Brainy [Times UK]

Previously: Ask Daddy Gridskipper: Virgin America, Virgin Denied Heading to YouTube for Revenge, Virgin Airfare Fun

On the heels of Virgin Atlantic opening daily service from London to Shanghai comes the formal announcement of Virgin America, a new airline based in San Francisco. The San Francisco Chronicle classifies it as a "low-fare" airline, but I'm guessing it will be on the higher JetBlue-level end of that spectrum. Gridskipper contributor Boi from Troy points out that the San Francisco base is an unconventional choice at minimum, given the likelihood of a SF-NYC route for Virgin America, even though that route was among those recently abandoned by Delta pulling the plug on its Song discount brand. On a guess, I'd say it's a move designed to complement Virgin Atlantic's interest in increasing its Asian presence. Interestingly, Branson and Virgin Atlantic are only a minority investor in Virgin America, which is majority-owned by American investment banks. Though foreign players are legally barred from owning majorities of American airlines, it's a slight surprise that Branson et al elected to take such a small share (less than 25%, if I 'm reading the coverage right). And of course, they're licensing the Virgin name to the new airline as part of the deal. Even without majority control, the move allows the Virgin brand to start building synergy on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides. All that's really in question is how many non-coastal domestic cities that Virgin America will bother to serve.

Virgin America secures funding for takeoff [Boi from Troy]
Taking to the air [SF Chronicle]
Virgin America [Official site]

Previously: Virgin Does China Daily, Virgin Airfare Fun, Sir Richard’s Inexorable Jetrosexualism, First-Class Fear, Jetrosexuals: Less Jet, More Sex