Things move mighty fast in the world of inflight Internet access. A mere 6 hours after I posted about a different airline claiming to be the first with (upcoming) fleetwide Internet access, Virgin America has stepped forward as the new winner.
In fact, in just 2 weeks (on Memorial day), Virgin America will have the Gogo Inflight service available on all their planes, making them the first airline in the country to reach this milestone.
It was only 6 months ago that we celebrated the launch of their service on board Virgin America flight 8001.
And sure, it may be easier to get your entire fleet equipped when you are not as large as some of the legacy carriers, but their commitment to providing Internet on all their flights is one that deserves a round of applause.
Until their entire fleet has been outfitted, you can check whether your upcoming flight will be equipped with the service when you book a ticket on their site, just look for the little “WiFi” icon in the flight lineup.
Some people say that the Virgin airline brand is the epitome of overindulgence and tackiness. That in pulling away from the legacy carriers they’re backing themselves into a velvet lined, absinthe swigging corner. That the millions and millions of dollars they’re putting into their brand Virgin America is money poorly spent on a shrinking, penny pinching economy.
Virgin America‘s inaugural flight and launch party to Orange County fits those descriptions perfectly.
Picture this scenario: You’re standing on the John Wayne Airport’s tarmac with 4 cameras, 12 batteries, a note pad, three pens and a laptop. Up pulls an Airbus A320, out of which Richard Branson galavants, careening down the steps with shorts and a surfboard, followed by MC Hammer and joined by members of Real Housewives of New York City. People rejoice. Branson dances around the tarmac, revelers drink champagne, pretty women flaunt their wiles and the celebration of service to Orange County begins.
Wouldn’t you know it? We loved every second.
%Gallery-51512% Though times are tough in the airline business, Virgin America is moving forward with its expansion across the country, rocking every city as it descends in a blur of activity and excitement.
Last week’s OC launch started with a party on the SNA tarmac, and as the inaugural flight from San Francisco drew closer you could feel the excitement building. Luckily, we got a great spot on the tarmac for a view of the incoming airplane.
With the full crew on the ground including an alarmingly old MC Hammer and several members from Real Housewives of New York, the party kicked into full swing as revelers enjoyed more free drinks, appetizers and complimentary spray tans.
The party then moved over to the Pacific Edge Villa, where the Gadling crew enjoyed airline hobknobbing and excitement until the wee hours of the morning. Hats off to Virgin America for putting together an amazing event.
Ready to check out the madness for yourself? Book your tickets at virginamerica.com.
While there have been many reports and videos highlighting the inflight entertainment provided by Virgin America, Gadling thought it would be interesting to find out what kind of technology was available to the pilots and flight attendants at Virgin America.
Take a look as pilots Gabe and Eddie and flight attendant Rebecca give Gadling a look at some of the gadgets available to them on board their A319.
Last week, Virgin America kicked off service with to Orange County, California with its inaugural flight from San Francisco down to John Wayne airport, between which they’ll be running 5 daily flights.
Never ones to miss a party, Gadling stopped by the tarmac to pay a visit to Sir Richard Branson, dish with MC Hammer, apply a few layers of spray tan and boost our hipster credentials.
The after party brought us over to the Pacific Edge Villa, a gorgeous slice of Orange County beach front property, where hobknobbers and people in the know lined up for autographs from our award winning blog team. Stay tuned this week for some gorgeous photos and tidbits from the event.
Fresh spring food selections isn’t all that Virgin America is up to these days. Virgin America is also interested in lessening its impact on the environment. To prove it, the California-based airlines has joined The Climate Registry, the non–profit organization dedicated to keeping track of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) to aid in better regulation so that efforts to be more environmentally friendly have a fighting chance.
In fact, Virgin America, the first U.S. airlines to join up with the Climate Registry, is ahead of the curve. By the end of 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency may have emission standards for aircraft and aircraft engines. Because Virgin America has agreed to add to the transparency of measuring emissions, it’s helping the cause of seeing how much airplanes impact the environment and what to do to lessen adverse effects.
One might wonder just what an airline can do to be more environmentally friendly considering the amount of fuel it takes to fly, but Virgin America has thought of such details.
For example, the new Airbus A320 fleet is 25% more fuel efficient than other domestic carriers. Virgin America also does the following as part of its efforts to fly more green:
single engine taxiing
idle reverse landings
regulate speed to reduce fuel burn
use advanced avionics to fly more efficiently
There is a certain hopefulness to read about an airline that is interested in taking care of the environment while it figures out how to turn a profit. [PR Newswire: United Business Media]