Virgin America kicks off service to Cancun

Dying to get your Spring Break on in style? Then pack your sandals, sunscreen, sombrero and head on over to Virgin America’s website to grab some great fares or a chance to win a VIP getaway to Cancun, Mexico.

This morning, Virgin America is launching their service from LAX & SFO to the Mayan Riviera (aka Cancun) and Gadling is onboard to witness the festivities. Remember the Goo Goo Dolls? Apparently they’re still churning out the hits and have brought VH1 aboard to tape a mile-high episode of the Top 20 Video Countdown and show us how to travel like rock stars.

So if you have questions for the Goo Goo Dolls or song requests for the in-flight sing along that’s bound to break out, leave them in the comments below!

You can sign up to enter Virgin America’s VIP giveaway right here. If you don’t win, fares from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Cancun start from $139 each way and depart five days a week.

We’ll do our best to get in every shot of VH1’s special Top 20 Video Countdown episode, so tune in on January 29th at 9am EST to catch our ugly mugs.

Passengers stranded on Missouri showboat

Over 600 people were stranded aboard the Branson Belle showboat overnight after running aground on Table Rock lake in Branson, Missouri.

The boat departed on a 2 1/2 hour cruise Saturday at 4 p.m. and was on its way back to disembark passengers when the incident occurred. The boat maintained electrical power to provide heat, lighting and food but there were no sleeping accommodations on board.

High winds and strong currents prevented a rescue attempt overnight forcing passengers to sleep in chairs or on the floor of the boat.

Lisa Rau, a spokeswoman for boat owner Herschend Family Entertainment told CNN “It has been determined that the safest thing to do is to leave the boat where it is until the winds die down”

The Branson Belle cruise is described as “a three-course meal, variety show, and opportunity to sightsee along Table Rock Lake” by promoter BransonShows.com.

“It’s not the best case scenario, but we’re doing everything we can to make sure everybody’s as comfortable as possible,” Rau said.

Flickr photo by Branson Missouri

Inside Virgin America’s mid-continent arrival

I don’t think I actually understood the implications of Virgin America’s launch into “fortress-hub” Dallas/Fort Worth until we touched down on the tarmac.

As we taxied to our gate, I could see nothing but a endless row of silver fuselages; all adorned with the iconic blue & red “AA” logo. It felt almost as if we were silently making our way through the front gates of a modern-day Troy.

The only difference, of course, was that this Trojan horse was bright red, equipped with mood lighting, and ready to be received by a cheering crowd of residents, city officials, and the rebel billionaire himself, Sir Richard Branson. To top it off, the tarmac was host to a pen of live bulls, tent with cocktail service, and full fledged Texan barbecue – the type of spectacle I’ve come to know, love, and anticipate when Virgin wants to catch people’s attention.

And it certainly seems as if American has already taken notice. In the weeks leading up to the launch, the legacy carrier lowered fares by 20% and offered double frequent flyer miles aboard Dallas-San Francisco and Dallas-Los Angeles routes.

DFW Public Affairs Manager, David Magaña, also mentioned that American hasn’t been able to stop talking about Virgin’s arrival preceding the event, as it signifies the first of several low-cost carriers that will be entering the Dallas market in 2011. While this loosens American’s 85% share of flights from the hub, it spurs competition and ultimately lower fares for passengers.Virgin America’s first mid-continent destination comes at a good moment in the airline’s young story. They posted their first quarterly net profit (as opposed to operating profit) in Q3 of 2010 and were rated top domestic airline for the third year running in the 2010 Zagat Global Airline Survey. At this year’s Farnborough Air Show, they announced plans to more than double their fleet with a purchase of 40 new Airbus A320’s. Now, with their entrance into Dallas consummated, they’ve shown that they’re ready to make their presence tangible and (thankfully) shake thing up a bit.


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However, to make a significant impact, they’ll have to add more flights. At the moment, Virgin America will offer two daily nonstop flights between DFW and Los Angeles, and two to San Francisco. Although it plans to add a third on each route, it would require significantly more options to directly compete with the hundreds of flights per day that American and American Eagle offer.

“It signifies a second stage for the company. We knew eventually that we’d be going into the middle of the country but now seemed the right time since we’ve blanketed most of the coasts. So this is the second stage of our network development.” Virgin America CEO David Cush said in an interview on the flight.

He also emphasized the company’s dedication with hiring “creative, smart, risk-tolerant people who are willing to go out and push the envelope.” as they grow, and that they’re “not sitting back”, but pursuing the development of a “new in-flight experience” that could be ready as soon as 2012.

The night proceeded to unfold in Dallas’s emerging and surprisingly modern downtown arts district with an intimate performance by activist & music icon, Willie Nelson. Following Nelson’s recent arrest for possession of marijuana, Branson donned a shirt that read “Free Willie” and cheekily quipped that the 77-year old musician looked good after “losing six ounces”.

In partnership with nonprofit foundation Stand Up To Cancer, Virgin transformed the Winspear Opera House into a glowing red hub of its own; filled with Dallas’s elite and hundreds of donors that had gathered friends for Stand Up To Cancer’s cause.

It was an impressive occasion that only an airline leveraging Branson’s magic could pull together, and one that sent a clear signal to the rest of Dallas. Virgin America has entered the mid-continent rodeo, and is ready to take the legacy bulls by their horns.

For more information, check out Virgin America’s introductory fares and schedules right here.

Virgin America lands at Dallas Fort Worth (Photos)

Watch out Dallas; the original maverick has come to town. Today, Virgin America officially kicked off its brand new service from LAX & SFO to Dallas Fort Worth with an inaugural flight & tarmac reception hosted by Sir Richard Branson and Dallas mayor, Tom Leppert.

With live bulls in a pen and a sign that read “Don’t fly like cattle”, Virgin America made their message very clear; they’ve come to Dallas to compete with the big boys and they’re committed to offering high quality service to gain that competitive edge.

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In celebration of the occasion, Virgin America has partnered with Stand Up to Cancer to throw a Texas-sized bash this evening at Dallas’s Winspear Opera House, where Grammy Award winner Willie Nelson will give a special surprise performance.

Gadling is on hand to find out what this launch means for competitors (American Airlines), DFW, and passengers. We’ll be speaking with Virgin America’s CEO, David Cush, to find out where the airline is headed & what their future plans are as they continue to expand with new international & domestic routes.

Stay tuned for an exclusive inside look at the event!

Photo of the Day (4.6.10)

For most of you readers in the Northern Hemisphere, Spring is (finally) here! That means it’s time to start dusting off that outdoor gear and getting out into the springtime sun.

This perfectly timed shot was captured on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri by photographer Graham Dodd. I love how the light is captured in this photo – and the incredible detail of the water particles suspended in the frame. Nice shot Graham!


If you have an amazing outdoor action shot that you’d like to share, submit it to our Gadling Flickr Pool! We might just feature it as our Photo of the Day!