Tag Archives: 4991

Virgin America extends its partnership with the San Francisco Giants, adds a new logo to Airbus A320 N849VA

Virgin America (San Francisco) and the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball yesterday (January 21) announced a multi-year partnership extension, which maintains the Bay Area-based airline’s position as the “Official Airline of the San Francisco Giants” through the end of 2018. This announcement came during an “orange carpet” send-off for the 2014 World Championship Trophy as it heads to New York City for the East Coast leg of a three-month World Championship Trophy Tour presented by Bank of America.

The trophy will fly in style (above), riding in Virgin America’s exclusive eight-seat First Class cabin from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) onboard the Virgin America Airbus A320 aircraft “Fly Bye Baby,” (below) named in honor of the hometown team. Onboard the flight, Giants President and CEO Larry Baer will invite fellow Virgin America guests to grab photos with the trophy and will host a live Twitter chat at 35,000 feet using the airline’s inflight WiFi. Guests and fans alike are encouraged to follow along and submit questions using the hashtags #sfgtrophy and #flytogether.

Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin/AirlinersGallery.com (all others by Virgin America). Airbus A320-214 N849VA (msn 4991) has received this updated “World Champions 2014” logo for 2015.

The extended partnership includes unique co-branding elements at AT&T Park, including the “Virgin America Loft,” a premium customized suite located in right field above McCovey Cove, and the “Virgin America Club Level” that features the airline’s signature cabin mood-lighting. In 2012, the airline first unveiled its Giants themed “Fly Bye Baby” aircraft that was updated in 2014 with a crowdsourced #FlyTogether design populated with the photos of hundreds of Giants fan who submitted photos on Instagram and Twitter. Today at SFO, Virgin America unveiled the aircraft’s newest design – the 2014 World Championship mark – in celebration of the San Francisco Giant’s latest World Series Victory.

Once in the Big Apple, the trophy will be available to Giants fans that have followed the team for generations – a history that dates back to when the team was based in New York before moving to San Francisco in 1958. A public viewing of the trophy will be held on Saturday, January 24 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Finnerty’s Bar in Manhattan.

In addition to a Main Cabin that offers custom-designed leather seating with a deeper, more comfortable pitch, the airline’s First Class cabin offers plush white leather seating with 55 inches of pitch, 165 degrees of recline and lumbar massagers. The carrier’s Main Cabin Select service offers 38-inches of pitch, free food and cocktails, an all-access pass to media content, dedicated overhead bins and priority check-in/boarding. The Red® in-flight entertainment platform offers guests their own seatback touch-screen TV, with more than 20 films, live TV, Google Maps, videogames, a 3,000 song library and an on-demand menu, which allows flyers to order a cocktail or snack from their seatback any time during a flight. Virgin America’s airport lounge – The Loft – is located at LAX and its Elevate frequent flyer program offers no black-outs or restrictions on rewards seats with three levels of status including Elevate Gold and Elevate Silver.

Virgin America aircraft slide show:

Virgin America sets its IPO price at $23 a share

Virgin America Inc. (San Francisco) premiered today on Wall Street. The airline previously issued this statement on the Initial Public Offering (IPO):

Virgin America has announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 13,337,587 shares of its common stock at a price to the public of $23.00 per share. Virgin America is offering 13,106,377 shares. VX Employee Holdings, LLC, a Virgin America employee stock ownership vehicle, is offering 231,210 issued and outstanding shares as a selling stockholder. In addition, certain selling stockholders have granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2,000,638 shares of common stock. The shares are expected to begin trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on November 14, 2014, under the symbol “VA.”

Barclays and Deutsche Bank Securities are acting as lead joint book-running managers for the offering. BofA Merrill Lynch, Cowen and Company, Goldman Sachs & Co., Imperial Capital, LOYAL3 Securities and Raymond James are acting as co-managers for the offering.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with, and declared effective by, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

Read the analysis by Bloomberg Businessweek: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-214 N849VA (msn 4991) with the special “Giants-Fly Together” markings arrives in Washington (Reagan National).

Video: On October 29, 2014, San Francisco Giants fans on Virgin America flight 717 from Dallas Love Field (DAL) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) cheered their hometown team to victory in game seven of the World Series from 35,000 feet thanks to the airline’s live television at every seat.

Virgin America aircraft slide show:

Virgin America to go public, 2014 Giants logo jet is unveiled with photos of dedicated fans!

Virgin America Inc. (San Francisco) today announced that it has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering (IPO) of its common stock. The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined.

Barclays and Deutsche Bank Securities are acting as joint book-running managers and as representatives of the underwriters for the proposed offering.

A registration statement relating to the offering of Virgin America’s securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective.

Read the analysis by Bloomberg Businessweek: CLICK HERE

Top Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin/AirlinersGallery.com. As we reported in June, Virgin America announced a new contest for dedicated San Francisco Giants baseball fans to be pictured on an Airbus A320. Airbus A320-214 N849VA (msn 4991) has now been unveiled in its latest 2014 version which features the words “Fly Together” which is actually composed of small pictures of SF Giants fans who won the contest!

Virgin America announced a new contest for photos of N849VA on their blog:

Hey there plane spotters! Do you have a knack for picking livery out of the clear blue sky? Well then, we’ve got the contest for you. Upload an original photo of our FLY TOGETHER San Francisco Giants plane, featuring the game faces of the most die-hard Giants fans, to Instagram or Twitter using the #FLYTOGETHER hashtag between July 28 – September 23, 2014 for a chance to throw the first pitch at AT&T Park on Virgin America Day and more.

The first round (July 28 – August 12, 2014) winner scores:

The opportunity to throw the first pitch on Virgin America Day at the San Francisco Giants vs. Philadelphia Phillies game August 16, 2014 at AT&T Park
Two tickets to the game
Two roundtrip tickets to any one of our 20 domestic destinations
The second round (August 13 – September 23, 2014) winner will walk away with:

Two roundtrip tickets to any one of our 20 domestic destinations..
Click here for official rules. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary to win.

Keep your eyes on the sky and get busy plane spotting! If you’re unsure how to get started here’s Sergio Romo showing you how it’s done.

Virgin America:

Virgin America announces faster Wi-Fi service

Virgin America (San Francisco) has just released this statement about its upgraded Wi-Fi service:

Five years ago, Virgin America became the first airline to offer Gogo In-flight Wi-Fi service on every flight. And we’re proud to say that we still retain that distinction today – as the only U.S. airline to offer Wi-Fi connectivity on every single domestic flight. As technology has improved and as more and more people are logging in at 35,000 feet, we’re equally pleased to share that as of this Fall – Virgin America will be the first airline to offer Gogo’s faster ATG-4 Wi-Fi service to flyers on every flight. The new ATG-4 service offers more bandwidth within the cabin, resulting in a faster web experience for travelers looking for their “office in the sky.”

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-214 N849VA (msn 4991) now only displays a “SF” (San Francisco Giants) logo on the engines. The crew of N849VA prepares to land at Washington’s Reagan National Airport (DCA).

Virgin America:

Video: Upgrading the fleet:

Virgin America hosts “First Pitch” at San Francisco Giants home game at 35,000 feet

Virgin America (San Francisco) knows how to get attention with its unusual and wacky promotions. Here is the latest announcement:

“Virgin America, the only airline headquartered in San Francisco and the Official Airline of the San Francisco Giants, today is inviting baseball fans to help do good and compete for the chance to throw out the first-ever baseball pitch live broadcast from onboard a Virgin America commercial flight at 35,000 feet – to open the San Francisco Giants’ home game against the Colorado Rockies on August 11, 2012. The first pitch will be thrown down the aisle of Virgin America commercial flight 753 as it enters Bay Area air space en route from Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The first pitch will be captured live on video by AEG Digital Media and transmitted air-to-ground via the airline’s Gogo® in-flight WiFi to AT&T Park, where more than 40,000 San Francisco Giants fans will be watching.

Super fans can win a chance to throw the first-ever mile high pitch today by entering into a contest* hosted by Virgin America, the San Francisco Giants and Major League baseball. All entrants will automatically score a 20 percent off discount** on fall travel on Virgin America – and help give back. For every entry into the competition, Virgin America will donate five dollars to help raise awareness and funds for cancer research via the Stand Up To Cancer initiative. The lucky super fan will join Giants mascot “Lou Seal” in-flight and get to create their own cheering section in the sky: by inviting five friends onboard to help him or her “make it over the plate” (which in this case, is Virgin America’s Main Cabin Select Row Three).”

To enter and for official rules, see: www.sfgiants.com/virginsweeps.

Top Copyright Photo: Virgin America.

Virgin America:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin. Airbus A320-214 N849VA (msn 4991) is named “Fly Bye Baby,” and was painted in honor of the Giants. N849VA was introduced on March 29, 2012.