Tag Archives: Virgin America

Virgin America reports 3Q net income of $41.6 million, expects to raise around $320 million from its pending IPO

Virgin America (San Francisco) reported its financial results for the third quarter of 2014 with an operating income of $52.3 million and net income of $41.6 million. The airline posted an operating margin of 12.9 percent – a 1.4 point improvement over the third quarter of 2013, driven largely by a 5.5 percent growth in revenue per available seat mile (RASM) over the prior year period.

Third Quarter 2014 Financial Highlights:

Operating Revenue: Total operating revenue of $405.5 million, an increase of 4.7 percent over the third quarter of 2013.

Revenue per Available Seat Mile (RASM): RASM increased 5.5 percent compared to the third quarter of 2013, to 12.60 cents. Year-over-year RASM growth was driven by a 0.6 percent increase in yield and a 3.0 point increase in load factor. The RASM performance continues the trend of strong RASM growth for the airline, which reported 9 percent RASM growth year-over-year for its Full Year 2013 results.

Cost per Available Seat Mile (CASM): Total CASM increased 3.8 percent compared to the third quarter of 2013, to 10.98 cents. CASM excluding fuel costs for the quarter increased 5.5 percent year-over-year, to 6.84 cents, primarily due to a provision for teammate profit sharing. CASM, excluding both fuel and profit-sharing costs, increased 2.0 percent, to 6.61 cents.

Operating Income: Third quarter of 2014 operating income increased by 17.9 percent over the third quarter of 2013 to $52.3 million with an operating margin improvement of 1.4 points year-over-year.

Net Income: Net income for the quarter increased 24.2 percent year-over-year, from $33.5 million to $41.6 million. Virgin America’s year-to-date net income improved by $60.2 million from a net loss of $4.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, to net income of $56.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014.

Capacity: Available seat miles (ASMs) for the third quarter of 2014 decreased 0.8 percent year-over-year. The airline ended the quarter with 53 Airbus A320-family aircraft.

Liquidity: Unrestricted cash was $184.5 million as of September 30, 2014.

Analysis by Bloomberg Businessweek and its pending IPO: CLICK HERE

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

Virgin America:

Virgin America touches down at LaGuardia Airport in New York

Virgin America (San Francisco) today (October 28) launched its new service from New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) with four daily nonstop flights to Dallas Love Field (DAL). From today, the airline is now servicing all three major airports in New York with now up to 20 flights departing the New York metropolitan area each day.

Virgin America secured 12 slots at LGA earlier this year as part of the American Airlines merger settlement. The new services have been timed to provide convenient connections with Virgin America’s new nonstop schedule from DAL. This includes three daily nonstop flights from DAL to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). With a loyal following of business travelers, the airline recently announced plans to add a fourth daily trip from DAL to DCA, SFO and LAX as of April 2015.

Virgin America Aircraft Slide Show:

Virgin America and China Airlines start their codeshare relationship

Virgin America (San Francisco) today announced the implementation of a codeshare arrangement with China Airlines (Taipei) that will offer customers seamless bookings and travel between Taipei, Taiwan, elsewhere in Asia and multiple destinations across the United States. The new codeshare agreement, the fourth for the California-based airline, involves China Airlines placing its two-letter airline code (CI) on a range of Virgin America markets including flights between Los Angeles and/or San Francisco to Boston, Chicago, Dallas Love Field, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Las Vegas, Newark, New York (JFK), Seattle/Tacoma and Washington Dulles (IAD). Starting today, China Airlines guests can book their journey across the United States with Virgin America via China Airlines’ website and look forward to a convenient airport experience with one-stop check-in for boarding passes and checked bags.

China Airlines offers daily direct flights from Taipei to San Francisco and Los Angeles, and three flights per week to New York.

The codeshare partnership expands on the two airline’s existing interline agreement, which commenced in May 2012. China Airlines is Virgin America’s fourth codeshare agreement and enhances the airline’s growing partner portfolio.

Top Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-214 N855VA (msn 5179) prepares to land at Los Angeles International Airport, a common connection point.

Virgin America:

China Airlines:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Karl Cornil/AirlinersGallery.com. China Airlines’ Airbus A330-302 B-18367 (msn 1278) arrives in Rome (Fiumicino).

Virgin America parodies boring “BLAH Airlines”

Virgin America (San Francisco) has issued this new video with this explanation:

Take a look inside BLAH Airlines Flight 101 from Newark to San Francisco. Witness the harsh reality of nearly six hours of flying at its worst, from takeoff to landing. Unfortunately, this is a familiar experience for far too many travelers.

George Hobica of USA Today rates the best U.S. trans-con airline, what do you think?

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) is the winner as far as one person’s opinion (George Hobica of USA Today) of the “Trans-Con Upgrade Wars”. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines and Virgin America have all recently upgraded their First Class and/or Business Class cabin and service products on the hotly-competitive East Coast-West Coast trans-con routes.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

If you have recently flown these trans-con routes of these five airlines, please tell us what you think:

CLICK HERE

Top Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. American Airlines’ Airbus A321-231 N107NN (msn 5938) arrives at New York (JFK). American upgraded its trans-con product with new Airbus A321s.

American Airlines (current):

Bottom Photo: American Airlines. Meanwhile the first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (N800AN, msn 40618) has been rolled out of the Boeing 787 assembly building at Paine Field, Everett. Next stop, the paint shop.

American Airlines current livery aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/American-Airlines

Virgin America arrives at Dallas Love Field, departs from DFW

Virgin America (San Francisco) today (October 13) celebrates the launch of its new nonstop flights from Dallas Love Field (DAL) with a special inaugural flight, the unveiling of its new Dallas home and some Texas-sized deals for travelers. As of today, Virgin America launches three daily nonstop flights from DAL to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and starting on October 28, four daily nonstop flights from DAL to New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA). With a loyal following of business travelers, the airline recently announced plans to add a fourth daily trip from DAL to DCA, SFO and LAX as of April 2015.

According to the airline, “The airline will be the only carrier at Love Field to offer three classes of service in these markets – including a First Class cabin and a Main Cabin Select premium economy service – as well as fleetwide WiFi, power outlets at every seat, a full-service food menu, confirmed seating and personal seatback entertainment for every guest. The airline today unveils its unique Love Field gate space and a First Class VIP check-in lounge that mirrors the sleek look and feel of the carrier’s aircraft cabins and is the only dedicated VIP check-in area of its kind at Love Field.”

Virgin America today opens its doors on a stylish new home at Love Field that reflects the airline’s signature design. The airline’s First Class VIP check-in lounge (above) is located adjacent to its new Love Field ticket counters, and will give First Class guests and Elevate Gold members an upgraded experience from the moment they arrive at the airport’s convenient downtown location – complete with a dedicated Virgin America VIP concierge to assist with their travel needs. The space extends the airline’s cabin experience into the airport with design elements that include modern furniture pieces selected in collaboration with the Dallas-based design group Corgan – including Cassina Tre Pezzi lounge chairs, an Eames chair and ottoman and Foscaraini “Twiggy” floor lighting. The Love Lounge is also enclosed by a LED-lit divider wall by Molo Design. The airline’s ticket counter will offer user-friendly and modern white kiosk check-in tables with touch-screen panels and a concierge desk look-and-feel. Virgin America’s new gates also received the “Virgin” treatment, highlighting the brand’s British roots with a classic red London phone booth and art photography capturing moments in Virgin brand history through the decades – from Virgin Records to Virgin Galactic.

Virgin America is marking its last flight from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and first flight into its new home at Dallas Love Field today with the “ultimate Uber ride,” a “Downtown Express” flight available to Uber customers as the ultimate on-demand pick-up for those who want to beat the cross-town traffic and check out the Virgin America experience on the way to the airport most convenient to downtown Dallas. The flight will be hosted by Virgin Group Founder, Sir Richard Branson, and include a live acoustic performance by Grammy Award-winning country music star, Kacey Musgraves. Upon arrival at the airline’s new home at DAL, flight guests, including Dallas city leaders, will be greeted with a champagne toast and the airline will be giving away Uber rides* to 300 lucky travelers at Dallas’ Love Field. The festivities at the airport will be followed by a star-studded red carpet evening fete at House of Blues Dallas. A “moodlit” Uber vehicle that recreates the airline’s moodlighting hits the streets of Dallas today – and locals who catch a ride in the Virgin America-branded wheels will score an invitation to the airline’s evening bash.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-214 N361VA (msn 5515) with Sharklets arrives at Los Angeles.

Virgin America:

Video: Sir Richard’s Love List:

Virgin America Aircraft Slide Show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-UnitedStates-3/Airlines-United-States3-QZ/Virgin-America

Virgin America announces two new seasonal routes to Fort Lauderdale and Las Vegas

Virgin America (San Francisco) today announced two new seasonal routes – daily nonstop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and four times weekly service between Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS).

Additionally, the airline announced today that it will operate two extra roundtrip frequencies weekly between Las Vegas-New York (JFK) over winter and early spring to bring weekly frequencies on this popular route from the current seven to nine.

Schedule:

Virgin America’s 2014-2015 new seasonal services are as follows:

December 18, 2014 – April 28, 2015

JFK- FLL: depart 8:00am and arrive 11:05am daily.
FLL- JFK: depart 9:15am and arrive 11:55am daily.

January 8, 2015 – April 28, 2015

BOS-LAS: depart 10:30am and arrive 1:40pm on Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
LAS-BOS: depart 2:50pm and arrive 10:40pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
LAS-BOS: depart at 3:35pm and arrive 11:25pm on Thursday.

January 5, 2015 – April 28, 2015*

JFK-LAS: depart at 11:35am and arrive 2:35pm on Wednesday and Thursday.
LAS-JFK: depart at 3:10pm and arrive at 11:00pm on Monday.
LAS-JFK: depart at 3:35pm and arrive at 11:25pm on Wednesday.

*In addition to existing daily roundtrip schedule on this route.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-214 N844VA (msn 4851) climbs away from Washington (Reagan National).

Virgin America:

The changing face of Dallas Love Field, Delta Air Lines to exit Love Field on October 12

Dallas Love Field will dramatically change on October 13 when the Wright Amendment expires. With an expanding new terminal design and a different set of airlines, the airport is evolving with new long-range routes.

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will end its Delta Connection operations at Dallas’ Love Field on October 12. According to the Dallas News, the City of Dallas has served notice to the carrier that it can no longer accommodate the carrier after that date with gates in the new Terminal 2. Delta has served DAL since 2008 with service to Atlanta from Terminal 1. Previously Delta served Love Field when it was the only airport for Dallas. Delta currently subleases the two gates from American Airlines. Those two gates will go to Virgin America. On October 13 the Wright Amendment will expire.

According to Wikipedia, the Wright Amendment of 1979 was a federal law governing traffic at Dallas Love Field with some provisions also applying to other airfields in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex including Fort Worth Meacham International Airport and Addison Airport. It originally limited most nonstop flights from Love Field to destinations within Texas and neighboring states. Additional states were added to the permissible area in 1997 and 2005. In 2006, the amendment was repealed but left some restrictions intact until October 13, 2014 but with an added restriction on the number of gates allowed.

Dallas Love Field is named after Moss L. Love, who while assigned to the U.S. Army 11th Cavalry, died in an airplane crash near San Diego, California on September 4, 1913, becoming the 10th fatality in U.S. army aviation history. His Wright Model C biplane crashed during practice for his Military Aviator Test. Love Field was named by the United States Army on October 19, 1917.

Read the full article: CLICK HERE

Meanwhile the City of Dallas has issued this description of its new DAL Terminal 2:

The new Love Field Airport will increase efficiency for travelers while maintaining the convenience that Love Field currently offers passengers. In the new design, the terminal will decrease in size approximately 25 percent by replacing a large amount of unused and outdated space with modern and efficient facilities. The three original concourses will be demolished and consolidated into one convenient, centrally located concourse for all airlines. In addition to the new concourse, the check-in and baggage claim areas will be redesigned. The main lobby space will be renovated but will retain the overall structure and volume of the original design. This portion of the facility is the symbolic heart of the terminal complex and a vital part of the passenger processing operation. In addition, the LFMP will more than double the amount of available airport concessions – yet another tremendous benefit for Love Field Customers.

Terminal 2 Baggage Claim.

Southwest Airlines has been operating from the new Terminal 2. Southwest Airlines previously announced that it would be adding new flights to Baltimore/Washington, Denver, Las Vegas, Orlando, Washington (Reagan) and Chicago (Midway) on October 13, 2014. Southwest also announced that on November 2, 2014, it would add new service to Atlanta, Nashville, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Los Angeles, New York (LaGuardia), Phoenix, San Diego, Orange County and Tampa. On March 10, 2014, Southwest announced that in 2015, it would add new service to Boston, Oakland, Panama City Beach, Portland (Oregon), and San Jose, California.

Virgin America begins Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington (Reagan National) service on October 13, 2014) followed by New York (LaGuardia) on October 28, 2014.

In the new Terminal 2, Southwest Airlines operates from Gates 1-10, 12, 14, 16, 18-20, On October 1, 2014 United Express will operate from Gates 15 and 17 and Virgin America will operate from Gates 11 and 13.

Read the analysis by Bloomberg Businessweek: CLICK HERE

Terminal 1 closes on October 1, 2014.

Current Terminal Map (City of Dallas)

The original Dallas Municipal Airport, Love Field (City of Dallas).

All images by the City of Dallas.

Video by Southwest Airlines of the new DAL Terminal:

Video by Southwest Airlines: A Day at Dallas Love Field:

Virgin America to expand its schedule from Dallas Love Field on April 29, 2015

Virgin America (San Francisco) has announces that it will expand its schedule out of Dallas Love Field (DAL) to include four daily nonstop round trips to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) by adding one new daily nonstop in each of these markets as of April 29, 2015. This expansion is in addition to the four daily nonstop round trip flights to New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) that will begin on October 28, 2014 and the three daily nonstop roundtrip flights to Washington D.C., San Francisco and Los Angeles that begin on October 13, 2014. The new flights will take Virgin America to sixteen departures per day from Love Field. The airline will be the only carrier at Love Field to offer three classes of service (including a First Class cabin and a Main Cabin Select premium economy service) as well as WiFi, in-seat power outlets, confirmed seating and touch-screen seatback entertainment to every guest.

The airline also announced that it will extend its popular second daily roundtrip flight between San Francisco and Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) that it started in July 2014 as part of the airline’s core schedule.

Beginning April 29, 2015, Virgin America’s flight schedule from Dallas Love Field is as follows (frequencies announced today indicated in bold):

Virgin America’s current network of destinations includes Austin, Boston, Cancun, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth (ends October 13, 2014), Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Los Cabos, Newark, New York (JFK), Orlando, Palm Springs (seasonal), Philadelphia (suspends October 6, 2014), Portland, Puerto Vallarta, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. (IAD and DCA). Later this fall, the carrier will launch service from Dallas Love Field (October 13, 2014) and New York’s LaGuardia Airport (October 28, 2014).

Virgin America:

Virgin America’s flight attendants vote to be represented by the TWU

Virgin America (San Francisco) flight attendants have voted to represented by the TWU. The TWU issued this statement:

A majority of flight attendants at Virgin America has voted in favor of union representation by the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), the federal National Mediation Board reported today. This is the first work group at the airline to vote for a union. TWU received 430 votes, 58 percent of those voting, compared with 307 who voted against forming a union. The election was conducted between July 16 and August 13 by telephone and Internet and 828 Inflight Team Members (ITMs) were eligible to vote.

“We’re excited about what this election means for Inflight Team Members,” said Adam Croteau, a Los Angeles-based ITM, a term the airline uses to describe its flight attendants. “We ran a very positive campaign and we believe that we can make positive changes at the airline by giving flight attendants a voice.”

Many ITMs at Virgin America were drawn to the Transport Workers Union because of TWU’s success in bargaining contracts for 11,000 flight attendants at Southwest Airlines.

“Part of Southwest Airline’s success is due to the airline’s flight attendants, all of whom are TWU members. Having a union behind them gives Southwest flight attendants the comfort and freedom to do their jobs well,” said Armando Fierros, a Los Angeles-based ITM. “TWU also fosters autonomy for its local unions, unlike some labor organizations. We want to run our own union and create a union culture that is uniquely suited to meet the needs of ITMs employed at this award-winning airline.”

“Virgin America bills itself as an ‘upscale’ airline and prides itself on that service that ‘team members’ offer,” said TWU’s International Executive Vice President John Samuelsen, who attended the vote count at the National Mediation Board in Washington, DC with a group of Virgin flight attendants, “With this vote, flight attendants will have a say on how to further improve Virgin along with their own work lives. This is a chance to make the airline better for both customers and workers.”

In July, the privately held company filed for an initial public offering with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Only yesterday, Virgin America Inc. reported that its second-quarter profit and revenue increased, largely due to the airline filling more seats.

“We want to see Virgin America prosper,” said TWU International President Harry Lombardo. “As the airline grows and becomes an increasingly profitable and larger public company, we also want our members to be recognized for their contribution to the airline’s success. We will now focus on gaining a contract that’s fair for our new members.”

Negotiations for a first contract will begin in the fall.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-112 N525VA (msn 3324) approaches the runway at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).

Virgin America: