Comments on: Virgin America Adds JFK-Vegas and Fuel Surcharges . . . Huh?

By: Leo Meunier

Leo Meunier — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:22:51 +0000

Wife had flight Boston to LAX + back. She was out because her dad died from cancer. Her doctor called and said to come back right away. She had cancer and test and treatment needed to start. Virgin America charged her $400+ to change a $200+ flight. Didn’t want to hear any reason. I paid it off. Next month Visa $100 more. My wife was feeling bad and asked for an aisle
seat. Without telling her the charged $100 FOR THE UPGRADE. Never will I deal with this airline again.

By: atlanta Logistics

atlanta Logistics — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:30:47 +0000

Interesting article.
First trucking companies, now airlines.
It won’t be long before cruise lines are doing it…
if that hasn’t already happened.

Fuel prices change so dramatically and quickly
you can see why they are being added. (Not that
any of us are happy about it.)

Everyone is trying to appear “competitively” priced,
that’s why they aren’t raising prices. But I agree it
sure is a negative, thinking that you have a good price and then WHAM! getting hit on the back end.

Unfortunately. I believe this is only the beginning.

Here is something to think about Frank

By: Chit-chat with Virgin America CEO David Cush about schedule changes - Travel - LATimes.com

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:00:59 +0000

[...] off-peak flights and add flights on high-demand routes this fall. In other VA news, I read on the Cranky Flier that Virgin America had added a $10 fuel surcharge to short hops and $25 to cross-country fares. I [...]

By: CF

CF — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:30:12 +0000

Dan – Ok, I checked and still no data from VX this year. All the other carriers are up through March 2008, but VX is still fighting the DOT on having to actually release the info. I imagine that they won’t have to file until the DOT rules against them, at which point they will have successfully deferred their data release a long time anyway. Booo.

eponymous coward – Just to be clear, unlike previous times where employees wrote from the Virgin America IP address, this time I’m just guessing. Usually people who throw slurs out instead of actually trying to argue facts have an emotional interest in the outcome, and that usually means they work for the company.

To your other points, yes, please let VX show me up and prove me wrong in the end. As I wrote in my trip report from April, I LIKE flying VX. I’d fly them again by choice, but I still don’t think their plan makes sense. So, PLEASE make me look dumb!

By: eponymous coward

eponymous coward — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:58:19 +0000

You know, I’m actually a fan of VX who’s enjoyed flying them out of SEA, and I’ve even sampled the F (by paying for it at online checkin), but astroturfing a blog post critical of Virgin America when you’re an employee just makes you look bad as a company, and it’s not the first time a VX employee has done this.

One thing I’ve learned in business is not everyone’s going to love you (99.9% satisfation STILL means one person out of a thousand is upset at you), no matter how hard you try, and you’re better off trying to do a better job than getting upset at the people who don’t.

If Cranky’s wrong in his questioning of VX’s business plan (and he has the chops to do it, if you look at the resume), you folks at VX will have the last laugh when you have a successful airline years down the road- and living well is always the best revenge, isn’t it?

By: CF

CF — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:14:47 +0000

Dan – That’s a great question. Virgin America hasn’t put out any traffic releases, so recent information is sparse. I haven’t gone in to look at the status of their petition to the DOT to withhold information, so I should probably go check it out, but the info is still only up to the end of 2007. I’ll see if I can pull that up later on.

Chris – I love these vague and random references to me not knowing anything. So what do you do for Virgin America? If you disagree with something, please post it here. I’m all for good discussion.

By: Chris S

Chris S — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:06:54 +0000

I noticed in your bio that you have jumped around to numerous airlines, and now all you do is this blog. After reading this article I can understand why you can’t hold a job in the airline industry. You are clueless!!

By: Dan Webb

Dan Webb — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:01:05 +0000

Brett, is Virgin still having the poor loads that you blogged about earlier?

By: A

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:37:54 +0000

Surcharges not hip?!? Of course they are, now United is going to charge $15 per 1st checked bag. Come fly the A la carte skies.