Well today was sort of a rocky launch day for discount carrier Virgin America. According to this article, the first flight lifted off from JFK at 10:50, 50 minutes late due to mid-summer storms in the New York area. On top of that, President Fred Reid was late and comedian Stephen Colbert didn’t make it. After 4 1/2 hours in most likely stand-still traffic his car turned around.

As I write this though, Richard Branson and Virgin America’s first flight are finally en route. No doubt he’ll enjoy the on board cool features like the self service mini-bar, meals on demand, music in the lav, passenger text messaging, and chatting in the on board online chat room. One of the other things I thought was cool about VA planes is that passengers can access a special edition of Google Maps where they can track the airplane’s current position, speed, and time left en route. First class seats even have foot massages…. Yes, foot massages.

It’s obvious Branson’s got it. US airlines in general suck on customer service and coming with an international travel portfolio, Branson knows first hand what’s lacking over here in the states. What’s left to be determined is whether people over here really care about all the cool amenities on VA’s and for that matter JetBlue’s airplanes, which seems to be holding it’s own in spite of all it’s recent set backs, but that’s another story.

Only time will tell, but it sure does seem as though VA is giving the established carriers the jitters. I just hope for the best for my pilot friends over there.
~Capt’n Chris

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