Virgin America starts Seattle-San Francisco flights
Virgin America began flying today between Seattle and San Francisco, offering three daily nonstop flights between the two cities.
On April 8, the airline will add flights between Seattle and Los Angeles (LAX), at first with three daily flights and then a fourth flight between Seattle and L.A. beginning May 11.
Virgin America is based in San Francisco and already serves New York, Las Vegas, and several other cities. The airline’s Airbus A320-family aircraft have interactive in-flight entertainment systems, with a choice of video games and more than 20 movies, and its leather seats have plugs for laptops and other electronic devices.
This is the fourth new airline to announce Sea-Tac Airport service in the past 12 months. Air France has started nonstop service to Paris; AeroMexico began nonstop service to Mexico City and Lufthansa will offer nonstop flights to Frankfurt, Germany, beginning March 30. Northwest Airlines will start nonstop service between Seattle and London’s Heathrow Airport on June 1.
"We are pleased to welcome Virgin America to Seattle," said Port of Seattle Commission President John Creighton in a statement earlier today. "Virgin America will offer Puget Sound travelers some unique, tech-driven in-flight features and amenities."
At Sea-Tac Airport, Virgin America’s ticket counter is located between the Northwest Airlines and US Airways counters; flights depart from Concourse A.
The travel/entertainment company Virgin Group, headed by the charismatic tycoon Richard Branson, is a minority investor in Virgin America. Virgin Group’s Virgin Atlantic airline flies between London and East Coast cities and also London-San Francisco.
