Welcome Virgin America!
By Jessica Dickler, CNNMoney.com staff writer
August 8 2007: 11:14 AM EDT
As the new airline gears up for its virgin voyage, there’s one thing that’s certain to fly: The buzz surrounding the low-cost carrier’s initiation into American skies.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — After years of preparation and planning, Virgin America finally took off Wednesday, despite delays caused by a summer storm in New York. But whether all the hype surrounding the new airline is anything more than hot air remains to be seen.
For its inaugural flight from New York to California Wednesday, DJ Samantha Ronson will provide hip tunes while celebrities like Stephen Colbert and executives Sir Richard Branson and Chief Executive Officer of Virgin America Fred Reid walk the red carpet at Virgin America’s LAX premier.
You can’t ignore the fact that Richard Branson has shown a flair for promotion that is hard for anybody to match,” said Ed Perkins, contributing editor at SmarterTravel.com. “These guys are very, very good - and that matters in a market where there isn’t much product differentiation.”
