Virgin America wins ATW's passenger service award

Virgin America, the California-based airline that is reinventing domestic travel, took top industry honors for Passenger Service at Air Transport World's Industry Achievement Awards for the airline's superior service in the skies. Air Transport World (ATW) is a monthly magazine covering the global airline industry and began its awards program in 1974.

ATW's editors noted that Virgin America was the first airline to equip its fleet with Aircell's Gogo in-flight WiFi (as of May 2009, the carrier offered WiFi on every flight) and has installed one of the industry's most-advanced in-flight entertainment systems. Other factors taken into consideration by the editors included Virgin America's commitment to a strong operating performance. The airline achieved an 85.5% cumulative A-14 on-time ranking for January-August 2010, a 99.6% flight completion factor and a baggage handling rate of just 0.89 mishandled bags per 1,000 customers. Although Virgin America does not yet meet the size threshold to be classified a "major" carrier by Department of Transportation (DOT), the airline tracks its on-time performance, baggage handling and other operational statistics in advance of DOT's requirement to report.

Since its launch in 2007, Virgin America has stood out for its unique service and in-flight experience which offers mood-lit cabins, power outlets near every seat and the Red™ platform. The Red touch-screen platform offers 30 films, live and premium TV, Google Maps, music videos, videogames, seat-to-seat chat, a 3000 MP3 library, on demand food menu and a first-of-its-kind digital Shop section -- so guests can take care of last minute shopping from their seatback any time during a flight.

The awards will be presented on February 8 in Washington, D.C., at ATW's gala dinner and celebration at the Renaissance Hotel.
Since its August 2007 launch, Virgin America has captured a list of industry best-in-class awards, including "Best Domestic Airline" in Conde Nast Traveler's 2008, 2009 and 2010 Readers' Choice Awards and Travel + Leisure's 2008, 2009 and 2010 World's Best Awards as well as best-in-class in the 2008, 2009 and 2010 Zagat Global Airline survey.
Virgin America flies to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Las Vegas, San Diego, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Toronto, Orlando, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Cabos and beginning January 19, 2011 -- Cancun.