news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

Branson, whose Virgin Group controls BA rival Virgin Atlantic, said in a statement that an alliance between BA and American would strangle airline competition on routes between London’s Heathrow Airport and the United States.

“If the proposed merger between BA and American Airlines is allowed to go ahead, then the result for passengers, employees, communities and for fair and healthy competition, would be disastrous,” Branson said.

Virgin Atlantic has asked the U.S. Department of Transportation to reject the proposed alliance, which would allow BA and American Airlines to cooperate on schedules, fares and cost-cutting.

source: Reuters

Virgin America, a spinoff of Virgin Atlantic, said Wednesday it will add one daily non-stop flight between New York’s John F. Kennedy International and Las Vegas McCarran International airports.

Effective Sept. 4, the flight adds to the young airline’s growing seven-city network.

source: Business Week

Virgin America is launching flight service between Seattle and San Francisco, and Seattle and Los Angeles.

The new airline, which launched in August, said it would open service between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and San Francisco in March 2008, with three daily round-trip flights. Service between Sea-Tac and Los Angeles will follow in April, also with three daily round-trip flights.

Virgin America said it would add a fourth Seattle-Los Angeles daily round-trip flight beginning in May.

source: Business Journal

Virgin America today launches twice daily service from Washington Dulles to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Guests on the first flights should expect some typical Virgin America-style fun at the ticket counters and departure gates, with Virgin America teammates decked out in costume as our Founding Fathers at LAX and as Hollywood celebrities to welcome guests at Washington Dulles.

source: primenewswire.com

The launch of low-cost airline Virgin America Inc this year has triggered a fare war that has nearly halved ticket prices on some routes and could erode earnings at rival airlines.

The competition has been especially fierce between Virgin, which is partly backed and fully branded by British entrepreneur Richard Branson, and UAL Corp’s United Airlines on the transcontinental route between San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

Low-cost carriers JetBlue Airways  and Southwest Airlines also have been drawn into a turf war with Virgin and responded with capacity additions and fare cuts.

source: Reuters

Red Hat, the world’s leading provider of open source solutions, today announced that Virgin America, the newly launched American airline, has selected Red Hat Enterprise Linux as the platform on which to host its commercial website.  The airline chose Red Hat Enterprise Linux for its reputation for scalability and security. 

source: Irish dev

In a move that will be a boost to travelers benefitting from cheaper air fares and a headache to discount airlines like JetBlue Airways Corp. and Southwest Airlines Co. who are going to face more competition, newcomer Virgin America Inc. began selling tickets Thursday in preparation for starting service next month from San Francisco to Kennedy Airport.

San Francisco-based Virgin America, the low-fare airline partly owned by United Kingdom billionaire Richard Branson, said it plans to begin flying Aug. 8 from San Francisco to Kennedy, charging an introductory one-way fare of $139. Service to Las Vegas and Dulles Airport in suburban Virginia are to be added in the next two months, Virgin said.

source: newsday.com

Maverick airline Virgin America plans to begin selling tickets Thursday, giving travelers their first chance to book a trip on planes equipped to pamper passengers even when they aren’t flying first-class.

The airline’s inaugural flights are scheduled to take off Aug. 8 from Los Angeles and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and arrive at roughly the same time late that morning in San Francisco, which will serve as Virgin America’s hub.

source: MSNBC