Virgin America Launches New Flights From Dallas Love Field To Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Virgin America, the low-fare, upscale airline, today announces it is launching sales on new flights from Dallas Love Field (DAL) to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). The new flights take off on April 28, 2015, and flyers can select one of five daily nonstop flights from DAL to AUS, with convenient connecting service also available via DAL to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA). In fall 2014, Virgin America moved from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to DAL and launched new, nonstop daily flights from that airport to DCA, LGA, SFO and LAX. With the addition of the new DAL-AUS flights, the airline will offer 19 daily departures from Love Field. Virgin America has served the Austin market since 2013, with nonstop flights from SFO. In 2014, the carrier also expanded its SFO-AUS schedule.

Virgin America is kicking off its latest Love Field expansion, with a "Texas Just Got Smaller" fare sale on all of its DAL routes, with introductory fares from DAL-AUS from $39* (taxes & fees included, restrictions applying). Tickets are on sale now through 11:59pm CT on February 19, 2015, and can be purchased at virginamerica.com and 1-877-FLY-VIRGIN.** Travel agents can search for the lowest Dallas fares by using the International Air Transport Association (IATA) city code of DFW (which applies to DAL and DFW), however travel agents using the SABRE GDS must use the city code "QDF" to search for both DFW and DAL flights.

"As we saw when we first launched service from Love Field, more competition lowers fares and offers travelers more product choice so we're pleased to have the opportunity to expand again from the airport most convenient to downtown Dallas. In addition to bringing fare and service competition to more new markets from Dallas, the move allows us to leverage connecting traffic over Dallas from New York, Washington DC, San Francisco and Los Angeles," said David Cush, President and CEO of Virgin America. "We're especially pleased to expand our service to Austin, a city that was previously only served by a single carrier on the DAL-AUS route. Austin is historically a strong market for us and a city where our tech-forward product resonates with local travelers."

In the spring of 2014, the airline launched a highly publicized "Free Love Field" campaign that ultimately garnered more than 27,000 signatures in support of the carrier's case to bring more fare and product competition to the airport closest to downtown Dallas Love Field. The airline was ultimately successful, securing two gates at DAL and launching its new service from DAL to DCA, LGA, SFO and LAX in October of 2014. Virgin America is the only carrier at Love Field to offer three classes of service in the markets it serves from DAL, with both an award-winning First Class cabin and a Main Cabin Select premium economy service. The airline is unique for its fleet of beautifully-designed, new aircraft and a consistent product experience available on every flight, which includes: fleetwide WiFi, power outlets at every seat, a full-service, on-demand food and cocktail menu, confirmed seating and personal, touch-screen seatback entertainment. Virgin America also offers DAL travelers a check-in lounge that mirrors the sleek look and feel of the carrier's aircraft cabins and is the only dedicated VIP check-in area of its kind at Love Field. The check-in lounge offers First Class guests and Elevate Gold members an upgraded experience from the moment they arrive at the airport's convenient downtown location complete with a dedicated Virgin America VIP concierge to assist with their travel needs.

Even though Virgin America offers an upscale product, as a low fare carrier, the airline is also committed to competitive fares. In January 2015, the airline launched a "Love Match"*** fare guarantee on Main Cabin longer-haul flights from DAL for travel through March 31, 2015. If travelers find a comparable***, lower nonstop Main Cabin fare for travel from DAL to DCA, LGA, SFO or LAX, the airline will match it. (Restrictions apply. For more, click here). The airline is also currently offering a nationwide double Elevate Points promotion for travelers that book and fly before March 31, 2015 across all cabins as well as a Status Match program to convert a traveler's current frequent flyer status to Elevate Gold or Silver status. For more, click here.

Beginning April 28, 2015, Virgin America's DAL-AUSflight schedule is as follows:

Virgin America's service is tailored to the modern business traveler, making it a perfect fit for Dallas-based and Dallas-destined travelers choosing to fly from Love Field's central location. The airline has been named the "Best Domestic Airline" inConde Nast Traveler'sReaders' Choice Awards andin Travel + Leisure'sWorld's Best Awards for the past seven consecutive years. The airline was also named Travel + Leisure's "Best Domestic Airline for Food" in 2014. In April 2014, the airlinewas ranked as the top U.S. carrier in the Airline Quality Rating, an annual study measuring on-time rates, guest satisfaction and other key metrics conducted by Wichita State and Embry-Riddle University. In addition to a Main Cabin that offers custom-designed leather seating with a deeper, more comfortable pitch, the airline's First Class cabin offers plush white leather seating with 55 inches of pitch, 165 degrees of recline and lumbar massagers. The carrier's Main Cabin Select service offers 38-inches of pitch, free food and cocktails, an all-access pass to media content, dedicated overhead bins and priority check-in/boarding. The Redin-flight entertainment platform offers guests their own seatback touch-screen TV, with more than 20 films, live TV, Google Maps, videogames, a 3,000 song library and an on-demand menu, which allows flyers to order a cocktail or snack from their seatback any time during a flight. The airline's Elevate frequent flyer program offers no black-outs or restrictions on rewards seats with three levels of status including Elevate Gold and Elevate Silver.

Since its 2007 launch, Virgin America has created more than 2,800 jobs and expanded its network to include Austin, Boston, Cancun, Chicago, Dallas Love Field, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Los Cabos, Newark, New York (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Orlando, Palm Springs (seasonal), Portland, Puerto Vallarta, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. (IAD and DCA).

Photos of Virgin America's aircraft, its DAL gates and check-in lounge, and its October 2014 Love Field Launch celebrations, can be found at: https://www.virginamerica.com/cms/about-our-airline/photos/dallas-love-field-photo-page.html
The airline's broadcast quality b-roll and photos of the airline's unique aircraft cabins can be downloaded at: https://www.virginamerica.com/cms/about-our-airline/photos.html

ABOUT VIRGIN AMERICA
Known for its mood-lit cabins, three beautifully designed classes of service and innovative fleetwide amenities like touch-screen personal entertainment, WiFi and power outlets at every seat, Virgin America has built a loyal following of flyers and earned a host of awards since launching in 2007 including being named both the "Best U.S. Airline" inConde Nast TravelerReaders' Choice Awards and "Best Domestic Airline" inTravel + LeisureWorld's Best Awards for the past seven consecutive years. For more: www.virginamerica.com