Virgin America- Farewell Virgin America

VIRGIN AMERICA - FAREWELL VIRGIN AMERICA

George Harrison of The Beatles once said, “All Things Must Pass.” This is also what Virgin Group Sir Richard Branson wrote in his farewell letter to Virgin America to mark the airline’s disappearance a separate brand, following the Alaska Airlines takeover in 2016.

Virgin America vanished on 25 April, with the two final flights being Virgin America Flight 1182 which departed San Francisco at 9.30pm, and Virgin America Flight 1948 which took off for Los Angeles at 9.32pm on April 25th. These final flights didn’t go unnoticed.

This is because among aviation enthusiasts and frequent fliers, Virgin America is of course not just another airline.

As the Airline Geeks blog says, “The airline had a cult-like following amongst customers and employees alike. When Virgin America was founded by Sir Richard Branson on Jan. 1, 2004, it set out to create a new airline experience, one that differentiates itself on passenger amenities, and a strong company culture.”

Among other things, Virgin America was one of the first US Airlines to interact with passengers on social media and offer inflight WiFi.

As a result, a lot of aviation enthusiasts were keen to get on board, VX1948 from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and started making preparations to give Virgin America a send off.

An event was initiated by frequent flier website FlyerTalk. However, Alaska Airlines assisted with the preparations once they saw the level of interest in having a farewell party.

On the day, passengers turning up for the final flight received a souvenir goody-bag including a cup filled with luggage tags, stickers, pins, name tags, and more. Plus every passenger got a unique poster that was made showing every Virgin America destination ever served.

Passengers were additionally served red velvet cakes, after which they were treated to an impromptu live demonstration / “flash dance” of the popular Virgin America Safety video - the VX Safety Dance.

On board the final flight, there was another singalong to the safety video (with FlyerTalk having sent out instructions beforehand on what to do), while there was a Richard Branson cardboard cutout on board, who came along to have “his” picture taken with passengers.

Once they arrived in Los Angeles, passengers were invited into the Alaska Airlines lounge in Los Angeles to have one final celebratory toast and drink.

Though Virgin America signage has now gone from US airports, a number of aircraft will still be kitted out with a Virgin America cabin and the in-flight entertainment system will still work until a refit takes place.

Though a lot of aviation enthusiasts (as well as Sir Richard Branson) mourn the passing of Virgin America, some travel journalists have reacted positively to the merger and the changes.

Writing in Conde Nast Traveller in January, Laura Dannen Redman said that “Alaska was as great as Virgin America— and this new hybrid has the potential to be one of the best airlines in the country.

“Seattle-based Alaska was never as highprofile; it didn’t have as many California routes as San Francisco-based Virgin America, or the megawatt founder to help with PR.

“But for those who lived in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, it was a godsend—an airline much like JetBlue or Virgin that felt familial, with friendly staff, great amenities (leather seats in economy! microbrews and Tom Douglas meals onboard!), and a guarantee that you would get your luggage within 20 minutes of your plane arriving at the gate.”

“So what happens when the cool kid of the skies hooks up with the straight-A student? You get a straight-A student who’s now dressing a little more punk rock and cracking open a beer in the parking lot.”

Finally, as CNET points out. “If you still love the Virgin brand, don’t despair. There’s always Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia, Virgin Trains in the UK or you can just wait for Virgin Galactic or the Hyperloop One.”

KEY TAKE-AWAY

Though Alaska Airlines didn’t initiate the farewell party, they gave it active support, which aviation bloggers described as “gracious.”

This seems to be the right way to go, Virgin America clearly had a community of dedicated fans, and the challenge (as Motley Fool wrote recently) was to make sure they stay with the “new” Alaska - especially as many would probably have considered Alaska Airlines anyway.

The fact that Alaska Airlines supported the farewell will also send a positive message to ex Virgin staff, that their contribution and what they’ve achieved so far is welcome.