Award-Winning Airline Expands Service on the West Coast
Inaugural Flight Welcomed at SNA with Beach-Meets-Runway Red Carpet Event

San Francisco – April 29, 2009 –Virgin America, the California-based airline that is reinventing domestic air travel, today launches its high-tech, low-fare service to Orange County. The airline starts service with five conveniently-timed daily roundtrips between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Santa Ana, California. As the first low cost carrier to serve the route, Virgin America offers travelers unrivaled value with fares starting at $49* in Main Cabin and features like touch-screen seatback entertainment and WiFi on every flight. SNA is the ninth destination in the carrier’s growing network.

“As the only California-based airline, Orange County is an important travel market for us and we couldn’t be more pleased to partner with John Wayne Airport to bring our award-winning service to the region,” said Virgin America CEO and President David Cush. “We’re injecting some healthy competition into the market with low fares, industry-leading service and upscale amenities. We think our unique service will be a breath of fresh air for Orange County’s selective travelers.”

Since its launch in 2007, Virgin America has captured a list of travel industry best-in-class awards including “Best Domestic Airline” in both Condé Nast Traveler’s 2008 Readers’ Choice Awards and Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards. The carrier’s low fare flights appeal to today’s tech-savvy travelers, with power outlets and interactive Red™ entertainment platforms at every seat. The airline now offers in-flight WiFi on more than two-thirds of its fleet, including all of its new SFO-SNA flights. By June 2009, Virgin America will be the first and only domestic carrier to offer Gogo In-flight Internet fleet-wide.

“We’re pleased to welcome Virgin America to Orange County,” said SNA Airport Director Alan Murphy. “Competition brings more options for travelers, and we think Virgin America’s low fares and fun, innovative in-flight amenities will be a popular choice for our visitors and residents.”

The SFO-SNA inaugural flight will be celebrated with a surf band playing at the SFO departure gate, live interviews via WiFi stream at 35,000 feet, and a beach-meets-runway red carpet welcome at SNA. Upon touchdown at SNA, the first commercial guests, along with Cush and Virgin Group Founder and President Sir Richard Branson, will be greeted by local leaders and an unofficial Orange County welcoming committee, including the cast of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Orange County” and Red Bull athletes. Arriving guests will be feted at an exclusive tarmac soiree, with a menu prepared by Joie de Vivre’s Shorebreak Hotel chef Vincent Muraco and cocktails from KARMA California Brut, Red Bull, SkinnyGirl and VeeV, the world’s first Açaí Spirit. Bare Escentuals makeovers and Sunset Tan spray tans will be offered to flight guests on arrival.

As part of the launch of its new service, Virgin America is also giving a dozen fliers the “OC treatment for free,” with a seat on the first flight, a stay at Pacific Edge Hotel on Laguna Beach, and a South Coast Plaza shopping spree. The value of the winners’ seats will be donated to Virgin Unite’s partner, StandUp for Kids – a nonprofit outreach group making a difference in the lives of at-risk youth in Orange County.

Virgin America flies to San Francisco, LA, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Las Vegas, San Diego, Boston, and as of today – Orange County. The airline offers connecting flights from SNA to SEA, JFK, IAD and BOS.

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Media Contact: Patricia Condon (650) 762-7187 / patricia.condon@virginamerica.com

EDITORS NOTE: Virgin America is a U.S.-controlled and operated airline and is an entirely separate company from Virgin Atlantic. Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group is a minority share investor in Virgin America.

About Virgin America: Headquartered in California and launched in August 2007, Virgin America is one of the fastest growing start-up U.S. airlines of all time and currently employs over 1400 people. Virgin America offers guests attractive fares and a host of innovative features aimed at reinventing air travel. The airline’s base of operations is San Francisco International Airport’s ultra-modern International Terminal. The airline’s new Airbus A320-family aircraft offer the Red™ touch-screen in-flight entertainment system, moodlighting, and power outlets at every seat. In addition to a 25-film library at every seat, Red™ features live TV, video games, seat-to-seat chat, 3,000 MP3s, music videos and even offers guests the ability to offset the carbon emissions of their flight via CarbonFund.org. In 2008, Virgin America was named “Best Domestic Airline” in Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards and “Best Domestic Airline” in Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards. The airline is proud to be affiliated with the Virgin Group, which has committed to reinvesting profits from Virgin-transport related businesses to renewable fuels research and other initiatives that combat climate change. To learn more, visit: www.virginamerica.com