Nerdbird For Hire: Virgin America & Gilt City Offer The
Ultimate Geek-Chic Charter Flight This Cyber Monday
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin America
today launches a series of Cyber Monday offers for tech-forward
travelers – including the opportunity to charter the ultimate
'geek-chic' ride to this year's 2013 International CES (Consumer
Electronics Show) in Las Vegas
(January 8-11, 2013). The
airline is teaming up with Gilt City to offer a "nerdbird for hire"
charter flight as the ultimate geek holiday gift.*** One lucky
purchaser will score the chance to travel to the 2013 CES with up
to 135 of their closest friends or colleagues, onboard a new Virgin
America Airbus A320 commercial jet appropriately named #nerdbird.
In addition to enjoying Virgin America's award-winning service,
sleek design and high-tech amenities en route to Vegas, the airline
is offering the purchaser the ability to custom brand the exterior
of his or her ride for the month of CES. The offer can be viewed
at: http://www.giltcity.com/national/nerdbird. Images of a
branded #nerdbird can also be found at:
http://www.virginamerica.com/vx/photos For those who
don't wish to purchase an entire flight, but who still want to get
their geek on at 35,000 feet: the carrier today launches a
Cyber Monday fare sale – with an additional 10 percent off* already
low fares on virginamerica.com. The first 3000 who buy a ticket
today** will also receive a gift with purchase: a free Gogo
in-flight WiFi pass for their next flight.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121126/AQ18172)
(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090123/VIRGINAMERICALOGO)
As the only airline based in Silicon Valley, all of Virgin
America's aircraft are outfitted with amenities like power outlets
at every seat, touch-screen seatback entertainment platforms and
WiFi. The airline is the only U.S. airline to offer in-flight
WiFi on every plane in its fleet and was the first airline to
launch Gogo's new next generation higher bandwidth ATG4 WiFi as of
this fall.
"Virgin America is all about shaking up the status quo and doing
things differently, and we're proud of our roots here in the
Valley. We get inquiries every year from local tech companies
and entrepreneurs asking to charter our aircraft to head to CES, so
we thought it would be fun to answer the call and work with Gilt
City to create the ultimate geek gift," said Luanne Calvert, Vice President of Marketing at
Virgin America. "Plus, if being the first airline to offer
fleetwide WiFi and having an entertainment platform that runs off
LINUX isn't evidence enough: we're kind of geeks
ourselves!"
Virgin America Cyber Monday fares
start from $77 (restrictions
apply).**** And today only, guests can also take an
additional 10 percent* off the airline's already user-friendly
fares by booking at www.virginamerica.com using the code
CYBER10. In addition, the first 3000 guests who book today
will receive a free Gogo InFlight WiFi pass** for their upcoming
trip. Fare sale tickets must be purchased by 11:59pm CST on December
3, 2012. Tickets are on sale today on the airline's
website (www.virginamerica.com) and at 1.877.FLY.VIRGIN.*****
"Gilt City is thrilled to be partnering with Virgin America for
another Cyber Monday offer," said Alexandra
Wilkis Wilson, Founder of Gilt and Head of National Sales,
Gilt City. "At Gilt City we are dedicated to giving our
members access to unforgettable experiences with extraordinary
vendors, and this offer with Virgin America is no exception."
#nerdbird for hire: The package*** offered to Gilt
City members nationwide includes a roundtrip charter flight from
San Francisco to Las Vegas, complete with full bar, catering,
flight crew, free in-flight WiFi access, Elevate Gold® Status (plus
one) for the purchaser and Elevate Silver® Status for all of his or
her other guests – with a purchase price of $49,000. The airline is also inviting the
purchaser to let his or her 'geek flag fly,' by inviting them to
put their own name on the exterior of the Virgin America #nerdbird
aircraft. To view the offer, visit:
http://www.giltcity.com/national/nerdbird Images of a
custom-branded exterior of the #nerdbird aircraft, can be
downloaded here: http://www.virginamerica.com/vx/photos
This is not the first time Virgin America and Gilt City have
teamed up to offer unique rewards and packages for savvy
travelers. Virgin America worked with Gilt City in 2011 to
offer a charter jet for hire on Cyber Monday. The offer sold
in seconds and attracted thousands of bids.
Known for its inventive service and beautifully designed cabins,
Virgin America has swept the travel awards since its 2007 launch,
including being named "Best Domestic Airline" in both Conde
Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards for the past
five years and Travel + Leisure's World's Best
Awards for the past five years. Virgin America's Red™
in-flight entertainment platform offers guests their own seatback
touch-screen TV, with 25 films, live TV, Google Maps, videogames, a
4,000 song library and an on-demand menu – so flyers can order a
cocktail or snack from their seatback any time during a
flight.
"This offer is the perfect opportunity for a 'techie' to
purchase this flight to bring themself and a hundred plus of their
closest colleagues and friends to the 2013 International CES, the
world's largest innovation event," said Jeff Joseph, Senior Vice President of
Communications and Strategic relationships at CEA, the producer of
the International CES. "CES is the must-attend event for anyone
involved in innovation and the technology industry, and Virgin
America, such an innovative company, is the perfect partner to help
make this happen."
Earlier this year, Virgin America rolled out enhancements
to its Elevate frequent flyer program — including Elevate Gold
and Elevate Silver status levels that offer perks such as:
priority check-in, security clearance and boarding; points earning
bonuses; free checked bag allowances; enhanced digital/social
rewards; private discounts; an expanded advance purchase upgrade
window for the airline's exclusive eight-seat First Class;
complimentary space-available upgrades to the carrier's premium
Main Cabin Select service; and complimentary access to the best
seat assignments within Main Cabin.
In just over five years flying, the airline has expanded to 19
airport destinations and has created 2,600 new jobs. Virgin America
flies to San Francisco,
Los Angeles, New York, Washington
D.C. (IAD), Las Vegas,
San Diego, Seattle, Boston, Fort
Lauderdale, Orlando,
Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Cabos, Cancun, Chicago, Puerto
Vallarta, Palm Springs,
Philadelphia, Portland and Washington D.C.'s Reagan National
(DCA).
Photos of Virgin America's unique aircraft:
http://www.virginamerica.com/about/airline-photos/virgin-america-pictures.html
Broadcast quality video b-roll can also be downloaded at:
http://www.virginamerica.com/about/airline-company.html
About Virgin America: Headquartered in California, Virgin America offers guests
attractive fares and a host of innovative features aimed at
reinventing air travel. Virgin America was named "Best Domestic
Airline" in the Conde Nast
Traveler 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 'Readers' Choice'
Awards and "Best Domestic Airline" in Travel +
Leisure's 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 'World's Best'
Awards. The airline's base of operations is SFO's sleek
new Terminal 2. The airline's new aircraft offer interactive
in-flight entertainment systems and power outlets near every seat.
For more, visit: www.virginamerica.com
About Gilt City: Gilt City provides access to unique and
coveted lifestyle experiences in the world's most dynamic cities –
at insider prices. Each sale lasts a limited time and features a
city's most sought-after restaurants, spas, concerts, cultural
offerings and more. Gilt City currently features offers in
New York, Boston, Chicago, Miami, San
Francisco, Los Angeles,
Washington D.C., and Tokyo. A subsidiary of Gilt Groupe, Inc., Gilt
City is headquartered in New York
City with local curators in each market. To find out more
please visit www.giltcity.com.
*Terms and Conditions 10% off: This offer ends at
11:59pm PST on November 26, 2012. This offer is valid only for
nonstop travel; offer is not valid for any connect or multi-city
itineraries. Promo code is valid for non-refundable Main Cabin
tickets only. For routes BOS-LAX, BOS-SFO, JFK-LAX, JFK-LAS,
JFK-SFO, JFK-PSP, DCA-SFO, FLL-LAX, and FLL-SFO, the discount will
apply for travel between January 7,
2013 and March 6, 2013. For
all other routes, the discount will apply for travel between
December 4, 2012 and March 6, 2013. 2012 blackout dates are: 12/21,
12/22, 12/23, 12/26 and 12/30. 2013 blackout dates are: 1/1, 1/2,
1/5, 1/6, 1/18, 1/21, 2/15 and 2/18. Promo code may be used only
towards newly booked travel and may not be applied to prior
bookings. Promo code discount will be deducted off of base fare.
Base fares do not include Passenger Facility Charges of up to
$9 each way, September 11th Security Fees of up to
$5 each way and a Federal Segment Tax
of $3.80 per domestic segment. A
segment is a takeoff and landing. For service to/from Mexico, base fares do not include the U.S.
Immigration User Fee of $7, the U.S.
APHIS fee of $5, the U.S. Customs
processing fee of $5.50, a U.S.
International Arrival/Departure Tax of $16.70 each way and additional taxes/fees of up
to $60, including: Mexico
International Departure Tax and Mexico Tourism Tax. Promo code may
not be redeemed for cash. Promotion code is not eligible for
Elevate points redemption bookings. Promo code may only be
used for bookings made on virginamerica.com and is only valid
on itineraries of 9 or less. Offer cannot be combined with any
other offers. Seats are limited, subject to availability, and may
not be available on all flights. If travel is changed or cancelled,
promo code discount will become invalid. Changes or cancellations
can be made for a $100 fee per guest
through all channels, plus any difference in fare, if applicable.
Any remaining balance will be placed in a guest's travel bank, good
for travel on Virgin America for one year from date of issue.
Tickets purchased through Virgin America's reservation call center
will cost an additional $20 per
itinerary guest; this amount is non refundable if travel is changed
or cancelled. Fares will not be honored retroactively or in
exchange for any wholly or partially used ticket. Fares,
routes, fees and schedules are subject to change without notice.
Virgin America will accept one (1) piece of checked baggage up to
50 pounds for $25 for each ticketed
guest traveling within the U.S. and for free of charge for each
ticketed guest traveling to/from Mexico. The fee per guest for each additional
checked bag up to 50 pounds from the second (2) to the tenth (10)
is $25. Additional fees apply to
baggage exceeding these weight limitations, and other baggage
restrictions may apply.
**Gogo promo codes are valid from 12/4/12 – 3/6/13 on
any Time Pass, Flight Pass, or All-Day Pass purchased
in-air.
***#nerdbird for hire: Redeem on: Monday, January 7, 2013. Offer is
final sale and nonrefundable. Under no circumstances can these
seats or these flights be resold, bartered or given to others for
value. Charter flight dates are for nonstop route from San Francisco to Las
Vegas and back: Outbound: SFO-LAS, January 7, 2013 (3:35
PM departure – 5:10 PM
arrival), Return: LAS-SFO, January 9,
2013 (1:30 PM departure –
3:10 PM arrival). The
flight dates and times cannot be changed. Purchaser must enter into
a charter agreement with Virgin America within (3) three business
days after purchase. Click here for complete
terms of private charter agreement. Price quote includes all
taxes and fees associated with the passenger tickets. Except as
provided in these terms, vendor's normal contract of carriage
applies, including allowance for schedule changes, flight
disruptions, etc.. Price quoted includes one free checked
bag per guest. Additional bags will be charged fees in accordance
with vendor's usual practices for sales for the public. All
passenger names must be provided 30 days in advance of travel date
and finalized seven (7) days before travel date. Vendor will stock
the aircraft with its typical catering (i.e. food and beverages
typically stocked for a similar flight). Food and beverage will be
provided free of charge to passengers. Depending on the market and
time of year, weight restrictions may apply, so the number of
guests Virgin America can transport may be reduced. Passes to 2013
CES are valid for evening keynote on January
7, opening keynote on January
8, and access to the Exhibit Area. Subject to approval by
CEA. (2) "Elevate Gold Status" and (134) "Elevate Silver Status"
memberships are valid for the 2013 membership benefit year. Guests
must be members of the Elevate program in order to receive Status
benefits. Plane decal Terms and Conditions: Plane decal must be
provided 30 days in advance of travel date and is subject to
approval by Virgin America. Sizing and location to be determined by
Virgin America. Plane decal will remain on the plane for one
month. Virgin America will use reasonable efforts to provide
#nerdbird for the private charter flights, but no guarantees can be
provided due to aircraft schedules and other airline operational
reasons.
****Fare Sale Terms and Conditions: All Main Cabin
fares are one-way. Main Cabin fares for routes LAX-SFO, LAS-SFO,
SAN-SFO, PSP-SFO, SEA-LAX, SEA-SFO, LAX-PDX, PDX-SFO, SEA-LAS,
SEA-SAN, PDX-LAS, and PDX-SAN require a 10-day advance purchase and
travel must occur between December 7,
2012 and March 6, 2013. Main
Cabin fares for routes BOS-LAX, BOS-SFO, JFK-LAX, JFK-LAS, JFK-SFO,
DCA-SFO, BOS-SAN, BOS-LAS, BOS-SEA, BOS-PDX, BOS-PSP, JFK-SAN,
JFK-SEA, and JFK-PDX require a 21-day advance purchase and travel
must occur between December 19, 2012
and March 6, 2013. Main Cabin fares
for JFK-PSP require a 21-day advance purchase and travel must occur
between December 29, 2012 and
March 6, 2013. All other Main Cabin
fares require a 14-day advance purchase and travel must occur
between December 12, 2012 and
March 6, 2013. Tickets must be
purchased by 11:59pm CST December 3, 2012. Lowest sale fares are available
only on certain itineraries. Lowest sale fares for routes LAX-SFO,
LAS-SFO, SAN-SFO, PSP-SFO, SEA-LAX, SEA-SFO, LAX-PDX, PDX-SFO,
SEA-LAS, SEA-SAN, PDX-LAS, and PDX-SAN are not valid for travel on
Sundays. Lowest sale fares for JFK-PSP are valid only for non-stop
travel on Saturdays. 2012 blackout dates are: 12/21, 12/22,
12/23, 12/26 and 12/30. 2013 blackout dates are: 1/1, 1/2, 1/5,
1/6, 1/18, 1/21, 2/15 and 2/18. Seats are limited, subject to
availability, and may not be available on all flights. Flights may
not operate daily. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Changes or cancellations can be made for a $100 fee per guest through all channels, plus any
increase in fare, if applicable. Any remaining balance will be
placed in a guest's travel bank, good for travel on Virgin America
for one year from date of issue. Changes or cancellations of a
booking made with Elevate Points will be subject to a $100 redeposit fee per guest. Guests who no-show
without a change or cancellation prior to the scheduled departure
time will forfeit the amount of this fare. In addition, any future
flights booked in the same reservation will also be canceled and
the fare will be forfeited. Tickets purchased from Virgin America
through our reservation call center will cost an additional
$20 per guest per itinerary. Any
added cost associated with purchasing tickets from Virgin America
through our reservation call center will be non-refundable. Fares
will not be honored retroactively or in exchange for any wholly or
partially used ticket. Fares, routes, fees and schedules are
subject to change without notice. Virgin America will accept up to
ten pieces of checked baggage, up to 50 pounds each, per ticketed
guest traveling within the U.S. The fee for each piece of checked
baggage up to 50 pounds is $25.
Additional fees apply to baggage exceeding these weight
limitations, and other baggage restrictions may apply.
*****Any guest calling within the
United States has access to a complimentary
telecommunication relay service by dialing 711. For more
information, go
to: http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/telecomm.asp
SOURCE Virgin America