Let Virgin America Fly

“Who here is happy with airline service?” asks Virgin America’s “Let VA Fly!” website. “Most Americans say no.”

When I thought about it — am I happy with airline service? — I came to the conclusion that yes, for the most part I am. I’m able to get reasonably priced fares to the cities I travel to with minimal hassle. Sure, the flights are no-frills, pack-em-in-and-take-off, but I don’t pine for anything fancier. Really, I don’t. That’s not to say that things like in-cabin chat rooms and wireless broadband Internet access at 30,000 feet wouldn’t be nice — it would, but is it necessary? Not really, and I wouldn’t be interested in paying more for a plane ticket even if these things were offered.

“It’s the journey, not the destination” might work for train travel or long-distance hikes, but the age-old traveler’s mantra falls apart when you’re cramped between two people on a crowded flight, even if you can watch a movie in your headrest. The scenery may be nice up in the clouds, but after you’ve flown a few times (or played with Google Earth) the novelty of it wears off. I just want to get to my destination the cheapest, quickest way possible — that’s why I chose to fly in the first place. Am I presumptuous in thinking that most Americans would agree with me?

Regardless, Virgin America does have some pretty cool things to offer, and more variety in any industry is always better. Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Transportation rejected their application last December due to “some issues regarding [their] ownership,” and they’re asking Americans to help them convince the DOT that their application should be approved the second time around. They’ve setup a petition at LetVAFly.com, so head on over and see what they have to say.