SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin America, the award-winning airline, today unveiled software upgrades to its Linux-based Red(TM) system that allow for more content and even greater functionality and speed. Guests flying at 35,000 feet can use the touch-screen at every seat to order menu items, play games, shop or watch content from the largest entertainment platform in the U.S. skies - at speeds up to 25 percent faster than before. In addition to an expanded entertainment lineup, the Red upgrades enable new Shop offerings and more user-friendly functions like e-mail receipts for onboard purchases. Later this year, the upgrades will also enable Red to debut more new features, including a new TV channel lineup, a "Best of the Web" category, and an expanded Shop platform.
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"We're continuing to invest in our unique, high-tech amenities in order to deliver an unrivalled value for our guests," said Porter Gale, Vice President of Marketing for Virgin America. "Our mission is to reinvent domestic air travel by offering travelers more choices and amenities, rather than fewer - all for low fares. With these latest enhancements, we're continuing to make good on our promise to deliver an industry-leading product at a great price - and we've even implemented a few suggestions made by guests via Red's own in-flight feedback button."
New Red "Watch" content:
-- Boing Boing video channel on Red: As the only airline based in Silicon Valley and the first to offer fleetwide WiFi , Red is premiering a new Boing Boing Video channel dedicated to the irreverent and eclectic content that has made BoingBoing.net a favorite with pop culture junkies. -- Expanded on-demand film library: The new Red lineup boasts a library of over 30 on-demand films ranging from the latest Hollywood blockbusters to indie favorites, including: -- Adventureland -- Fast and Furious -- Ghosts of Girlfriends Past -- Grey Gardens -- My Life in RuinsNew Red "Shop" selections:
-- Help Remedies: New to Red's Shop section is Help Remedies - a collection of simple solutions for simple health troubles. At the touch of a button on Red, a solution to headaches, body aches or sleeping troubles will be delivered to you in an eco-friendly package. The 16-count packages, like "Help. I have a headache," are available to guests for purchase for $4 - and include funny, tongue-in-cheek recommendations.New functionality upgrades:
-- Purchase receipts: For purchases made on Red, guests can now have e-receipts emailed to them directly at the point of purchase - a convenient new option for business travelers. -- Games: Guests playing any of Red's videogame favorites, including DOOM, can now override game soundtracks and listen to their favorite songs from the more than 3,000 tracks in the airline's MP3 library. This change was a recommendation made by Virgin America guests via Red's feedback button. -- Faster rewind and fast-forward functionality: Guests can stop, start, rewind and fast forward at three different speeds when they want for all video on-demand content like movies, premium TV and music videos.Virgin America offers innovative features that appeal to today's tech-savvy travelers, including power outlets near every seat, fleetwide WiFi and the Red platform, which offers touch-screen and remote control interactivity and a wealth of content and options, including:
-- "Watch": Live satellite TV, cached specialty channels, 30+ on-demand films, premium TV like HBO and an on-demand music video library; -- "Play": A variety of videogames, including cult favorites like DOOM, navigated by a Qwerty keyboard handset at every seat; -- "Talk": A seat-to-seat chat feature inside the aircraft, so guests can chat with someone in a nearby seat; -- "Journey": Interactive Google Maps that zoom at 8 levels and track the aircraft in-flight; -- "Eat": A first-of-its-kind on-demand menu system that allows guests to order what they want, when they want it during a flight; -- "Shop": An on-demand shopping section; -- "Listen": A 3,000 MP3 library and platform to create playlists in-flight.Virgin America flies to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Las Vegas, San Diego, Boston, Orange County and starting Nov. 18, 2009 - South Florida (Fort Lauderdale). The airline offers over 100 daily flights from: SFO to LAX, SFO to JFK, SFO to SAN, SFO to IAD, SFO to LAS, LAX to JFK, LAX to IAD, SFO to SEA, SEA to LAX, JFK to LAS, BOS to LAX, BOS to SFO, SFO to SNA and by Nov. 18, 2009 - SFO to FLL and LAX to FLL.
EDITORS NOTE: Virgin America is a U.S. controlled and operated airline and 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 1500 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 aircraft offer interactive in-flight entertainment systems and power outlets near every seat for electronic gear. Virgin America now offers in-flight internet service on every flight and hosts the largest in-flight entertainment library in the domestic skies via its touch-screen Red(TM) seatback system. In just over a year flying, Virgin America was named "Best Domestic Airline" in the Conde Nast Traveler 2008 Readers' Choice Awards and "Best Domestic Airline" in Travel + Leisure's 2008 and 2009 World's Best Awards. For more: www.virginamerica.com
SOURCE Virgin America
