Virgin America Asks Dallas-Fort Worth to Stand Up for a Good Cause and a New Way of Flying

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin America is teaming up with Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) to encourage "do-gooders" in its newest market to stand up for a good cause.  The "Stand Up Dallas-Fort Worth" digital campaign urges flyers to tap their network of friends and family to raise awareness and funds for collaborative cancer research.  With every unique donation of at least $5, entrants will score a 20 percent flight discount* with the airline that is known for standing up to the old way of flying (and for being named the best airline in America by Conde Nast Traveler for three consecutive years).  In addition, the top do-gooders – those who tap the largest network of donors – will score** a red hot invitation to the airline's Lone Star Launch Party, featuring a "smoking" secret musical performance, at The Winspear Opera House on December 1, 2010.  The campaign runs through November 26, 2010, at: http://standupdfw.com/

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090123/VIRGINAMERICALOGO )

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090123/VIRGINAMERICALOGO )

Virgin America's launch festivities celebrate its expansion to Dallas-Fort Worth – the twelfth destination in the airline's expanding network and its first mid-continent destination.  The airline launches daily nonstop flights between Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) starting December 1, 2010, and between DFW and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) starting December 6, 2010. With outstanding service, beautiful design and a host of high-tech amenities, Virgin America has captured all of the major reader-based best-in-class awards since its 2007 launch.  The airline offers distinctive mood-lit cabins, fleetwide WiFi, power outlets near every seat and the Red™ touch-screen entertainment platform — the most advanced in-flight entertainment system in the skies.  DFW-LAX and DFW-SFO fares start from $119, restrictions, taxes and fees applying.***

Through the Stand Up Dallas-Fort Worth campaign, the larger the network of donors tapped (not necessarily the size of the donations) – the bigger the rewards.  In addition to 20 percent discounts on Virgin America flights,* Texans who get 10 friends to donate will score** two tickets to Virgin America's Lone Star Launch Party at The Winspear Opera House.  Texans who recruit** 100 donors will get to invite 10 friends to the main event and also score two roundtrip tickets anywhere Virgin America flies.  Two California do-gooders will also win** a tricked out trip on the airline's Los Angeles to Dallas Fort-Worth inaugural flight (which touches down at a red carpet welcome right on the Dallas-Fort Worth International tarmac); two tickets to the party and secret show; and a two-night stay at the W Dallas Victory Hotel.  The party, hosted by trailblazer-in-chief Sir Richard Branson, will feature a secret musical performance sure to turn the downtown Dallas opera house on its head.

As SU2C's Official Domestic Airline partner, Virgin America has pledged to support SU2C's mission through a multi-year partnership aimed at driving awareness and funding for lifesaving cancer research.  On Virgin America, travelers are able to join the SU2C movement at 35,000 feet via the Red™ entertainment platform.  Virgin America guests can visit the Shop "Make a Difference" section on the Red platform, choose a donation, swipe a credit card and join the fight to bring an end to cancer – right from their seatback touch-screen.  100% of the funds raised both through the Stand Up Dallas-Fort Worth campaign and onboard go directly to cancer research and efforts designed to speed groundbreaking treatments to patients.  The Virgin America-SU2C partnership kicked off in September 2010, just as SU2C returned to primetime television for a star-studded show simultaneously aired on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and many cable networks.  The show combined entertainment with an appeal to build public support for cutting-edge cancer research and included a special appearance by a Virgin America aircraft, Sir Richard Branson and Virgin America's teammates.

Virgin America flies to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Las Vegas, San Diego, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Toronto, Orlando, Dallas-Fort Worth (starting from Los Angeles on December 1, 2010 and from San Francisco on December 6, 2010), Los Cabos**** (starting December 16, 2010) and Cancun**** (starting January 19, 2011).  

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 new U.S. airlines of all time and currently employs over 1700 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 International Terminal.  The airline's new aircraft offer interactive in-flight entertainment systems and power outlets near every seat for electronic gear.  Virgin America hosts the largest in-flight entertainment library in the North American skies via the touch-screen Red™ seatback platform.  In addition to a 30-film library including Oscar winners, foreign language films and Hollywood blockbusters, Red features live TV, videogames, seat-to-seat chat, music videos, interactive Google maps, a 3000 MP3 library (and the ability for guests to build their own playlists in-flight), a first-of-its-kind digital Shop section and an on-demand menu — so guests can order a cocktail or meal from their seatback any time during a flight.  In May 2009, the carrier became the first airline to offer in-flight internet on every flight.  In just three years flying, Virgin America was named "Best Domestic Airline" in the Conde Nast Traveler 2008, 2009 and 2010 Readers' Choice Awards and "Best Domestic Airline" in Travel + Leisure's 2008, 2009 and 2010 World's Best Awards.  For photos and more: www.virginamerica.com

About the Stand Up To Cancer Initiative: Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) –– a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)3 charitable organization –– raises funds to hasten the pace of groundbreaking translational research that can get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives. In the fall of 2007, a group of women whose lives have all been affected by cancer in profound ways began working together to marshal the resources of the media and entertainment industries in the fight against this disease. The SU2C founding members include Laura Ziskin, executive producer of the Sept. 5, 2008 broadcast and the upcoming one, who is a cancer survivor; Sherry Lansing, chairperson of the Entertainment Industry Foundation's Board of Directors and founder of the Sherry Lansing Foundation; EIF President and CEO Lisa Paulsen; Katie Couric; EIF Senior Vice President Kathleen Lobb; Rusty Robertson and Sue Schwartz of the Robertson Schwartz Agency; nonprofit executive Ellen Ziffren; and Noreen Fraser, founder of the Noreen Fraser Foundation (NFF) and a cancer survivor. SU2C was formally launched on May 27, 2008. Major League Baseball was the founding donor to contribute to Stand Up To Cancer. Other major SU2C supporters include Sidney Kimmel, the country's largest individual supporter of cancer research; Amgen, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, The Gateway for Cancer Research Foundation, GlaxoSmithKline, Inter–American Development Bank (IDB), Wallis Annenberg & The Annenberg Foundation, Alliance for Global Good, Milken Family Foundation, Philips Electronics, Steve Tisch, The Island Def Jam Music Group, and many others. In addition to ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC, SU2C major media partners include AOL, Conde Nast Media Group, eBay Inc., Facebook, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Hearst Corporation, Los Angeles Times, Meredith Corporation, The New York Times Company, Time Inc and WebMD.  For more: www.standup2cancer.org.

* Terms and Conditions: This offer ends at 11:59pm PST on January 28, 2011. 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 $3.70 per domestic segment. A segment is a takeoff and landing. For international travel, fares do not include the U.S. Immigration User Fee of $7, the U.S. APHIS fee of $5, and the U.S. International Arrival/Departure tax of $16.10 each way. For service to/from Toronto, fares do not include additional taxes/fees of up to $50, including: Airport Improvement Fee, Canadian Security Fee, Goods and Services Tax, and Harmonized Sales Tax. For service to/from Mexico, fares do not include additional taxes/fees of up to $60, including: Mexico International Departure Tax and Mexico Tourism Tax. One time use promo code is valid for non-refundable Main Cabin tickets only in fare classes S, L, M, U, E, H, B, or V and requires a minimum 7-day advance purchase. Travel must occur between December 1, 2010 and January 31, 2011. Blackout dates are December 17-18, 2010; December 23-24, 2010; December 26, 2010; December 30, 2010; January 2-3, 2011. SFO-DFW service begins December 6, 2010. SFO-SJD service begins December 16, 2010. LAX-CUN service begins January 19, 2011. SFO-CUN service begins January 20, 2011. 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. Promo code may not be redeemed for cash. Promo code may only be used for bookings made on virginamerica.com and is only valid on itineraries of 2 or less. Offer is not transferable and 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 $75 fee if changes are made on Virgin America's website or a $100 fee through all other channels, including the call center and at the airport, plus any increase in fare, if applicable. Tickets purchased from Virgin America through our reservation call center will cost an additional $15 per guest per itinerary purchased through November 30, 2010 and $20 beginning December 1, 2010. 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 one (1) piece of checked baggage up to 70 pounds for $25 for each ticketed guest traveling within the U.S. and free of charge for each ticketed guest traveling to/from Mexico or to/from Canada. 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.

**Virgin America's Stand Up Fort Dallas-Worth Promotion (the "Offer") is open to legal residents of California and Texas, at least twenty-one (21) years or older at the time of entry. Offer begins on November 8, 2010 at 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time ("PT") and ends on November 24, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. PT ("Offer Period"). Offer and prize notification will take place on or before November 24, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. PT. The first one hundred (100) participants who are residents of Texas to collect ten (10) donations will receive two (2) tickets to the Virgin America Dallas Launch party on December 1, 2010 at the Dallas Opera House. The first five (5) participants who are residents of Texas to collect one (100) donations will receive eleven (11) tickets to the Virgin America Dallas Launch party on December 1, 2010 at Dallas Opera House, VIP seating at the event, and two (2) vouchers good for air transportation via Virgin America from Dallas, TX to San Francisco, CA or Los Angeles. The first two (2) participants who are residents of California to collect one (100) donations will receive will receive coach-class air transportation for two (2) aboard the December 1, 2010 inaugural Virgin America flight from Los Angeles, CA to Dallas-Fort Worth, TX departing at 7:45 a.m. PT, two (2) nights' accommodations and ground transportation to and from a Dallas hotel determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion (single room, double occupancy);and two (2) tickets to the Virgin America Dallas Launch event with VIP seating. Additional terms and conditions apply, for official contest rules please see http://www.standupdfw.com/rules

***Terms and conditions for Dallas-Fort Worth fares: All Main Cabin fares are one-way. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. Tickets must be purchased by 11:59pm PST November 15, 2010. 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 $3.70 per domestic segment. A segment is a takeoff and landing. For LAX-DFW service, travel must occur between December 1, 2010 and February 15, 2011.   For SFO-DFW service, travel must occur between December 6, 2010 and February 15, 2011. Blackout dates are December 18, 2010; December 23, 2010; December 26, 2010; January 2-3, 2011. Higher fares are available for travel on Fridays and Sundays. Seats are limited, subject to availability, and may not be available on all flights. Flights may not operate daily. Changes or cancellations can be made for a $75 fee if changes are made on Virgin America's website (www.virginamerica.com) or a $100 fee through all other channels, including the call center and at the airport, plus any increase in fare, if applicable. Changes or cancellations of a booking made with Elevate Points will be subject to a $75 redeposit fee. Guests who no-show without a change or cancel 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 $15 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 one (1) piece of checked baggage up to 70 pounds for $25 for each ticketed guest. 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.

****Subject to Mexican government approval.

SOURCE Virgin America

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